The oral poliovirus vaccine strains (OPV) developed by Albert Sabin were licensed in the United States in 1962, and over the next 37 years immunization with these vaccines lead to the eradication of poliomyelitis in this country. During that period, the vaccine was responsible for 5-10 cases of poliomyelitis each year, either in recipients of …
In episode #25 of the podcast This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Luis Villarreal talk about rabies in Viet Nam and Angola, needle-stick infections with ebolavirus and West Nile virus, and viral evolution. Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #25 or subscribe in iTunes or by email.
What is the most abundant biological entity in the oceans? Viruses, of course! The quantity and diversity of viruses in the seas are staggering. Each milliliter of ocean water contains several million virus particles – a global total of 1030 virions! If lined up end to end, they would stretch 200 million light years into …
Are viruses living entities? I don’t believe so, but it’s an engaging question for debate. On a recent episode of “This Week in Virology” we concluded that it’s somewhat of a futile argument because everyone has their own view; perhaps our time is better spent studying viruses than discussing whether or not they are alive. …
I recall learning about chikungunya1 virus when I was a Ph.D. student in the late 1970s – only because its exotic name made an impression on me. The virus, first identified in Tanzania in 1953, causes severe rashes and joint pains, but is rarely fatal, and the infection was considered benign. The outbreaks were massive, …
In contrast to acute viral infections, persistent infections last for long periods, and occur when the primary infection is not cleared by the adaptive immune response. Varicella-zoster virus, measles virus, HIV-1, and human cytomegalovirus are examples of viruses that cause typical persistent infections. A chronic infection is a type of persistent infection that is eventually …
