Tens of thousands of children have tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus in the last months in what is the largest outbreak of the virus in recent years.
Pandemics over the course of evolution have led to the integration of viruses into our genome.
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Bits of viral genes incorporated into human DNA have been linked to cancer, ALS and schizophrenia. But many of these genes may not be harmful, and could even protect against infectious disease.
Some human coronaviruses cause seasonal colds or other mild symptoms. Others can be severe and even fatal.
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The enigmatic envelope protein seems to hold the key to understanding why some human coronaviruses cause more severe disease than others.
Medical staff prepare to enter a hospital isolation unit in western Uganda during a suspected Ebola outbreak in 2018.
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Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, can lie dormant within chromosomes until they’re triggered to replicate and burst out of their hosts.
People catch La Crosse disease primarily from the bite of the eastern tree-hole mosquito – although two other species may also carry the virus.
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Health officials say the new case of polio in New York state and the presence of poliovirus in the municipal wastewater suggests that hundreds more could already be infected with the disease.
The monkeypox virus can easily spread between humans and animals. A veterinary virologist explains how the virus could go from people to wild animals in the US – and why that could be a problem.
Bacteria can team up with viruses to cause coinfections.
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Coinfections with bacteria can make viral infections even deadlier. Researchers have identified a protein in immune cells that may play a role in fighting both types of pathogens.
The internet has become a new player in plant care advice.
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It’s not just mosquitos. Flooding, extreme heat and other climate-related hazards are bringing people into contact with pathogens more often, and affecting people’s ability to fight off disease.
Vaccination can help reduce the risk of monkeypox infection.
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While the majority of monkeypox cases thus far have been recorded among men who have sex with men, everyone is still at risk of contracting the disease.
The Jynneos monkeypox vaccine provides strong protection against infection but is in short supply.
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There are two approved monkeypox vaccines in the US. Both use a related poxvirus called vaccinia to produce an immune response that protects against smallpox and monkeypox.
The monkeypox virus, shown in this illustration, can be transmitted through close contact between people.
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By late July 2022, monkeypox was present in more than 70 countries with significant spread in certain communities. As a result, the World Health Organization began taking steps to fight the virus.
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