Virus

Cold and flu tablets often promise fast relief. But the evidence is clear: for nasal congestion, these medicines do not work as well as they claim. So why are they still being sold?

A common virus has been used to trigger Parkinson’s-like brain damage and movement problems in mice, giving scientists a new way to study how viral infections may contribute to the disease.

Thousands of RNA virus species have been identified, and there may be millions, but only 239 infect humans. Scientists have now published a catalogue that helps other researchers – as well as all of us – pinpoint the riskiest ones.

The current Ebola outbreak is the third-largest in world history, with 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths in the DRC alone as of 27 May.

The US has its first and only oral COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis on its way, after a Phase III trial of the drug ensitrelvir met its goals needed for US Drug and Food Administration approval. It dramatically reduces spread from close contacts.

Andes virus is serious, and authorities are right to respond cautiously. But experts, including those from the World Health Organization, note it doesn’t have the characteristics needed to become “the next COVID”.

In January 2023, an infant monkey made a bad choice at snack time. In a rare discovery, researchers found that by eating a rodent known as a fire-footed rope squirrel, the primate unwittingly spread monkeypox to nearly a third of its troop.

For two decades giant viruses have unsettled one of biology’s most fundamental boundaries forcing scientists to rethink how cellular complexity emerged. A newly discovered giant virus sharpens that debate, offering clues about how a key feature of most complex life may have evolved.

Americans are being urged to be extra vigilant, as a new influenza A variant is spreading more rapidly and evading our abilities to fight it off. With more than 110,000 hospitalizations so far, scientists expect this wave to worsen as the season peaks.

Scientists have developed a new rapid test for hepatitis C. It is easy to use, highly sensitive, and made for point-of-care places like clinics and community centers. The speed allows clinicians to diagnose and start treatment in the same visit.

In a breakthrough study, scientists built a new kind of "super microscope" letting them zoom in on living human cells with incredible detail. This offers a new real time insight into how the flu virus tries to slip inside cells.

UC Berkeley’s reusable bacteriophages offer an ecologically friendly method for mining some of the most valuable materials on the planet, including those in a vast range of consumer electronics, green technology, vehicles, weapons, and more.