Tag Archives: virus

Study suggests mask-wearing reduces the odds of self-infection with SARS-CoV-2

Posted on July 17, 2021 by Amy McDermott

COVID-19 typically turns deadly when the virus infects the lungs. Hence, how exactly SARS-CoV-2 gets deep into the respiratory tract has been a pressing question since the pandemic started early last year. One pathway is well known: Most people catch … Continue reading →

New insights into how influenza evades human immunity

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Natasha Gilbert

Some viruses can only infect people once—measles for example. But other viruses, notably influenza, are capable of infecting repeatedly. Scientists have long puzzled over how the flu virus evades human immunity. Recent work in eLife clarifies exactly how the virus … Continue reading →

Journal Club: In the mouse gut, a bacteria-killing virus evolves to attack a new strain

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Carolyn Beans

In scientists’ quest to understand how gut microbes affect human health, bacteria take center stage. But bacteriophages, the viruses that attack the bacteria, are often overlooked, says microbiologist Luisa De Sordi of the Institut Pasteur in France. “We keep an … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Mutation helps Zika virus evolve to more easily infect mosquitoes, spread infection

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Carolyn Beans

Scientists discovered the Zika virus over half a century ago. But it wasn’t until recent outbreaks in French Polynesia and South America that the mosquito-borne virus, now associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in newborn babies, reached epidemic … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Phage find clever ways to infiltrate resistant bacteria and shuttle DNA between strains

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Charlotte Schubert

In the gut, in the soil, and myriad other spots, bacteria reign, forming complex communities—but not in isolation. They’re often influenced by bacteria-killing viruses known as bacteriophages. A recent study in Cell now shows how such viruses can infect bystander, … Continue reading →

Journal Club: Zika virus causes eye problems, suggesting implications for diagnostics and transmission

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Charles Choi

A significant number of Zika patients experience problems with their eyes. Now scientists find that the Zika virus can infect every part of the eye in mice. Moreover, its RNA can be detected in teardrops, and samples from infected eyes … Continue reading →

Categories: Immunology | Journal Club | Tagged cornea, iris, optic nerve, retina, tears, virus, Zika | 1 Comment