Zika virus circulated undetected for months before the outbreak, genome studies show

An international team of scientists have charted the emergence and spread of the Zika virus in the Americas with the help of virus genomes. While the Zika outbreak attracted a lot of attention both inside and outside the scientific community, little is known about the evolution of the virus. Clinical samples of the virus contain […]

Mummy DNA shows origins of smallpox more recent than initially thought

Prevalent theories place the origin of the deadly smallpox virus in ancient Egypt, India and China. But a recent analysis of smallpox DNA from a 17th-century mummy tells a different story. Researchers compared the strain with its modern variants, dating up to 1970s, and discovered evidence that the evolution of the modern form of virus […]

Small compound could help fight coronaviruses

Researchers have found that a small chemical compound called K22 can interfere with the ability of coronaviruses to use the internal membranes of host cells for their own replication. Although it’s still a very long way from being a drug, the fact that the molecule shows activity against a wide range of coronaviruses – including […]

Second U.S. case of MERS | Experts Available

Second U.S. case of MERS | SMCC Experts Available | May 14, 2014   On Monday May 12, 2014 the U.S. Centres of Disease control reported the “unwelcome but not unexpected” news that a second person in the US has been diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. This second case, which occurred in Florida, follows […]

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