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Articles on Viruses

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They’re not perfect, but flu shots are still good to get. AP Photo/David Goldman

This year the flu came in two waves – here’s why

The 2018-2019 flu season was less deadly than the last. But the pattern of infection was unusual, thanks to the various strains circulating and the way flu shots work over time.
In most cases, scientists are still unsure of what causes Alzheimer’s disease. FGC / Shutterstock.com

No cure for Alzheimer’s disease in my lifetime

After the failure of multiple drug trials the outlook for an Alzheimer’s drug is bleak. This shouldn’t be a surprise. We don’t know the cause or even how to diagnose the disease.
The flu comes on rapidly and symptoms get worse over the first few days. Shutterstock

We can’t predict how bad this year’s flu season will be but here’s what we know so far

The 2018 flu season was mild, while 2017 was a particularly bad year. It’s impossible to predict what the 2019 flu season has in store, but we’ve seen more cases so far this year than usual.
These are viruses called bacteriophages that infect only bacterial cells. Ewa Parylak/shutterstock.com

Are viruses the best weapon for fighting superbugs?

Bacteria are becoming resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics. These expensive, hard-to-treat infections are prompting physicians to reassess using viruses to destroy bacteria.
This is a model of the adenovirus type 5 which causes respiratory infections. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com

Potential treatment for eye cancer using tumor-killing virus

When you think of viruses, you might think of the horrible illnesses they cause, like flu or Ebola. But now researchers are learning how to use the unique traits of viruses to treat disease.
Human poo is a concoction made up mostly of water with a sprinkling of the solid stuff. from www.shutterstock.com

Your poo is (mostly) alive. Here’s what’s in it

Around 75% of our faeces is made up of water. The other 25% is the good stuff, including bacteria, viruses and undigested food.
An Atlanta hospital set up a mobile ER to deal with the large number of flu cases. AP Photo/David Goldman

Why did the flu kill 80,000 Americans last year?

Part of the problem was a mismatch between the influenza strains circulating and the vaccine available. Here’s how annual flu shots are formulated.
Monitoring sewage for virus allows for a quick public health response if any polio is detected. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Sewage surveillance is the next frontier in the fight against polio

Polio can be circulating through a community long before anyone is paralyzed. Monitoring sewage for the virus lets public health officials short-circuit this ‘silent transmission.’
Every surface of our body – inside and out – is covered in microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi and many other microscopic life forms. vrx/Shutterstock.com

Meet the trillions of viruses that make up your virome

Just because you don’t have the flu doesn’t mean that your aren’t teeming with viruses inside and out. But what are all these viruses doing, if they aren’t making you sick?
Bejing. Bird flu is transmitted in various ways and the process needs to be studied in depth. Sojourner in a Strange Land/Flicker

Bird flu: are viruses still in the air?

A scientific question fascinates experts : under which conditions can bird flu virus be transmitted to humans by aerial particles, and what will be the consequences for those who aren’t immune?

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