Virus

A pair of researchers have delved into the ancient past, referring to Mesopotamian texts and paleogenomics to discover when romantic kissing was first practiced and the pathogens that have followed the practice from then until now.

Zoonotic viruses, which sees bugs jump from vertebrates to humans, are one of the big global health concerns that keep scientists up at night - not least because one caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, AI is out to help make sure history never repeats.

If you’ve ever eaten something questionable and gotten sick for a few days, chances are you’ve had a norovirus. It's surprisingly tricky to treat or prevent, but now scientists have made progress on a vaccine by tweaking a different foodborne virus.

Promising results have been published from the first human trial testing an experimental vaccine targeting the deadly Marburg virus. Flagged as a potential pandemic-causing virus, this is the first Marburg vaccine to move into Phase 2 human trials.

Research looking at records from half a million people has identified 22 associations between viral infections and neurodegenerative disease. Influenza, encephalitis and other infections were linked to increased rates of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and MS.

Moderna has announced promising results from its Phase 3 trial testing an mRNA vaccine for RSV in older adults. Data indicates the vaccine is nearly 84% effective at preventing moderate disease and the company expects to file for FDA approval this year.

Using machine learning to track symptom clusters in around 35,000 COVID patients, researchers have identified four distinct types of long COVID. The findings suggest long COVID is a diverse disease with a wide variety of clinical manifestations.

In the most comprehensive autopsy tissue study conducted to date, researchers have found traces of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the entire body, from the brain to the heart. The findings support research into antiviral drugs as possible treatment for long COVID.

CDC projections estimate a new SARS-CoV-2 variant called XBB.1.5 has exploded in prevalence across the US in a few short weeks. It was first detected in New York and early studies indicate it can more effectively bind to human cells than prior variants.

Name a type of organic matter and chances are some type of organism has evolved to eat it. Plants, meat, algae, insects and bacteria are all consumed by different creatures, but now scientists have discovered something new on the menu – viruses.

Scientists believe they have discovered how a common disease called shingles can increase a person's risk of stroke. The research reveals how viral infections can be reawakened after lying dormant for years and cause health issues beyond acute disease.

A new study is presenting evidence suggesting viral infections in the olfactory system can accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The research looked at the relationship between markers of infections and neurodegeneration in the hippocampus.