Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Vaginal seeding may be risky say experts

A new trend has emerged among mothers who have just given birth by caesarean sections. IT is called “vaginal seeding”. This is a process by which a baby born normally (via the vaginal canal) would be exposed to certain microorganisms present in the mother’s vagina canal.

23 Aug 2017

USC scientist finds new approach to prevent HIV infection

Medical treatment that targets human proteins rather than ever-mutating viruses may one day help HIV-positive people whose bodies have built a resistance to "cocktails" currently used to keep them healthy, according to a Keck School of Medicine of USC researcher.

23 Aug 2017

NIH scientists develop laboratory model to study tickborne flaviviruses

National Institutes of Health scientists have filled a research gap by developing a laboratory model to study ticks that transmit flaviviruses, such as Powassan virus. Powassan virus was implicated in the death of a New York man earlier this year.

22 Aug 2017

Breast milk protective against bacterial infections

A new study has found that the complex mixture of sugars, proteins and fats in mother’s milk possesses certain properties that can protect babies against bacterial infections like Streptococci too. Researchers from Vanderbilt University looked at the antibacterial properties of breast milk and found that the sugars in it have antibacterial properties and also work to enhance the antibacterial properties of the proteins in breast milk.

21 Aug 2017

Researchers discover potential way to trigger regeneration, repair of damaged heart cells

New research has discovered a potential means to trigger damaged heart cells to self-heal. The discovery could lead to groundbreaking forms of treatment for heart diseases.

21 Aug 2017

Stable vaccines using microscopic crystals from cypovirus

Scientists at Cell Guidance Systems, Cambridge University and Imperial College are exploiting microscopic crystals, made by a cypovirus, to produce stable vaccines for diseases that mostly affect the world's poorest people.

From Cell Guidance Systems 21 Aug 2017

Sugars in mother's milk exhibit antibacterial properties

Mother's milk, which consists of a complex and continually changing blend of proteins, fats and sugars, helps protect babies against bacterial infections.

21 Aug 2017

Antibiotic use makes immune cells less effective in fighting infections

Adding another reason for doctors to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, new research shows that a reduction in the variety of microbes in the gut interferes with the immune system's ability to fight off disease.

17 Aug 2017

Researchers identify role of blood-filtering organs in fighting against viral infections

New information about how and where the innate immune system fights off viral infections that enter through the skin could lead to better treatments for viruses like Zika, dengue and measles, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

17 Aug 2017

Researchers investigate how previous exposure to West Nile virus affects Zika infection

West Nile virus is no stranger to the U.S.-Mexico border; thousands of people in the region have contracted the mosquito-borne virus in the past. But could this previous exposure affect how intensely Zika sickens someone now?

17 Aug 2017

Understanding the rise in NTM infections

It is important to keep in mind that nontuberculous mycobacteria are environmental, and so unlike mycobacterial tuberculosis, generally this is not a person to person transmitted disease. The organisms are found universally in water and soil and so most people are exposed on a daily basis.

16 Aug 2017

FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for multiplex Zika test

The Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the CII-ArboViroPlex rRT-PCR Test, the first multiplex assay that simultaneously tests for the presence of Zika virus, all serotypes of dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and West Nile virus, as well as a host gene that ensures the accuracy of results.

14 Aug 2017

Newly discovered immunodeficiency can make people seriously ill from chickenpox virus

A mutation in one of the sensors that the immune system uses to detect viruses can, in rare cases, turn infections with the chickenpox virus into a life-threatening matter.

11 Aug 2017

Duke researchers map evolution of sex chromosomes in fungus linked to human disease

Biologically speaking, nearly every species on Earth has two opposite sexes, male and female. But with some fungi and other microbes, sex can be a lot more complicated.

11 Aug 2017

Study shows that gene outside the brain controls ability to rebound from sleep deprivation

UCLA scientists report the first evidence that a gene outside the brain controls the ability to rebound from sleep deprivation -- a surprising discovery that could eventually lead to greatly improved treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders that do not involve getting a drug into the brain.

11 Aug 2017

Fred Hutch aims to prevent and find cures for cancers caused by infectious agents

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is launching a new integrated research center to prevent and find cures for cancers caused by infectious agents.

10 Aug 2017

Researchers develop rapid test for Zika virus diagnosis

Washington University in St. Louis researchers have developed a test that quickly detects the presence of Zika virus in blood.

10 Aug 2017

Study shows sustained impact and effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine program

Following the introduction of routine childhood vaccination against rotavirus, a common cause of diarrheal illness, more than 380,000 children avoided hospitalization for diarrhea from 2008 to 2013 in the U.S., thus saving an estimated $1.2 billion in direct medical costs.

10 Aug 2017

Cholera vaccines provide substantial protection for adults but less effective for children, review shows

A new review of the research literature led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that cholera vaccines provide substantial protection for adults but provide significantly less protection for children under age 5, a population particularly at risk for dying from this diarrheal disease.

9 Aug 2017

ASU Biodesign researchers develop more potent, safer plant-based Zika vaccine

The worldwide Zika threat first emerged in 2015, infecting millions as it swept across the Americas. It struck great fear in pregnant women, as babies born with severe brain birth defects quickly overburdened hospitals and public health care systems.

9 Aug 2017

Infectious Diseases News and Research

Vaginal seeding may be risky say experts

USC scientist finds new approach to prevent HIV infection

NIH scientists develop laboratory model to study tickborne flaviviruses

Breast milk protective against bacterial infections

Researchers discover potential way to trigger regeneration, repair of damaged heart cells

Stable vaccines using microscopic crystals from cypovirus

Sugars in mother's milk exhibit antibacterial properties

Antibiotic use makes immune cells less effective in fighting infections

Researchers identify role of blood-filtering organs in fighting against viral infections

Researchers investigate how previous exposure to West Nile virus affects Zika infection

Understanding the rise in NTM infections

FDA issues Emergency Use Authorization for multiplex Zika test

Newly discovered immunodeficiency can make people seriously ill from chickenpox virus

Duke researchers map evolution of sex chromosomes in fungus linked to human disease

Study shows that gene outside the brain controls ability to rebound from sleep deprivation

Fred Hutch aims to prevent and find cures for cancers caused by infectious agents

Researchers develop rapid test for Zika virus diagnosis

Study shows sustained impact and effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine program

Cholera vaccines provide substantial protection for adults but less effective for children, review shows

ASU Biodesign researchers develop more potent, safer plant-based Zika vaccine

eBook: Advancing infectious disease vaccine development eBook

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

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