Disease/Infection News

RSS

Avian flu's leap to humans: Understanding risks and prevention strategies

Comprehensive report by the EFSA and ECDC delves into the factors that could prompt an avian influenza virus to evolve and potentially spark a pandemic, emphasizing the One Health approach for effective prevention and risk mitigation strategies.

10 Apr 2024

Study reveals inflammation's role in long COVID's lingering effects

Large-scale study found that long COVID patients exhibit sustained inflammation and specific immune responses associated with varying symptoms, highlighting the importance of personalized treatment approaches.

9 Apr 2024

Rogue immune cell found to cause poor antibody responses in chronic viral infections

Australian researchers have discovered a previously unknown rogue immune cell that can cause poor antibody responses in chronic viral infections.

9 Apr 2024

Nirmatrelvir fails to shorten COVID-19 symptoms in latest trial

A study in The New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir against COVID-19, finding it does not significantly reduce symptom duration in vaccinated or unvaccinated adult outpatients.

8 Apr 2024

Denmark's pertussis epidemic reveals the power of maternal vaccination

A study published in Eurosurveillance details the 2023 pertussis epidemic in Denmark, emphasizing the age-specific incidence, the role of maternal vaccination in reducing infant hospitalizations, and the impact of vaccination strategies on managing the outbreak.

8 Apr 2024

Remote monitoring for COVID-19 patients shows no benefit from pulse oximetry

Using a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels is no better than just regularly asking patients with COVID-19 if they are short of breath, according to new research at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.

8 Apr 2024

Ultra-processed foods linked to higher glaucoma risk, study warns

Study finds a significant relationship between the highest intake of ultra-processed foods, especially sweets, and an increased risk of developing glaucoma among Spanish university graduates, highlighting the importance of dietary quality for ocular health.

8 Apr 2024

Pioneering vaccine strategy promises to outmaneuver antimicrobial resistance

Study introduces Reverse Vaccine Development as a strategic approach to identify correlates of protection early in vaccine development against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, aiming to mitigate risks such as significant phase-III clinical trial failures.

7 Apr 2024

COVID-19 shatters decades of global health progress, slashing life expectancy

Study in The Lancet reveals COVID-19 as the second leading cause of death in 2021, disrupting three decades of progress in global health and reducing life expectancy by 2.2 years from 2019 to 2021 despite previous gains.

7 Apr 2024

Wound warriors: How microbes influence healing and infection risks

Study explores how wound microbiota affect skin repair and infection risk by altering host immune responses, underscoring the complexity of microbial interactions in wound healing.

7 Apr 2024

Childhood obesity not linked to adult skin cancer risk, study says

Study leverages a Mendelian randomization approach to explore if childhood obesity genetically predisposes individuals to adult skin cancer, finding no significant correlation.

7 Apr 2024

Gold nanoparticle adorned polymers boost infectious disease testing

By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases.

5 Apr 2024

Mass General Hospital develops clinical decision support tool for mpox diagnosis

Diagnosing infectious conditions can be challenging. Diagnosis is especially challenging for uncommon and emerging infectious diseases for which there's limited clinical experience.

5 Apr 2024

Adeno-associated virus: The gene therapy revolution faces manufacturing and safety hurdles

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based genetic applications to treat human diseases.

5 Apr 2024

Novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations found in floodwaters near homeless communities

Study highlights the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and novel spike gene mutations in flood control channels affected by homeless populations, demonstrating the value of environmental surveillance in understanding public health dynamics.

4 Apr 2024

Interferon-beta deficiency alters brain response in neuroHIV mouse model

NeuroHIV refers to the effects of HIV infection on the brain or central nervous system and, to some extent, the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system.

4 Apr 2024

Rethinking exercise in post-COVID care

People suffering from post-COVID have been discouraged from exercising because early observations suggested it could be harmful.

4 Apr 2024

Understanding T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease through studies in dogs

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite and cause of Chagas disease, is widely distributed in many vertebrate and triatomine species throughout North, Central, and South America.

4 Apr 2024

Increased coronary vessel wall thickness linked to heart dysfunction in asymptomatic HIV patients

A new study found increased coronary vessel wall thickness that was significantly associated with impaired diastolic function in asymptomatic, middle-aged individuals living with HIV.

4 Apr 2024

Study links pneumonia transmission in seniors to contact with young children

New research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) finds that pneumonia-causing bacteria are common in the over 60s and that contact with pre-school and young school-aged children appears to be the most important factor in the onward transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) to the over 60s.

3 Apr 2024