Virology
An open letter to Dr. Richard Horton and The Lancet
By Vincent Racaniello
Dr. Richard Horton The Lancet 125 London Wall London, EC2Y 5AS, UK Dear Dr. Horton: In February, 2011, The Lancet published an article called €œComparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise therapy, and specialist medical care for chronic fatigue syndrome (PACE): a randomized trial.€ The article reported that two ...
Influenza virus in breast milk
By Vincent Racaniello
During breastfeeding, mothers provide the infant with nutrients, beneficial bacteria, and immune protection. Fluids from the infant may also enter the mammary gland through retrograde flux of the nipple. Studies in a ferret model reveal that influenza virus replicates in the mammary gland, is shed in breast milk and transmitted ...
TWiV 362: Gotta catch ’em all
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #362 of the science show This Week in Virology, the virus virtuosos, with their usual verve, illuminate a new method to identify all the viral nucleic acids in a sample, and regulation of viral gene expression by codon usage. You can find TWiV #362 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.
A huge host contribution to virus mutation rates
By Vincent Racaniello
The high mutation rate of RNA viruses enables them to evolve in the face of different selection pressures, such as entering a new host or countering host defenses. It has always been thought that the sources of such mutations are the enzymes that copy viral RNA genomes: they make random errors ...
TWiV 361: Zombie viruses on the loose
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #361 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVsters discuss Frederick Novy's return from retirement to recover a lost rat virus, and evidence for persistence of Ebolavirus in semen. You can find TWiV #361 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.