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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

Cases of acute flaccid myelitis on the rise say federal health officials

The cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) – a polio like debilitating illness affecting children is still on the rise announced the health officials from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this Monday (5th November 2018).

5 Nov 2018

New 3D 'organ on a chip' could be used to develop new treatments for disease

Researchers have developed a three-dimensional 'organ on a chip' which enables real-time continuous monitoring of cells, and could be used to develop new treatments for disease while reducing the number of animals used in research.

26 Oct 2018

Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis on the rise across U.S.

According to the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), cases of dangerous and rare Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) are being noted across United States. This disease manifests similar to acute flaccid paralysis caused by polio virus say the experts. There is at present no treatment for this condition that primarily affects children and leads to paralysis of the limbs.

18 Oct 2018

Mysterious polio-like illness baffles medical experts while frightening parents

A spike in the number of children with a rare neurological disease that causes polio-like symptoms has health officials across the country scrambling to understand the illness. Yet, more than four years after health officials first recorded the most recent uptick in cases, much about the national outbreak remains a mystery.

17 Oct 2018

The feds’ termination of a tiny contract inflames bitter fight over fetal tissue

Federal health officials announced late last month they had terminated their contract with a company that supplies human fetal tissue for medical research and were checking that similar contracts, as well as studies conducted with that tissue, comply with federal law.

8 Oct 2018

Vaccine schedule is a must-have on child’s back-to-school checklist

With the start of the school year just around the corner, it is easy to overlook one of the most important things on any back-to-school checklist - making sure your child is vaccinated. Vaccinations protect children from serious diseases, ultimately protecting families, schools and communities by way of safe and effective immunizations.

1 Aug 2018

Polio virus could help brain cancer patients

According to researchers genetically altered poliovirus strains could help some patients of brain cancer. A team of researchers from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, used modified polio virus strains in small groups of patients who had glioblastoma – a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. In these patients standard treatments have failed say the researchers and this novel therapy could help.

27 Jun 2018

Polio returns to Papua New Guinea

A polio outbreak, the first in 18 years, has been reported by the health officials in Papua New Guinea (PNG). One case of the viral infection was confirmed in the Lufa Mountain settlement in Lae city which is the second largest city in PNG.

26 Jun 2018

Researchers craft mathematical model to understand how cancer evolves

The concept of survival of the fittest most often applies to the competition that occurs within and between animal species, but evolutionary pressures can be found elsewhere--even in a cancerous tumor.

30 May 2018

Researchers lab-test molecule that may combat common cold virus

Researchers have lab-tested a molecule that can combat the common cold virus by preventing it from hijacking human cells.

15 May 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

Mystery 'disease X' warnings from WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about a mysterious disease X that is caused by a virus and can cause a worldwide pandemic in the near future. WHO has come up with a list of diseases that can cause an outbreak or epidemic among the general population, mainly because of the lack of resources for fighting them.

12 Mar 2018

Targeted vaccination can be successful in containing epidemic outbreaks

Amidst growing concerns over the low uptake of flu shots in Europe, scientists from the Italian National Research Council and the Joint Research Centre, the European Commission's sciuence and knowledge service, confirm that vaccinations remain the best way forward when it comes to stopping the spread of infectious diseases.

23 Feb 2018

IU scientists take important step to fight against hepatitis B with 'virus-cracking' molecules

Indiana University researchers have made an important step forward in the design of drugs that fight the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver failure and liver cancer.

7 Feb 2018

Viral replication process weak spot may help develop cure for infections

Researchers at the Morgridge Institute for Research believe they have identified a weak spot in the replication process of positive-strand RNA viruses, which could yield treatment for viral infections such as Zika, Polio, Chikungunya, Hepatitis C and even common cold viruses.

29 Jan 2018

Polio labs equipped to tackle neglected tropical diseases

Researchers from LSTM have investigated the possibility of utilizing the Polio network of 145 labs set up around the world to help tackle neglected tropical diseases which impact on the lives of about a billion of people.

27 Jan 2018

Scientists discover promising new target to fight a class of viruses

Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research have discovered a promising new target to fight a class of viruses responsible for health threats such as Zika, polio, dengue, SARS and hepatitis C.

25 Jan 2018

Researchers identify virus as likely cause of mystery polio-like paralysis

A major review by UNSW Sydney medical researchers has identified strong evidence that a virus called Enterovirus D68 is the cause of a mystery polio-like illness that has paralysed children in the US, Canada and Europe.

22 Jan 2018

Reminders can improve immunization rates

Rates of immunization against infectious diseases in children and adults are improving, but under-vaccination remains a problem that results in vaccine-preventable deaths and illnesses. In Europe, 11,316 cases of measles were reported during 2012, and an estimated four to 50 million symptomatic cases of flu occur each year.

19 Jan 2018