It's related to herpes. And it infects most of the world — about half of Americans, nearly all the developing world. But don't go out and get infected. The virus has a dark side, too.
Scientists studying HIV and Ebola have noticed another virus hitching along for the ride in some blood samples. Now they're trying to figure out whether the lurker helps the body fend off disease.
Moving the American Gut Project to a biotech hub like San Diego may speed the jump from basic research to real treatments. At least that's microbe tracker Rob Knight's plan.
A handful of ecologists knew for years that West Africa was at risk for an Ebola outbreak. Now they're figuring out where else in the world the virus could be hiding. Many signs point to Asia.
While some Americans worried that Ebola would spread around the U.S., a new mosquito-borne virus flew right in. It sickened more than 2,000 Americans and nearly a million people across the Caribbean.
Big questions have bedeviled virus hunters for 38 years: Why do people differ in their response to Ebola? Is it becoming more or less dangerous? There's now more evidence about who gets sick and why.
It's called "breakbone fever" because that's how bad you feel when you get it. There's no cure. But scientists have found powerful antibodies that could lead to the development of a simple vaccine.
In parts of southern Africa, HIV has picked up mutations that slow down its ability to grow inside a person's blood. That's a good sign. But will it be enough to make a difference in the epidemic?
Rotavirus kills more than a half-million kids around the world each year. Now scientists have evidence that the secret to stopping it is hiding in the trillions of bacteria of our microbiome.
A 700-year-old caribou dropping from northern Canada holds surprisingly well-preserved viruses. There's no evidence the viruses are dangerous, but they are scientifically interesting.