Virology – The Conversation

It can be difficult to an appointment to see your GP. So when should you make the effort to see a GP for a prescription for influenza antivirals? And how effective are they?

Viruses can get into cells in several ways. Figuring out how to stop them from entering in the first place is a key to developing better vaccines and stopping future pandemics.

Discover the hidden beauty of viruses with printable papercraft virus snowflakes.

The outbreak isn’t widespread, so the risk to humans is low. But it does have the potential to cause severe illness.

Hantavirus cases are usually rare, but the strain in the outbreak is the only one thought to be transmitted from person to person.

The new COVID variant XEC may be spreading faster than other variants, but it is not a radically different variant.

The JN.1 variant has become dominant in Australia and around the world, causing large waves of infections. Here’s what we know about it so far – and why it’s so important.

Can the virus transfer from infected farm animals to contaminate milk, meat or eggs? It depends on where you are and how well you cook your food. But for most of us, the chances are low.

From ice cores extracted from the Tibetan Plateau, scientists recovered the equivalent of 1,705 virus species. Reading their genomes tells the story of 41,000 years of climate change.

Scientists are learning to spot pandemic threats without touching dangerous pathogens.

The virus that causes eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, has evolved to infect mosquitoes. To be able to spread between people, however, it faces extra challenges.

Researchers discovered a satellite virus latching onto the neck of another virus called MindFlayer. Studying the viral arms race between similar viruses could lead to new ways to fight infections.

Much, if not all, long COVID appears to be driven by the virus persisting in the body. Formal proof remains elusive but here’s what the science shows.

Long overlooked because of their size, giant viruses are now redefining the frontiers of microbiology.

At the viral chatter stage of an outbreak, pathogens are just starting to infect people in sporadic bursts. It’s a sign that a pandemic may be on the horizon.

Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of Sudan virus disease, with the first case linked to a 32-year-old nurse in Kampala.

We tend to just think of viruses in terms of their damaging impacts on human health and lives. But viruses can also be used to benefit human health, agriculture and the environment.

A 25-year-old local scientist captured rare footage showing how one of the world’s deadliest viruses could jump from bats to humans.

The Camp Hill virus discovered in Alabama is part of a dangerous group linked to deadly outbreaks worldwide.