Plague News and Research

RSS

New smell technology may open doors for medical diagnostics

Although smell has historically played an important role in the fight against diseases such as the plague and tuberculosis, the human nose is generally not sensitive enough to be used as a reliable diagnostic tool.

21 Oct 2024

WHO confirms elimination of trachoma in South Asia

The world moved closer to eliminating trachoma this month after the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed India and Pakistan as being free of the disease, a leading cause of blindness.

16 Oct 2024

UVA research reveals nervous system's role in C. difficile infections

The portion of our nervous systems responsible for the "fight or flight" response can shape the severity of potentially deadly C. difficile infections, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals.

10 Oct 2024

COVID-19 increases chronic fatigue risk

Study reveals that COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of chronic fatigue syndrome, with specific populations, such as older adults, Asians, and non-hospitalized patients, at higher risk.

7 Oct 2024

Arthritis medications could reverse COVID lung damage

Arthritis drugs already available for prescription have the potential to halt lingering lung problems that can last months or years after COVID-19 infections, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Cedars-Sinai suggests.

6 Sep 2024

New approach to treat post-COVID symptoms

In a world still grappling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of international researchers has proposed a novel approach to treating the persistent symptoms that plague many survivors of viral infections. The study, published on 30 August 2024 in Brain Medicine (ISSN: 2997-2639, Genomic Press, New York), outlines a multimodal treatment strategy that could offer hope to millions suffering from post-acute infectious syndromes (PAIS), including the condition commonly known as Long COVID.

4 Sep 2024

State COVID-19 vaccine mandates increased vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in 2021

Researchers investigated the relationship between state COVID-19 vaccination mandates for healthcare workers and vaccination rates among them.

19 Aug 2024

Public insurance recipients less likely to receive diabetes and obesity drug, study reveals

A new USC study suggests that publicly insured individuals who are most likely to benefit from new drugs for diabetes and obesity are less likely to get them than those with private insurance.

2 Aug 2024

World-famous wall drug isn’t immune from challenges facing rural pharmacies

Stacey Schulz parks in a rear lot to avoid the crowded Main Street entrances to her local pharmacy.

24 Jul 2024

Enzymatic RNA synthesis paves the way for sustainable therapeutics

While the COVID-19 vaccines introduced many people to RNA-based medicines, RNA oligonucleotides have already been on the market for years to treat diseases like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and amyloidosis.

12 Jul 2024

Human fleas found to be a culprit in plague outbreaks

The plague might be most commonly associated with the devastating European pandemic of the 1300s known as the "Black Death".

21 Jun 2024

Experts: US hospitals prone to cyberattacks like one that hurt patient care at Ascension

In the wake of a debilitating cyberattack against one of the nation's largest health care systems, Marvin Ruckle, a nurse at an Ascension hospital in Wichita, Kansas, said he had a frightening experience: He nearly gave a baby "the wrong dose of narcotic" because of confusing paperwork.

20 Jun 2024

Discovery of Ptr gene revolutionizes understanding of plant immunity against fungal infections

Blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is a veritable plague in agriculture. In addition to devastating rice crops – the staple food of 60% of the world's population – it began attacking wheat in the 1980s, across a growing area of distribution and with a serious risk of emergence in Europe.

5 Jun 2024

Study finds human body lice can transmit plague bacteria

Researchers adapted a strain of human body lice to study their infection dynamics with Yersinia pestis, finding that lice can become infected and transmit the plague bacterium.

26 May 2024

Human body lice more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis than previously thought

A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they may have contributed to past pandemics.

21 May 2024

Medicaid unwinding deals blow to tenuous system of care for Native Americans

About a year into the process of redetermining Medicaid eligibility after the covid-19 public health emergency, more than 20 million people have been kicked off the joint federal-state program for low-income families.

20 May 2024

Doctors strike could cripple Kenya's health system

Kenya's public health sector is at risk of a collapse as a countrywide doctors' strike stretches into the second month with no solution in sight, warns the national doctors' union.

7 May 2024

UCLA researchers develop promising vaccine against deadly melioidosis bacterium

In a mouse study, UCLA researchers tested a vaccine against the bacterium that causes melioidosis and found it was highly protective against the disease, which is endemic in many tropical areas, causing approximately 165,000 cases with 89,000 fatalities around the world each year.

22 Mar 2024

T1-spanin breakthrough offers new hope against antibiotic resistance

Given the worldwide prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria, the research fraternity is on the lookout for alternative bactericidal treatment approaches.

12 Mar 2024

Aging's double trouble: Frailty and social isolation deepen health risks

Study shows frailty and social vulnerability increase with age and are linked to higher mortality and functional decline, emphasizing the need for dual-targeted interventions in older adults.

6 Mar 2024