By Gertrud U. Rey Gertrud Rey is a trained virologist residing in Atlanta, Georgia. During the day, she works as a consultant in a biotech patent law firm, but spends much of her free time as a science communicator. She was a guest on TWiV 179 and 424. Although the dominant mode of transmission for …
Ebolavirus infections are feared because of the high fatality rate observed during outbreaks, from 25-90%. But there is evidence that far less serious Ebolavirus infections may occur in the absence of outbreaks.
The virulence of a virus – its capacity to cause disease – is determined by both viral and host factors. Even among healthy individuals, infection with a particular virus may have different outcomes ranging from benign to lethal. The study of influenza viruses that cause mild or fatal outcomes reveals that defective viral genomes play …
Influenza virus may be transmitted among humans in three ways: by direct contact with infected individuals; by contact with contaminated objects (called fomites, such as toys, doorknobs); and by inhalation of virus-laden aerosols. A recent study suggests that normal tidal breathing plays a substantial role in aerosol transmission.
An outbreak of respiratory disease in Ugandan chimpanzees provides insight into how virus infection can shape the genome and lead to differences in the cell receptor gene that regulate susceptibility to infection.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines save lives by preventing lethal cervical and anogenital cancers. If Henrietta Lacks had received an HPV vaccine, she would not have succumbed to cervical cancer. Yet not enough young men and women receive the vaccine. An obstacle to more widespread adoption of the HPV vaccine is that some parents …
HPV vaccines do not encourage risky sexual behavior Read More »
