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takyon writes:

Viral infections are more successful when the infection started in the morning, and disruptions to the circadian rhythm such as jet lag give viruses even better opportunities to propagate, according to a new study:

Viruses are more dangerous when they infect their victims in the morning, a University of Cambridge study suggests. The findings, published in PNAS [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1601895113], showed viruses were 10 times more successful if the infection started in the morning. And the animal studies found that a disrupted body clock - caused by shift-work or jet lag - was always vulnerable to infection.

The researchers say the findings could lead to new ways of stopping pandemics. Viruses - unlike bacteria or parasites - are completely dependent on hijacking the machinery inside cells in order to replicate. But those cells change dramatically as part of a 24-hour pattern known as the body clock.

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