VIROLOGY ARTICLES

Influenza vaccine campaigns take place twice each year to protect against this rapidly changing virus. Here, Maria Zambon describes the worldwide process of preparing and coordinating such vaccines, as well as how new strains can have an unwelcome impact.

The National Collection of Pathogenic Viruses is this year celebrating 25 years supporting scientific research. Pathology in Practice looks at its role in virology research and global outbreak preparedness.

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ Research and Surveillance Centre plays a key role in the UK’s disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness. Dominic Dunn explains how the role has developed in recent years and its plans for future growth and to involve more laboratories.

With increasing travel post-COVID-19 coupled with a warming planet, tropical diseases and the viruses that cause them are closer to UK shores than ever. Dr Neil Bentley looks at the increasing prevalence and spread of dengue fever and the barriers to correct diagnosis.

X-ray irradiation is enabling inactive virus material to be available for research use from The National Collection of Pathogenic Viruses, part of UKHSA Culture Collections. Team leader Dr Jane Burton and virologist Teresa Ramalho explain how.

A recently published report into the HIV rapid diagnostic test market landscape, produced in coordination with the World Health Organization, aims for a healthier, more sustainable market. Here, Pathology in Practice presents a summary of the report, including the current state of HIV testing and aims for the near future.

Over the last few years, we’ve all witnessed the toll that overwhelming caseloads of COVID-19, influenza A/B and RSV testing can have on healthcare settings. The resulting push for more accurate and discriminatory methods to aid the management of patients presenting with respiratory and/or flu-like symptoms has highlighted the importance of developing a test panel that is both efficient and clinically relevant, says Dr Andrew Birnie.

Royal Derby Hospital operates robust point-of-care testing as part of its virus management programme, and implementation of year-round respiratory syncytial virus testing last year resulted in the discovery of an unexpected summer surge in cases, as Yusuf Gray explains.

The North East Innovation Lab works to assess and accelerate the development of new diagnostic tests. Pathology in Practice looks at the support it provided to a study assessing the use of synthetic polymer antibodies in a new test for SARS-CoV-2.

A specialist NHS laboratory, hosted by Newcastle Hospitals, is helping to accelerate the development of new, cutting-edge COVID-19 tests, as well as technologies that could give an early warning of virus threats.

Pathology services continue to face challenges to detect the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Here, Sarah Pitt provides a further update on the virology, epidemiology, testing and treatment of this mutating agent of pandemic disease.

As a result of continued research and development, the incidence of death from cancers caused by human papillomavirus infection is falling. Here, Neil Bentley provides an overview and looks at the impact of screening and diagnostic testing.