Hygiene News and Research

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How do diet, smoking, alcohol, and stress reshape the female microbiome?

This review examines how modifiable lifestyle and environmental factors shape the female vaginal, gut, oral, and skin microbiomes, with diet, alcohol, smoking, obesity, stress, hygiene, physical activity, and sexual behaviours all linked to site-specific microbial shifts. It argues that understanding these patterns could help guide future female-focused prevention and intervention strategies.

30 Mar 2026

Chlorhexidine reduces umbilical cord infections in newborns

A new Cochrane review finds that chlorhexidine likely cuts umbilical cord infection rates by about 29% in low- and middle-income countries, and may reduce newborn deaths.

25 Mar 2026

Snus linked to gum damage but tooth decay risk unclear

Snus is clearly linked to damage to the gums. The connection to tooth decay, however, remains unclear, according to a systematic review. When it comes to white snus, more studies are needed.

23 Mar 2026

Children develop stronger immunity after repeated infections in nursery

Young children who attend nursery get sick more often than those who don't, but they will go on to have fewer illnesses during early school years, finds a new review of evidence by a group of parent-scientists involving University College London (UCL) researchers.

18 Mar 2026

Panic buying spreads through perception, not actual supply shortages

Panic buying doesn't just respond to shortages - it creates them. And according to a University of the Sunshine Coast behavioral scientist, the lessons learned during COVID-19 remain critical for preventing future buying frenzies.

18 Mar 2026

Biodegradable sanitary pads made from water hyacinth pass safety and absorbency tests in new study

Researchers developed a biodegradable sanitary pad using water hyacinth fibers and cotton, transforming an invasive aquatic weed into a sustainable absorbent material. Laboratory tests showed strong fluid absorption, safe pH levels, low microbial contamination, and rapid biodegradation.

17 Mar 2026

Precision mapping identifies household hotspots of schistosomiasis

High-precision mapping tools can pinpoint where schistosomiasis persists down to the household level, potentially transforming efforts to eliminate the disease affecting 250 million people, a 13-year study has found.

16 Mar 2026

Escalating Middle East conflict places severe strain on regional health systems

More than ten days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase.

11 Mar 2026

USAID funding cuts increase financial burden for families with tuberculosis

More than a year after the second Trump administration began dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the global health consequences of this unprecedented loss in international aid continues to surface.

11 Mar 2026

Training game helps nurses spot fungal infections in breastfeeding

This educational game simulates breastfeeding complications, equipping nurses with skills to detect and manage fungal infections in the nipple-areola area.

11 Mar 2026

Low-cost interventions reduce neonatal sepsis from Klebsiella pneumoniae

A new study found that a multifaceted infection prevention and control intervention could at least temporarily thwart outbreaks of infections from the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium, a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and mortality in Africa and South Asia.

10 Mar 2026

More kids are in ERs for tooth pain. Trump cuts and RFK Jr.’s anti-fluoride fight aren’t helping.

Eight-year-old Jonah woke up one May morning with a swollen face and a toothache. He refused the pain medication that his mom, Geneva Reynolds, tried to give him. He didn't sleep or eat and cried constantly.

10 Mar 2026

Adults' exposure to diverse microbes may worsen allergic conditions

The "hygiene hypothesis" suggests exposure to diverse types of microbes may protect against developing diseases caused by allergens, but a new Cornell University study in mice reveals that adults' exposure to diverse microbes and allergens may in fact worsen certain allergic conditions.

6 Mar 2026

Building global standards for antimicrobial policy

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens human, animal, and environmental health globally. An international team from leading institutions, including the University of Edinburgh, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, North Carolina State University, and the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions, identifies fundamental gaps in current mathematical modelling approaches that prevent translation of science into policy, including data limitations, knowledge gaps about AMU-AMR relationships, and the absence of international coordination mechanisms similar to climate change efforts. They call for transdisciplinary collaboration to build integrated modelling architectures.

6 Mar 2026