Dave Hawkes, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Viruses have traditionally been mankind’s enemies, causing disease and often mutating out of the reach of our medicines. But now a new technology is conscripting them into doing good. Viral vectors show…
Most biologists argue viruses aren’t alive because they can’t replicate by themselves.
Tom Thai/Flikr
It may seem like a fairly fundamental question, but there is still debate over whether viruses should be considered a form of life. The diversity of viral infections is immense. Viruses cause everything…
Too much information could be a recipe for disaster.
Abode of Chaos
Last October, scientists in California sequenced the DNA for the “type H” botulinum toxin. One gram of this toxin would be sufficient to kill half a billion people, making it the deadliest substance yet…
Primates - human and non-human - can be infected by Ebola.
Chris Huh
As viruses go, Ebola is one that strikes particular fear. It’s infectious and four out of the five identified strains can cause severe hemorrhagic fever, which in later stages leads to bleeding from the…
As a virologist working in the Gambia, the idea of a portable microscope that uses fluorescent imaging and can be attached to your smartphone to detect viruses and bacteria in the field sounds amazing…
Some viruses are like tiny powerhouses. They are only nanometers in size, but their insides are jam-packed with DNA that is so highly pressurised that it explodes out during infection. Herpes simplex 1…
Helpful viruses get protected by decoy viruses in the bloodstream.
Maddy Cow
The presence of foreign objects, like viruses, in our bloodstream is usually a bad thing. Evolution has created some extremely efficient immune cells that patrol the blood, seeking out material that should…
Gene expression signatures in blood can help distinguish between viral and bacterial causes of fever in young children.
Shutterstock
Scientists have discovered a new way of distinguishing between childhood fevers caused by viral infections and those caused by bacteria, according to a new study published today. The new finding paves…
The new strain (C4a) of enterovirus EV71 has infected hundreds of thousands mostly pre-school-age children in China, Cambodia and Taiwan.
Image from shutterstock.com
A virus that can cause paralysis in children has been circulating in New South Wales during autumn and has recently spread to Victoria. Around 30 young children, mainly from Sydney’s northern and southeastern…
Research published recently in Virology Journal found that radically different viruses share genes and are likely to share…
The novel coronavirus is in the same family as the SARS virus, but has some different biological features and is not as infectious.
Image from shutterstock.com
Ten years ago the world was gripped by the threat of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which was caused by a coronavirus. The outbreak infected more than 8,000 people and around 800 died. Over…
When it comes to sexual health, the virus that causes those tingling blisters and angry sores of genital herpes is often the most reviled and feared. Most cases of genital herpes in humans are caused by…
A state of emergency has been declared in Dallas, Texas as local authorities battle an outbreak of the deadly West Nile virus. The state is on track to report record numbers of the mosquito-borne disease…
You can’t catch warts from toads, but you can from other people.
DaveHuth
As a general practitioner (GP), I see a lot of warts. They’re a common skin complaint that most people experience at least one in their lives. Common warts are small dome-shaped lumps on the surface of…
The new Cedar virus is similar to Hendra and Nipah viruses but it does not cause illness in humans or animals.
AAP
Scientists have identified a new virus in Australian fruit bats. The Cedar virus – named after the suburb in the Gold Coast hinterland where it was first discovered – is part of the henipavirus family…
Director, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital and Consultant Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity