Regular Blood Work After Gene Therapy Warranted by Rare Condition
Recipients of certain adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapies should be monitored closely for signs of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), FDA advisors agreed. “Frequent laboratory assessments are necessary,” said Barry Byrne, MD, PhD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, based on his observations that patients on onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma) tend to first show IgM presence […]
Symptomatic COVID patients are more contagious, study finds: Study identifies link between case severity and infectiousness
Individuals with COVID-19 are most likely to spread the virus to close contacts two days before the onset of symptoms to three days after symptoms appear, and the risk of transmission is highest when patients had mild or moderate disease severity, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia. The study, […]
High-Dose HBV Revaccination Better Protects HIV Patients
In HIV patients who failed to achieve protection from the hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine, a high-dose revaccination schedule led to better serological responses versus standard dosing, a randomized single-center trial in Chile showed. In an intention-to-treat analysis involving over 100 patients, 72% of those revaccinated with three doses of a high-dose recombinant HBV vaccine […]
How Long Is a Person Contagious With Mono?
After exposure to the virus, someone with mono can be contagious for months, even before symptoms start and after symptoms subside Infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, is a contagious disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It’s unclear how long someone with mono is contagious, although they are definitely contagious while they have […]
West Nile Virus Infection Symptoms, Treatment, Definition & Transmission
Iwamoto, M., et al. “Transmission of West Nile Virus From an Organ Donor to Four Transplant Recipients.” N Engl J Med 348 (2003): 2196-2203. . Johnston, B. Lynn, and John M. Conly. “West Nile Virus – Where Did It Come From and Where Might It Go?” Can J Infect Dis. 11.4 July-Aug. 2000: 175-178. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094770/>. […]
Chikungunya Virus Infection Symptoms & Treatment
Chikungunya virus is an infection spread (transmitted) through a bite from an infected mosquito. Common symptoms of Chikungunya virus infection include joint pain, headache, rash, and fever. There is no drug or vaccine available to treat or prevent Chikungunya virus infections. Some medicines and home remedies may help relieve symptoms of Chikungunya virus infection. The […]
Is Shingles Contagious? How Long Do Shingles Last?
What is shingles? Pictures of shingles Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus (also known as VZV, herpes zoster). Shingles usually causes a single strip or patch of painful blisters that wrap around either the left or right side of the patient’s torso or extremities, although it may occur on the face. […]
What Is the Monkey B Virus? Causes & Symptoms
Monkey B virus is a herpes virus that mainly affects macaque monkeys but in rare cases can be transmitted to humans and cause serious illness Monkey B virus (also called simian B virus, herpesvirus B, H simiae, or simply the B virus) is a type of herpes virus that mainly infects macaque monkeys. Although monkey […]
How relaxing COVID-19 restrictions could pave the way for vaccine resistance
Relaxing Covid-19 restrictions could pave the way for new vaccine-resistant virus mutations, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia and the Earlham Institute. A new article published today warns against relaxing Covid-19 restrictions prematurely. It describes how we are in an ‘arms race’ with the virus and how rising cases could provide opportunities […]
Advantages of intranasal vaccination against SARS-CoV-2: Intranasal vaccination is needle-free and elicits immunity at the site of infection, the respiratory tract
There are many reasons that an intranasal vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus would be helpful in the fight against COVID-19 infections, University of Alabama at Birmingham immunologists Fran Lund, Ph.D., and Troy Randall, Ph.D., write in a viewpoint article in the journal Science. That route of vaccination gives two additional layers of protection over intramuscular […]