Viruses

Laboratory tests have implicated the Andes virus, a specific type of hantavirus, in the cluster of illnesses on the cruise ship MV Hondius.

A hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has resulted in three deaths, with WHO investigating rare human-to-human transmission of the Andes virus.

The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in over 700 herds of dairy cows in California, the largest dairy-producing state in the U.S. A study published in PLOS Biology led by Seema S. Lakdawala at Emory University School of Medicine, U.S. and Jason Lombard at Colorado State University, U.S. suggests that H5N1 is transmitted through multiple, previously unknown sources and that some H5N1 positive cows do not show clinical signs of infection.

Experts explain whether all mice carry the virus and when droppings become dangerous after three deaths aboard the MV Hondius have renewed hantavirus fears.

With longer days, warmer weather and a little more breathing room in the schedule, summer often feels like the perfect time to bring home a new dog.

The ability to detect viruses and other harmful pathogens is highly advantageous for animals, as it can guide their behavior and prevent them from illness, and—in severe cases—death. When it comes to species that live in organized groups, such as bees, ants and some other insects, it can be even more crucial, as it can prevent the spread of pathogens across entire colonies.

As the spread of infectious diseases accelerates, technologies that can accurately distinguish multiple viruses in a single test are becoming increasingly important. KAIST and an international research team have developed a new diagnostic technology that simultaneously identifies various viruses and variants by controlling the "speed" of gene scissors.

Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that DRT3, a unique defense system found in bacteria, creates DNA to protect against viral infections. DRT3 is made up of two different enzymes called reverse transcriptases, Drt3a and Drt3b, and a piece of noncoding RNA (ncRNA). Together, this trio makes long, double-stranded DNA consisting of alternating repeats (GT/AC).

Researchers updated the global catalogue of human-infective RNA viruses to 239 ICTV-recognised species, incorporating taxonomy, discovery dates, locations, genome links, host range, transmissibility, and transmission routes. The dataset shows that most known human-infective RNA viruses remain strictly zoonotic, while only a minority are endemic in humans or capable of epidemic spread.

Researchers filmed 10 species eating or scavenging bats at known Marburg-virus hotspot—and caught hundreds of humans visiting

Florida's wildlife agency reports 31 sloth deaths in an unlicensed Orlando warehouse, highlighting regulatory gaps and sparking public outrage over animal welfare.

Memory cells in the nose slow the influenza virus as soon as it enters the body. They reduce viral levels and may help protect against more severe illness.

Researchers have developed a new methodology that uses artificial intelligence tools to identify and count target viruses more efficiently than previous techniques. The new approach can be used in applications such as pharmaceutical biomanufacturing.

The Epstein-Barr virus seems to affect gene expression and cell signalling in a way that causes the autoimmune condition multiple sclerosis

Instead of directly attacking the virus, the compound acts on the host cell and prevents infection.

A new virus-fighting plastic film could transform everyday surfaces into invisible defenders against disease. Instead of relying on chemicals, this flexible material is covered in microscopic pillars that physically stretch viruses until they burst, rendering them harmless. In lab tests, it destroyed or disabled about 94% of virus particles within an hour, showing impressive effectiveness.

A new Yale study published in JAMA Network Open finds that the virus that causes COVID-19 does not linger in placental tissue weeks to months after a pregnant woman recovers from infection - offering important reassurance for clinicians and patients alike.

For decades, two different viruses were believed to be responsible for a common, untreatable disease in dahlias, a colorful, high-value flower grown worldwide. Virologists at Washington State University have now learned that the two viruses, known as dahlia mosaic virus and the dahlia common mosaic virus, are variants of the same viral species. Based on the sequencing and comparison of the viruses' genomes, the discovery was published in the journal Archives of Virology.

A newly discovered virus hiding inside a common gut bacterium could help explain one of medicine’s long-standing mysteries: why a microbe found in both healthy people and cancer patients is linked to colorectal cancer. The research suggests that the interaction between bacteria and the viruses they carry may be key to understanding disease risk. It may even lead to future screening tests that detect cancer risk earlier.

Think of how many surfaces you touch every day, from your kitchen bench to the handrail on the bus or train, your work desk and your phone screen.

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic disease in humans caused by the Marburg virus. It is carried by Egyptian fruit bats and can spread to people after exposure in caves or mines where they live. So imagine the surprise of researchers when they monitored Python Cave in Uganda, a known Marburg virus reservoir, and found that, despite the danger, dozens of people were entering the site. Most of these visitors were unprotected and ignored safety rules, creating a golden opportunity for the virus to jump from bats to the local community.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the cause of AIDS, is a master of deception, using just nine genes to hijack the complex cellular machinery of the human body.

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.

Researchers have developed a thin plastic film that tears apart viruses on contact, offering a promising new way to keep high-touch surfaces such as smartphones and hospital equipment from spreading disease. The innovation is not only effective at killing viruses, but also far more practical and scalable than earlier metal and silicon-based antiviral surfaces.

The health system’s public, easily accessible data is an alternative to the state’s website, which can be challenging to use, sources say.

Higher torque teno virus loads during the first year after kidney transplant are associated with an increased risk for malignancies in subsequent years, a prospective study finds.

Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The insights, which expand our understanding of the major global health threat of AMR, came as John Innes Center researchers investigated the curious phenomena of gene transfer agents (GTAs).

Doctors recommend getting your flu shot annually, since the specific influenza strain it targets varies from year to year. But what if the shot could be more effective while protecting against more strains?

Scientists have taken a major step toward stopping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an extremely common infection linked to cancer and chronic disease. By using mice engineered with human antibody genes, researchers created powerful human-like antibodies that block the virus from attaching to and entering immune cells. One of these antibodies completely prevented infection in lab models with human immune systems, marking a breakthrough after years of difficulty tackling EBV’s ability to invade nearly all B cells.

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD), caused by begomoviruses, is a global problem in tomato production, affecting yield. While introduction of resistance genes is one of the strategies to control TYLCD, introduction of a single Ty-gene is inadequate in providing full protection against begomoviruses.

A man known as the "Oslo patient" joins a short list of people in long-term remission from HIV following bone marrow transplants.

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.

The wave-shaped chart Ratul Chowdhury pulls up on a computer monitor in his office captures the evolutionary cat-and-mouse game his research lab is up against. The undulating curves track variants of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, which causes a swine disease that annually costs the global pork industry more than $1 billion—damage attributable in part to how quickly it adapts to escape from immune defenses.

This Nature Communications review argues that rat hepatitis E virus is an emerging zoonotic cause of hepatitis that is likely underdiagnosed because current tests are limited and awareness remains low. It shows that ratHEV is widespread in urban rodent populations, can infect humans and some other animals, and may spread mainly through indirect environmental exposure rather than direct rodent contact.

Cases of Borna disease virus 1, or BoDV-1, are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain.

Cases of Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease, the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain. This zoonotic virus belongs to the order Mononegavirales, which includes the lethal viruses responsible for Ebola virus disease, measles, and rabies. The nucleoprotein-RNA complex in these viruses protects its genomic RNA and supports viral RNA synthesis, so understanding the structure of this complex is essential to targeting viral replication. Structural characterization has been completed for several mononegavirus families that more commonly infect humans, but detailed information for the family Bornaviridae has not been sufficiently explored.

Sens. Diagn.DOI: 10.1039/D6SD00003G, Paper Open Access   This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Md Reazul Islam, Faisal Hossain, Michael A. Joyce, Mohamed Elaish, D. Lorne Tyrrell, Tom C. Hobman, Michael J. SerpeEnzymatic detection of H5N1 using glucose test strips.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

A research group has successfully determined, for the first time in the world, the capsid (outer shell) structure of Melbournevirus—a member of the giant virus family—at a resolution of 4.4 Å using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The work is published in the journal Viruses. The team was led by Project Professor Kazuyoshi Murata at the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) / National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS), in collaboration with Senior Researcher Kenta Okamoto at Uppsala University and Professor Chantal Abergel at Aix-Marseille University.

Like most bacteria, Vibrio cholerae lives under constant attack from viruses. To survive, bacteria equip themselves with antiviral immune systems. Previous work has shown that V. cholerae carries a large genetic element called a sedentary chromosomal integron (SCI). This structure contains hundreds of small mobile DNA units known as "gene cassettes" arranged in a long array, like a chain of pearls.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2 is a terrible way for any animal to die, especially creatures as gentle as these. Highly contagious and lethal, it threatens wild and domestic rabbits. First detected in the United States in 2020, it has rapidly spread throughout the western states, becoming endemic as far as South Dakota, Kansas, and Texas. Two years later, Pennsylvania had its first two cases at a Fayette County domestic farmed rabbit facility.

Researchers at Umeå University show how tick-borne viruses remodel human cells into virus factories, using an advanced microscopy method. The findings provide new insight into how the virus replicates and matures, knowledge that may become important for future treatments against TBE. The study is published in Nature Communications.

A novel vaccine platform has been developed to induce broad, protective immunity against numerous influenza virus infections, showing promise as an effective mucosal vaccine strategy, according to a study published by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

Cholera-causing bacteria are locked in an evolutionary arms race with a viral nemesis, according to a new genomic study.

Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a microscopic DNA needle that can deliver molecules directly into cells—and, crucially, help make sure they remain active once they get there. That addresses a major problem in modern medicine: much of what enters a cell is quickly sealed off in tiny bubbles and put out of action before it ever reaches its target.

A virus seems to have jumped from marine animals into people for the first time ever, and it is causing serious vision problems

DNA robots are emerging as tiny programmable machines that could one day deliver drugs, hunt viruses, and build molecular-scale devices. By borrowing ideas from traditional robotics and combining them with DNA folding techniques, scientists are creating structures that can move and act with precision. These robots can be guided using chemical reactions or external signals like light and magnetic fields.

University of Exeter scientists studied chemical communication by phages (viruses that infect bacteria). The phages assessed in the study have two choices when they enter a cell: lie dormant or kill the cell and release new virus particles to infect other cells nearby. It was recently discovered that some phages use chemical communication systems to optimize this decision.

In the game of survival, you can't always go it alone. Tiny algae living in the harsh conditions of the world's polar oceans appear to be better able to withstand the cold, high salinity, and extreme UV radiation, thanks in part to giant virus DNA in their genome, according to a study published in Current Biology.

Vivian Wilson launches 'Evil Woke Mind Virus' merchandise, turning Elon Musk's controversial phrase into a fundraiser for The Trevor Project that supports LGBTQ+ youth.

A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that while the COVID-19 virus has developed rapidly since 2019, it has done so within limited genetic channels.

A new paper in Genome Biology and Evolution, indicates that while the COVID-19 virus has developed rapidly since 2019, it has done so within limited genetic channels. These genetic limits have remained unchanged. Despite scientists' earlier fears about dramatic, rapid evolution of the COVID-19 virus, it appears recent changes in the virus were relatively constrained; the virus altered by combining pre-existing mutations. The virus has not expanded the number of genetic routes it can take to evolve.

Wild bumblebees serve as key hosts for acute bee paralysis virus. While the virus appears to cause little harm to bumblebees, infection is usually fatal to honeybees. Until now, it was assumed that honeybees were the key host for the virus. By using data from extensive field trials, a team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and Georg August University of Göttingen has now identified the red-tailed bumblebee as the key host for acute bee paralysis virus.

Intestinal viruses can activate immune cells that regulate carbohydrate metabolism, highlighting an overlooked role of the gut virome, a study in mice finds.

A drug that is already in clinical trials against hepatitis C virus can also prevent hepatitis E virus from replicating.

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.