Hemorrhagic Fever News and Research

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Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of viruses. In general, the term "viral hemorrhagic fever" is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem in that multiple organ systems in the body are affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged, and the body's ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding); however, the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening. While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many of these viruses cause severe, life-threatening disease.

New vaccine shows effective protection in animal models of Lassa fever

Lassa fever belongs to the same class of hemorrhagic fevers as Ebola. Like Ebola, it has been a major health threat in Western Africa, infecting 100,000-300,000 people and killing 5,000 per year.

11 Oct 2018

DNA vaccine shown to provide long-term protection from Ebola

A synthetic DNA vaccine has been shown to provide complete and enduring protection from Ebola virus in preclinical studies.

11 Oct 2018

New research projects aim to stop spread of African swine fever and prevent outbreak in the U.S.

African swine fever virus threatens to devastate the swine industry and is positioned to spread throughout Asia. The virus has spread throughout the Caucuses region of Eastern Europe and was reported in China in August. It recently was detected in wild boar in Belgium.

10 Oct 2018

New approach to vaccine development and improved surveillance could help target deadly diseases

Scientists hope that a new approach to vaccine development, combined with improved surveillance of potential future threats of outbreak, could help to massively reduce the impact of deadly diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and Lassa fever.

26 Sep 2018

New polyclonal immunotherapy successfully neutralizes Ebola virus

SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that its anti-Ebola immunotherapy (SAB-139) provided "100% protection against a lethal dose of the Ebola virus" in a recent animal study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

15 Aug 2018

Ebola outbreak in Congo spreads to active combat zone

The outbreak of the deadly Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread outside the province of North Kivu according to a statement made by the country’s health ministry yesterday. With this the viral infection has reached an active conflict zone and this may mean that it could spread wider now.

14 Aug 2018

One-two punch of powerful antibodies may be best way to stop Ebola virus

A one-two punch of powerful antibodies may be the best way to stop Ebola virus, reports an international team of scientists in the journal Cell.

10 Aug 2018

Researchers describe strategy used by Oropouche virus to replicate in human cells

The strategy used by the Oropouche virus to replicate in human cells has been described for the first time by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and international collaborators in an article published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.

31 Jul 2018

Researchers decipher key component behind rising epidemic of pathogens in West Africa

A research team from several institutions being led by the University of California San Diego has deciphered a key component behind a rising epidemic of pathogens that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently added to its list of critical emerging diseases.

13 Jul 2018

Researches identify genetic material from Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus in ticks

In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University and other institutions have identified genetic material from the recently identified Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus in the tick species Hyalomma rufipes. The discovery was made after thousands of ticks were collected from migratory birds captured in the Mediterranean basin. The results indicate that birds could contribute to spreading the virus to new geographical areas.

4 Jun 2018

Congo to start vaccinating populations against Ebola today to combat outbreak

Congo is facing a new Ebola outbreak and the health officials have announced that starting today, (Monday 21st May 2018), response teams would begin administering an experimental Ebola vaccine in Mbandaka.

21 May 2018

Ebola outbreak spreads to Congo city of 1 million

There has been a confirmed case of Ebola in the Mbandaka city of Congo that has a population of 1.2 million. This is the first urban case in the latest outbreak and is being considered to be one of the most serious ones in recent times. The last major outbreaks have affected people across West Africa between 2014 and 2016.

18 May 2018

Study: Antibodies against hemorrhagic fever disarm two viruses of same family

Hemorrhagic fever viruses, so named for their ability to induce massive, and at times fatal, internal bleeding, captured the world's attention during the Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016 in West Africa.

15 May 2018

Ticks and mosquitoes a “growing health problem” says CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a new report warning people about the myriad of diseases that are transmitted via bites of blood-sucking insects such as ticks, mosquitoes and fleas calling it a “growing health problem” in the United States.

2 May 2018

Researchers develop new animal model to study Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease spread by ticks in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Infection with CCHF virus is fatal in nearly one of every three cases.

9 Apr 2018

Scientists identify early markers of infection in nonhuman primates exposed to Ebola virus

Scientists have identified potential biomarkers in nonhuman primates exposed to Ebola virus (EBOV) that appeared up to four days before the onset of fever, according to research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

28 Mar 2018

Lassa fever strikes in Nigeria - high rates of fatality with no cure and no vaccine

Nigeria has been affected with an outbreak of the deadly Lassa fever since the start of this year. This disease typically has a high rate of fatality, no known cure and no vaccines have been developed against it yet. This is an unprecedented outbreak of this disease that is spreading faster than before. It is infecting more individuals than health workers can handle with their limited resources, say official sources.

5 Mar 2018

BGN Technologies collaborates with Biosensorix to develop new cost-effective diagnostic kit

BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, announced today its collaboration with Biosensorix, a Singapore-based company in the field of medical diagnostics, to develop next-generation, quantitative, point-of-care diagnostics based on research conducted at Ben-Gurion University.

27 Feb 2018

Genetic variants make Asians and Europeans more prone to severe dengue

As globalization and climate change spread tropical infectious diseases around the globe, not all populations have the same degree of susceptibility.

23 Feb 2018

T cell-inducing dengue vaccines could confer broader protection for kids born to vaccinated mothers

For a long time, a dengue vaccine was the holy grail in dengue research. Now that a dengue vaccine is finally on the market (Sanofi's Dengvaxia), other issues have arisen, such as what happens in the babies of vaccinated mothers.

22 Dec 2017