Disease/Infection News

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Deer can pass tuberculosis to humans, CDC warns

Tuberculosis or TB is a highly contagious infection that usually affects the lungs, but it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the spine and brain. Commonly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can spread through the air from person to person.

30 Sep 2019

WHO begins emergency vaccination campaign to slow measles outbreak in DR Congo

The WHO and government of the DR Congo have begun an emergency vaccination program to stop the spread of measles in the country.

27 Sep 2019

Stem cells lost in freezer malfunction: hospital apologizes and offers full support

Los Angeles hospital has apologized and offered full support after stem cells perish in fridge malfunction.

27 Sep 2019

Pioneering melanoma test to be made available within two years

Scientists have developed a pioneering new test that can more accurately predict whether melanoma, a type of skin cancer, is likely to return.

27 Sep 2019

How tau protein causes brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease

Researches have described a new technique to find out how Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects nerve cells.

27 Sep 2019

Toxin may play key role in promoting transmission of deadly E. coli strains in cattle

Shiga toxin subtype 2a (Stx2a) may play a key role in promoting the colonization and transmission of life-threatening Escherichia coli strains in cattle, according to a study published October 3 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Tom McNeilly of the Moredun Research Institute, David Gally of the University of Edinburgh, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 27 Sep 2019

Study provides new insights on how influenza virus achieves efficient viral RNA replication

New insights on how subunits of the influenza virus polymerase co-evolve to ensure efficient viral RNA replication are provided by a study published October 3 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Nadia Naffakh of the Institut Pasteur, and colleagues. As the authors note, the findings could lead to novel strategies for antiviral drug development.

From PLOS ONE 27 Sep 2019

NIH awards $30 million to accelerate progress in TB vaccine development

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $30 million in first-year funding to establish new centers for immunology research to accelerate progress in tuberculosis vaccine development.

26 Sep 2019

Texas Biomed scientists continue testing therapies and vaccines for Ebola virus

In mid-August 2019, human clinical trials were halted in the current Ebola epidemic that has claimed more than 2,100 lives in Africa.

26 Sep 2019

Prostate cancer risk linked to assisted reproduction techniques

A study published in BMJ has revealed a link between the risk of prostate cancer and men who have become fathers via assisted reproduction techniques.

26 Sep 2019

AI technique helps detect people at risk of heart failure

Researchers have recently used an artificial intelligence (AL) technique to examine how MRI scans can validate how hereditary factors can impact heart function.

26 Sep 2019

Dormant HIV reservoirs could be killed with RNA switch

Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found cellular triggers within the immune cells that could be controlled in order to kill dormant HIV-1 reservoirs in individuals with HIV-1.

25 Sep 2019

$22 million NIH grant helps renew AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource has been renewed with the George Washington University serving as the primary site for the next five years, through a $22 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

25 Sep 2019

Pre-existing mental health or substance abuse issues linked to fewer complications in diabetes

A new study has found that people with mental health or substance abuse disorders who are diagnosed with diabetes may experience less severe health complications.

25 Sep 2019

Molecular changes are linked with adverse events following treatment of lymphatic filariasis

The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis delivers mass drug administration to 500 million people each year, and adverse events are common following treatment. Now, researchers have reported in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases that certain changes in gene expression are associated with these adverse events.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Study: Toxocara roundworm infection is accompanied by complex molecular signaling cascade

Neurotoxocarosis (NT) occurs in humans when larvae of the Toxocara roundworm migrate into the central nervous system. That infection is accompanied by a complex molecular signaling cascade, including changes to anti-inflammatory lipid molecules, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Findings highlight critical importance of mass dog vaccination

The World Health Organization has made it a goal to eliminate human rabies deaths due to dog bites by the year 2030. An increase in dog rabies vaccination rates decreases dog rabies cases, human exposure, and human deaths, researchers now report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

From PLOS ONE 25 Sep 2019

Study: Infectious disease specialists can reduce mortality rate in hospitalized patients

Bloodstream infections caused by the fungus Candida are among the most common and deadly infections in hospitals, with 25,000 such cases seen annually in the U.S. – mostly in people originally hospitalized for other reasons. About 40% to 45% of people with Candida in their blood die of the infection.

25 Sep 2019

Researchers identify key switch that eliminates dormant HIV reservoirs

Using genetic sequencing, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have identified a principal cellular player controlling HIV reproduction in immune cells which, when turned off or deleted, eliminates dormant HIV reservoirs.

24 Sep 2019

Green tea compound shows promise in tackling antibiotic resistance

Green tea has gained immense popularity across the globe, mainly because of its health benefits. Green tea extract has been used for many purposes – for weight loss, improved brain function, enhanced metabolism, and lower risk of some types of cancer, among others.

24 Sep 2019