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.
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Articles on Viruses
Displaying 321 - 340 of 484 articles
We’ve had the measles vaccine in Australia since 1968, but a two-dose program was only introduced in 1992. And if you haven’t had the second dose, you’re at risk of contracting measles.
Scientists still rely on a set of 19th century postulates to identify disease-causing organisms but more than 100 years of research shows why we need to move on.
There are many ways of visualising scientific concepts, as we discovered when an artist got in touch about some of our work.
Around 75% of our faeces is made up of water. The other 25% is the good stuff, including bacteria, viruses and undigested food.
Part of the problem was a mismatch between the influenza strains circulating and the vaccine available. Here’s how annual flu shots are formulated.
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.’
Somewhere along our evolutionary path, we lost the ability to defend against hepatitis C. But not all humans lost this ability.
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?
New genetic knowledge about cane toads could give us the knowledge we need to throw some more roadblocks in front of this persistent invader as it marches across Australia.
Pandemic and bird flu viruses are more deadly than seasonal flu. Scientists may have finally discovered why.
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?
Many people think green snot means you are really sick, or that you need antibiotics. Not true. Green snot is actually a sign that our immune system is working and that we are getting better.
Feral rabbits previously exposed to myxoma virus are more likely to be killed by rabbit haemorrhagic diease, meaning that these two biocontrol agents can become even more powerful when used in tandem.
Recent discoveries of ancient viruses are helping scientists understand their origins.
If the past is anything to go by, the DRC will effectively deal with the current Ebola outbreak. But that doesn’t mean we should be complacent.
Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver. Symptoms usually take 15-50 days to develop after initial infection and typically last for several weeks or sometimes longer.
The flu vaccine isn’t perfect but it’s the best way to protect against these potentially harmful viruses. Most children aged six months to five years are eligible for a free vaccine in 2018.
A core idea in molecular biology is that one gene codes for one protein. Now biologists have found an example of a gene that yields two forms of a protein – enabling it to evolve new functionality.
Pakistan had only eight new diagnoses of polio in 2017. The virus’ days look numbered – but health workers have their work cut out for them to eradicate the devastating disease once and for all.
Top contributors
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Lecturer in Virology, Queen's University Belfast
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Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University
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Research Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland
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Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester
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Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Associate Director of Microbiology, University of California, San Diego
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Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science, Texas State University
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Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, University of Sussex
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Professor of Medicine and Vice President, Research, McMaster University
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Professor, Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney
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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
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Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia
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Professor of Medicine, University of East Anglia
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Virologist, The University of Queensland
