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Scientists warn of rising threat as poultry disease shows signs of jumping to humans

Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis (AIS) is a chronic, underreported poultry disease caused by Brachyspira spp., with rising concern over its zoonotic risk to humans. This review highlights key challenges in diagnosis, antibiotic resistance, transmission, and the urgent need for improved surveillance and new prevention strategies.

23 Jun 2025

Seafood imports linked to spread of colistin resistance

Colistin is a potent, last-resort antibiotic, used only to treat people with dangerous, life-threatening bacterial infections that have developed resistance to other drugs.

22 Jun 2025

Cord blood proteins help detect early sepsis in preterm infants

Scientists from Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues identified several proteins from the umbilical cord blood of preterm newborns that signal acute systemic inflammation as an immune response to infection, providing objective and noninvasive means to diagnose early onset sepsis.

20 Jun 2025

AI reveals how H5N1 virus is evolving to evade human immunity

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has infected birds and mammals around the world. As of June 2025, 70 people have been infected, and 1 person has died in the United States.

20 Jun 2025

Monitoring airborne fungal spores predicts flu and COVID-19 surges

Monitoring fungal spores in the outdoor air can predict surges in flu and COVID-19 infections, especially during the fall, according to a new study.

20 Jun 2025

New dual-adjuvant vaccine strategy offers hope in the fight against HIV

In the quest to develop an effective HIV vaccine, scientists from Scripps Research have made a significant leap forward. They found that a two-part delivery strategy can train the immune system to produce a stronger response to HIV, offering new hope in the fight against one of the world's most elusive viruses.

19 Jun 2025

Popular painkiller use linked to gut microbiome shifts

Researchers identify a new treatment strategy for neuroblastoma

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Lund University in Sweden have identified a new treatment strategy for neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of childhood cancer.

16 Jun 2025

Immune tolerance to gut microbes depends on ancient protein STING

Thousands of bacterial and other microbial species live in the human gut, supporting healthy digestion, immunity, metabolism and other functions.

16 Jun 2025

Lab-grown mini intestines reveal how Shigella infects human gut

Thanks to lab-grown miniature intestines, researchers at Uppsala University have successfully mapped how aggressive Shigella bacteria infect the human gut.

12 Jun 2025

Large cohort study reassures on mRNA vaccine safety for early pregnancies

A large prospective cohort study in Germany found no statistically significant increase in major birth defects following first trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. While slightly higher rates of some anomalies were observed in vaccinated pregnancies, no consistent patterns or causal links emerged.

11 Jun 2025

UC Davis researchers call for global action on antifungal resistance

UC Davis infectious diseases experts George Thompson and Angel Desai are raising the alarm about the role new pesticides can play in building resistance to antifungal medical treatments.

9 Jun 2025

Energy drain from antibiotics spurs bacteria to resist treatment faster

Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage.

9 Jun 2025

European study maps cross border spread of diphtheria among refugees

In 2022, Western Europe experienced the largest surge in reported diphtheria infections in 70 years. Clinical and genomic data from the outbreak point toward transmission routes along established migration pathways into Europe.

6 Jun 2025

Scientists unlock potential of cytokine adjuvants in mRNA vaccines

In the quest to design vaccines that better help the body's immune system fight disease, scientists are always looking for more tools for their arsenal.

6 Jun 2025

New family of antibiotics derived from the body's own proteins

A team of scientists led by the UAB has identified a new type of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in human proteins that are capable of selectively eliminating multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly of the gram-negative type, responsible for serious hospital acquired infections.

4 Jun 2025