Viruses Content

The Hunt Narrows for Ebolavirus Hosts

Katherine E Kerlin — January 15, 2025 - 9:30am

Bats are widely recognized as the primary hosts of filoviruses, such as Ebola, yet the specific host species of ebolaviruses are not definitively known. In a study led by the University of California, Davis, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein), scientists have developed a new tool to narrow down potential host species of filoviruses and better prioritize wildlife surveillance. The research is part of global efforts to prevent viral spillover between animals and humans.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Why Zika Virus Hijacks a Protein Needed for Brain Growth

Andy Fell — January 13, 2025 - 11:13am

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is known for causing microcephaly, a birth defect in which abnormal brain development results in a smaller-than-expected head. A new study published Jan. 13 in mBio shows that the Zika virus hijacks a host protein called ANKLE2, which happens to be important for brain development, to assist its own reproduction. Because Zika, unlike most related viruses, can cross the placenta, this can have disastrous consequences in pregnancy.

Viruses Dynamic and Changing After Dry Soils are Watered

Andy Fell — October 02, 2023 - 12:12pm

Viruses in soil may not be as destructive to bacteria as once thought and could instead act like lawnmowers, culling older cells and giving space for new growth, according to research out of the University of California, Davis, published Sept. 28 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Novel Coronaviruses Are Riskiest for Spillover

Katherine E Kerlin — August 25, 2022 - 8:29am

A new modeling tool from �ٺ��Ƶ helps prioritize novel and known viruses for zoonotic risk. It shows coronaviruses are riskiest for spillover to humans.

Airborne Viruses Can Spread on Dust, Nonrespiratory Particles

Andy Fell — August 18, 2020 - 10:16am

Influenza viruses can spread through the air on dust, fibers and other microscopic particles, according to new research from the University of California, Davis, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The findings, with obvious implications for coronavirus transmission as well as influenza, are published Aug. 18 in Nature Communications.

Marburg Virus Found in Sierra Leone Bats

Andy Fell — January 24, 2020 - 11:09am

Scientists have detected Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone, marking the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa. Eleven Egyptian rousette fruit bats tested positive for active Marburg virus infection. Research teams caught the bats separately in three health districts.

Shining Light on the Social Lives of Viruses

Andy Fell — October 18, 2017 - 11:20am

Scientists know viruses are contagious and can spread quickly, but how do they interact with each other?

To gain an understanding into how viruses spread, and ultimately evolve, Samuel Díaz-Muñoz, assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis, explores the hustle and bustle of viruses’ social lives in a new paper published in Cell Host & Microbe.

Chewed Plants Help Detect Viruses in Wild Mountain Gorillas and Monkeys

Katherine E Kerlin — July 06, 2016 - 4:58pm

Chewed bark, leaves and fruit discarded by mountain gorillas provide a simple way to test the endangered apes for viruses without disturbing them, according to scientists from �ٺ��Ƶ studying mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in East-Central Africa.