Disease/Infection News

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Coronavirus update: Crucial information about transmission, diagnosis, treatment

The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has spread from China to more than 25 countries, is more difficult to contain than previously thought. The death toll from the infection soars past 565, with more than 28,256 confirmed cases. Scientists from around the globe are racing to determine the mode of transmission and how the virus spreads at such a rapid pace.

6 Feb 2020

Experts advise against using steroids for treatment of coronavirus

Steroids should be avoided in the treatment of the current novel coronavirus, experts have advised.

6 Feb 2020

2019-nCoV: Infectious virus can be isolated from nose, throat swabs of patients with mild symptoms

Laboratory testing by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and Munich Clinic Schwabing has revealed that infectious virus can be isolated from nose and throat swabs even where these have been obtained from patients with mild symptoms.

6 Feb 2020

Novel tool monitors influenza A virus mutations in real time

A Rutgers-led team has developed a tool to monitor influenza A virus mutations in real time, which could help virologists learn how to stop viruses from replicating.

6 Feb 2020

Few tips on how to talk to your child about coronavirus

Disease outbreaks are scary, especially when it's a new virus that's infecting people on a large scale.

6 Feb 2020

GSMA: Updated statement on novel coronavirus

The GSMA continues to monitor and assess the potential impact of the Coronavirus on its MWC20 events held annually in Barcelona, Shanghai and Los Angeles and as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.

5 Feb 2020

Key changes to Adult and Child Immunization schedule for 2020

The new Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and the Adult Immunization Schedule for 2020 are out, just released by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This is an annual event following its yearly revision.

5 Feb 2020

Coronavirus: CT scans of chest could help in early diagnosis

Researchers have managed to radiologically view the novel coronavirus infected individuals, and this could be a step towards early detection of this virus and diagnosis of those infected by it. The study titled, “CT Imaging Features of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV),” was published this week in the journal Radiology.

5 Feb 2020

Coronavirus can’t spread if the patient doesn’t have symptoms, report says

Key information that has been spreading about the mode of transmission of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus or 2019-nCoV is wrong, a new report says.

5 Feb 2020

Spread of coronavirus extends far beyond Wuhan and other quarantined cities

Infectious disease researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and other institutions in Hong Kong, mainland China and France have concluded there is a high probability that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus spread beyond Wuhan and other quarantined cities before Chinese officials were able to put a quarantine in place.

5 Feb 2020

Portable device paves way for better detection of foodborne illness

Foodborne illness hits about one in six people in the United States every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million people in the U.S. get sick due to one or more of 31 recognized pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7, a particularly harsh strain of E. coli.

4 Feb 2020

Hendra antibody trial shows promise in a world-first human clinical trial

The Hendra virus is a potent pathogen transmitted to humans from animals that cause a severe and often fatal illness in both infected horses and humans. Originating from fruit bats, the virus caused an outbreak in Australia in 1994.

4 Feb 2020

Unveiling the structure of the influenza virus

The flu season is coming, and the frigid temperatures make it worse. The influenza B virus is the causative agent of the common flu, but over the past years, it has become more potent in causing disease. Now, a team of MIT scientists has found and unveiled the structure of the virus, particularly the key influenza protein, in the hopes to develop new drugs to combat influenza.

4 Feb 2020

Coronavirus could be dangerous for vulnerable populations, says UGA epidemiologist

Wearing a surgical mask is unlikely to protect healthy people from the novel coronavirus that originated in China, and influenza likely poses a much greater threat to Americans, according to José Cordero, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the University of Georgia's College of Public Health.

4 Feb 2020

Communicating effectively about coronavirus outbreak can be tricky

Communicating effectively during an outbreak can be tricky for government agencies charged with protecting the public, according to Glen Nowak, former director of media relations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and professor of advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

4 Feb 2020

First responders need to take special precautions to protect themselves from coronavirus

Healthcare personnel working on the front lines to contain and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus that originated in China need to take special, yet common, precautions to keep themselves and others safe.

3 Feb 2020

Many older people in Australia are missing out on shingles vaccination

Many older Australians are missing out on the chance to get vaccinated against shingles, according to the latest edition of Australian Prescriber.

3 Feb 2020

Coronavirus could spread explosively, tight control needed

The coronavirus may be taking a higher toll of life than we thought, say scientists, in a new study published on January 30, 2020, in The Lancet. But another startling new study based on mathematical modeling, published in the same journal, predicts that almost 76,000 people may have acquired the infection in Wuhan city, and that multiple epidemics in major connected cities inside and outside China may already be brewing. Yet the death rate is markedly low, in this case.

3 Feb 2020

Simple solution to prevent Salmonella from affecting eggs

Salmonella is a key cause of foodborne gastroenteritis around the world, with most outbreaks linked to eggs, poultry meat, pork, beef, dairy, nuts and fresh produce.

3 Feb 2020

Researchers develop novel therapeutic approach to cure chronic hepatitis B

Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the German Center for Infection Research have developed a novel therapeutic approach to cure chronic hepatitis B.

3 Feb 2020