Cow udders may provide a hotspot for bird flu and human flu viruses to mingle. The prospect of an outbreak of avian influenza among dairy cattle triggering a pandemic in humans is one step closer than ...

Canine coronavirus and influenza D are two zoonotic viruses that researchers say have “considerable potential” for causing future epidemics in people. In an article published recently in Emerging ...

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 ...

Around 8 percent of human DNA is made up of genetic sequences acquired from ancient viruses. These sequences, known as human endogenous retroviruses (or Hervs), date back hundreds of thousands to ...

Viral DNA that is usually dismissed when sequencing the human genome could help to uncover useful information about complex diseases.

The avian flu virus isolated from a hospitalized teenager in Vancouver has mutations in key areas that could help the virus spread more easily in humans, scientists say. There is no indication that ...

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 ...

You, my friend, are what scientists call a "holobiont"- an organism made up of human cells and the multiplicity of microscopic species living inside you and on your body. Many of these microorganisms ...