Viruses

Scientists have found a way to make one of the most aggressive brain tumors vulnerable to the immune system. A single injection of a modified virus can invade glioblastoma, kill cancer cells, and summon immune fighters deep into the tumor. These immune cells persist and attack, which was linked to longer survival in patients.

Bats are reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, such as Ebola and coronaviruses. These pathogens can spread to humans through direct contact with the flying mammals or their bodily fluids, or indirectly through contaminated food and water or through intermediate animal hosts. Efforts to reduce these risks have included culling and experimental attempts to vaccinate individual animals. However, these methods are often ineffective, as well as being impractical and potentially harmful to ecosystems.

Viruses develop tricks to attack bacteria without the help of gravity

In a new study published in Nature, University of Minnesota researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world's deadliest pathogens with an average 73% fatality rate, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to the forefront of global health care. After their clinical trial stages, the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered on 8 December 2020 and mathematical models suggest that mRNA vaccines prevented at least 14.4 million deaths from COVID-19 in the first year alone.

Most zoonotic viruses do not show evidence that acquiring adaptive mutations is required to sustain human-to-human transmission.  The post Outbreak Origins Unveiled by Zoonotic Virus Natural Selection appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics.

Long before humans cultivated crops or sailed between continents, a group of plant viruses was already evolving among wild plants in Eurasia. According to a new international study published in Plant Disease, the ancestors of modern tymoviruses likely emerged before the last Ice Age, reshaping scientists' understanding of the vast evolutionary history of plant disease.

Orthohantaviruses, such as the Puumala virus, are widespread in Europe, causing flu-like illnesses and severe kidney damage in those infected. It is increasingly considered a zoonotic threat. Researchers from the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University Hospital Essen, Germany, have gained new insights into how these viruses alter the internal structure of their host cells. Their findings are published in the Journal of General Virology.

A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a phylogenetic, genome-wide analysis across multiple viral families, researchers report that most zoonotic viruses—infectious pathogens that spread from animals to humans, including the cause of COVID-19—do not show evidence of special evolutionary adaptation before spilling over into humans.

Herpes simplex virus partially liquifies the tightly packed, gel-like interior of human cell nuclei to copy itself faster, a new study shows.

Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have found that viruses circulating in live poultry markets can be detected more effectively by sampling the surrounding environment than by testing individual birds. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that environmental sampling can uncover a broader range of poultry viruses—including highly pathogenic avian influenza strains that traditional surveillance may miss.

Strategy gains momentum after promising results in cell studies and infected people

The cold season is in full swing, throats are scratchy and noses are running. We feel ill and hope it is not the flu. The influenza virus continues to pose a threat to our health. It triggers seasonal epidemics and, from time to time, potentially serious global pandemics. Existing antiviral drugs are often less effective than hoped because the influenza virus mutates rapidly to escape their effect.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects an estimated 50 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and remains a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer. While antiviral drugs can cure most infections, global access remains limited and these drugs do not stop reinfection.

Nanosurf's DriveAFM utilizes WaveMode to image TMV, offering high-resolution insights into viral structure while preserving native physiological conditions.

Viruses such as human norovirus can travel in vesicles, small fluid-filled sacs that are like shipping containers for cells. Viruses hidden in these containers are often harder to detect and may be more infectious than free-floating viral material. In addition, their prevalence in the environment remains relatively unknown, raising public health concerns.

Biochemists at Caltech have identified how viruses have converged on a method for killing bacteria. The researchers have homed in on an underexplored small transporter called MurJ that is a vital part of the pathway bacteria use to build their chain-mail-like cell wall. An essential component of the cell wall, called peptidoglycan, provides the strength that allows bacteria to resist pressure. Using advanced tools, the scientists have determined the common mechanism used by three different bacteria-killing viruses to block MurJ from doing its job. The findings reveal a novel target for designing new antibiotics.

This week in the scientific process: researchers reported the first-ever shark sighted in Antarctic waters. Penguins beware! Biologists report that honey bees navigate more precisely than previously thought. And not all humans scare wildlife, it turns out.

In an early animal test, a new nasal-spray vaccine has shown promise against a variety of germs and a common allergen, scientists report.

The latest Nipah virus cluster in West Bengal has reignited fears of a high‑fatality outbreak with global reach, even as officials insist the risk beyond India remains low.

A giant virus discovered in Japan is adding fuel to the provocative idea that viruses helped create complex life. Named ushikuvirus, it infects amoebae and shows unique traits that connect different families of giant DNA viruses. Its unusual way of hijacking and disrupting the host cell’s nucleus offers fresh insight into how viruses may have influenced the evolution of the cell nucleus itself. The finding deepens the mystery of viruses—and their possible role in life’s biggest leap.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown.

Researchers developed a universal, intranasally delivered vaccine that exploits interplay between innate and adaptive immune responses, and in mice protected against a wide range of respiratory viruses, bacteria, and allergens, for several months. The post Vaccine Protects Against Multiple Respiratory Viruses, Bacteria, and Allergens in Mice appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

Features of recently identified influenza D point to possible pandemic threat

Nature is the foremost international weekly scientific journal in the world and is the flagship journal for Nature Portfolio. It publishes the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature publishes landmark papers, award winning news, leading comment and expert opinion on important, topical scientific news and events that enable readers to share the latest discoveries in science and evolve the discussion amongst the global scientific community.

In a new study, published in Cell, researchers describe a newfound mechanism for creating proteins in a giant DNA virus, comparable to a mechanism in eukaryotic cells. The finding challenges the dogma that viruses lack protein synthesis machinery, and blurs the line between cellular life and viruses.

The self-spreading CRISPR tool increased editing efficiency roughly three-fold compared to older versions. The post Souped-Up CRISPR Gene Editor Replicates and Spreads Like a Virus appeared first on SingularityHub.

A giant virus encodes part of the protein-making toolkit of cells that gives it greater control over its amoeba host, raising questions about how it evolved and how such beings relate to living organisms

Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientists reached a crucial milestone in blocking Epstein Barr virus (EBV), a pathogen estimated to infect 95% of the global population that is linked to multiple types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and other chronic health conditions.

Researchers identify a complex that hands mimivirus control of protein synthesis in infected amoebae

Sens. Diagn.DOI: 10.1039/D5SD00185D, Paper Open Access   This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Nnamdi Nwahara, Saba Niaz, Muthumuni Managa, Christian I. Nkanga, Oluwasesan Adegoke, Ojodomo J. AchaduThe development of robust and ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics for viral pathogens, remains a critical challenge, as traditional biosensing platforms often suffer from signal instability and poor performance in complex biological matrices.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

Flexible plastic films stamped with dense nanopillar arrays mechanically rupture viral particles, reducing infectivity by 94% in one hour with no chemical agents involved.

The CDC has issued a Level 2 travel alert for Seychelles due to a chikungunya outbreak, advising travelers to take enhanced precautions.

Finding rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold, in preserved medical specimens and analysing their RNA genome could let us trace the evolution of human illness

The CDC has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for the Seychelles following a chikungunya outbreak, advising travelers to take precautions.

Bijou Phillips is back on dialysis and urgently seeking a living kidney donor due to BK virus complications affecting her health.

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), together with an interdisciplinary team of partners, have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus) as a likely natural reservoir of the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Their study was published today in Nature. The discovery was based on the detailed investigation of an mpox outbreak among wild sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire. Scientists combined ecological, behavioral, and molecular evidence to document, for the first time, the interspecies transmission of MPXV in the wild, from fire-footed rope squirrels to sooty mangabeys.

Mount Sinai researchers have identified a cellular mechanism linking infections from influenza A viruses (IAVs) to cardiovascular disease, providing critical insights on how influenza can damage the heart and increase the risk of a heart attack or other major cardiovascular event.

Pet owners want quick answers when their beloved cat or dog is sick. And if these furry friends are experiencing digestive distress, lethargy and fever, it's important to rapidly rule out serious illnesses like feline panleukopenia (also called feline parvovirus) and canine parvovirus. Now, researchers report improved lateral flow assays for at-home screening. In tests on veterinary clinic samples, the assays demonstrated 100% sensitivity and reproducibility for both parvoviruses.

SUNDAY, Feb. 8, 2026 — Reports of new Nipah virus cases in India have raised worries about yet another deadly outbreak. Nipah is a rare virus that can cause severe brain swelling and breathing problems, and there are no approved vaccines or t...

New research suggests that Epstein-Barr virus may actively provoke the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis. Scientists found large buildups of virus-targeting immune cells in the nervous systems of MS patients, far more than in their blood. One viral gene was active only in people with MS, hinting at a direct role in the disease. The findings could help guide new approaches to treatment.

A father-of-two reveals how a tumour in his tongue was caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

An infection with Epstein-Barr virus is a nonevent for most people. But for a subset, the virus can contribute to chronic conditions and cancer, and genes may play a role in that risk.

THURSDAY, Feb. 5, 2026 — Infectious disease experts are sounding the alarm about two pathogens in animals that have the potential to trigger the next major health crisis.Researchers warn that influenza D and canine coronavirus are increasingly j...

Two emerging pathogens with animal origins - influenza D virus and canine coronavirus - have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans.

Some clinicians worry that the four-in-one diagnostic test may give false comfort.

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TUESDAY, Feb. 3, 2026 — The World Health Organization (WHO) says there is a low risk that the deadly Nipah virus will spread beyond India, where two people tested positive. In an email sent to the Reuters news agency, the WHO said it does not...

A recent international research project has used advanced microscopy techniques and computational modeling to discover why virus infection changes the nuclear structures and biomechanical forces affecting the nucleus.

WHO is monitoring a Nipah virus outbreak in India after two confirmed cases, warning of epidemic risk as vaccine research accelerates amid global surveillance efforts.

Sens. Diagn.DOI: 10.1039/D5SD00185D, Paper Open Access   This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Ojodomo Achadu, Nnamdi Nwahara , Saba Niaz, Muthumuni Managa, Christian Nkanga, Oluwasesan AdegokeThe development of robust and ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics for viral pathogens, particularly for detecting seasonal respiratory viruses, remains a critical challenge, as traditional biosensing platforms often suffer from signal instability...The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry

Last year, at least one million people in the U.S. were hospitalized for respiratory virus illnesses like the flu or COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Scientists warn that a virus family once linked to 500 million deaths could spark the next pandemic, urging improved surveillance, awareness and vaccine strategies to protect global health.

Bats, critical reservoirs of viruses with significant cross-species spillover risks, have long been understudied in the Indochina Peninsula.

The study on Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018 underscores urgent needs for targeted surveillance and diagnostics in infectious disease research.

Nipah Virus has caused deadly outbreaks in Asia with fatality rates up to 75%.

Researchers in Bangladesh have identified a bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, in patients who were initially suspected of having Nipah virus but tested negative. All had recently consumed raw date-palm sap, a known pathway for bat-related infections. Genetic analysis confirmed live virus in several samples, pointing to active human infection. The finding raises concerns that dangerous bat viruses may be circulating undetected alongside Nipah.

Antimicrobial resistance - when bacteria and fungi defend themselves against the drugs design to kill them - is an urgent threat to global public health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers at WashU Medicine have developed a nasal vaccine against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, or bird flu, which has jumped from wild birds to livestock to humans.

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, is monitoring reports of a Nipah virus outbreak in India and emphasizes that such cases, while very concerning and serious, are not unexpected or unprecedented. Sporadic Nipah virus infections have occurred almost annually in parts of South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh, and do not indicate a new or escalating global threat.

The rapid evolutionary dynamics of RNA viruses, driven by high mutation rates and the consequent formation of complex quasispecies populations, present a formidable obstacle to conventional molecular diagnostic approaches.

Recent reports of Nipah virus (NiV) infections in West Bengal, India, have reignited global concern, prompting public health authorities to prioritize research into this high-mortality pathogen.

Indian authorities confirm containment of the deadly Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, easing global fears but leaving questions about future safety.

Two emerging pathogens with animal origins - influenza D virus and canine coronavirus - have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans.

The ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus is increasingly being linked to conditions like multiple sclerosis and lupus. But why do only some people who catch it develop these complications? The answer may lie in our genetics

Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in India have prompted authorities in Thailand and Malaysia to step up airport screening.

Doctors warn Nipah virus symptoms can mimic flu or COVID early, but rapid brain inflammation, seizures and high death risk make early action vital globally now.

Although it is the leading infectious cause of birth defects, patients and some doctors know little about cytomegalovirus.

Learn about the symptoms and transmission of the Nipah virus as India implements urgent containment measures to stop the spread of this deadly zoonotic disease.

TUESDAY, Jan. 27, 2026 — Health officials across parts of Asia are stepping up disease checks after several people in India were diagnosed with Nipah virus, a rare but deadly infection that can spread from animals to humans.So far, five people have...

Taiwan officially classifies Nipah virus—which kills 80–91% of infected people—as a Category 5 notifiable disease following India's outbreak, raising critical questions about media silence surrounding a pathogen deadlier than COVID-19.

Deadly Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal infects five, 100 quarantined; experts warn its 75% fatality rate poses a greater threat than COVID-19.

Doctors warn a Nipah virus outbreak in eastern India has no vaccine or treatment, as cases are traced and health officials stress extreme lethality.

A large, multidisciplinary team led by researchers from Texas A&M University has made a potentially game-changing discovery about the development of devastating motor neuron diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Thai authorities enforce strict airport screenings for travellers from India following a Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal. Neighbouring Nepal also tightens border security as cases rise.

The Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal has confirmed five cases, with fatality rates up to 75% making it more dangerous than Covid. Check if it's spread to your country and learn key symptoms.

How different is the Nipah virus from COVID-19? Here's what you need to know about it as India sounds a nationwide alarm.

Two nurses are infected in India's Nipah virus outbreak, prompting hospital quarantines, national alerts and fears of undetected transmission.

In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers from Monash University and the Lions Eye Institute have discovered a tissue protein that acts as a central 'traffic controller' for immune cells and can be hijacked by a virus to weaken immune responses.

Researchers from New England Biolabs (NEB®) and Yale University describe the first fully synthetic bacteriophage engineering system for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium of global concern, in a new PNAS study. The system is enabled by NEB’s High-Complexity Golden Gate Assembly (HC-GGA) platform. In this method, researchers engineer bacteriophages synthetically using sequence data rather than bacteriophage isolates.

Preclinical study demonstrates how the cells in our noses defend us from the common cold and suggests that such defenses to rhinovirus—and not the virus itself—typically predict whether we catch a cold, as well as symptom severity. The post Nasal Passage Cell Response to Common Cold Virus Determines Sickness Severity appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from more than 90 Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in over 40 countries dedicated to advancing research, collaboration, and pandemic preparedness, expresses deep concern regarding the ongoing resurgence of measles in the United States and around the globe.

A mysterious outbreak called "el virus" is devastating Cuba, causing dehydration and peeling skin in children, overwhelming hospitals amid a broader arbovirus epidemic.

Scientists found that microgravity fundamentally slows the infection cycle, pushing phages to become hyper-efficient at binding to hosts.

Near-weightless conditions can mutate genes and alter the physical structures of bacteria and phages, disrupting their normal interactions in ways that could help us treat drug-resistant infections.

When scientists sent bacteria-infecting viruses to the International Space Station, the microbes did not behave the same way they do on Earth. In microgravity, infections still occurred, but both viruses and bacteria evolved differently over time. Genetic changes emerged that altered how viruses attach to bacteria and how bacteria defend themselves. The findings could help improve phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.

A recent study shows that viruses in wild bees are closely linked to the flowers they visit and the availability of floral resources across the landscape. Researchers found that certain floral communities increase the likelihood of virus presence, and that flowers can serve as hubs for virus transmission between wild bees and honey bees. The findings suggest that pollinator conservation efforts must consider disease dynamics alongside habitat restoration.

Health experts warn that mpox, rubella, bird flu and Oropouche could spark the next pandemic as vaccine rates plummet globally and the UK remains unprepared.

THURSDAY, Jan. 15, 2026 — Genetics appear to help determine who develops multiple sclerosis (MS), a pair of new studies says.A person’s genetics interact with an infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to cause a severe autoimmune reaction that lea...

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis arise when the immune system turns against the body itself.

A damaging cotton virus thought to be a recent invader has actually been hiding in U.S. fields for nearly two decades. New research shows cotton leafroll dwarf virus was present as early as 2006, quietly spreading across major cotton-growing states long before it was officially identified. By reanalyzing old genetic data with modern tools, scientists uncovered a hidden history of the virus’s spread—including its first confirmed appearance in California and even traces in animal feed.

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One of the leading triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. However, certain gene variants also play an important role.

"Microbes continue to evolve under microgravity, and they do so in ways that are not always predictable."