Viruses

The family of viruses that wasted dolphins off the New Jersey coast 10 years ago has also dealt death among cows, sheep, dogs - and humans. Since the dolphin die-off, scientists have linked viruses of this type to lethal epidemics among marine mammals from the Gulf of Mexico to an Asian lake. The viruses, known as morbilliviruses, have now been implicated in at least five waves of death among aquatic animals: Hundreds of bottlenose dolphins from New Jersey to Florida in 1987-88.

Maybe it is the long winter that keeps computer hackers indoors for months, but March is the month for viruses. The much-dreaded and anticipated Maltese Amoeba and Michelangelo viruses struck in March a few years ago. Now we have the Melissa and Papa viruses. What exactly are computer viruses and what can anyone do about them? Here are some frequently asked questions to help make sense of it all. Question: What is a computer virus? Answer: A virus is a small program designed to infiltrate computers and the programs they run. A virus can duplicate itself and move from computer to computer.

Millions of computer users are wondering how to protect themselves against the wave of viruses that are threatening their machines. I have a suggestion. First, they should remember that these viruses don't spring from nature. They are little computer programs created and sent on their way by people who are brainy, malicious and arrogant. It doesn't seem to bother them that the more destructive of the viruses could take lives if, say, a hospital's computer programs were wiped out. So the question is: How do you find the creators of the virus programs?

Thomas F. Anderson, 80, a scientist who used the electron microscope to take historic photos of mating bacteria and viruses infecting a host cell, died Sunday at Jeanes Hospital. Dr. Anderson, a resident of the Fox Chase section of the city, died after a series of strokes, colleagues said. He was a biophysical chemist and geneticist who was among the first to use the electron microscope in the study of viruses. The electron microscope, invented in the 1930s, uses a beam of electrons to magnify microscopic specimens 120,000 times or more.

Most creatures, if they leave behind evidence of their existence, do so in the form of fossils buried in the earth. Viruses, on the other hand, can leave genetic "fossils" woven into the DNA of animals that they have infected - accounting for a surprising 8 percent of the genome in humans, for example. A new study has identified animal species that harbor fossils from two especially nasty virus families, one of which includes Ebola, offering intriguing clues as to why some animals can survive infection by these killers and others cannot.

The story so far: In the bedroom of his mansion after midnight Dec. 24, software mogul Quentin Stiles has seen three holographic visitors emerge from his bedside computer: his old partner Simon Charles, and the Viruses of Christmas Past and Present. The Virus of Christmas Present has just shown him how his angry cancellation of vacation for a top manager has torn apart the employee's family. HUENTIN STILES' eyes were clenched shut, trying to erase the sight of two parents gazing in anguish as their son rocked to and fro before a computer screen, locked in autistic embrace of a binary world that didn't include them.

A new age may be dawning in the battle against one of humanity's oldest and deadliest enemies: viruses. Scientists say we are just entering an "antiviral era" comparable to the amazingly successful antibiotic era that began with the discovery of penicillin before World War II. "Fifty years ago, we were just beginning to produce antibiotics," said Dorothy Crawford, a microbiologist at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. "Today we're in exactly the same position with antiviral drugs.

It's a common misconception that evolution is a matter of faith, because it happens too slowly to observe. Here's the way one reader sees it: "I don't see any fish walking around, nor do I see any other creature in mid-evolving mode. . . . Simply stated, both creationism and evolution should be taught as competing theories; both are not provable, and both cannot be duplicated in a lab. " But evolution does happen in the lab, in real time, and it's bad news for us because such rapid evolution allows organisms that can kill us by evading drugs, vaccines, and our own immune systems.

Colds, flu and stomach ailments are taking their toll in local classrooms, driving up absenteeism and forcing several schools to close briefly. Some area hospitals have also reported an increase in gastrointestinal illnesses, some of which may be due to the Norwalk virus or similar viruses, which cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The noroviruses, as they are also known, attracted widespread publicity when they caused illnesses on cruise ships late last year. The illness usually lasts one to two days.

It was Christmas morning at the Krupinsky home in Shrewsbury, Pa., and the video camera was catching the exultant faces of Daniel, 6, and Mandy, 12, as their mother set out a last, climactic gift. Barks were coming from inside the box. Mandy's mouth opened wide with wonder as the lid was lifted. Out bolted a tan Labrador puppy just like the one in a doggie calendar her mom had given her. The dog they named Cooper chased Daniel through the living room before he tuckered out and settled on Mandy's lap in a heap.

The Pennsylvania SPCA is urging dogs owners to have their pets vaccinated against Canine Parvovirus (CPV) after an early uptick in the cases of the often-fatal disease. "Parvo is one of the most deadly viral illnesses in our canine population," said Dr. Lisa Germanis, a staff veterinarian on at the PSPCA, said in a statement. "In the past two weeks, we've seen more than 20 cases of parvo in our veterinary clinic. Typically we don't begin to see this many cases until later in the spring and summer.

CHICAGO - Provocative new research might help explain why black women are so much more likely than white women to develop and die of cervical cancer. They seem to have more trouble clearing HPV, the virus that causes the disease. Doctors have long thought that less access to screening and follow-up health care were the reasons black women are 40 percent more likely than white women to develop cervical cancer and twice as likely to die from it. The new study involving young college women suggests that there might be a biological explanation for the racial disparity, too. If further study confirms this novel finding, it would make the HPV vaccine even more important for black women, said Worta McCaskill-Stevens, a prevention specialist at the National Cancer Institute.

Eleven more Rider University students were treated at Trenton-area hospitals overnight Thursday, bringing the total of those who have fallen ill to 55, officials at the New Jersey school said Friday morning. Spokesman Brian Higgins said almost all the students who were taken to three local hospitals from Wednesday into Thursday were treated and released within hours. Only one required a full night's stay. School officials believe the norovirus - the same virus blamed for recent mass outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships - is responsible.

It's a common misconception that evolution is a matter of faith, because it happens too slowly to observe. Here's the way one reader sees it: "I don't see any fish walking around, nor do I see any other creature in mid-evolving mode. . . . Simply stated, both creationism and evolution should be taught as competing theories; both are not provable, and both cannot be duplicated in a lab. " But evolution does happen in the lab, in real time, and it's bad news for us because such rapid evolution allows organisms that can kill us by evading drugs, vaccines, and our own immune systems.

Musician Roger Davidson wouldn't usually make it into Tattle - he's neither a drug-addled rock star nor prone to wardrobe malfunctions. He's the founder and president of the Society for Universal Sacred Music. But lose $20 million to a con and you're bound to catch Tattle's eye. The scammers, near Davidson's home in Katonah, N.Y., used a virus he found on his own computer to convince him of threats against him from Central America, Opus Dei and the CIA, a prosecutor said yesterday.

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who underwent surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, said he is still battling a mysterious virus. In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Pronger said he was not over the virus and added, "I don't know what's going on. " The Flyers had said that his virus symptoms were almost gone and that if he didn't have the knee problem, they were hopeful he would have been able to play Friday. Pronger, 37, said he has been experiencing headaches and nausea like never before.

WASHINGTON - President Obama set an ambitious goal Thursday for significantly increasing access to lifesaving AIDS drugs for people in the United States and around the world, as he announced a renewed American commitment to ending a pandemic that has killed 30 million people. "We can beat this disease," Obama declared during a World AIDS Day event in Washington. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton participated via satellite. Obama pledged U.S. support to help six million people in countries hardest hit by the virus get access to antiretroviral drugs by the end of 2013, increasing the original U.S. goal by two million.

  Veteran winger Jaromir Jagr, who has missed the Flyers' last two games because of a groin injury, said he will try to play Wednesday against the lowly New York Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y. But defenseman Chris Pronger will not make the trip. Pronger will miss his second consecutive game because of a virus, said general manager Paul Holmgren, adding that tests showed there were "no concerns. " On a day of roster moves, Team Infirmary went through a practice Tuesday in Voorhees.

As a biologist and computer scientist, Pennsylvania State University's Marcel Salathe studies the viral spread of information and the spread of real viruses. Now he has found a link between the two: When the viral idea helps create resistance to vaccines, it leaves a path for real viruses to follow. Using Twitter, he identified regional clusters where people were likely to forgo immunizations. Those could be hot spots of potential outbreaks. The results, published last month, show how social media can be harnessed to identify at-risk areas and to help focus public health messages.

There's more news on cancer screening tests - this time for women. Scientists advising the government say a Pap test is a good way to screen young and middle-aged women for cervical cancer, and it's needed only once every three years. But they say there is not enough evidence yet to back testing for HPV, the virus that causes the disease. That's at odds with the American Cancer Society and other groups, which have long said that both tests can be an option for women over 30. Those groups and the government advisory task force separately plan to release proposed new guidelines for cervical cancer screening on Wednesday and invite public comment.