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Two common antibiotic treatments equally effective against MRSA skin infections

Researchers funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, have found that two common antibiotic treatments work equally well against bacterial skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) acquired outside of hospital settings.

20 Mar 2015

New method of testing deadly pathogen could help combat cystic fibrosis

A new method of testing the most common cause of life-threatening infection in people with cystic fibrosis could improve efforts to study and combat the illness.

18 Mar 2015

Understanding strengths and weaknesses of hepatitis C viruses

Using a specially selected library of different hepatitis C viruses, a team of researchers led by Johns Hopkins scientists has identified tiny differences in the pathogens' outer shell proteins that underpin their resistance to antibodies.

12 Mar 2015

Researchers take images of tiny molecular machine that bacteria use to infect host cells

Armed with a microscope capable of zooming in on organisms measured in billionths of a meter, scientists report they are the first to observe one of the tiny molecular machines that bacteria use to infect host cells. Findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

10 Mar 2015

USF researchers uncover how malaria-related parasites spread at explosive rates

A University of South Florida College of Public Health professor and his team of researchers have become the first to uncover part of the mysterious process by which malaria-related parasites spread at explosive and deadly rates inside humans and other animals.

5 Mar 2015

Researchers find new retrovirus 'fossil' in vampire bats

Scientists discovered a new retrovirus "fossil" found in the common vampire bat which is homologous to retroviruses in rodents and primates. The results suggest the recent circulation of an active infectious retrovirus and cross-species transmission.

4 Mar 2015

Study reveals causes of community-acquired pneumonia in children

With the chill of winter comes a spike in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), which spreads more easily as people retreat indoors and come into close contact. The lung infection triggers persistent coughing, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing, and is particularly hard on the very young and the very old. In fact, pneumonia is the leading cause of hospitalization among U.S. children, with estimated medical costs of $1 billion annually.

26 Feb 2015

MRIGlobal awarded contract to develop Sample-to-Sequence system for diagnosis of infectious diseases

MRIGlobal today announced that it has been awarded a $14.8 million contract to develop an end-to-end next generation sequencing system for clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases.

23 Feb 2015

Researchers explore influence of host organisms on bacterial metabolism

Monika Ehling-Schulz's group from the Institute of Microbiology, together with Mathias Müller's group at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics studied the influence of host organisms on bacterial metabolism. The researchers infected three different lineages of mice with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The mouse strains showed significant differences in their response to the infection and in the severity of the clinical symptoms.

23 Feb 2015

Ready to reconstitute BPW adds convenient option to support high throughput Salmonella testing in chocolate production

The discovery of Salmonella in one batch of a particular chocolate product, which prompted a recent recall, is a reminder of the importance of this pathogen in confectionery products.

20 Feb 2015

IDRI Announces $4M BARDA Cooperative Agreement To Establish Adjuvant Hub

The international outbreak of Ebola in 2014 serves as a reminder for the need to be proactive in preparing for the rapid spread of any newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease. IDRI today announces it has received $4 million in funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop an adjuvant manufacturing hub with both preclinical and clinical expertise to facilitate pandemic influenza preparedness in developing countries.

19 Feb 2015

Weill Cornell receives NIH grant to study TB-causing bacteria

In an effort to stop tuberculosis (TB) from becoming progressively less treatable worldwide, the National Institutes of Health has awarded Weill Cornell Medical College more than $6.2 million in first-year funding to support a research collaboration among six institutions in close alliance with voluntary pharmaceutical partners.

19 Feb 2015

Researchers report first evidence of Seoul hantavirus in wild rats in the Netherlands

In a paper just published in the peer reviewed journal Infection, Ecology & Epidemiology, researchers report discovering the first evidence of Seoul hantavirus (SEOV) in the wild rat population in the Netherlands. The discovery comes on the heels of similar ones in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom in recent years, and has some researchers concerned about the potential spread of the virus to humans.

16 Feb 2015

Climate change causes emergence of more infectious diseases

The appearance of infectious diseases in new places and new hosts, such as West Nile virus and Ebola, is a predictable result of climate change, says a noted zoologist affiliated with the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

16 Feb 2015

New antibody shows promise in increasing survival for patients suffering from influenza, pneumonia

Scientists from NTU Singapore, the world's No. 1 young university, have developed an antibody which boosts the survival chances for patients suffering from influenza and pneumonia.

14 Feb 2015

Great Basin Scientific begins clinical trial for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli diagnostic test

Great Basin Scientific, Inc., today announced it has initiated a clinical trial for its Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) diagnostic test.

13 Feb 2015

SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics designated as FAO Reference Centre for bioinformatics

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has appointed SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics as the FAO Reference Centre for bioinformatics.

12 Feb 2015

Oral pathogen protects different tumor cells from being killed by immune cells

Bacteria that are commonly found in the mouth are often abundant in patients with colon cancer, but the potential role these microbes play in tumor development has not been clear. A study published by Cell Press February 18th in the journal Immunity reveals that the oral pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum protects a variety of tumor cells from being killed by immune cells.

12 Feb 2015

Standard cleaning procedures in retail delis may not eradicate Listeria pathogen, study shows

Purdue University research shows that standard cleaning procedures in retail delis may not eradicate Listeria monocytogenes bacteria, which can cause a potentially fatal disease in people with vulnerable immune systems.

11 Feb 2015

Experimental Ebola virus medication shows promise in monkeys

An experimental medication that targets a protein in Ebola virus called VP24 protected 75% of a group of monkeys that were studied from Ebola virus infection, according to new research conducted by the U.S. Army, in collaboration with Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

10 Feb 2015