Measles virus articles from across Nature Portfolio

Measles virus infection causes immunosuppression and it’s unclear whether this can be prevented by antivirals. Here, using a canine distemper virus ferret model, the authors show that measles-like immune amnesia and lethal exacerbated respiratory disease after consecutive respiratory virus infections can be mitigated by oral antiviral therapy initiated at the onset of primary clinical signs.

Characterization of the myotis bat morbillivirus shows that infection in human cells is restricted by innate immune responses in vitro and cross-neutralization by sera from measles, mumps and rubella vaccinees.

The timing of measles vaccination in infants affects the risk of infection in young children and the duration of protection provided. Here, the authors investigate optimal vaccination timing by characterising antibody kinetics following different vaccine schedules in two cohorts of children in southern China.

Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, measles remains the leading cause of child death among vaccine-preventable diseases. In this work, authors utilised a cynomolgus macaque model of infection, and a mesh nebuliser administration approach, to show efficacy of their aerosolized lipopeptide fusion inhibitor against the measles virus.

A study in human airway epithelial cells shows that measles virus forms infectious centres, which detach and might promote transmission.

Further evidence that measles induce ‘immunological amnesia’ highlight the importance of the vaccination and the need to increase vaccination rates.

Two studies show how measles virus avoids cytosolic recognition by RIG-I and MDA5.

Our monthly round up of infectious diseases news, which this month includes the identification of a new virulence gene that is on the rise in MRSA strains in China, studies describing the emergence and probable genetic basis of artemisinin resistance in malaria parasites in Thailand and an update on the controversial H5N1 influenza virus articles.

A host RNA-editing enzyme (ADAR1) inhibits the replication and cytotoxicity of measles virus and other respiratory RNA viruses.