Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Brazilian researchers reveal bactericidal action mechanism of violacein

In an article published in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases, Brazilian researchers describe the bactericidal action mechanism of violacein, a violet pigment produced by environmental bacteria, especially Chromobacterium violaceum.

26 Apr 2019

Researchers succeed in humanization of mouse antibodies targeting human herpesvirus 6B

A research group led by Professor Yasuko Mori (Division of Clinical Virology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Kobe University) have succeeded in humanization of mouse antibodies that can neutralize the infection caused by human herpesvirus 6B.

26 Apr 2019

Studies verify novel method of HIV transmission among injection drug users and effective prevention

New studies from Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University have found for the first time that HIV can be transmitted through the sharing of equipment used to prepare drugs before injection and that a simple intervention - heating the equipment with a cigarette lighter for 10 seconds - can destroy the HIV virus, preventing that transmission.

26 Apr 2019

Germ-zapping robot helps curb the spread of infectious diseases

A germ-zapping robot called LightStrike from Xenex is used at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) hospitals to help curb the spread of infectious diseases.

26 Apr 2019

New sepsis detector uses photonics to make accurate diagnosis in less than thirty minutes

European scientists have developed a new sepsis detector that uses photonics to produce a while-you-wait diagnosis, from sample to result, in less than thirty minutes.

24 Apr 2019

Newly identified skin-gut communication helps illuminate link between food allergy and eczema

Scratching the skin triggers a series of immune responses culminating in an increased number of activated mast cells--immune cells involved in allergic reactions--in the small intestine, according to research conducted in mice.

24 Apr 2019

Diagnostic stewardship strategy reduces inappropriate testing

Programming a hospital's electronic health record system to provide information on appropriate use of a costly gastrointestinal panel and to block unnecessary orders reduced inappropriate testing by 46 percent and saved up to $168,000 over 15 months, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

24 Apr 2019

Three-antibiotic cocktail eradicates 'persister' Lyme bacteria in mouse model

A new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that a slow-growing variant form of Lyme bacteria caused severe symptoms in a mouse model.

24 Apr 2019

New study provides better understanding on safety of deworming programs

A new study has identified no major differences between the microbiomes of people infected with roundworm or hookworm and uninfected peers.

23 Apr 2019

UVA researchers shed light on why C. difficile infections are so dangerous

A new discovery about dangerous C. difficile diarrhea has identified a new way that the bacteria – and possibly others like it – cause severe disease.

23 Apr 2019

UAB receives $17 million grant to explore immune cells in inaccessible tissues of the human body

University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers will receive $17.8 million in federal funding to attack a key "knowledge gap" in human immunology -- how the B cells and antibody-secreting cells that reside in tissues and organs differ from those found in blood.

23 Apr 2019

Key research takeaways from ECCMID 2019

This article aims to provide a brief overview of the key themes of the 29th ECCMID conference and update readers on current research projects.

From ESCMID 19 Apr 2019

Newly developed model predicts salmonella outbreaks several months in advance

Australia has more salmonella outbreaks than any other country in the world, with the number of cases doubling over the last decade.

19 Apr 2019

Scientists identify rare, paradoxical response to antiretroviral therapy

Antiretroviral therapy is usually very effective at suppressing HIV in the body, allowing a person's immune system to recover by preventing the virus from destroying CD4+ T cells.

19 Apr 2019

Study: Measles outbreaks may become more frequent if vaccination rates continue to decline

In 2000, measles was declared to be eliminated in the United States, when no sustained transmission of the virus was seen in this country for more than 12 months.

19 Apr 2019

New gene therapy cures babies with fatal 'Bubble Boy' disease

A new gene therapy created by US researchers appears to have cured eight infant boys born with a rare genetic disorder referred to as “Bubble Boy” disease.

18 Apr 2019

Researchers identify risk factors for severe infection after knee replacement

In the largest study of its kind, researchers from the Musculoskeletal Research Unit at the University of Bristol have identified the most important risk factors for developing severe infection after knee replacement.

17 Apr 2019

C-Path and CDISC release global Therapeutic Area Standard for HIV research

The Critical Path Institute and CDISC are pleased to announce the release of a global Therapeutic Area Standard that specifies how to structure commonly collected data and outcome measurements in clinical trials for HIV.

17 Apr 2019

Researchers discover new broad-spectrum antibiotic that contains arsenic

Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the biggest public health threats of our time. There is a pressing need for new and novel antibiotics to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide.

16 Apr 2019

Scientists characterize 2017 pneumonic plague outbreak in Madagascar

Plague is an endemic disease in Madagascar. Each year there is a seasonal upsurge between September and April, especially in the Central Highlands, which stand at an elevation of more than 800 m.

16 Apr 2019