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+22 +1
First came a viral storm. Now, we have puzzling superinfections.
Rare bacterial infections, such as invasive strep A, are popping up around the United States and Europe, with unusual effects for children.
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+22 +1
‘Zombie’ virus revived after 50,000 years trapped in Siberian permafrost
Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research have revived more than a dozen prehistoric viruses that were previously trapped deep within the Siberian permafrost, according to a pre-print study.
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+16 +1
Universal flu vaccine may be available within two years, says scientist
Vaccine against all strains of virus hailed as major step in protecting against potentially devastating flu pandemic
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+17 +1
A 48,500-year-old virus has been revived from Siberian permafrost
Seven viruses from the Siberian permafrost have been revived and replicated themselves in the lab – including the oldest revived so far
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+17 +1
Chances of finding COVID-virus ancestor ‘almost nil’, say virologists
Genome analysis finds SARS-CoV-2 and bat coronaviruses shared an ancestor just a few years ago, but extensive recombination has muddied the picture.
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+22 +1
Thawing permafrost exposes old pathogens—and new hosts
The Arctic—that remote, largely undisturbed, 5.5 million square miles of frozen terrain—is heating up fast. In fact, it’s warming nearly four times quicker than the rest of the world, with disastrous consequences for the region and its inhabitants. Many of these impacts you probably know from nature documentaries: ice caps melting, sea levels rising, and polar bears losing their homes. But good news! There is another knock-on effect to worry about: the warming landscape is rewiring viral dynamics, with the potential to unleash new pathogens.
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+13 +1
Controversial new research suggests SARS-CoV-2 bears signs of genetic engineering
A string of about 30,000 genetic letters were all that it took to start the nightmare of covid-19, the death toll from which is likely to be more than 20m. Exactly how this story began has been hotly contested. Many think that covid-19’s emergence was a zoonosis—a spillover, as so many new pathogens are, from wild animals, for it resembles a group of coronaviruses found in bats.
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+12 +1
Next pandemic may come from melting glaciers, new data shows
Analysis of Arctic lake suggests viruses and bacteria locked in ice could reawaken and infect wildlife
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+9 +1
Personal lubricant made from cow mucus may protect against HIV
In a laboratory study, human epithelial cells were treated with the lubricant before being exposed to HIV or a herpes virus, with subsequent infection rates being as low as 20 per cent.
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+1 +1
A bold effort to cure HIV—using Crispr
Key is whether the gene-editing technology can stop the virus from replicating.
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+18 +1
COVID may have pushed a leading seasonal flu strain to extinction
The pandemic coronavirus' debut wrought universal havoc—not even seasonal flu viruses were spared. Amid travel restrictions, quarantines, closures, physical distancing, masking, enhanced hand washing, and disinfection, the 2020-2021 flu season was all but canceled. That meant not just an unprecedented global decrease in the number of people sick with the flu but also a dramatic collapse in the genetic diversity of circulating flu strains.
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+18 +1
Russian bats with COVID-like virus found; resistant to vaccines: Study
A new SARS-CoV-2-like virus discovered in Russian bats is capable of infecting humans, and is resistant to current vaccines against COVID-19, a study has found. A team led by researchers at Washington State University (WSU), US, found spike proteins from the bat virus, named Khosta-2, can infect human cells and is resistant to both the antibody therapies and blood serum from people vaccinated for SARS-CoV-2.
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+17 +1
Poliovirus is spreading in New York. Here’s what you need to know
With signs of poliovirus spreading in a handful of counties in New York, unvaccinated people could be at risk of paralytic polio.
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+27 +1
Chinese scientists develop mask that detects COVID in the air
A sensor built into a mask was able to detect the COVID-19, H5N1 and H1N1 influenza viruses in the air within 10 minutes and send notifications to a device, according to the study led by six scientists working with Tongji University in Shanghai.
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+16 +1
UBC researchers say they've found 'weak spot' in all COVID-19 variants that could lead to better treatment | CBC News
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered what they describe as a "weak spot" in all major variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 — a revelation they believe could open the door for treatments to fight current and future mutations.
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+4 +1
Climate change is making hundreds of diseases much worse
Climate change has exacerbated more than 200 infectious diseases and dozens of non-transmissible conditions, such as poisonous-snake bites, according to an analysis1. Climate hazards bring people and disease-causing organisms closer together, leading to a rise in cases. Global warming can also make some conditions more severe and affect how well people fight off infections.
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+17 +1
Polio detected in NYC's sewage, suggesting virus circulating
NEW YORK (AP) — The polio virus has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which hadn’t been seen in the U.S. in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said Friday.
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+15 +1
Calls to ban gamebird release to avoid ‘catastrophic’ avian flu outbreak
Conservationists have called for ministers to ban the release of millions of gamebirds to prevent the UK’s wild birds being wiped out by a “catastrophic” avian flu epidemic this winter. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said there was a significant risk that pheasants, partridge and ducks released for shooting from 1 October could spread avian influenza into wild bird populations, wreaking havoc in farmland and garden birds.
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+4 +1
A 5th person is likely cured of HIV, and another is in long-term remission
One case involved a man with cancer who underwent a specialized stem cell transplant; the other involved a woman who received immune-boosting therapies as part of a clinical trial.
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+16 +1
What we know so far about how covid-19 affects sperm
Covid-19 infections can lower sperm count and the virus may even bind to receptors on the surface of sperm cells. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the effects differ to those seen after other illnesses that involve fever, such as the flu.
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