Infectious Diseases News and Research

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VNI cures both acute and chronic forms of Chagas disease

Chagas disease, a deadly tropical infection caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by biting insects called "kissing bugs," has begun to spread around the world, including the U.S. Yet current treatment is toxic and limited to the acute stage.

15 Feb 2013

New progestogen-only treatment effective in stopping acute abnormal uterine bleeding

New research from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) found a progestogen-only treatment halted bleeding in women suffering from extremely heavy periods, according to the study published online by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

15 Feb 2013

New research focuses on rapid identification of disease outbreaks

EcoHealth Alliance, the nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, announced new research focused on the rapid identification of disease outbreaks in the peer reviewed publication, Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

15 Feb 2013

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

TB is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nearly 9 million people develop TB every year, and TB kills nearly 1.4 million individuals each year. While the incidence of TB has steadily declined in the west, it remains a huge public health problem in many developing countries, with India having the highest burden.

15 Feb 2013

Crowded emergency department has psychologic impact

The likelihood for patients with acute coronary syndromes developing post-traumatic stress disorder rises with emergency department crowding, research suggests.

14 Feb 2013

Xpert diagnosis of TB and its drug resistant strains

The use of a novel, diagnostic test called Xpert is both sensitive and specific in detecting tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance, report US researchers.

14 Feb 2013

Endovascular stroke therapy disappoints in head-to-head studies

Three randomized trials published in The New England Journal of Medicine have failed to prove that endovascular therapy results in better clinical outcomes than standard medical therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

14 Feb 2013

Researchers ESTABLISH efficacy of tedizolid phosphate for skin infections

Results from the phase III ESTABLISH-1 study show that the new antibiotic tedizolid phosphate is noninferior to linezolid for the treatment of acute bacterial and skin structure infections.

14 Feb 2013

Blocking C5a protein prevents low birth weight in babies born to pregnant women with malaria

An international team of tropical medicine researchers have discovered a potential method for preventing low birth weight in babies born to pregnant women who are exposed to malaria. Low birth weight is the leading cause of infant death globally.

14 Feb 2013

Canada-US-Italian research team develops nature-inspired cocaine biosensor

Since the beginning of time, living organisms have developed ingenious mechanisms to monitor their environment. As part of an international study, a team of researchers has adapted some of these natural mechanisms to detect specific molecules such as cocaine more accurately and quickly. Their work may greatly facilitate the rapid screening-less than five minutes-of many drugs, infectious diseases, and cancers.

14 Feb 2013

The Atlantic examines 'paradigm shift' in global health response

"The world has an 'historic opportunity' to contain and end three of humanity's deadliest scourges by focusing on their 'hot zones,' according to Mark Dybul, the newly appointed director of the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria," the Atlantic reports in an article examining a "paradigm shift" in the global health response.

14 Feb 2013

GSK1322322 targets gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant strains of MRSA

An increasing number of bacteria is evolving antibiotic resistance. Much-feared representatives of this steadily growing group include Staphylococci strains. At this point, multi-resistant forms of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus - the "hospital germ" known commonly by its acronym, MRSA - can only be treated with a select subset of antibiotics as many drugs have simply stopped working. This is precisely why the field of medicine is in desperate need of new treatment options.

14 Feb 2013

Study finds human MPV as second most common cause of severe bronchiolitis in young children

New Vanderbilt-led research published in the Feb. 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has identified the relatively unknown human metapneumovirus (MPV) as the second most common cause of severe bronchiolitis in young children.

14 Feb 2013

U.S. News examines growing threat of drug-resistant TB

U.S. News & World Report examines the growing epidemic of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), highlighting a "new paper published earlier this week in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal warn[ing] that the first cases of 'totally drug-resistant' tuberculosis have been found in South Africa and that the disease is 'virtually untreatable."

13 Feb 2013

Bedside baths and bloodstream infections in children: an interview with Aaron Milstone

Bedside baths in the hospital are nothing new. They are typically done for patient comfort and to maintain basic personal hygiene.

13 Feb 2013

New centre to boost development of drugs against TB, malaria and African sleeping sickness

A major new centre to boost the development of drugs to tackle the foremost diseases of the developing world is to be created at the University of Dundee.

13 Feb 2013

Big Pharma looks to Africa for next growth market as economies strengthen, disease burden shifts

"Not only is Africa's economic growth grabbing attention in boardrooms but the shifting nature of its disease burden is luring Big Pharma, as new opportunities open up for treating chronic diseases afflicting the middle classes, rather than just fire-fighting infection," Reuters reports.

13 Feb 2013

Tips for safe displays of affection during Valentine's Day

Say "I love you" with flowers, chocolates or a greeting card, but be careful when you kiss this Valentine's Day.

13 Feb 2013

Researchers describe novel antiviral property of cholesterol-25-hydroxylase

A team of UCLA-led researchers has identified a protein with broad virus-fighting properties that potentially could be used as a weapon against deadly human pathogenic viruses such as HIV, Ebola, Rift Valley Fever, Nipah and others designated "priority pathogens" for national biosecurity purposes by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

13 Feb 2013

Chagas disease costs $7B annually worldwide, according to study

Chagas disease, transmitted by a bloodsucking insect that bites the face and lips, "costs the world about $7 billion annually, says an analysis just published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases," NPR's "Shots" blog reports.

12 Feb 2013

Infectious Diseases News and Research

VNI cures both acute and chronic forms of Chagas disease

New progestogen-only treatment effective in stopping acute abnormal uterine bleeding

New research focuses on rapid identification of disease outbreaks

Improving tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis: an interview with Professor Madhukar Pai, MD, PhD

Crowded emergency department has psychologic impact

Xpert diagnosis of TB and its drug resistant strains

Endovascular stroke therapy disappoints in head-to-head studies

Researchers ESTABLISH efficacy of tedizolid phosphate for skin infections

Blocking C5a protein prevents low birth weight in babies born to pregnant women with malaria

Canada-US-Italian research team develops nature-inspired cocaine biosensor

The Atlantic examines 'paradigm shift' in global health response

GSK1322322 targets gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant strains of MRSA

Study finds human MPV as second most common cause of severe bronchiolitis in young children

U.S. News examines growing threat of drug-resistant TB

Bedside baths and bloodstream infections in children: an interview with Aaron Milstone

New centre to boost development of drugs against TB, malaria and African sleeping sickness

Big Pharma looks to Africa for next growth market as economies strengthen, disease burden shifts

Tips for safe displays of affection during Valentine's Day

Researchers describe novel antiviral property of cholesterol-25-hydroxylase

Chagas disease costs $7B annually worldwide, according to study

NGS for Infectious Disease Surveillance eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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