Disease/Infection News

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Researchers develop computer model to reveal how antibiotic-resistant microbes develop and spread

Researchers from the Scientific Research Institute of Physical-Chemical Medicine, MIPT, the company M&S Decisions and the research department of Yandex have built a computer model of the interaction between different bacteria, and between bacteria and the gut wall.

5 May 2016

Researchers highlight how BSI infecting pathogens become more resilient

A recently published special issue of Virulence, "Bloodstream Infections", focuses on the resilience of bloodstream infections (BSI) and is endorsed by the European Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

5 May 2016

Antiviral therapies equal survival rate of HCV-related cirrhosis patients with general population

The survival rate of patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis who respond well to antiviral therapies equals that of the general population, say investigators in the Journal of Hepatology.

5 May 2016

Finding treatments for rare diseases: an interview with Dr Richard Thompson

It is estimated that around 400 rare diseases have licenced treatments, and a large proportion of these are a consequence of orphan drug legislation, which has helped to incentivise the production of drugs for small patient populations.

4 May 2016

Candida yeast infections more common in men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

In a study prompted in part by suggestions from people with mental illness, Johns Hopkins researchers found that a history of Candida yeast infections was more common in a group of men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder than in those without these disorders, and that women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who tested positive for Candida performed worse on a standard memory test than women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who had no evidence of past infection.

4 May 2016

Study evaluates effects of corticosteroids along with anti-tuberculosis drugs in tuberculous meningitis

The Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group have carried out a review update to evaluate the effects of corticosteroids being used alongside anti-tuberculosis medication to treat people suffering from tuberculous meningitis.

4 May 2016

Unfolding story of Zika virus in the Americas

Health Systems & Reform presents the article "Zika Virus and Health Systems in Brazil: From Unknown to a Menace," a commentary by Professor Marcia C. Castro, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, on the Zika Virus epidemic in Brazil and the Americas.

4 May 2016

Scientists identify novel way of synthesising promising new antibiotic

A novel way of synthesising a promising new antibiotic has been identified by scientists at the University of Bristol. By expressing the genes involved in the production of pleuromutilin in a different type of fungus, the researchers were able to increase production by more than 2,000 per cent.

4 May 2016

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

A study has found that a syringe-like device used to invade intestinal cells also acts as a traffic cop -- directing bacteria where to go and thereby enabling them to efficiently carry out infection.

4 May 2016

Ebola vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

"The results for tolerability, safety, and the immune response to the vaccine candidate are very promising," explains Prof Marylyn Addo. The antibodies which developed against the virus were still detectable after six months. Addo is convinced, "With this, a single vaccine could provide lasting protection against Ebola." The infectious disease specialist, who works for the German Center for Infection Research at the University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf in Hamburg, led the trial in Hamburg.

4 May 2016

New HIV infections and transmission rate in the U.S. drop, but fall short of NHAS goals

The number of new HIV infections and the transmission rate in the United States dropped by 11 and 17 percent, respectively, between 2010 and 2015, but fell short of the goals put forth by President Obama's U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reported this week in the journal AIDS and Behavior.

4 May 2016

Hepatitis B virus screening for Asian American adults can help prevent onset of liver diseases

A community-based hepatitis B virus screening effort led by UC Davis researchers found that targeted outreach to Asian American populations can identify groups at high risk for infection and direct them to appropriate follow-up care to help prevent the onset of liver diseases, including cancer.

3 May 2016

Study identifies shortfall in uptake of influenza, pneumococcal vaccination among RA patients

Research from The University of Manchester has found a shortfall in the uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations among those diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), potentially increasing their infection risk.

3 May 2016

New project explores role of mosquitoes in transmission of pathogens in Austria

In the wake of climate change and globalisation, non-indigenous mosquito species establish in Europe together with the pathogens they transmit. A project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF is currently investigating mosquito species found in Austria and their role in the transmission of pathogens.

3 May 2016

UGA researcher works to advance effective treatment for infectious mononucleosis

The University of Georgia's Mark Ebell wasn't impressed with research on infectious mononucleosis when he wrote his first published review on it back in the 1990s. He still isn't—a subject he discusses in the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 May 2016

Antibiotic treatment may allow bad bugs to flourish

Antibiotics are essential for fighting bacterial infection, but, paradoxically, they can also make the body more prone to infection and diarrhea.

3 May 2016

Study on Zika exposure among HIV-infected patients in Ghana

What many may not know is that the Zika virus is a distant cousin of hepatitis C, a blood borne-virus that attacks the liver and often co-infects HIV patients.

2 May 2016

Early exposure to pathogens may play pivotal role in immune system development

Exposure to pathogens early in life is beneficial to the education and development of the human immune system.

30 Apr 2016

Small doses of cancer drug may be potential treatment for sepsis and other pandemics

Results from laboratory experiments and mouse studies suggest that small doses of drugs from a specific class of approved cancer medications called topoisomerase 1 (top1) inhibitors may protect against the overwhelming immune response to infection that sometimes leads to sepsis, a bacterial condition that kills as many as 500,000 people in the United States each year.

30 Apr 2016

Promising method may help identify new antimicrobials to target CRE infection

In recent years, hospitals have reported dramatic increases in the number of cases of the highly contagious, difficult-to-treat, and often deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Now, investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have developed a promising method of identifying new antimicrobials that target these organisms. The research is published in April issue of the journal ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies.

30 Apr 2016

Disease/Infection News

Researchers develop computer model to reveal how antibiotic-resistant microbes develop and spread

Researchers highlight how BSI infecting pathogens become more resilient

Antiviral therapies equal survival rate of HCV-related cirrhosis patients with general population

Finding treatments for rare diseases: an interview with Dr Richard Thompson

Candida yeast infections more common in men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder

Study evaluates effects of corticosteroids along with anti-tuberculosis drugs in tuberculous meningitis

Unfolding story of Zika virus in the Americas

Scientists identify novel way of synthesising promising new antibiotic

Study shows syringe-like device acts as traffic cop directing bacteria to carry out infection

Ebola vaccine shows promise in clinical trials

New HIV infections and transmission rate in the U.S. drop, but fall short of NHAS goals

Hepatitis B virus screening for Asian American adults can help prevent onset of liver diseases

Study identifies shortfall in uptake of influenza, pneumococcal vaccination among RA patients

New project explores role of mosquitoes in transmission of pathogens in Austria

UGA researcher works to advance effective treatment for infectious mononucleosis

Antibiotic treatment may allow bad bugs to flourish

Study on Zika exposure among HIV-infected patients in Ghana

Early exposure to pathogens may play pivotal role in immune system development

Small doses of cancer drug may be potential treatment for sepsis and other pandemics

Promising method may help identify new antimicrobials to target CRE infection

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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