Articles tagged with Hantavirus
Experts are calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to adopt a more precautionary approach in responding to emerging respiratory viruses. The recent hantavirus outbreak, which has resulted in three deaths and several cases, highlights the need for improved ventilation, respirator use, and portable HEPA filtration.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have created a high-resolution 3D map of the Andes virus, a crucial step towards developing vaccines and treatments against hantaviruses. The new structure allows for the design of effective vaccines and antibody therapies.
The new platform developed by UVA Health scientists can produce vaccines much faster, cheaper, and more easily than traditional approaches. The platform's proof-of-concept demonstrates its ability to produce highly immunogenic vaccines that can be manufactured at extremely low cost.
A rare Seoul virus infection was reported in a German woman after visiting a private pet rat breeding facility. Laboratory tests revealed the presence of the virus in several rats from the facility, highlighting the need for better screening and hygiene practices.
Scientists have developed a monoclonal antibody to combat life-threatening inflammatory diseases like sepsis and ARDS. The antibody shows promise in blocking the immune system's hyperactive response and restoring healthy function without unwanted side effects.
Researchers identified three hotspots of hantavirus circulation in wildlife, including Virginia, Colorado, and Texas. The study found 15 rodent species as carriers, including six new hosts, and explored the impact of climate change on transmission.
Researchers have found that more than 30 species of rodent and small mammals carry the hantavirus, including ground squirrels, chipmunks, and house mice. The study suggests that humans can get infected by breathing in aerosolized droppings excreted by these animals.
Researchers discovered a new type of jeilongvirus in a Florida mouse, which can infect humans and non-human primates, posing a risk of serious illness. The virus is genetically distinct from others and can cause disease in various species.
Scientists at Houston Methodist will focus on developing efficacious vaccines and therapeutic antibodies for viruses in the Nairoviridae, Hantaviridae, and Paramyxoviridae families. The goal is to prepare for potential outbreaks and develop effective medical countermeasures in response to a next pandemic.
A new study has discovered that bank voles in southern Sweden carry a virus that can cause hemorrhagic fever in humans, spreading the disease further south than previously known. The virus strain is closely related to strains from Finland and Karelia.
The study highlights the emergence and spread of harmful pathogens due to climate change. The medical community must update their education and training to combat global warming and its impact on disease behavior.
A new rapid test has been developed to identify hantavirus in South Korea, paving the way for early outbreak control. The Flongle sequencing-based diagnostic is cost-efficient and can detect HTNV genomes within 3 hours.
A new project will monitor how changing environmental conditions shape viral outbreaks in wild rodent populations to identify hotspots with high potential for spillover into people. The team will use metaviromics and AI to analyze data from wild rodents in the UK and Eastern Uganda.
Researchers found that severe herpesvirus infections can strongly activate host cellular immunity, leading to a therapeutic effect on refractory adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. This activation may play an important role in the survival of patients with this intractable disease.
Scientists have discovered a human antibody that effectively neutralizes two types of hantaviruses in animal models, providing a promising candidate for developing a 'pan-hantavirus' therapy. Collectively, hantaviruses cause about 50,000 severe and often fatal infections worldwide each year.
Researchers at the University of Helsinki discovered a potential contributing mechanism to kidney dysfunction in acute hantavirus infection by investigating the body's response to the virus. Elevated levels of free light chains were found to be associated with kidney problems and may play a role in other infectious diseases.
A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the Andes virus, carried by wild rodents, can cause severe respiratory disease in humans through extensive person-to-person contact. The outbreak in a small village in Argentina had the most extensive recorded human-to-human transmission of the virus to date.
A German study confirms rats can transmit hantavirus to humans, with a young patient infected after contact with her pet rat. The virus, commonly found in Asia, poses severe disease risks and highlights the need for caution when keeping rats.
Researchers identified protocadherin-1 as a key receptor facilitating hantavirus lung cell entry. Deleting this receptor made lab animals resistant to infection, offering potential therapeutic strategy against hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
A global team of investigators has identified protocadherin-1 (PCDH1) as a crucial protein involved in Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a serious respiratory disease. The study, published in Nature, reveals that PCDH1 facilitates lung cell infection and triggers HPS, providing a viable target for blocking the disease.
Researchers isolated antibodies from human survivors of Andes hantavirus infection that protected hamsters against the deadly disease. The antibodies shielded animals even after administration, suggesting they could be used as a preventative treatment for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.
A University of Montana researcher found that species diversity can have both a dilution effect and an amplification effect on disease transmission. In areas with more diverse rodent communities, hantavirus prevalence among deer mice decreases, but as rodent species diversity increases, infection spreads faster
Climate change and land use changes will increase the number of people at risk of hantavirus infection in Brazil by 2050. Sugarcane expansion is expected to boost hantavirus cases due to its impact on rodent populations and virus survival.
Researchers identify unique cytokine markers for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Nephropatia Epidemica (NE), highlighting key differences in immune response between the two diseases. The study's findings suggest that 'cytokine storm' plays a crucial role in disease presentation.
Researchers have identified the three-dimensional structure of a hantavirus protein, providing a promising model for developing drugs against the disease. The protein's circular complexes may play a role in inhibiting viral growth, making it an ideal target for future treatments.
Researchers found that hantaviruses are highly dependent on cholesterol in cell membranes to gain access into cells. Disrupting the S1P pathway reduced their ability to infect cells, suggesting potential therapeutic targets. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the viruses' dependence on cholesterol.
Bamboo landscaping popularity could lead to increased spread of hantavirus, as deer mice thrive on plant's seeds and reproduce rapidly, posing a risk to human health. Experts recommend changing U.S. and Canadian plant quarantine policies to prevent non-native bamboo invasions.
Scientists have developed protective human antibodies using DNA-vaccinated cows, which showed potent neutralizing activity against two types of hantaviruses. The antibodies protected hamsters from lethal disease caused by these viruses, with seven out of eight treated animals surviving without symptoms.
Researchers at NIH's NIAID have developed a monkey model of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, allowing them to study the disease's progression and potential treatments. The study found that the virus triggers a life-threatening immune response nearly two weeks after infection, providing a potential target for early diagnosis.
A study by Penn microbiologists found that statins can lower cholesterol levels and make cells less susceptible to hantavirus infection. This could lead to potential treatments for the deadly virus, which causes flu-like symptoms and respiratory distress syndrome.
Researchers identified four proteins involved in hantavirus entry into human host cells, all part of a protein complex regulating cholesterol production. Statins, commonly used to lower cholesterol, also showed promise in preventing viral infection.
Researchers have successfully protected laboratory animals from lethal hantavirus disease using a DNA vaccine and duck eggs. The study demonstrates the feasibility of this novel approach, which could supplement or replace existing treatments for HPS.
A University of Utah study used satellite imagery to monitor vegetation surges that boost deer mouse populations, predicting hantavirus outbreaks months in advance. The method has potential applications for forecasting rodent-borne illnesses worldwide.
A recent study by University of Utah researchers identified bigger, older mice as the culprits behind hantavirus transmission. The study used fluorescent powders and radio transmitters to track contacts between mice, revealing that larger-bodied individuals were responsible for maintaining the disease in deer mouse populations.
Research at Umea University in Sweden has shown that hantavirus exists in human saliva, sparking concerns about its potential spread among humans. The study found virus RNA in saliva samples from 10 out of 14 patients with nephropathia epidemica during last year's epidemic.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University and the University of New Mexico have forecast an increased risk of hantavirus outbreaks in the US southwest in 2006. The study used satellite imagery to analyze ecological conditions and predict disease spread, with moderate risk levels similar to those in previous years.
A team of scientists has discovered a new hantavirus in an African wood mouse, which is related to viruses causing severe disease in humans in Central and Eastern Europe. The virus was found to have similarities with other hantaviruses, including the Dobrava virus, and can infect humans, according to preliminary evidence.
Researchers at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases have developed a hantavirus vaccine that elicited a potent neutralizing antibody response in rhesus macaques. The vaccine, which uses a naked DNA approach, also provided protection against hamster infection when administered after exposure.
A Montana State University study reveals that deer mice visit buildings for food, with a higher infection rate among indoor mice due to denser populations and viral transmission through urine and saliva. The research aims to develop a way of predicting mouse populations in buildings based on environmental factors.