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Everything published from the Institute of Virology
04.12.2025 | Guest Lecture: Priv-Doz. Dr. Thomas Grunwald
Dr. Thomas Grunwald from the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) in Leipzig will present on vaccine development and infection models on December 4th, 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
01.12.2025 | Panel Discussion: What We Can Learn from Virus Research for Tomorrow
Institute Director Prof. Gisa Gerold will discuss future public health preparedness with Dr. Florian Krammer on December 1, 2025. The free event takes place at 7 PM at Innsbruck City Library.
November 2025
Increase in Hepatitis A cases in Austria: The Institute of Virology confirmed 11 infections by PCR in 2025 – significantly more than in previous years. These observations underscore the importance of preventive immunization against Hepatitis A.
13.11.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr. Derek Smith
Prof. Dr. Derek Smith from Cambridge University will present on vaccine strain selection for antigenically variable pathogens on November 13th, 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
H5N1 Avian Influenza: Current Developments
The current H5N1 situation in Austria requires attention. An expert article examines pandemic risk, transmission routes, and countermeasures.
October 2025
Rhinoviruses show clear dominance in October 2025 with a positivity rate of 45% among hospitalized patients. Particularly vulnerable are infants, young children, as well as elderly and immunosuppressed individuals. The Institute provides updated respiratory and gastro dashboards.
Company outing 2025
On this year's company outing on 30 September, our team took the Mutterer Alm cable car to the mountain station in the morning, where the group split up as the mood took them. Some opted for a relaxed and sociable hike to the Götzner Alm, while others took on the...
September 2025
RSV prevention update: Since December 2024, the monoclonal antibody Nirsevimab has been available in Austria’s free children’s vaccination program. The Institute of Virology is launching a pilot project for genetic surveillance of RSV variants in the upcoming season.
23.10.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof.Dr. Judith Aberle
Prof. Dr. Judith Aberle from the Medical University of Vienna will present on tick-borne encephalitis on October 23rd 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
Tick and TBE project
It is currently tick peak season again! As new species and consequently new pathogens are now appearing in our country due to factors such as climate change and travelling, good early monitoring and appropriate preparation are essential! For this reason, the Institute...
07.08.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr.med. Maximilian Lenz
Prof. Dr.med. Maximilian Lenz from the Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology at Hannover Medical School will present on VEEV-induced neuronal dysfunction on August 7th, 2025 at 10am in the Seminar room Virology, Schöpfstraße 41.
July 2025
The Institute of Virology provides information on Chikungunya fever: The Asian tiger mosquito continues to spread northward, increasing the risk of local infections in Central Europe. Learn more about symptoms, diagnostics, and the newly EU-approved vaccines.
June 2025
The Institute of Virology reports a significant increase in rotavirus infections in the first half of 2025. Notably unusual is the temporal shift: one-third of the total 106 positive cases occurred between May and mid-June, whereas the infections normally peak between February and April. Both young children and increasingly older adults have been affected.
24.06.2025 | Inaugural Lecture Gisa Gerold
Prof. Dr. Gisa Gerold, Director of the Institute of Virology, delivered her inaugural lecture “Viruses: the good, the bad and the unknown” on June 24th, 2025 at 4:30pm in the Audimax at Fritz-Pregl-Straße 3, Innsbruck.
18.05.2025 | Gordon Research Conference: Viruses and Cells
Prof. Gisa Gerold was elected Vice-Chair (2025-2027) and future Chair (2027-2029) of the Gordon Research Conference on Viruses and Cells at the 2025 conference held in May 2025.
May 2025
As spring temperatures rise, ticks become active again in Austria. AGES launched a nationwide tick monitoring program in 2024, which continues in 2025 and will be expanded to include additional pathogens. Learn how you can contribute to research by submitting ticks.
12.06.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr. Isabella Eckerle, PhD
Prof. Dr. Isabella Eckerle from the University of Geneva will present on emerging viruses online via Webex on June 12th, 2025 at 3pm.
April 2025
The Institute of Virology reports a significant rise in Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in Tyrol. Learn more about PCR diagnostics, increasing antibiotic resistance, and our respiratory PCR panel.
11.06.2025 | Wissen|schafft Gesundheit
Prof. Dr. Gisa Gerold will present “Cell pirates in the body: Why it is important to understand viruses” in the Wissen|Schafft Gesundheit lecture series on June 11th, 2025 at 6:30pm in the Large Lecture Hall, Fritz-Pregl-Straße 3, Innsbruck.
15.04.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr. Hildegard Büning
Prof. Dr. Hildegard Büning from Hannover Medical School will present on biological nanoparticles for in vivo gene therapy on April 15th, 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
March 2025
March 2025 Newsletter: Essential information about Lyme disease – from diagnostics to interpretation of serological tests. Learn more about the two-tier testing strategy and diagnostic challenges in tick-borne diseases
20.03.2025 | Guest Lecture: Anna Överby Wernstedt, PhD
Prof. Dr. Anna Överby Wernstedt from the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Umeå University will present on brain tropism of tick-borne flavivirus on March 20th, 2025 at 3pm in the video conference room at Schöpfstraße 24 (also available online via Webex).
February 2025
The Institute of Virology reports on the significant increase in Norovirus infections in Austria in 2024 and an observed genotype shift. Learn more about viral gastroenteritis pathogens, diagnostic options, and our new real-time dashboard for monitoring virus activity.
25.02.2025 | Guest Lecture: Ana Fernandez-Sesma, PhD
Dr. Ana Fernandez-Sesma from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will present on modulation of innate immunity by dengue viruses and vaccines on February 25th, 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
January 2025
Current information on human metapneumovirus (hMPV): The Institute of Virology provides information about this common respiratory pathogen, which accounted for more than 15% of diagnosed respiratory infections at the end of 2024. Learn more about transmission routes, risk groups, and recommended protective measures.
22.01.2025 | Guest Lecture: Prof. Dr.med. Gerhard Dobler
Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard Dobler from the University of the Bundeswehr Munich will present on TBE research in Austria on January 22nd, 2025 at 3pm in the Pharmacology lecture hall.
December 2024
Important information about test conversions from 2025: Due to the EU Regulation on In-vitro Diagnostics (IVDR), several antibody tests are being converted to new ELISA procedures. Some tests must be removed from our service catalog. We increasingly recommend PCR direct detection methods for the diagnosis of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.
27.02.2025 | Molecular Determinants of Zoonotic Viruses and Beyond
Prof. Dr. Gisa Gerold will present at the symposium on Molecular Determinants of Zoonotic Virus Infections and Beyond from February 27th to March 1st, 2025 at the Institute of Virology in Freiburg, Germany.
28.01.2025 | Swiss Virology Meeting
Prof. Dr. Gisa Gerold will present at the 10th Swiss Virology Meeting from January 28th to 29th, 2025 at the Ambassador Hotel in Bern, Switzerland.
04.03.2025 | Annual Meeting of the Society for Virology
Several members of the Institute of Virology will present their research at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Virology in Hamburg from March 4th to 7th, 2025 at the Audimax, Universität Hamburg.