Viral Diseases
Marburg Virus Disease: Another Filovirus Zoonosis
Recently, Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), Ebola’s equally deadly cousin, emerged in Tanzania and in at least three separate locations in Equatorial Guinea. The two countries are on opposite sides of Africa’s coast and separated by thousands of kilometers, but both are in the range of Egyptian fruit bats. The bats are the natural hosts for…
Read MoreLassa fever vaccine development: Where are we?
Lassa fever vaccine development: Where are we? Joseph Anejo-Okopi, PhD1,2. 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Nigeria. 2AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria Email Address: [email protected], [email protected], December 5, 2022 Introduction Lassa virus (LASV) causes acute viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) called Lassa fever (LF)…
Read MoreRespiratory Syncytial Virus: Newly Resurgent
December 5, 2022 Introduction We seem to be in a sort of Golden Age of respiratory viruses, including flu, SARS-CoV2 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is an enveloped negative strand RNA virus with a genome of approximately 15,000 nucleotides encoding 11 proteins. There are two serotypes, A and B, which can be discriminated by…
Read MoreAided by GVN and IHV, Kerala, India Celebrates Major Milestones to Advance Virus Research
Aided by GVN and IHV, Kerala, India Celebrates Major Milestones to Advance Virus Research October 6, 2022 During a conference attended by thousands, Dr. Gallo’s Malayalam Language Edition of “Virus Hunting” Was Released Thousands of students listened to Dr. Robert Gallo’s virtual lecture, “General Reflections on Pandemics and the Importance of the Global Virus Network…
Read MoreLangya Virus
Langya Virus August 15, 2022 A sentinel surveillance study in China has detected the zoonotic Langya henipavirus (Paramyxoviridae) in 35 patients. RNA of the virus was found in 27% of shrews in the wild, revealing a potential animal reservoir. Zoonotic transmission is the first step potentially leading to “jumps” across species. Currently, there is no evidence of…
Read MoreWorld Hepatitis Day 2022
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by viral hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis B and C are estimated to affect half a billion of people. Many more are affected by acute hepatitis, especially in developing countries, resulting in significant symptoms, including death. Recently, clusters of cases of non A-E viral hepatis have raised concerns, and…
Read MoreGVN Statement on SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.2.75
There is some concern about the new SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.75. Very preliminary data on this variant suggests high growth advantage when compared to earlier variants. The N460K mutation in the Spike protein has been suggested as distinctive, conferring growth advantage to pseudotype virions. Epidemiologists around the world are aware of this variant, and the GVN…
Read MoreCould Viral Persistence Explain Long Covid?
Could Viral Persistence Explain Long Covid? Author: Dr. Reitz June 30, 2022 Introduction One serious aspect of Covid is what has been called ‘long Covid”, in which various symptoms can persist for as long as a year or more. These can include fatigue, brain fog, loss of taste and/or smell, and cardiovascular problems. There are…
Read MoreGlobal Outbreaks of Monkeypox
May 25, 2022 Introduction WHO and other health organizations are alarmed at the recent global outbreak of monkeypox. As of May 21, 2022, more than 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries outside of Africa (1). The first case of the disease in the UK was reported on May 7,…
Read MoreGlobal Virus Network (GVN) Launches Task Force to Combat Monkeypox Global Outbreak
Unusual outbreaks of monkeypox via human-to-human have been reported in the US, Australia, the UK, Spain, Portugal, and other European countries; While the transmission of monkeypox from animals to humans is well known, the increasing number of community transmission cases simultaneously occurring worldwide may represent an urgent pandemic threat. Baltimore, Maryland, USA, May 20, 2022: A higher…
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