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Single foodborne outbreak can have large ramifications for restaurants

A single foodborne outbreak could cost a restaurant millions of dollars in lost revenue, fines, lawsuits, legal fees, insurance premium increases, inspection costs and staff retraining, a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

16 Apr 2018

Overestimation of Ebola virus mutation rates

Scientific evidence at the start of the last major Ebola epidemic in West Africa that suggested the virus would change exceptionally rapidly was probably due to methodological biases.

12 Apr 2018

Researchers get one step closer to creating peptide vaccine against atherosclerosis

In the disease atherosclerosis, cholesterol-containing plaques form in vessel walls, causing arteries to narrow and greatly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

12 Apr 2018

Nearly one billion people to be vaccinated against yellow fever in African countries by 2026

Nearly one billion people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in 27 high-risk African countries by 2026 with support from WHO, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and more than 50 health partners.

12 Apr 2018

Specific small-bowel microbes regulate digestion and absorption of fats, study shows

Although the vast majority of research on the gut microbiome has focused on bacteria in the large intestine, a new study - one of a few to concentrate on microbes in the upper gastrointestinal tract - shows how the typical calorie-dense western diet can induce expansion of microbes that promote the digestion and absorption of high-fat foods.

11 Apr 2018

McMaster researchers develop transparent test patch to signal food contamination

Is that meat still good? Are you sure? McMaster researchers have developed a test to bring certainty to the delicate but critical question of whether meat and other foods are safe to eat or need to be thrown out.

6 Apr 2018

New blood test accurately predicts development of TB two years before onset

A new blood test has been found to more accurately predict the development of tuberculosis up to two years before its onset in people living with someone with active TB, according to research published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, an American Thoracic Society journal.

6 Apr 2018

Germs that are near impossible to kill are on the rise warns CDC

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise and how! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this week (3rd April 2018), released a warning that these bacteria that are near impossible to kill with the available antibiotics are on the rise.

5 Apr 2018

Human genome is like a time machine, says researcher

The human genome is a bit like a time machine, says Ben Voight, an associate professor in Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics and of Genetics in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine.

3 Apr 2018

FDA grants accelerated approval to leukemia drug for patients with MRD-positive ALL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Blincyto (blinatumomab) to treat adults and children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are in remission but still have minimal residual disease (MRD).

30 Mar 2018

Researchers create synthesized nanosheets to inactivate or detect pathogens

Researchers have developed a process for creating ultrathin, self-assembling sheets of synthetic materials that can function like designer flypaper in selectively binding with viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

29 Mar 2018

Phase I clinical trial of HIV vaccines to begin in the U.S.

A Phase I clinical trial testing the safety of vaccines that might have the potential to prevent HIV infection will begin this month at four sites in the United States, marking the latest step in a three-decade quest at UMass Medical School to harness the power of DNA vaccines in addressing a major global health threat.

28 Mar 2018

New test detects Zika antibodies with high specificity

A test that detects antibodies against Zika virus in samples of blood serum with high specificity - and hence a low risk of cross-reaction with related microorganisms such as dengue virus - is set to come on to the Brazilian market before 2018 is out.

28 Mar 2018

Tackling Hand Hygiene Barriers in Healthcare

Hand hygiene is critical to preventing the spread of infection in hospitals. Current methods are outdated, and new technologies are expensive. Zoono's products offer an alternative to alcohol-based hand sanitizers that protect the skin's surface for longer.

28 Mar 2018

Lassa fever epidemic in Nigeria beginning to slow, but concern remains

After nearly 400 confirmed infections and 100 deaths, the spread of Lassa fever in Nigeria is beginning to slow but the epidemic is far from contained, the World Health Organization and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control have warned.

28 Mar 2018

Using machine learning to predict C. difficile infection risk

Researchers have developed a series of machine learning models that can predict a patient’s risk of infection by C. difficile, a gastrointestinal pathogen.

26 Mar 2018

Researchers characterize S. aureus gene involved in virulence and antibiotic resistance

An Institut Pasteur-CNRS research team has characterized a Staphylococcus aureus gene involved in virulence, biofilm formation and resistance to certain antibiotics.

23 Mar 2018

Genetic mutation that may protect people from malaria found to be more common

A genetic mutation that may protect people from malaria, but was thought to be rare, is surprisingly common, suggest the findings of a new study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute.

23 Mar 2018

Foil-based measuring chip rapidly detects Legionella

In an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, finding the exact source as quickly as possible is essential to preventing further infections. To date, a standard analysis takes days. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have now developed a rapid test that achieves the same result in about 35 minutes.

23 Mar 2018