Disease/Infection News

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Limiting the spread of vaccine-related misinformation in social media

In a year that has seen the largest measles outbreak in the US in more than two decades, the role of social media in giving a platform to unscientific anti-vaccine messages and organizations has become a flashpoint.

14 Nov 2019

First Ebola vaccine prequalified by WHO for use in high-risk countries

The world's first Ebola vaccine has been prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

14 Nov 2019

Caution: blood infections traced to probiotics

Probiotics aren’t harmless, says a new study published on November 7, 2019 in the journal Nature Medicine. In fact, some patients may be put at serious risk by the bacteria in probiotics. Doctors should weigh the risks of probiotics in severely ill or immunocompromised patients before prescribing them, as their benefits may be significantly smaller than the danger in such situations.

13 Nov 2019

Uncovering the secret weapon of rabies viruses

In a new study published in the journal Cell Reports, scientists have discovered the exact site at which the immune system is disabled by the rabies virus, opening the way for a new and highly effective means of rabies prevention. This is a long-awaited discovery and could transform the field of rabies immunization.

13 Nov 2019

New study highlights opportunities to optimize use of PrEP to prevent HIV among sex workers

Preventing HIV in sex workers is a powerful tool in lowering the worldwide burden of the disease, and a new study could help ensure that high-risk women take advantage of medical safeguards.

13 Nov 2019

Researchers take major step towards developing a viable vaccine for malaria

Researchers have narrowed down the malaria proteins and disease-fighting antibodies that could be used to develop a vaccine against the most severe forms of malaria.

13 Nov 2019

Researchers use phage therapy to successfully treat alcoholic liver disease

Researchers have successfully used bacteriophage (phage) therapy to eliminate alcohol-related liver disease in an animal model.

13 Nov 2019

Campaigns promoting sun-protective behaviors seem to be working in the US

Public health programs designed to promote sun-protective behaviors seem to be gaining traction in the United States.

13 Nov 2019

Bacteriophages could treat E. coli without damaging the gut, new study says

Researchers in the US have developed a new therapy that uses a unique bacteriophage to treat E. coli infections.

13 Nov 2019

Scientists move closer towards developing an effective malaria vaccine

Scientists have taken another big step forward towards developing a vaccine that’s effective against the most severe forms of malaria.

13 Nov 2019

Anthrax may soon help more people fight against bladder cancer

Anthrax may soon help more people win the fight against bladder cancer, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says strikes about 72,000 Americans each year and kills about 16,000, and is one of the most expensive cancers to treat.

12 Nov 2019

Study could open new avenues for antibacterial treatments

Scientists have revealed how common respiratory bugs that cause serious infections in people with cystic fibrosis interact together, according to a new study in eLife.

12 Nov 2019

Virginia Tech professor wins $1.85 million NIH grant for sepsis research

One drop of blood contains 5,000 neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell that is deployed by the human immune system. Throughout the entire body, a human has 25 billion of these foot soldiers that are relentlessly patrolling to fight invading pathogens.

12 Nov 2019

New approach may help kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Current treatment regimens for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, are long, complex, and hard for people to sustain. Moreover, the bacteria often develop drug resistance, and many people harbor multi-drug-resistant strains. In 2018 alone, nearly 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis worldwide.

12 Nov 2019

FIRS calls for an end to preventable deaths from pneumonia

In support of World Pneumonia Day, Nov. 12, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, of which the American Thoracic Society is a member, calls for an end to preventable pneumonia deaths, ensuring equitable access to interventions for prevention and control of pneumonia.

12 Nov 2019

Two strains of the same bacterium work together to cause deadly flesh-eating disease

Two different strains of the same flesh-eating bacteria species work in combination to become more dangerous.

12 Nov 2019

A child died from Pneumonia every 39 seconds last year, poorest families most affected

New data has revealed that over 800,000 children died from pneumonia last year and that the poorest of society are most at risk.

12 Nov 2019

Bio–nano interactions help kill deadly microbes

Nanotechnology has been part of the changing world today. Nanoparticles, for instance, can help make materials lighter and stronger. They have been widely used across several industries, such as computers and medical technology.

11 Nov 2019

New way to measure white blood cell function provides prognostic information about patients with sepsis

Caring for a patient with sepsis requires walking a treatment tightrope. Clinicians must identify the pathogen that is causing a patient's infection, carefully monitor the patient's response to antibiotics and supportive measures and race against the clock to prevent potential organ failure and death.

11 Nov 2019

Researchers generate reliable maps for transmission risk of Zika virus

The spread of infectious diseases such as Zika depends on many different factors. Environmental factors play a role, as do socioeconomic factors. Recently, several attempts have be made to predict the transmission risk of the Zika virus at a global and local level, but the spatial and temporal patterns of transmission are still not well understood.

11 Nov 2019