A new type of vaccine against influenza, made with virus-like particles, has been shown to protect ferrets from infection with the 2009 H1N1 swine-origin strain. What is a virus-like particle, and how is it produced? If you have been taking influenza 101, you know that new virus particles are produced in infected cells by budding. During …
When the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus emerged earlier this year, I began re-reading John Barry’s The Great Influenza. I came across the sentences that I had underlined during my first read identifying errors in basic virology. Because this is a very popular book, it’s important to identify the mistakes and correct them. Barry is …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Jennifer Drahos In episode #44 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent, Dick, Alan, and Jennifer Drahos consider Marburg virus in Egyptian fruit bats, bacterial citrus pathogen found in shipping facility, canine parvovirus in Michigan, Relenza-resistant influenza virus, new HIV from gorillas, and public engagement on …
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would like to know what the public feels about the impending H1N1 influenza vaccination program this fall. The agency plans to conduct ten meetings in different parts of the United States to learn if the public would like a massive vaccination campaign, or a reduced effort. The meetings …
CDC wants the public to comment on H1N1 vaccination Read More »
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier In episode 43 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent and Dick explain virus classification, and revisit the 1976 swine flu immunization campaign and Guillain-Barre syndrome. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV043.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #43 (32 MB .mp3, 46 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV …
A few weeks ago I asked readers to find the errors in the following statement concerning an experimental influenza vaccine produced by Protein Sciences which involves synthesis of the viral HA protein in insect cells. They warned that the virus could mutate during the southern hemisphere’s flu season before returning north in a more lethal form …
