Tetanus News and Research

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Tetanus is a severe, frequently fatal disease caused by an exotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that is found in the environment. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, Clostridium tetani enters the body through an open wound, including lacerations, abrasions and puncture wounds. The toxin causes neuromuscular dysfunction, with rigidity and spasms of skeletal muscles. The muscle spasms usually start in the jaw (which is why the disease is sometimes called "lockjaw") and neck and may spread to many other muscles, leading to generalized paralysis.

Novel formulation allows use of toxin from rattlesnake venom to control neuropathic pain

Crotoxin, extracted from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus, has been studied for almost a century for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities and as an even more powerful muscle paralyzer than botulinum toxin.

16 Feb 2020

Developing enhanced personalized cancer vaccines

Therapeutic cancer vaccines were first developed 100 years ago and have remained broadly ineffective to date. Before tangible results can be achieved, two major obstacles must be overcome.

11 Feb 2020

What parents need to know about the HPV vaccine

The vaccine that prevents infection from human papillomavirus (HPV) is nothing short of a medical marvel.

28 Jan 2020

Brown, Insight Therapeutics partnership to accelerate research on flu vaccines for older adults

With support from a three-year $2.1 million agreement with Insight Therapeutics, a private company that focuses on the health care of older adults, a team of Brown University public health researchers will look to identify the most effective flu vaccines for elderly nursing home residents.

14 Dec 2019

People who eat bushmeat may be at risk of contracting life-threatening diseases

People who eat wildebeests, wart hogs and other wild African animals may be at risk for contracting potentially life-threatening diseases, according to an international team of researchers.

2 Dec 2019

Legislation and rising incidence of vaccine preventable diseases – the connection explored

There have been repeated reports of outbreaks of “vaccine-preventable disease” or VPDs across United States over the past few years. A new research letter was published this week in the JAMA Pediatrics. It was titled, “Association of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Incidence With Proposed State Vaccine Exemption Legislation.”

18 Nov 2019

Chest infections cause 1 in 7 child deaths

The number of deaths in children due to lower respiratory infections (LRIs) such as pneumonia and influenza has come down considerably. Yet, they still account for the highest number of deaths in children under 5 years of age, at one in seven of all deaths in this age group, according to a detailed study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

31 Oct 2019

Universal influenza vaccine developed at Cornell is set for human clinical trials

A universal influenza vaccine with the potential to be longer lasting and more effective than commercially available vaccines is destined for human clinical trials, thanks to a $17.9 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

24 Oct 2019

CDC advises vaccination for pregnant women against flu and whooping cough

The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has recommended that all pregnant women should be vaccinated against influenza and whooping cough to provide protection to the baby against these deadly infections during the first few months of their lives. The CDC recommendation released this week Tuesday (8th of October 2019), is that these vaccines against flu and whooping cough are safe for pregnant women and do not affect their unborn babies adversely.

9 Oct 2019

Nanotechnology-based compound used to deliver hepatitis B vaccine

Nanotechnology-based compounds are now being tested as a possible delivery vehicle for vaccines. A team of researchers demonstrated how the oral delivery vehicle SBA-15, one such nanotechnology-based compound can deliver an oral vaccine against hepatitis B to the immune system.

11 Jul 2019

Australia leads the world in childhood immunization coverage

Even as Australia reels under a deadly flu season, some solace may be found in the fact that almost 95% of of five-year-old Australian children are almost completely immunized against deadly childhood diseases, according to the latest report.

8 Jul 2019

Number of fully-immunized Australian kids hits record high

New data for the March quarter in 2019 revealed the immunization rates for all five-year-old children in the country increased to 94.78 percent from the previous record of 94.67 percent in December 2018.

7 Jul 2019

Scientists identify malaria's Achilles' heel

Scientists have finally found malaria's Achilles' heel, a neurotoxin that isn't harmful to any living thing except Anopheles mosquitoes that spread malaria.

29 Jun 2019

Researchers discover new neurotoxin that selectively targets mosquitoes

Researchers at the universities in Stockholm and Lund, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, have found a new toxin that selectively targets mosquitos.

28 Jun 2019

Novel insight could improve vaccines that protect pregnant women and newborns

A team led by Duke Health scientists has identified a cellular process that could lead to the development of safer and more effective vaccines that protect pregnant women as well as their newborns from dangerous infections.

16 Jun 2019

Genetic variations linked with persistence of immunity after routine childhood vaccination

A genome-wide search in thousands of children in the UK and Netherlands has revealed genetic variants associated with differing levels of protective antibodies produced after routine childhood immunizations.

12 Jun 2019

Children up to date on pertussis vaccine schedule have low risk of developing whooping cough

In a large new Kaiser Permanente study, children who were up to date on their pertussis vaccine schedule were far less likely to develop the disease than unvaccinated children.

11 Jun 2019

Tips for staying safe in water during summer

Beaches, lakes, and pools are great ways to beat the summer heat but there are precautions to take before reaching for that swimsuit, report physicians with The University of Texas Health Science at Houston.

24 May 2019

Research aims to keep astronauts healthy in space

Falling ill while traveling is an unfortunate yet common occurrence. Even a minor bug can ruin an entire trip. But for astronauts, getting sick on a long space voyage would have far more serious consequences than a little spoiled fun.

7 May 2019

Developing effective needleless vaccine to protect children from dangerous viruses

Millions of people are infected with hepatitis B every year. Hundreds of thousands die. And small children are particularly at risk.

3 May 2019