Influenza virus undergoes continuous antigenic variation, necessitating production of a new vaccine each year. This is not a trivial task. Six to nine months before the flu season begins, the viral strains for inclusion in the vaccine must be selected. High-yielding recombinant strains are produced and grown in embryonated chicken ...

In "Hantavirus protein replaces eIF4F" we discussed how the binding of hantavirus N protein to the 5'-cap structure on mRNA replaces the translation complex eIF4F. A second research group has revealed yet another function for this interaction: the N protein sequesters mRNA caps in P bodies, for subsequent use during ...

No, not yet. But the recent identification of human occludin as a cell protein required for entry of hepatitis C virus into mouse cells is a huge step in the right direction. Small animal models for virus infection are of great value for studying viral pathogenesis, testing new vaccines, and ...

The WHO strategy to eradicate poliomyelitis depends upon immunization of every child under 5 years of age, and nationwide AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) surveillance to identify cases of poliomyelitis. A laboratory network then determines whether AFP is caused by poliovirus. Recently a new member of the picornavirus family was identified ...

The innate response to virus infection is a marvel: when confronted with an invading microbe, it responds rapidly by producing interferons and other cytokines which establish an antiviral state. Its effectiveness is underscored by the fact that every viral genome must encode countermeasures that modulate its activity. A recent paper ...