Strep Throat News and Research

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Acute inflammation of the structures of the pharynx and tonsils, also known as tonsillopharyngitis, represents a common condition that is usually encountered in outpatients seeking healthcare interventions. Sore throat and fever are the dominant symptoms of this condition which usually follows a benign course that resolves without any antimicrobial treatment.

UQ-led research effort secures almost $8 million to develop an mRNA Strep A vaccine

A University of Queensland-led research effort to develop an mRNA vaccine against Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) has secured almost $8 million in philanthropic funding.

10 Feb 2023

Antibody discovery could explain why so many group A strep vaccines have failed

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered an antibody with the potential to protect against Strep A infection, as well as a rare form of antibody binding, that leads to an effective immune response against bacteria.

12 Dec 2022

Sociability in monkeys associated with higher abundance of beneficial gut bacteria

Social connections are essential for good health and wellbeing in social animals, such as ourselves and other primates. There is also increasing evidence that the gut microbiome – through the so-called 'gut-brain axis' – plays a key role in our physical and mental health and that bacteria can be transmitted socially, for example through touch.

11 Nov 2022

Did COVID-19 mitigation measures in the United Kingdom impact the transmission of other infectious diseases?

Researchers explored the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated non-pharmaceutical prevention measures on the transmission of 22 infectious diseases in England.

25 Oct 2022

Highly sensitive DNA test identifies neuroborreliosis in horses

A Rutgers scientist aiming to help heal a sick horse created an ultra-sensitive DNA test that could have applications for difficult-to-detect illnesses in humans such as Lyme disease.

18 Aug 2022

Eliminating patients' race and ethnicity information is not the right way to address inequitable outcomes

Algorithms designed to guide medical care can contribute to racially inequitable outcomes, but eliminating information about patient race and ethnicity as an input to algorithms is not the right way to address the issue, according to new analysis from the RAND Corporation.

1 Aug 2022

Household overcrowding found to be a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and strep skin

Research led by the University of Otago in New Zealand has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that household overcrowding is a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and streptococcal infections of the skin.

7 Jul 2022

Despite doctors’ concerns, pharmacists get more leeway to offer treatment with testing

When Reyna or Justin Ansley or one of their three kids feels sick and needs to be tested for strep throat or flu, there's a good chance they'll head to their local pharmacy in Hemingford or Alliance, Nebraska. Dave Randolph, the proprietor of both locations of Dave's Pharmacy, can do a rapid test, give them medicine if they need it, and send them on their way.

31 Mar 2022

Stem cell infusion improves the survival of mice with sepsis

A one-time infusion of stem cells from bone marrow improves the survival of mice with sepsis, shows a study published today in eLife.

15 Feb 2022

Oral penicillin may be a safer option for people with high-risk rheumatic heart disease

A growing body of evidence indicates that some people thought to have an allergic response to injectable penicillin, the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease, may instead be experiencing a cardiac reaction to the medicine, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory published today in Journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2022

How rural communities are losing their pharmacies

Batson's Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kansas, still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction.

15 Nov 2021

Penicillin can prevent progression of latent rheumatic heart disease in children

A regular, affordable antibiotic treatment significantly reduced the risk of underlying rheumatic heart disease progression in children and adolescents, according to a new study.

14 Nov 2021

Study finds dramatic decreases in antibiotic dispensing for children during the pandemic

As children made fewer visits to health facilities and engaged in social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation measures, a smaller number of them also received prescription drugs, a new study suggests.

20 Jul 2021

How one rural town without a pharmacy is crowdsourcing to get meds

The building that once housed the last drugstore in this town of fewer than 600 is now a barbecue restaurant, where pit boss Larry Holtman dishes out smoked brisket and pulled pork across the same counter where pharmacists dispensed vital medications more than 30 years ago.

1 Jul 2021

Investment in primary prevention can reduce rheumatic heart disease in the African Union

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major cause of cardiovascular disease in Africa, even as acute rheumatic fever and RHD have become rare in high-income countries.

12 May 2021

New model could help test vaccines against the deadly Strep A bacteria

Researchers have successfully developed a new Strep A human challenge model, paving the way to test vaccines against the common deadly bacteria that causes sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores.

10 May 2021

Telemedicine is a tool — not a replacement for your doctor’s touch

Earlier in the pandemic it was vital to see doctors over platforms like Zoom or FaceTime when in-person appointments posed risks of coronavirus exposure. Insurers were forced — often for the first time — to reimburse for all sorts of virtual medical visits and generally at the same price as in-person consultations.

6 May 2021

What are the chief predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children?

A new study seeks to explore the factors associated with the diagnosis in children. The ability to rapidly diagnose COVID-19 in this age group is essential not only for monitoring progressive disease in individual children, but to avert further transmission chains.

22 Mar 2021

Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways

There's a reason soldiers go through basic training before heading into combat: Without careful instruction, green recruits armed with powerful weapons could be as dangerous to one another as to the enemy.

4 Mar 2021

Researchers identify new weapon to battle the rising tide of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

As scientists around the globe wage war against a novel, deadly virus, one University of Colorado Boulder lab is working on new weapons to battle a different microbial threat: a rising tide of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which, if left unchecked, could kill an estimated 10 million people annually by 2050.

23 Dec 2020