Infectious Diseases News and Research

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IDSA guidelines: Review by ID physician improves outcomes for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy

Before patients receive intravenous antimicrobial infusion therapy outside of the hospital - whether at home, a doctor's office or a skilled nursing facility - an infectious diseases specialist should review the order to ensure the most appropriate treatment, suggest updated guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

14 Nov 2018

NIH researchers shed light on causes of HBV-associated acute liver failure

National Institutes of Health scientists and their collaborators found that hepatitis B virus-associated acute liver failure--a rare condition that can turn fatal within days without liver transplantation--results from an uncommon encounter between a highly mutated HBV variant and an unusual immune response in the patient's liver that is mainly sustained by antibody-producing B cells.

14 Nov 2018

Survey: Majority of Americans are concerned about health threat posed by antibiotic resistance

Nearly two thirds of Americans (65%) say antibiotic resistance is a public health problem and a strong majority (81%) say they are concerned that antibiotic resistance will make more infections difficult or impossible to treat and even deadly, according to a national public opinion survey commissioned by Research!America in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Society of America.

13 Nov 2018

First bifacial molecule can invade double-stranded DNA or RNA

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a synthetic molecule that can recognize and bind to double-stranded DNA or RNA under normal physiological conditions. The molecule could provide a new platform for developing methods for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic conditions.

13 Nov 2018

Breakthrough research reveals how deadly pneumococcus avoids immune defenses

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered a new and important function of a toxin produced by disease-causing bacteria that could have significant implications for future vaccine design.

12 Nov 2018

Experts develop a list of competencies in antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship

Experts from across Europe have developed a set of competencies in antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship, using a structured consensus procedure.

12 Nov 2018

All infectious diseases likely to be seasonal

A new study has suggested that all infectious diseases are driven by seasonal elements, based on an analysis of 69 infectious diseases.

9 Nov 2018

New single-dose antibiotic effectively treats uncomplicated gonorrhea infections

A phase 2 clinical trial led by Stephanie N. Taylor, MD, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology in the Section of Infectious Diseases at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has found that a new antibiotic effectively treats uncomplicated urogenital and rectal gonorrhea infections in a single oral dose.

9 Nov 2018

Scientists move closer to gonorrhea vaccine after large-scale proteomic study

In a study of proteins historic in its scope, researchers at Oregon State University have pushed closer both to a vaccine for gonorrhea and toward understanding why the bacteria that cause the disease are so good at fending off antimicrobial drugs.

8 Nov 2018

Small molecules designed to inhibit activity of enzymes in infectious diseases

A multidisciplinary study by the Computer Biochemistry Research Group of the Universitat Jaume I from Castellón, Spain, in collaboration with groups from universities from Canada and the United Kingdom, have designed small molecules that are able to bond with and inhibit the activity of enzymes in infectious diseases.

8 Nov 2018

One type of Chlamydia protein manipulates human cells in two different ways

When Chlamydia trachomatis, the bacterium that causes one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, infects a human cell, it hijacks parts of the host to build protective layers around itself.

8 Nov 2018

Oral antibiotic shows promise to cure uncomplicated gonorrhea

An investigational oral antibiotic called zoliflodacin was well-tolerated and successfully cured most cases of uncomplicated gonorrhea when tested in a Phase 2 multicenter clinical trial, according to findings published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Nov 2018

At-risk healthcare workers being vaccinated against Ebola in Uganda

Healthcare workers in Uganda have begun vaccinating high risk health workers against the deadly viral infection Ebola this week. This is the first time that a vaccination drive has begun before the actual outbreak.

7 Nov 2018

HIV-2 is more pathogenic than previously demonstrated, finds study

A study published in The Lancet HIV shows that HIV-2 is more pathogenic than previously demonstrated. The new findings indicate that early treatment should be applied to all patients with HIV, not only to those with HIV-1.

7 Nov 2018

ECDC study estimates burden of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria

An ECDC study estimates the burden of five types of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria of public health concern in the European Union and in the European Economic Area.

6 Nov 2018

TGen and City of Hope announce letter of intent to develop new cell therapy manufacturing facility

City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer research and treatment center, and its affiliate, Translational Genomics Research Institute, have announced a letter of intent to develop a state-of-the-art cell therapy manufacturing facility in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, a move that would improve the speed at which stem cell research and cancer treatment is delivered.

5 Nov 2018

TGen, City of Hope to develop cell therapy manufacturing facility in Phoenix

City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer research and treatment center, and its affiliate, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), have announced a letter of intent to develop a state-of-the-art cell therapy manufacturing facility in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, a move that would improve the speed at which stem cell research and cancer treatment is delivered.

2 Nov 2018

Measles can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems

Last year, a 26-year-old man receiving treatment for leukemia went to a Swiss hospital's emergency room with a fever, a sore throat, and a cough, and was admitted. His condition worsened, and 17 days later, he died from severe complications of measles.

1 Nov 2018

New study to evaluate human immune system's response to influenza

The key to lasting protection against influenza may be in your bones. The cells that naturally protect you against illness originate and live in your bone marrow - and that is one spot where scientists will be looking to understand the human immune system's response to influenza in a groundbreaking new study led by the Human Vaccines Project.

1 Nov 2018

Researchers cross-reference historical divergence of Aedes aegypti populations

The BioScience Talks podcast features discussions of topical issues related to the biological sciences. Mosquito-borne diseases have plagued humanity for centuries, and a prolific offender has been Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the "yellow fever mosquito."

1 Nov 2018