A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics. Using a ...

A new global dataset of 239 human-infective RNA viruses shows how animal hosts, vector transmission, surveillance gaps, and viral traits shape the path from spillover to epidemic threat. Study: A ...

Live virus vaccines use a weakened virus to help your body fight the real disease. Some people, like those who are very sick or pregnant, should not get live virus vaccines. A live virus vaccine ...

Scientists found that one tiny genetic change can completely alter how a coronavirus behaves in different species. Comparing ...

A study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) offers insights into cell death regulation by viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and how bats and humans respond differently to tricks that such ...

Distinguishing between self and non-self is a critical ability of the immune system. Some pathogens have evolved proteins that resemble those of their host, a mechanism called molecular mimicry, in an ...

What sets these viruses apart is their unusual ability to insert their genetic material into human chromosomes. This allows the virus to stay inactive for long periods and, in rare cases, be passed ...

We often hear about the importance of the human microbiome—the vast collection of bacteria and fungi that live on and inside us—when it comes to our health. But there's another, equally important part ...

The human genome is made up of 23 pairs of chromosomes, the biological blueprints that make humans … well, human. But it turns out that some of our DNA — about 8% — are the remnants of ancient viruses ...