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New method evaluates effectiveness of interventions in mitigating spread of HIV

Using genetic sequencing to understand the evolutionary relationships among pathogens, an international team of researchers - including several from the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at New York University - has developed a new method to determine how effective interventions are against the spread of infectious diseases like HIV.

9 Aug 2018

Study reveals cellular pathway used by Ebola virus to enter cells

A new study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute is shedding light on the role of specific proteins that trigger a mechanism allowing Ebola virus to enter cells to establish replication.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers find faster way to analyze outcome of experimental vaccines

A team at Scripps Research has come up with a faster way to analyze the outcome of experimental vaccines against HIV and other pathogens.

9 Aug 2018

Mandatory vaccinations for children stopped in Italy

The Italian government has removed the necessity for all children to be vaccinated against 10 important infectious diseases before they can join school or day care. This has shocked and angered the medical and scientific community.

7 Aug 2018

Long term effects of Zika virus exposure during pregnancy studied

Zika is a mosquito borne virus that can be dangerous in pregnant women as it can cause severe congenital malformations and damage to the baby. The extent of danger however is not known and a large study followed children who were exposed to this virus during their time within the womb.

7 Aug 2018

Extended-release naltrexone appears to help HIV-positive patients reduce heavy drinking

Extended-release naltrexone -- an injection that decreases heavy drinking in the general population when taken in conjunction with counseling -- appears to help HIV-positive individuals reduce their number of heavy drinking days too, say Yale researchers.

7 Aug 2018

Scientists identify two potential new drug targets for treatment of HIV

Johns Hopkins scientists report they have identified two potential new drug targets for the treatment of HIV. The finding is from results of a small, preliminary study of 19 people infected with both HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - and the hepatitis C virus.

7 Aug 2018

Unique experimental vaccine against Zika virus proves powerful in mice

A uniquely designed experimental vaccine against Zika virus has proven powerful in mice, new research has found.

6 Aug 2018

Scientific knowledge about deadly tsetse fly in Africa

Few animals are more problematic than the tiny African insect known to English speakers as the tsetse fly. This is the carrier of "sleeping sickness," an often deadly neurological illness in humans, as well as a disease that has killed millions of cattle, reshaping the landscape and economy in some parts of the continent.

6 Aug 2018

Researchers examine impact of age and ethnicity on HIV testing

Many barriers prevent people from getting tested for HIV, including lack of knowledge, competing priorities during medical visits, and stigma associated with the test on the part of both the patient and provider.

3 Aug 2018

Exposure to even low air pollution levels linked to changes in heart structure

A new study has shown that people exposed to levels of air pollution that are within UK guidelines undergo changes in the heart similar to heart failure.

3 Aug 2018

Monash researchers identify new mechanism used by Henipaviruses in infection

Henipaviruses are among the deadliest viruses known to man and have no effective treatments. The viruses include Hendra, lethal to humans and horses, and the Nipah virus, a serious threat in East and Southeast Asia.

3 Aug 2018

Researchers discover new mechanism linked to inherited breast, ovarian cancer

Researchers from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester have identified a new mechanism which switches off a gene in families affected by breast and ovarian cancer.

3 Aug 2018

Alcohol increases mortality in young mice infected with tuberculosis-causing bacterium

Alcohol increases the mortality of young but not old mice infected with the tuberculosis-causing bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and this effect is mediated by the production of a protein called interferon-alpha.

3 Aug 2018

Newly FDA-approved procedure for implanting heart pump helps reduce length of hospital stay

Artel Thorpe Sr. of Jackson, Tennessee, recently became the first person in the United States to undergo a new, less invasive surgical technique for implanting a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) heart pump since it was granted Federal Drug Administration approval on July 11.

3 Aug 2018

Hand washing practices need to step up after bugs resistant to hand sanitizers emerge

All healthcare facilities and hospitals need to step up their hand washing techniques as well as use of alcohol based hand sanitizers after reports of emergence of hospital super bacteria that are becoming more tolerant to alcohol.

2 Aug 2018

Condoms should not be reused warns CDC

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has warned the general population against reusing condoms after washing. Their tweet comes after a spark of fear of antibiotic resistant sexually transmitted infections.

2 Aug 2018

Obesity increases viral shedding duration in adults with influenza A

Obesity, which increases influenza disease severity, also extends by about 1.5 days how long influenza A virus is shed from infected adults compared to non-obese adults, according to a multi-year study of two cohorts of Nicaraguan households.

2 Aug 2018

Nalco Water's molecular-based test for Legionella provides much faster results than current methods

Nalco Water, an Ecolab company, has introduced a molecular-based test for Legionella that provides results 14-times faster than current culture testing methods to help building and cooling tower operators manage public health risks from the waterborne pathogen.

2 Aug 2018

Researchers study how herpesviruses contribute to increased oral inflammation

A $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help University of Illinois at Chicago researchers study how herpesviruses, and their underlying molecular mechanisms, contribute to increased inflammation in oral diseases, like periodontitis

2 Aug 2018