Pathogen News and Research

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Selective antibiotics could make precision treatment possible

With multi-resistant germs becoming more and more of a threat, we are in need of new antibiotics now more than ever.

31 Jul 2019

Preventing parasites from adhering to mosquito guts could stop disease transmission

A group of microorganisms known as kinetoplastids includes the parasites that cause devastating diseases such as African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis.

31 Jul 2019

Extremely drug resistant bacteria spreading through hospitals

A new study found that a common bacterium responsible for chest infections and sepsis in sick people, and which fails to respond to the strongest antibiotics, is spreading through hospital contacts.

30 Jul 2019

Antibiotic-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae spread through hospitals in Europe

New research has found that antibiotic-resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic pathogen that can cause respiratory and bloodstream infections in humans, are spreading through hospitals in Europe.

29 Jul 2019

Organic apples have probiotic properties

A new study shows that eating an apple, core and all, is the equivalent of eating not only fiber, vitamins and, sugars, but also about 100 million bacteria.

29 Jul 2019

Whole-genome sequencing could transform salmonella detection

Salmonella is among the most common organisms responsible for symptomatic and serious food poisoning. Methods to detect this have evolved from crude microscopic identification to serotype detection.

29 Jul 2019

Whole-genome sequencing emerges as a key tool for salmonella detection

The world's food supply will become safer as the food industry shifts to high-resolution, whole-genome sequencing – which examines the full DNA of a given organism all at once. This move to make sequencing ubiquitous will lead to the consistently reliable detection of salmonella.

26 Jul 2019

Researchers explore how HIV spreads in 3D tissue-like environments

The spread of pathogens like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is often studied in a test tube, i.e. in two-dimensional cell cultures, even though it hardly reflects the much more complex conditions in the human body.

25 Jul 2019

E. coli superbug can live in women’s gut without symptoms

Virulent and multi-drug resistant strains of Escherichia coli can thrive in women’s gut even without any symptoms, a new study found.

23 Jul 2019

Mosquitoes change their hunting routines in response to host cues

Scientists have found that mosquitoes are changing their hunting routines in response to host cues. For example, in Africa, mosquitoes now recognize when people emerge from bednets in the morning and have begun hunting more often during the day than at night.

23 Jul 2019

New organic molecule could become potent weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistance

An organic molecule composed of simple sugars could become a potent weapon in the fight against rising antibiotic resistance, according to EU-funded researchers who have developed a novel, targeted drug-delivery technique to treat deadly tuberculosis and other lethal pathogens.

21 Jul 2019

Fear, trust, likelihood of exposure influence people’s willingness to be vaccinated

Fear, trust, and the likelihood of exposure are three leading factors that influence whether people are willing to be vaccinated against a virulent disease, according to a new study in the journal Heliyon, published by Elsevier.

19 Jul 2019

Dermal tattoo biosensors for detecting metabolites and blood pH change

The art of tattooing may have found a diagnostic twist. A team of scientists in Germany have developed permanent dermal sensors that can be applied as artistic tattoos.

18 Jul 2019

Study identifies genomic differences that impact response to Cryptococcus infection

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that infects people with weakened immune systems, particularly those with advanced HIV/AIDS. New University of Minnesota Medical Research could mean a better understanding of this infection and potentially better treatments for patients.

16 Jul 2019

Study analyzes high capacity of A. baumannii to persist on various surfaces

A group in the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology at the UPV/EHU has conducted an in-depth study into the capacity to survive of the Acinetobacter baumannii bacterium as well as the strategies it uses to survive.

16 Jul 2019

New study uncovers 3D structure of toxin responsible for C. diff infection

A new study, led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, uncovers the long-sought-after, three-dimensional structure of a toxin primarily responsible for devastating Clostridium difficile infection.

16 Jul 2019

LexaGene’s beta prototype achieves 98.2% consistency with reference lab data

LexaGene Holdings, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops genetic analyzers for rapid pathogen detection and other molecular markers, announced today the test results from its first beta prototype placed at the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn, MA. Mass Vet is one of 24 hospitals owned and operated by Ethos Veterinary Health.

15 Jul 2019

Australian seagulls carry superbugs

In a surprising observation, a team of Australian scientists found that one in five silver gulls in Australia harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could cause a wave of serious human infections. This comes against a background of increasing alarm over the emergence of antibiotic resistance in many common bacterial species.

11 Jul 2019

UMD researchers connect a protein to antibody immunity for the first time

Human cytomegalovirus may not be a household name as far as viruses go, but according to Xiaoping Zhu, professor and chair in Veterinary Medicine at UMD, half of the population walking around campus is likely to be a carrier.

10 Jul 2019

UCR scientists decode genome of black-eyed peas

UC Riverside scientists have decoded the genome of black-eyed peas, offering hope for feeding Earth's expanding population, especially as the climate changes.

10 Jul 2019