Viruses are notorious shape-shifters, able to constantly rearrange their genes and swap genetic material with different strains. Virologists are watching carefully for evidence that the microbe has begun swapping genetic material with a human virus — that’s when it could turn deadly for people. One worrisome sign: This summer there were reports out of Indonesia that the virus was found in pigs, which often act as incubators for human infections.

Yes it can, but this is only an issue if there is an outbreak in chickens in the US. Until then, there is no reason to keep cats or dogs indoors or on leashes.

Limited human-to-human transmission could not be ruled out for some family clusters of bird flu where there was close contact between family members. However, none of these clusters have led to larger outbreaks in the general community indicating that the virus does not spread easily among people.

Last year there were almost 10,000 human cases of WNV detected, including 262 deaths in the United States.

ThinPrep Pap specimens and specimens collected with the hc2 DNA Collection Device are approved for testing with Digene Hybrid Capture 2 DNA Assay. ThinPrep Pap specimens must be less than three weeks old. There must also be sufficient quantity remaining after processing the pap smear to perform the HPV testing. Also, tissue specimens (paraffin embedded) can be tested for high and low risk HPV using the in situ hybridization. Tissue specimens are stable indefinitely.

The vaccines that would be used in the UK are killed vaccines which are manufactured to very high safety standards. There is NO live virus in vaccines produced to European industry standards. Vaccination does not cause the virus to mutate and does not cause disease.

Strictly speaking, YES! All PC master diskettes, CDs and DVDs are virus checked using the latest McAfee VirusScan - which is updated daily. As we are only able to virus-check PC diskettes, we cannot check UNIX diskettes, 4mm DAT tapes, etc. and have to rely on the fact that your masters are checked prior to them leaving your premises.

The influenza virus is primarily spread by airborne droplets, which easily infect your sensitive spots such as your eyes, nose, and mouth. Touching contaminated surfaces and touching your face can spread the influenza virus.

If the H5N1 virus, or any other avian flu virus, develops the ability to spread from one person to another, we may be faced with a flu pandemic. Pandemics occur when new flu viruses emerge because people have no immunity to the disease. In the previous century, there were three flu pandemics: 1918, 1957, and 1968. The 1918 flu pandemic was the most deadly of the three, killing between 50 million and 100 million people worldwide.

The avian influenza virus is different from the human influenza virus; it normally attacks only birds, rarely humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that the current avian and human influenza viruses impose the need for increased vigilance because of the possibility of genetic material being exchanged between the viruses.

Although H5N1 can cause serious problems to human health, it is difficult to be infected with the virus and, until now, there has been no evidence that it can spread from one person to another. The problem would become most critical if the virus were found to be transmitted from human to human. In the past 100 years there were 4 A-type influenza pandemics that resulted in many deaths around the world.

Human Papilloma virus one of the most common viral infections transmitted most commonly through sexual contacts. There are more than 90 strains or types of HPV but only some have the capability or predilection to infect the genitals. The overwhelming HPV infections are asymptomatic and pass off quickly once the body develops its immunity against the viruses.

Right click on the residue you wish to mutate. If you wish to mutate the C or N terminal please see the next question.

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS; HIV weakens several body systems and destroys the body's immune system, making it easier for life threatening cancers or opportunistic infections to invade the body.

No, the human influenza vaccine currently available does not protect against bird flu viruses. Clinical trials are underway now for a human vaccine to protect against the "bird flu".

We don't think so. It is assumed that a person would develop a natural immunity to future infection by the virus, and that this immunity would be lifelong. However, this immunity may wane in later years. Infections with West Nile Virus may, or may not, produce illness. A few people who get ill may seek medical care. Those with severe enough disease that has the appearance of West Nile and similar viruses may have blood or spinal fluid sampled for testing.

The usual indication is what we call clusters. This is where groups of people get sick. What we see with the H5N1, the avian flu, is individual cases -- somebody that has been on a chicken farm, someone that has been with chickens that have been dying, has close contact because they look after the birds or they slaughter the birds. They are just solitary cases.

So far, human infections with avian H5 influenza viruses have not started jumping from human to human. There have been some instances of multiple cases in one family, but no evidence of a chain of two or more successive human to human transmissions.

Yes, the virus can be passed from a pregnant mother to her unborn child. The risk depends on the condition of the mother and what stage of the disease the mother is in. Without medication, an infected mother has about a 25 percent chance of transmitting HIV to her unborn child. This risk can be reduced to as low as 2 percent using the medication, Retrovir. It also is important to remember not to breast-feed your child if you are HIV positive, as the virus can be transmitted through breast milk.

Flu viruses spread in respiratory droplets caused by coughing and sneezing. They usually spread from person to person, though sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

No. This virus can't be passed from cat to human. It is transmitted between cats via bodily fluids, most commonly by saliva through cat bites and in some cases from mother to kittens. Affected cats have an ineffective immune system and are vulnerable to subsequent infections (eg chest infections). However, some cats infected with the virus may live a a full healthy life. Cats with FIV shoud be kept indoors to reduce the spread of the disease to other cats.

It is quite difficult to estimate the likelihood of when it will happen. Bird virus has been around at least since 1996; we haven't had that event despite very close contact between humans and birds in Southeast Asia and China. We have had a nine-year period where no event has occurred. Now, the next nine or ten years, the likelihood is that it will occur. But we are not certain what the product will be that comes out.

Most women never know they have HPV. It usually stays hidden and doesn't cause symptoms like warts. When HPV doesn't go away on its own, it can cause changes in the cells of the cervix. Pap tests usually find these changes.

Protection against disease transmission is much less effective against such sexually transmitted diseases as Herpes and the Human Papilloma Virus, which can be located on skin surfaces not covered or protected by a condom. The female condom theoretically may be more effective in this situation because it covers a greater area.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is fragile. Once the virus is outside the body in a dry form, it dies immediately. Even in a wet state, it does not live long when exposed to heat, detergents, or disinfectants. When stored in blood banks at 4?C, it can live for about 3 weeks (or longer), or till the white cell disintegrates, but in a frozen state it can survive for years.

Fortunately, most people who become infected with West Nile virus do not get sick--their body fights off the infection and protective antibodies develop. About 20% (1 person out of 5) develop West Nile fever with symptoms that may include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, rash, and joint pain. Some people with West Nile fever are quite ill for up to several weeks and may see their doctor, but hospital care is not usually needed.

In 2006, there were over 4,000 cases of West Nile virus illness reported in the US. This is a significant increase in cases compared to 2005 with 3,000 reported cases and 2004 with 2,539 cases. Of the 4,180 human cases reported for 2006 (as of 1/3/07), 61% had West Nile fever and 34% had neuroinvasive disease (in 5% the illness type was not reported). States with the highest number of cases in 2006 included Idaho, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, and California.

HPV vaccine has been developed to help prevent pre-cancer disease of the cervix and ultimately prevent cancer of cervix. Recent figures show that there are over 2000 new cases of cervical cancer in England and many more in the rest of the world. Therefore the Gardasil vaccine is a key tool in fighting this dreaded disease of the cervix and other parts of the genital tract.

The basis for the recommendation is that these are the groups that were studied. They were studied first because they are most at risk since they are most likely to have not been exposed to the virus. Therefore these were the age groups likely to benefit the most. However, other groups are now being studied to see how effective and beneficial the HPV vaccine can be.