PLOS Jan 21 2025 Non-persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are characterized by a sharp increase in viral load followed by a long plateau, according to a study published January 21 st in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Samuel Alizon of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France, and colleagues. Chronic HPV infection is responsible for more than 600,000 new cancers each year, including nearly all cervical cancers. Infection among young women is common,