Third European Congress of Virology

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Experts say a lack of funds is slowing attempts to find a truly effective vaccine against genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease that can be devastating for the one in five Americans over 12 who carry the virus.

Genital infection with the herpes simplex viruses (HSV) 1 or 2 is not just an inconvenience, doctors note. It is a painful, recurrent illness that causes psychological distress, raises health risks for newborns, and boosts the carrier’s odds for a much more deadly virus, HIV.

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BIOTECHNOLOGY is one of the most important applied interdisciplinary sciences of the 21st century. It is the trusted area that enables us to find the beneficial way of life. It was given BT (Biotechnology) for Bharat tomorrow, but the tomorrow has come and is now called as Bharat Today. This science has an invaluable outcome like transgenic varieties of plants e.g. transgenic cotton (BT-cotton), rice, tomato, tobacco, cauliflower, potato & banana. The animals like cow, buffalo, sheep (Dolly) etc are the transgenic outputs. It is the science by which, “One can play with gene and dances with the protein.” Biotechnology has wide applications in various sectors like agriculture, medicine, environment and commercial industries. The development of transgenics as pesticide resistant, stress resistant and disease resistant varieties of agricultural crops is the immense outcome of biotechnology, whereas the synthesis of human insulin & blood protein in E.coli is the quantum jump of biotechnology. The synthesis of vaccines, enzymes, antibiotics, dairy products and beverages are the products of biotech industries. Biochip based biological computer is the success of biotechnology.

Genetic engineering and Tissue culture are the important areas of biotechnology. Genetic engineering involves genetic manipulation and tissue culture involves aseptic cultivation of totipotent plant cell into plant clones under controlled atmospheric conditions. The totipotent animal stem cell is being used for skin culture at AIIMS, New Delhi.

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On the odd occasion, this virus undergoes mutations to form a new virus strain that is able to pass from human to another with relative ease. Therefore, it has been concluded that the strain that is responsible for the 2009 swine flu outbreak, has undergone such a mutation.

What is Swine Influenza?

Swine influenza virus, endemic to pig populations, is said to be caused by the Orthomyxo viruses. Strains of the swine flu virus, isolated to date, have been classified as a subtype of the genus influenza virus A. The new strain is an obvious reassortment of several strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, which include a strain that is endemic in humans and two strains that are endemic in pigs, as well as an avian influenza virus. Reassortment is common feature in influenza viruses; this is because of the structure of their genome. However, this particular reassortment is consistent with its ability to transmit the mutated virus from pigs to humans. In the current scenario, the outbreak of this disease has been termed as the “public health emergency of international concern,” by the World Health Organization. Moreover, most concerned officials lack any knowledge with regard to its clinical features, epidemiology, and virology as well as the appropriate responses needed as a result. All the concerned government health agencies around the world are monitoring the situation closely. Swine flu is spread amongst humans on contact. The spread of the 2009 swine flu outbreak owes its existence to a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus, which was first detected in March 2009 by public health officials. There are serious concerns expressed about this novel strain because it has had a relatively high mortality rate in Mexico, and now has the potential to become a full fledged flu pandemic.

How is swine flu prevented?

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