Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms but can be lethal and kill up to 20% of those with severe dengue.
Dengue vaccine approved for use in Mexico, Brazil and Philippines
Scientific American recently reported that the three countries most affected by dengue fever have approved the use of the first vaccine against this affliction. Officials from Mexico, Philippines and Brazil hope that this will curb the nearly 400 million new infections each year, 22,000 of which result in death.
Two children have a gene mutation which protects them from many viruses, including influenza, hepatitis C and HIV
A new study on which a swarm of scientists worked on showed that two children (an 11 year old boy and a 6 year old girl) have a mutation which greatly reduces viral replication in HIV, dengue fever, herpes simplex virus type 2 infection, and hepatitis C – effectively protecting them from the viruses. The two children are siblings, and their