Scientists discover how Ebola virus infects cells
...c cellular enzyme, cathepsin B, was inhibited, the infectivity of Ebola virus dropped to near zero. An accessory role is played by another cellular enzyme, cathepsin L, the scientists determined. Inhibitors of cathepsins are already under clinical development as anti-cancer drugs. The authors write, "Further inv...Five questions that need to be addressed at international flu meeting
...a--in epidemiology and molecular characterisation, infectivity and pathogenicity, containment and treatment, and preparedness--is the only hope for reducing the mortality from a human H5N1 pandemic After the summit, country responses must show the seriousness with which they are taking the threat of a possible p...Daycare illness guidelines exist, but largely unknown
...spread," says Dr. Copeland. "Because the period of infectivity precedes the manifestation of symptoms for so many of these common childhood viral illnesses, most of the other children and staff in the center have already been exposed once the child becomes ill. Routine hand-washing and sanitation procedures are ...Landmark discovery of a Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus receptor
...his suggests that the virus may facilitate its own infectivity and dissemination in the body by inducing a physiological state that results in increased numbers of its own receptor. "The advancement of knowledge achieved in this study highlights the outstanding intramural research that takes place here on the NI...Prion disease infectivity causes heart damage in mouse study
...to pump blood. Unusually high levels of scrapie infectivity were also found in the blood of the same mice used in the heart study. In the future, this finding could help scientists develop a blood-based diagnostic test to identify brain-wasting diseases and possibly lead to a way to filter or chemically treat...Scientists develop method to remove prion infectivity from scrapie-infected blood
...to develop the disease. Selectively removing prion infectivity from donated blood might be one of the best ways o... of vCJD, suggesting that it may also remove prion infectivity from human blood. Dr Rohwer (Veterans Affairs Medical Center, at the University of Maryland, Balt...