Virology
An Extremely Successful Vaccine Story
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey One of the most noteworthy advances in biomedical science is the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV). It has significantly changed the diagnostic and prognostic landscape in the field of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, and it is a ...
Effect of Diabetes and Obesity on Influenza Outcomes
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Flu season is in full swing, and hospitalizations related to influenza virus infection are on the rise. During the 2009 “swine flu” pandemic it became evident that diabetes and obesity increase one’s risk for severe influenza disease, a correlation that was also later observed in the ...
There Is No Need to Panic About Bird Flu
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Image adapted from Byrd-Leotis et al. Public health officials are continuing to monitor the spread of avian H5N1, the strain of influenza virus associated with “bird flu.” Although there is still no evidence that this virus can transmit from one person to another, two recently infected ...
Where Did HIV Come From?
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey As discussed in my previous post, we first became aware of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the early 1980s. However, when did the virus actually emerge in humans, and where did it come from? Photo of a chimpanzee by Andrius Ordojan There are two strains of ...
Why Don’t We Have an HIV Vaccine?
By Gertrud U. Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey This post was written in honor of Virus Appreciation Day, which occurs annually on October 3. Public awareness of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) began in the early 1980s when separate clusters of infected individuals were identified in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. These individuals ...