Infectious Diseases News and Research

RSS

Researchers develop novel vaccine strategy to protect against Chikungunya virus

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted through mosquitoes and causes fever and joint pain that can sometimes become severe and disabling. Outbreaks of the virus have already occurred in Africa, Asia, and Europe, and in late 2013, the virus was first seen in the Americas with the number of cases dramatically increased. No vaccine to prevent or treat this virus currently exists.

2 Apr 2016

Seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination during pregnancy may guard against stillbirth

Seasonal influenza vaccination may guard against stillbirth, a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online suggests. Researchers in Western Australia analyzed data from nearly 60,000 births that occurred during the southern hemisphere's 2012 and 2013 seasonal influenza epidemics, and found that women who received the trivalent influenza vaccine during pregnancy were 51 percent less likely to experience a stillbirth than unvaccinated mothers.

2 Apr 2016

NTU researchers make breakthrough to tackle growing concern of antibiotic resistance

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have discovered that antibiotics can continue to be effective if bacteria's cell-to-cell communication and ability to latch on to each other are disrupted.

2 Apr 2016

Novel method uses light-activated nanodrug to help fight antibiotic-resistant infections

A research team led by University of Arkansas chemist Jingyi Chen and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences microbiologist Mark Smeltzer has developed an alternative therapeutic approach to fighting antibiotic-resistant infections.

2 Apr 2016

GHIT Fund invests in two innovative malaria eradication tools

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) announced today that it’s investing US$1,383,785 in a pair of innovative malaria eradication tools—a vaccine that could block transmission of two species of the deadly disease and a rapid field test that can reveal a malaria infection in minutes.

1 Apr 2016

Purdue University-led researchers determine structure of Zika virus

A team led by Purdue University researchers is the first to determine the structure of the Zika virus, which reveals insights critical to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines.

1 Apr 2016

Health inequities become a persistent challenge as world’s urban population continues to grow

New data on the health of city-dwellers in almost 100 countries show that as the world’s urban population continues to grow, health inequities - especially between the richest and poorest urban populations - are a persistent challenge, according to a report by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

31 Mar 2016

Abstracts on colistin resistance and migrant health part of 300 late-breaker sessions for ECCMID 2016

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID) – an organization that explores risks, knowledge sharing and best practices in the fight against infectious disease – has received more than 300 late-breaker abstract submissions for its annual congress, ECCMID 2016 in Amsterdam.

31 Mar 2016

Zika threat to Olympics attendees? An interview with Prof. Eskild Petersen

The risk in terms of the Olympics, especially for travelling populations remains low – with the notable exception of pregnant women.

31 Mar 2016

Fecal transplants transfer bacterial viruses that appear to be harmless to humans

Communities of viruses can be transferred during fecal transplants, according to a study published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Fortunately for patients who use this procedure, the viruses found to be transmitted in this study appear to be harmless to humans.

30 Mar 2016

UC Riverside researchers identify immune protein that protects the body from infections

Researchers in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside have identified an immune protein in mice that is quickly triggered in the body following infection and serves to protect the body's tissues. Called "RELMalpha," this protein, whose homologue in humans is called "resistin," is responsible more for protecting the body than attacking the parasite.

30 Mar 2016

Patients with multiple mild TBIs most likely to have saccadic eye movement impairment

Mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) could be linked to eye movement impairment, even beyond the acute stage of injury, according to researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

30 Mar 2016

Automated sample-to-answer system could make EVD diagnosis easier

An automated "sample-to-answer" system could provide Ebola virus disease (EVD) diagnosis more quickly and easily than the current standard test, according to research published this week in PLOS Medicine.

30 Mar 2016

UGA and Sanofi Pasteur researchers develop new H1N1 influenza vaccine

Researchers at the University of Georgia and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today the development of a vaccine that protects against multiple strains of both seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza in mouse models.

30 Mar 2016

Failure to complete antibiotics could lead to additional treatment for existing skin infection

In the first study of its kind, researchers found patients with S. aureus skin and soft tissue infections took, on average, just 57% of their prescribed antibiotic doses after leaving the hospital, resulting in nearly half of them getting a new infection or needing additional treatment for the existing skin infection.

29 Mar 2016

Scientists identify two enzymes that appear to play role in metabolism, inflammation

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has discovered two enzymes that appear to play a role in metabolism and inflammation—and might someday be targeted with drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and inflammatory disorders.

29 Mar 2016

UT Southwestern scientists discover mutation that causes X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered a mutation that causes a rare systemic disorder known as X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (XLPDR) and, significantly, the unexpected cellular mechanism by which the mutation causes the disease.

29 Mar 2016

SLU scientist describes several tactics that can help cells overcome lesions

In a recent review paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, SLU scientist Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., describes the strategies cells use when their DNA faces replication stress, challenges that may derail a cell's ability to reproduce.

29 Mar 2016

UCI researchers get $8 million to help develop new vaccine for Q fever

A University of California, Irvine scientific team led by infectious diseases researchers Philip Felgner and Aaron Esser-Kahn has received $8 million from the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency to help develop a new vaccine for Q fever.

29 Mar 2016

Engineered HIV vaccine protein may prevent HIV infection

Some people infected with HIV naturally produce antibodies that effectively neutralize many strains of the rapidly mutating virus, and scientists are working to develop a vaccine capable of inducing such "broadly neutralizing" antibodies that can prevent HIV infection.

28 Mar 2016

Infectious Diseases News and Research

Researchers develop novel vaccine strategy to protect against Chikungunya virus

Seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination during pregnancy may guard against stillbirth

NTU researchers make breakthrough to tackle growing concern of antibiotic resistance

Novel method uses light-activated nanodrug to help fight antibiotic-resistant infections

GHIT Fund invests in two innovative malaria eradication tools

Purdue University-led researchers determine structure of Zika virus

Health inequities become a persistent challenge as world’s urban population continues to grow

Abstracts on colistin resistance and migrant health part of 300 late-breaker sessions for ECCMID 2016

Zika threat to Olympics attendees? An interview with Prof. Eskild Petersen

Fecal transplants transfer bacterial viruses that appear to be harmless to humans

UC Riverside researchers identify immune protein that protects the body from infections

Patients with multiple mild TBIs most likely to have saccadic eye movement impairment

Automated sample-to-answer system could make EVD diagnosis easier

UGA and Sanofi Pasteur researchers develop new H1N1 influenza vaccine

Failure to complete antibiotics could lead to additional treatment for existing skin infection

Scientists identify two enzymes that appear to play role in metabolism, inflammation

UT Southwestern scientists discover mutation that causes X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder

SLU scientist describes several tactics that can help cells overcome lesions

UCI researchers get $8 million to help develop new vaccine for Q fever

Engineered HIV vaccine protein may prevent HIV infection

Industry Focus: Infectious Diseases eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

Latest News