Infectious Diseases News and Research

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First exposure to influenza virus dictates our lifelong ability to fight flu

Were you born in an H1N1 year or an H3N2 year? The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study from a team of infectious disease researchers at McMaster University and Université de Montréal.

30 Jan 2020

State-purchased insurance plans improve HIV outcomes, save healthcare costs

Health insurance purchased by state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs for people living with HIV in states that did not expand Medicaid are improving outcomes and have the potential to save millions in healthcare costs, a new study suggests.

30 Jan 2020

Research uncovers how HIV develops resistance to key drugs

The mechanism behind how HIV can develop resistance to a widely-prescribed group of drugs has been uncovered by new research from the Crick and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, with the findings opening the door to the development of more effective treatments.

30 Jan 2020

Wuhan coronavirus is genetically different from human SARS, MERS-CoV, study found

The Wuhan coronavirus or the 2019-nCoV or novel coronavirus is a new human-infecting coronavirus genetically different from human SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), a team of scientists has found.

30 Jan 2020

CSIRO begins key research on novel coronavirus

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has commenced key research in the rapid global response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

From CSIRO 30 Jan 2020

Study may help develop ibrutinib-based combination therapies for blood cancer

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common form of blood cancer (leukemia) in the Western world, affecting approximately 1.2% of all cancer patients.

30 Jan 2020

Global funding for neglected disease research reaches a record high

For the first time, global funding for neglected disease R&D grew for three consecutive years, reaching a record high of more than US$4.05 billion in 2018.

30 Jan 2020

UMSOM experts call for influenza vaccinations to prevent outbreaks in U.S. border detention centers

Over the past year, at least seven children have died from diseases including influenza while being detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection agency. Infectious disease experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine called for protections like influenza vaccinations to prevent serious outbreaks.

30 Jan 2020

Buck study uncovers how astrocyte senescence promotes neurodegeneration

Although a link has been established between chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases, there have been many open questions regarding how cellular senescence, a process whereby cells that stop dividing under stress spew out a mix of inflammatory proteins, affects these pathologies.

29 Jan 2020

Past trauma exposure, depression associated with suicide ideation in deployed soldiers

Lifetime history of exposure to a traumatic event and self-reported lifetime and current depression are predictive of recent suicide ideation in deployed soldiers, according to a new JAMA Network Open study published January 29, 2020.

29 Jan 2020

One-quarter of hospitalized children are prescribed antibiotics incorrectly

The overuse of antibiotics poses an increasing threat to children who develop -- or already have -- drug-resistant infections that are difficult or impossible to treat, and can cause extended hospitalization, disability and even death.

29 Jan 2020

FDA issues stern warning to Purell hand sanitizer maker

The U.S. Food and Drug Administrator has issued a strict warning to Purell-maker GOJO Industries, which claims it hand sanitizers can kill pathogens that cause illness in as little as 15 seconds.

29 Jan 2020

BCG vaccine formulations vary widely in their characteristics, study shows

Each year, more than 100 million newborns around the world receive vaccinations against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or TB, which infects about one-quarter of the world's population.

28 Jan 2020

Coronavirus spreads - Australian breakthrough

Novel coronavirus, temporarily named “2019-nCoV”, has affected over 4,600 persons across the world and is spreading at a rapid pace say experts. The World Health Organization and other health organizations have stepped up vigilance to detect and isolate the infection to contain outbreaks.

28 Jan 2020

Response to nation’s 1st coronavirus case draws on lessons from measles outbreak

When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019.

28 Jan 2020

An old plant virus inspires the design of novel second-generation malaria vaccine

Scientists from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have demonstrated that a novel, second-generation malaria vaccine candidate based on the tobacco mosaic virus may offer protection against Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the upcoming issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

27 Jan 2020

Key insights on how to prevent novel coronavirus

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a new respiratory virus that was first identified in Wuhan, China.

27 Jan 2020

Clinical trial to test safety, effectiveness of mAb against malaria in healthy volunteers

A Phase 1 clinical trial testing the safety and effectiveness of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against malaria has begun enrolling healthy adult volunteers at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The trial, sponsored by NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is the first to test mAb CIS43LS in humans. It aims to enroll up to 73 volunteers aged 18 through 50 years old who have never had malaria.

27 Jan 2020

NIAID officials describe steps to control coronavirus that recently originated in China

The new cluster of viral pneumonia cases originating in Wuhan, China, marks the third time in 20 years that a member of the large family of coronaviruses (CoVs) has jumped from animals to humans and sparked an outbreak.

24 Jan 2020

Routine Zika vaccination could help prevent suffering and save money

Global climate change has raised concerns that mosquito-borne diseases could become increasingly prevalent in the United States as warmer temperatures lead to increased mosquito activity.

23 Jan 2020