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UNC researchers receive NIH award to study maternal-fetal transmission of Zika virus

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and collaborators in Nicaragua have been given a five-year, $2.7 million R01 award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health to better understand the epidemiology of Zika virus in pregnancy and the impact the virus has on infant neurodevelopment.

26 Sep 2018

Immunologist to study how Chikungunya causes devastating effects in older adults

Emerging viruses such as Ebola, SARS and swine flu are familiar sounding, yet seemingly distant diseases to many Americans. But that's not the case with Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus that recently struck close to home and has proven deadly for the elderly.

25 Sep 2018

Researchers for the first time crash caged populations of malaria vector mosquito

The team from Imperial College London were able to crash caged populations of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae in only 7-11 generations.

25 Sep 2018

Health care companies' data could enable more accurate flu season forecasts

In an era when for-profit companies collect a wealth of data about us, new research from The University of Texas at Austin shows that data collected by health care companies could -- if made available to researchers and public health agencies -- enable more accurate forecasts of when the next flu season will peak, how long it will last and how many people will get sick.

20 Sep 2018

Zika virus could become a weapon against brain cancer

Zika virus infection is a dreaded one that can lead to severe brain damage in the unborn babies of mothers who get it.

20 Sep 2018

New compound could prevent malaria parasites from maturing inside mosquito

Researchers have identified compounds that could prevent malaria parasites from being able to infect mosquitoes, halting the spread of disease.

18 Sep 2018

New malaria drug starts clinical trials

After decades a new drug against malaria has been developed and first clinical trials of this new investigational drug is soon to begin. Enrolment for the same has already started. This study is to be sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is to take place at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

11 Sep 2018

Scientists receive $2.5 million grant to combat South American-borne deadly disease

A George Mason University researcher is heading a scientific team that has received a sizable Department of Defense grant to combat the threat of a South American-borne disease that can cause long-term neurological problems and even death.

5 Sep 2018

Researchers identify Zika virus proteins with potential to affect brain development

In healthy individuals, the Zika virus causes flu-like symptoms. If a pregnant woman becomes infected, the unborn child can suffer from severe brain abnormalities as a result of mechanisms that have not yet been explained.

4 Sep 2018

New assay using cellphone cameras developed for testing mosquitos, Wolbachia

Wolbachia bacteria are widely studied for possible properties to block transmission of viruses like chikungunya, dengue and zika.

31 Aug 2018

Scientists build model that predicts how temperature affects spread of Ross River virus

Scientists have built a model that predicts how temperature affects the spread of Ross River virus, a common mosquito-borne virus in Australia, according to a report in the journal eLife.

29 Aug 2018

Loss of treated bed nets between campaigns may have greater impact on malaria transmission

A new study published in the Lancet journal EClinicalMedicine suggests that more mosquito nets are likely needed between mass campaigns to keep malaria cases in check.

28 Aug 2018

Researchers gain new insight into how malaria parasites hijack human red blood cells

Researchers at Iowa State University have gained new insight into how the parasitic protozoa that cause malaria hijack human red blood cells, a development with the potential to lead to new ways to treat the disease.

28 Aug 2018

Genome sequences of ape parasites provide insights on origin and early evolution of malaria

The genome sequences of ape parasites related to Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax), the main source of mosquito-borne malaria outside Africa, provide insights on the origin and early evolution of the human parasite.

21 Aug 2018

New class of insect repellents to fight against mosquito-borne diseases

Nearly 700 million people suffer from mosquito-borne diseases - such as malaria, West Nile, Zika and dengue fever - each year, resulting in more than 1 million deaths. Increasingly, many species of mosquitoes have become resistant to the popular pyrethroid-based insecticides.

20 Aug 2018

Female mosquitoes quickly evolve selective mating behavior when faced with threats

Certain female mosquitoes quickly evolve more selective mating behavior when faced with existential threats from other invasive mosquito species, with concurrent changes to certain genetic regions, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

17 Aug 2018

NIH begins first-in-human trial of experimental live, attenuated Zika virus vaccine

Vaccinations have begun in a first-in-human trial of an experimental live, attenuated Zika virus vaccine developed by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

16 Aug 2018

Study uncovers mechanism that affects multiplication of dengue virus lineage

A lineage of type 1 dengue virus found in Brazil is able to prevail over another even though it multiplies less in vector mosquitoes and infected human cells.

15 Aug 2018

Researchers discover new approach to alleviate chronic itch

Two receptors in the spinal cord and the right experimental drug: Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach that suppresses itch.

14 Aug 2018

Genetically modified mosquitoes and special bed nets help tackle deadly diseases

Researchers at the Imperial College’s South Kensington campus have successfully created genetically modified mosquitoes that would stop them from multiplying and spreading dreaded diseases such as malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika that kill millions worldwide annually.

13 Aug 2018