viruses

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    Bird Flu Outbreak Leads to Deaths of 12.6 Million Birds in U.S.

    Bird Flu Outbreak Leads to Deaths of 12.6 Million Birds in U.S.

    A bird flu outbreak is forcing farmers to put down millions of turkeys and chickens in eight states.  The discovery of the disease in an egg-laying farm in Iowa Friday meant that 5.3 million chickens were scheduled for euthanization on that farm alone, AP News reported. This brings the total number of chickens or turkeys […]

    Coronavirus Shines Light on Zoos as Danger Zones for Deadly Disease Transmission Between Humans and Animals

    Coronavirus Shines Light on Zoos as Danger Zones for Deadly Disease Transmission Between Humans and Animals

    By Marilyn Kroplick The term “zoonotic disease” wasn’t a hot topic of conversation before the novel coronavirus started spreading across the globe and upending lives. Now, people are discovering how devastating viruses that transfer from animals to humans can be. But the threat can go both ways — animals can also get sick from humans. […]

    Coronavirus Lockdowns Keep Bees at Home and Put Crops at Risk

    Coronavirus Lockdowns Keep Bees at Home and Put Crops at Risk

    By Ajit Niranjan Coronavirus lockdowns that keep farmers from fields and suppliers from markets are restricting another cornerstone of the agriculture industry: bees. Responsible for pollinating about a third of the plants we eat, bees are in short supply and their numbers are declining globally. In large, food-exporting countries like the U.S. and China, there […]

    Coronavirus May Wane This Summer, but Don’t Expect the Pandemic to End

    Coronavirus May Wane This Summer, but Don’t Expect the Pandemic to End

    By Ellen Wright Clayton Will SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, fade away on its own this summer? After all, other viruses – including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes bronchiolitis in little children – are mostly seen in the winter. The National Academies’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century […]

    The Immune System’s Fight Against the Coronavirus

    The Immune System’s Fight Against the Coronavirus

    A central player in the fight against the novel coronavirus is our immune system. It protects us against the invader and can even be helpful for its therapy. But sometimes it can turn against us. How does our immune system react to the coronavirus? The coronavirus is — like any other virus — not much […]