Infectious Diseases News and Research

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Researchers discover new JE virus transmission route

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus causes serious inflammation of the brain in people and fertility problems in pigs. Mosquitoes were previously the only known transmission route. However, the virus can also be spread from pig to pig by direct contact, and this could enable it to circulate in pigs during the mosquito-free winter season.

24 Feb 2016

Single dose of zoledronic acid can inhibit bone loss in HIV-infected patients

A single dose of the drug zoledronic acid was found to inhibit the bone loss that is common in HIV-infected patients and that is increased during the first two years of treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART).

24 Feb 2016

Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital jointly release country's first rapid test for Zika virus

Collaboration between two Texas Medical Center institutions has resulted in today's release of the country's first hospital-based rapid tests for the Zika virus.

23 Feb 2016

ARV drug atazanavir may have significant effects on infant development

The antiretroviral (ARV) drug atazanavir—sometimes included in treatments to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission during pregnancy—may have small but significant effects on infant development, reports a study in the journal AIDS, official journal of the International AIDS Society.

23 Feb 2016

Researchers examine socio-ecology, climate responses of Zika virus transmission

Zika: The virus has emerged as a major public health threat that's rapidly spreading through South and Central America and the Caribbean.

22 Feb 2016

Newly developed intravital microscopy system proves safe for use in humans

A team of Roswell Park Cancer Institute researchers has developed and evaluated the first intravital microscopy system shown to be safe for use in humans. Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists report that their proprietary technology enabled them, for the first time ever, to visualize tumor blood vessels in real time.

22 Feb 2016

Excessive growth of bacteria in small intestine could lead to stunting in young children

Excessive growth of bacteria in the small intestine could be damaging the guts of young children, leading to stunting, scientists from the U.S. and Bangladesh have discovered.

22 Feb 2016

Calgary researchers develop new class of nanomedicines to treat autoimmune diseases

A new study from the University of Calgary could change the way researchers understand and treat autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

22 Feb 2016

Researchers identify new group of powerful Ebola-fighting antibodies

A research team that included scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has identified a new group of powerful antibodies to fight Ebola virus.

22 Feb 2016

New visiongain report on Zika virus

What can be expected as the Zika outbreak progresses? Which areas are going to be the most affected? This visiongain report discusses the future direction of the Zika virus outbreak and the implications of its spread. It also discussed the infectious disease diagnostics market and the global human vaccines market, both of which are forecast to 2026.

22 Feb 2016

Zika virus can cross the placental barrier, according to new study

A study of pregnant women in Brazil has confirmed the presence of Zika virus in the amniotic fluid of two women who had displayed Zika-like symptoms during their pregnancies.

18 Feb 2016

Specialised white blood cell in birds can destroy fatal fungal infection

Scientists have discovered that a specialised white blood cell found in birds can destroy a potentially fatal fungal infection which affects more than one million people every year.

18 Feb 2016

Virginia Tech experts explore new strategy to eradicate harmful viruses

With the outbreak of viruses like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue on the rise, public health officials are desperate to stop transmission.

18 Feb 2016

Discovery could lead to more effective vaccines, personalised therapies for TB

Tuberculosis (TB) used to kill one in seven people around the world before the advent of antibiotics. However the increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant TB means that doctors are running out of options in trying to combat this bacterium.

18 Feb 2016

Allo-HSCT Non-Relapse Related Mortality Reduction Revealed

A reduction in the risks of infection- and organ failure-related death has driven an improvement in non-relapse mortality among recipients of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Japanese research suggests.

17 Feb 2016

Study reveals another clue to workings of trachoma

Another clue to the workings of trachoma - the world's leading infectious cause of blindness - has been revealed in a new study published in BMC Infectious Diseases. Researchers identified markers of genetic regulation present in the early stages of infection that could predispose children to developing the condition in its long-term, severe form.

17 Feb 2016

WRAIR begins Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate MERS vaccine candidate

The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research began vaccinations today in a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immune response of a vaccine candidate to prevent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

17 Feb 2016

Atlas io system allows infectious diseases to be detected in less than 30 minutes

University of Bath spin-out biotechnology company Atlas Genetics has won approval from the EU to sell a device that detects the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.

17 Feb 2016

Anti-biofilm compounds show promise against drug-resistant bacteria associated with hospital-acquired infections

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute and School of Public Health have discovered a new class of anti-biofilm compounds derived from marine microorganisms that show promise against a drug-resistant bacterium commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections.

16 Feb 2016

Study: Delirium, muscle weakness and other neurological complications of sepsis poorly understood

Delirium, muscle weakness and other neurological complications of sepsis often are overlooked and poorly understood, according to a study published in the journal Current Neurology and Neurosciences Reports.

16 Feb 2016