Virus Weekly articles from August 2008

Virus Weekly archives from August 2008

Pandemic flu: Most nursing homes don't have a plan.
August 5, 2008... If an influenza pandemic hits the United States, acute care hospitals are likely to be overwhelmed. Nursing homes may then be expected to assist with the patient overflow, but a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association...

Recent studies from Hong Kong Baptist University add new data to bird flu.
August 5, 2008... "We present the first proteomic analysis on the cellular responses to avian influenza virus (H9N2) infection in a human cell line in different time courses in order to search for target proteins for viral pathogenesis/adaptation studies,"...

Studies from Mahidol University, Medical Department have provided new data on bird flu.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from Bangkok, Thailand, "Adaptation of the receptor-binding preference from alpha 2,3- to alpha 2,6-linked sialic acid is an essential step for an avian influenza virus to transmit efficiently in human population...

Studies from Washington University, Medical Department reveal new findings on coronavirus.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "The emergence of viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Nipah virus has underscored the role of animal reservoirs in human disease and the need for reservoir...

New Epstein-Barr virus study findings have been reported by researchers at Yale University, Medical Department.(Report)
August 5, 2008... "Activation of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic cycle is mediated through the combined actions of ZEBRA and Rta, the products of the viral BZLF1 and BRLF1 genes. During latency, these two genes are tightly repressed," researchers in the...

Research from P.T. Sunde and co-researchers in the area of Epstein-Barr virus published.
August 5, 2008... "It has been suggested that the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can increase the severity of marginal periodontitis. We administered antiviral treatment (Valtrex (R) for a period of 10 days) to a patient with recurrent periodontal disease...

Reports summarize hantavirus research from Pennsylvania State University.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, "Hantaviruses are rodent-borne Bunyaviruses that infect the Arvicolinae, Murinae, and Sigmodontinae subfamilies of Muridae. The rate of molecular evolution...

Study results from W.G. Mackay et al provide new insights into influenza.
August 5, 2008... "We cannot predict when an influenza pandemic will occur or which variant of the virus will cause it. Little information is currently available on the ability of laboratories to detect and subtype influenza viruses including the avian influenza...

Data on Epstein-Barr virus reported by researchers at University of North Carolina.
August 5, 2008... Investigators publish new data in the report 'Rhesus lymphocryptovirus latent membrane protein 2A activates beta-catenin signaling and inhibits differentiation in epithelial cells.' "Rhesus lymphocryptovirus (LCV) is a gamma-herpesvirus closely...

Studies from University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine add new findings in the area of life sciences.
August 5, 2008... Investigators publish new data in the report 'Efficacy of disinfectants and hand sanitizers against avian respiratory viruses.' According to a study from the United States, "Disinfectants play a major role in the control of animal diseases by...

New adenovirus study results reported from State University of New York, Medical Department.
August 5, 2008... "The packaging of adenovirus (Ad) DNA into virions is dependent upon cis-acting sequences and trans-acting proteins. We studied the involvement of Ad packaging proteins in the serotype specificity of packaging," scientists in the United States...

Research reports from U. Chaturvedi and co-authors provide new insights into adenovirus.
August 5, 2008... "The present study was aimed at developing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of canine adenoviruses from faecal or urine samples. Urine or faecal samples were treated with chloroform or activated charcoal to eliminate the...

Study results from B. Xiao and colleagues update understanding of adenovirus.(Report)
August 5, 2008... "The technology for the large-scale production of therapeutic recombinant proteins remains a challenge in the biopharmaceutical industry. In this study, we reported a nontransgenic approach to producing a large quantity of human nerve growth...

Data from I. Jurak et al provide new insights into apoptosis.
August 5, 2008... "Many viruses encode proteins that inhibit the induction of programmed cell death at the mitochondrial checkpoint. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) encodes the m38.5 protein, which localizes to mitochondria and protects human HeLa cells and...

Research conducted at A. Gholami and co-researchers has updated our knowledge about apoptosis.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from Paris, France, "Lyssaviruses are highly neurotropic viruses associated with neuronal apoptosis. Previous observations have indicated that the matrix proteins (M) of some lyssaviruses induce strong neuronal apoptosis."...

Researchers from North Carolina State University provide details of new studies and findings in the area of astrovirus.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "To understand astrovirus biology, it is essential to understand factors associated with its evolution. The current study reports the genomic sequences of nine novel turkey astrovirus (TAstV)...

Research conducted at University of Oxford has provided new information about chickenpox.
August 5, 2008... "Varicella zoster viru (VZV)-specific T cell responses are believed to be vital in recovery from primary VZV infection and also in the prevention of viral reactivation. While glycoprotein E (gE) is the most abundant and one of the most...

Research on cytomegalovirus discussed by scientists at Korea University.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from Seoul, South Korea, "In mammalian and yeast systems, methyltransferases have been implicated in the regulation of diverse processes, such as protein-protein interactions, protein localization, signal transduction, RNA...

Research conducted at University of Pittsburgh has updated our knowledge about encephalitis.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "The brains of individuals with lentiviral-associated encephalitis contain an abundance of infected and activated macrophages. It has been hypothesized that encephalitis develops when increased...

Study results from M.K. Mishra and colleagues in the area of encephalitis published.
August 5, 2008... "Minocycline is broadly protective in neurological disease models featuring inflammation and cell death and is being evaluated in clinical trials. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is one of the most important causes of viral encephalitis...

New enzyme research study findings have been reported by L. Liang and colleagues.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Gamma interferon receptor a (IFN-gamma R alpha) is stable but posttranslationally modified in herpes simplex virus 1(F) [HSV-1(F)]-infected cells. Studies with antibody directed to the...

New foot and mouth disease study findings have been reported from National University, Medical Department.
August 5, 2008... "Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the main etiological agent of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and has been associated with neurological complications which resulted in fatalities during recent outbreaks in Asia Pacific region. Develop a real-time...

Research on gastroenteritis discussed by G. Reuter and co-researchers.
August 5, 2008... "Noroviruses are common pathogens in human gastroenteritis outbreaks worldwide. They belong to a genetically diverse group of RNA viruses with multiple genogroups (G) and genotypes," scientists writing in the Journal of Clinical Virology report...

Research from Deakin University has provided new data on genital herpesvirus.
August 5, 2008... "Research has indicated that having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as genital herpes and genital human papilloma virus (HPV) can have a negative impact on an individual's sexuality. The current study was designed to evaluate the...

Reports by J.F. Pepin and co-researchers describe recent advances in herpesvirus.
August 5, 2008... "Herpes and herpes-like virus infections have been reported in various marine mollusc species associated with high mortality rates. Following the characterisation and genome sequencing of ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1), specific diagnostic...

Reports from J.M. Tan et al highlight recent research in herpesvirus.
August 5, 2008... "A herpes-like virus was for the first time purified from abalone diagnosed with ganglioneuritis. Pleuropedal ganglia, pedal nerve cords, head and epipodial tissue was collected and homogenized from abalone populations exhibiting high mortality...

Research on herpesvirus published by A. Calle et al.
August 5, 2008... "Productive infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which occurs in the host cell nucleus, is accompanied by dramatic modifications of the nuclear architecture, including profound alterations of nucleolar morphology. Here, we show...

Research on herpesvirus reported by scientists at Medical College of Georgia, Medical College.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) has been shown to have a protective role in the eyes and brains of herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1)-infected mice. To determine...

Research reports on herpesvirus from University of Helsinki provide new insights.
August 5, 2008... "A multiplex-PCR and microarray-based method was designed for detection of eight herpesviruses from clinical specimens. To improve the method, especially for detection of herpes simplex (HSV) and varicella-zoster viruses (VZV), and to update...

Data from S.J. Dheilly and colleagues advance knowledge in influenza.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Virology, "Laboratory diagnosis of influenza has previously relied on viral isolation in culture. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are now available but few studies have examined their...

New findings from Kansas State University in the area of influenza described.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "This multidisciplinary research project examined the role of primary care physicians in past pandemic flu responses and current planning efforts. Project researchers gathered and synthesized...

New influenza study findings have been reported by researchers at Harvard University.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Enveloped viruses use multiple mechanisms to inhibit infection of a target cell by more than one virion. These mechanisms may be of particular importance for the evolution of segmented...

Recent findings in influenza described by researchers from University of Pittsburgh.
August 5, 2008... "A wide variety of biologic, physiologic, social, economic, and geographic factors may affect the transmission, spread, and impact of influenza. Recent concerns about an impending influenza epidemic have generated a need for predictive computer...

Reports summarize influenza research from Emory University, Medical Department.
August 5, 2008... "The replicative properties of influenza virus hemagglutinin (RA) mutants with altered receptor binding characteristics were analyzed following intranasal inoculation of mice," investigators in the United States report (see also Influenza). ...

Research conducted at Monash University has updated our knowledge about influenza.(Report)
August 5, 2008... "Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer (NK) cells have a key role in host defence against infectious pathogens, but their response to bacteria is not well characterized. Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae is a major cause of...

Research from University of Virginia provide new insights into influenza.(Report)
August 5, 2008... "Dendritic cells (DC) are believed to play an important role in the initiation of innate and adaptive immune responses to infection, including respiratory tract infections, where respiratory DC (RDC) perform this role. In this report, we...

Research on influenza detailed by scientists at University of Pennsylvania.
August 5, 2008... "Influenza A virus is one of the best-studied viruses and a model organism for the study of molecular evolution; in particular, much research has focused on detecting natural selection on influenza virus proteins. Here, we study the dynamics of...

Researchers from University of Colorado report on findings in influenza.
August 5, 2008... "Influenza A has the ability to rapidly mutate and become resistant to the commonly prescribed influenza therapeutics, thereby complicating treatment decisions. To design a cost-effective low-density microarray for use in detection of influenza...

Scientists at Georgetown University target influenza.
August 5, 2008... "Pandemic influenza response plans have placed a significant emphasis on school closures as a community mitigation strategy. However, school closures raise serious ethical concerns many of which have been largely overlooked," scientists in the...

Study data from University of Ghent update understanding of influenza.
August 5, 2008... "Inbred SPRET/Ei mice, derived from Mus spretus, were found to be extremely resistant to infection with a mouse adapted influenza A virus. The resistance was strongly linked to distal chromosome 16, where the interferon-inducible Mx1 gene is...

Study findings from M.F. Boni et al broaden understanding of influenza.
August 5, 2008... "To determine the extent of homologous recombination in human influenza A virus, we assembled a data set of 13,852 sequences representing all eight segments and both major circulating subtypes, H3N2 and H1N1. Using an exhaustive search and a...

Findings from University of Pretoria advance knowledge in life sciences.(Report)
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of General Virology, "Between 2004 and 2006, 145 African horse sickness viruses (AHSV) were isolated from blood and organ samples submitted from South Africa to the Faculty of Veterinary...

Research from Emory University, Medical Department in the area of life sciences published.(Report)
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virology, "The CD8 coreceptor is important for positive selection of major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I)restricted thymocytes and in the generation of pathogen-specific T cells....

Research on life sciences reported by scientists at University of Leuven.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from Louvain, Belgium, "TBZE-029 {1-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-6-trifluoromethyl-1H,3H-thiazolo[3,4-albenzimidazole} is a novel selective inhibitor of the replication of several enteroviruses. We show that TBZE-029 exerts...

Study results from University of Queensland update understanding of life sciences.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from Australia, "Flavivirus nonstructural (NS) proteins are involved in RNA replication and modulation of the host antiviral response; however, evidence is mounting that some NS proteins also have essential roles in virus...

Data on myocarditis published by researchers at Ghent University.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Virology, "A fatal case of Coxsackie B3 myocarditis in a neonate is described." "The clinical features became evident in the 3rd week of life, but enteroviral RNA was...

Data from University of Texas provide new insights into neurologic disease.
August 5, 2008... "Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) causes sporadic epidemics of human and equine disease in North America, but South American strains have seldom been associated with human neurologic disease or mortality, despite serological evidence of...

Research from K. Sleeman and colleagues provide new insights into paramyxovirus.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "Nipah virus (NiV) is a recently emergent, highly pathogenic, zoonotic paramyxovirus of the genus Henipavirus. Like the phosphoprotein (P) gene of other paramyxoviruses, the P gene of NiV is...

Researchers from University of Tokyo report on findings in paramyxovirus.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from Tokyo, Japan, "We report the first identification of phosphorylation sites of the nucleoprotein (N) of the family Paramyxoviridae. The N protein is known to be the most abundant protein in infected cells; it constructs...

Recent findings in polio described by researchers from Cleveland Clinic.
August 5, 2008... "Flavonoid quercetin and its derivative, methylquercetin, inhibit the replication of poliovirus in several cell lines. Here, we show that replication of poliovirus is inhibited by quercetin and that the extent of this inhibition depends on the...

Reports from University of Western Ontario add new data to research in poliomyelitis.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, "Poliomyelitis remains endemic in many developing nations." "Patients may develop residual muscle weakness in one or more, limbs after an attack of poliomyelitis...

Study findings from Malmo University broaden understanding of protease inhibitors.
August 5, 2008... "The acute phase reactant and protease inhibitor alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin is considered to play a protective role in the airways, but whether it interacts with respiratory bacteria is not known. We analyzed whether the common respiratory...

Study results from Jagiellonian University broaden understanding of rhinovirus.
August 5, 2008... "We used an in vitro model of differentiated tracheolbronchial epithelium to analyze the susceptibility of different cell types to infection with rhinoviruses (RVs). Primary cells from control subjects were cultured in an air-liquid interface...

Reports from J. Rodriguezdiaz et al highlight recent research in rotavirus.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from Caracas, Venezuela, "A novel PCR method was developed to discriminate amongst genotypes A-C of the rotavirus non-structural protein 4 (NSP4)." "Genotype-specific primers were designed that correctly...

Investigators at China Agricultural University have published new data on tobacco mosaic virus.
August 5, 2008... "A large number of bacteria were isolated from plant samples and screened for antiviral activity against the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The bacterium ZH14, which was isolated from Chinese Anxi oolong tea, secreted the antiviral substances,...

Research from Iowa State University, Medical Department provide new insights into virological methods.
August 5, 2008... According to a study from the United States, "A duplex real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for the simultaneous detection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and an exogenous internal positive control (IPC) in porcine semen samples was...

Research reports on virological methods from L. Gregori and colleagues provide new insights.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virological Methods, "Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies can be transmitted by blood transfusion. The risk of spreading the disease among the human population could be mitigated...

Studies from H.Y. Chen and colleagues yield new information about virological methods.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virological Methods, "A real time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was developed for efficient detection of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). The method...

Study findings from University of California broaden understanding of virological methods.(Report)
August 5, 2008... According to recent research published in the Journal of Virological Methods, "Low-density arrays (LDA) have been designed based on the real-time RT-PCR (TaqMan((R))) assays for the specific detection of 13 viruses that infect Grapevines in...

New findings from D.M. Andrews and co-authors in the area of virology published.
August 5, 2008... "Both innate and adaptive immune responses participate in the control of murine cytornegalovirus (mCMV) infection. In some mouse strains, like BALB/c, the control of infection relies on the activities of CD8(+) T cells. mCMV-specific CD8(+)...

Studies from University of California describe new findings in virology.
August 5, 2008... According to recent research from the United States, "Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) encodes three movement proteins in an overlapping triple gene block (TGB), but little is known about the physical interactions of these proteins. We have...

Reports from Jichi Medical University describe recent advances in anti-infectives.(Report)
August 5, 2008... New research, 'Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) increases dopamine levels in the rat medial prefrontal cortex,' is the subject of a report. "Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), a neuraminidase inhibitor, is effective for treating both seasonal flu and H5N1 influenza A...

Study data from University Autonoma of Barcelona update understanding of chronic fatigue syndrome.(Report)
August 5, 2008... Current study results from the report, 'The neural correlates of fatigue: an exploratory imaginal fatigue provocation study in chronic fatigue syndrome,' have been published. According to recent research from Spain, "Fatigue is the central...

New chronic fatigue syndrome epidemiology research from King's College London, Department of Psychological Medicine discussed.(Survey)
August 5, 2008... A report, 'Chronic fatigue syndrome and related disorders in UK veterans of the Gulf War 1990-1991: results from a two-phase cohort study,' is newly published data in Psychological Medicine. According to recent research from London, the United...

Investigators at University of York zero in on chronic fatigue syndrome risk factors.
August 5, 2008... Fresh data on chronic fatigue syndrome are presented in the report 'Risk factors for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a systematic scoping review of multiple predictor studies.' "The aetiology of chronic fatigue...

Study findings from Indiana University, Division of Infectious Diseases provide new insights into genital herpesvirus therapy.(Clinical report)
August 5, 2008... New research, 'An international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, study of valacyclovir for the suppression of herpes simplex virus type 2 genital herpes in newly diagnosed patients,' is the subject of a report. "Antiviral...

Studies from University of Salzburg, Department of Cell Biology provide new data on influenza.
August 5, 2008... A new study, 'Influenza C virus and bovine coronavirus esterase reveal a similar catalytic mechanism: new insights for drug discovery,' is now available. According to a study from Salzburg, Austria, "Both, the influenza C (INF-C) virus...

New influenza prevention study results reported from University of Freiburg, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene.
August 5, 2008... Fresh data on influenza are presented in the report 'Hsp90 inhibitors reduce influenza virus replication in cell culture.' "The viral RNA polymerase complex of influenza A virus consists of three subunits PB1, PB2 and PA. Recently, the cellular...

New research on influenza therapy from R. Sawai and co-authors summarized.
August 5, 2008... Fresh data on influenza are presented in the report 'Anti-influenza virus activity of Chaenomeles sinensis.' According to recent research from Saitama, Japan, "This investigation evaluated anti-influenza virus activity of 50% ethanol extract...

New life sciences study findings have been reported by researchers at Harvard University, Center for Engineering in Medicine.(Report)
August 5, 2008... New research, 'Site-directed mutagenesis of the hinge peptide from the hemagglutinin protein: enhancement of the pH-responsive conformational change,' is the subject of a report. "Environmentally responsive proteins and peptides are...

Research results from Trudeau Institute update understanding of life sciences.(Report)
August 5, 2008... A report, 'The chemokine receptor CCR5 plays a key role in the early memory CD8+ T cell response to respiratory virus infections,' is newly published data in Immunity. According to recent research published in the journal Immunity, "Innate...

Studies from University of Maryland, Institute of Human Virology describe new findings in life sciences.
August 5, 2008... Researchers detail in 'The use of supplementary techniques to increase recall of sex partners in a network-based research study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,' new data in life sciences. "To evaluate supplementary cueing as a technique to increase...

Research results from King's College London, Department of Psychological Medicine update knowledge of personality disorders.(Report)
August 5, 2008... New investigation results, 'The relationship between prior psychiatric disorder and chronic fatigue: evidence from a national birth cohort study,' are detailed in a study published in Psychological Medicine. According to a study from London,...

Scientists at Agricultural Research Service, Department of Agriculture target rotavirus epidemiology.
August 5, 2008... Investigators publish new data in the report 'Enteric viruses detected by molecular methods in commercial chicken and turkey flocks in the United States between 2005 and 2006.' According to recent research from the United States, "Intestinal...

Lung inflammation from influenza could be turned off with new discovery.
August 12, 2008... A new discovery could lead to treatments which turn off the inflammation in the lungs caused by influenza and other infections, according to a study published in the journal Nature Immunology (see also Imperial College London). The...

CMV infections affect more than just patients with compromised immune systems, researchers find.
August 12, 2008... An infection due to a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV), which most commonly affects people with compromised immune systems, can also affect hospital intensive-care patients who have no immune-system problems, University of Washington...

Recent findings from Chiba University, Medical Department highlight research in gene therapy.
August 12, 2008... According to a study from Chiba, Japan, "The utility of recombinant Sendai virus (rSeV) has been considerably examined over the last decade as a potent gene transfer candidate in a cytoplasmic gene expression system. Such risks as excessive...

Studies from University of North Carolina, Gene Therapy Center have provided new information about gene therapy.
August 12, 2008... "The HI loop is a prominent domain on the adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid surface that extends from each viral protein (VP) subunit overlapping the neighboring fivefold VP. Despite the highly conserved nature of the residues at the fivefold...

Research from University of North Carolina in the area of life sciences published.
August 12, 2008... "Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) activates multiple signaling pathways. Two regions, C-terminal-activating region 1 (CTAR1) and CTAR2, have been identified within the cytoplasmic carboxy terminal domain that activates...

Research on life sciences described by M.R. Jensen and colleagues.
August 12, 2008... According to a study from Grenoble, France, "A significant fraction of proteins coded in the human proteome do not fold into stable three-dimensional structures but are either partially or completely unfolded. A key feature of this family of...

Studies from University of Helsinki, Haartman Institute yield new data on hantavirus genetics.
August 12, 2008... Current study results from the report, 'Accumulation of point mutations and reassortment of genomic RNA segments are involved in the microevolution of Puumala hantavirus in a bank vole (Myodes glareolus) population,' have been published. "The...

Findings in life sciences reported from K.U Menon and co-researchers.(Report)
August 12, 2008... New research, 'Risk communications: in search of a pandemic,' is the subject of a report. "This paper explores the difficulties in managing risk communications in the face of uncertainty of an avian flu pandemic over a protracted period. The...

Scientists at Uppsala University publish new data on adenovirus.
August 12, 2008... According to a study from Uppsala, Sweden, "Adenovirus makes extensive use of alternative RNA splicing to produce a complex set of spliced mRNAs during replication. The accumulation of viral mRNAs is subjected to a temporal regulation, a...

Research from U. Zutter et al has provided new information about anti-infectives.
August 12, 2008... "A new, enantioselective synthesis of the influenza neuraminidase inhibitor prodrug oseltamivir phosphate 1 (Tamiflu) and its enantiomer ent-1 starting from cheap, commercially available 2,6-dimethoxyphenol 10 is described. The main features of...