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ESCMID gathers more solid data to better assess Zika virus risks, prepares for possible outbreak in Africa, Europe

Experts at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases – an organization promoting research, risk assessment, knowledge sharing and best practices in the fight against infectious diseases – are developing tools to monitor the spread of the Zika virus and are conducting research to gather more solid data to better assess the risks associated with the infection.

10 Feb 2016

Oral therapeutic drug shows promise against recurrent C. difficile infection

Results from a Phase 1b/2 trial suggest that an investigational microbiome-based, oral therapeutic drug is effective for the treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection. In a paper published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, a multi-institutional research team reports that treatment with the preparation, containing the spores of approximately 50 species of beneficial bacteria, successfully prevented recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI) in patients with a history of multiple recurrent disease.

10 Feb 2016

Researchers sequence genetic blueprint of Lyme-disease-spreading tick

Researchers have sequenced the genetic blueprint of one of the most prolific pathogen-transmitting agents on the planet - the Lyme-disease-spreading tick (Ixodes scapularis) that bites humans. The findings could lead to advances in not only disrupting the tick's capacity to spread diseases but also in eradicating the pest.

10 Feb 2016

ZAO provides platform for scientists, clinicians to share new research and clinical data on Zika

ZAO provides a platform for scientists and clinicians to publish their findings and source data on Zika and its mosquito vectors within days of submission, so that research, medical and government personnel can keep abreast of the rapidly evolving outbreak.

10 Feb 2016

Reducing prison sentences could help curb spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections

Reducing the number of men who go to prison could help curb the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in a community, according to research published in Social Science & Medicine.

10 Feb 2016

Mayo Clinic researchers discover new bacterial species that triggers Lyme disease in people

Mayo Clinic researchers, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, have discovered a new bacterial species that causes Lyme disease in people. The new species has been provisionally named Borrelia mayonii. Prior to this finding, the only species believed to cause Lyme disease in North America was Borrelia burgdorferi.

9 Feb 2016

El Niño plays significant role in outbreak of haemorrhagic fevers

The dengue virus affects 390 million people globally every year, and fears are that early 2016 will see an epidemic, particularly in South-East Asia, due to the predicted extreme intensity of El Niño. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed the significant role that this monster climatic phenomenon plays in the outbreak of haemorrhagic fevers.

9 Feb 2016

Umeå University experts describe innovative interventions for fighting Zika virus in Europe

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden help assess the risk that Zika will spread to Europe by describing the transmission season, areas at risk and intervention strategies. By using previous knowledge on Dengue, they are now strategizing on how Zika can be controlled.

9 Feb 2016

Researchers show how antiretroviral therapy reduces HIV infection in female reproductive tract

For the first time, investigators in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have determined how antiretroviral therapy (ART) affects the way HIV disseminates and establishes infection in the female reproductive tract.

9 Feb 2016

UM SOM researchers reveal genetic makeup of various strains of E. coli

A multi-disciplinary group of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have for the first time determined the genetic makeup of various strains of E. coli, which every year kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

9 Feb 2016

Gut microbes influence severity of malaria

Microorganisms in the gut could play a role in reducing the severity of malaria, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Louisville.

9 Feb 2016

Novel quantitative method may reduce or eliminate need for invasive biopsies

Scientists have identified a quantitative method to measure changes in biomarkers, which may reduce or eliminate the need for invasive biopsies. The method, described in the February 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal uses a novel chimera design of DNA and small DNA with a companion contrast agent to allow antibodies to cross cellular membranes.

8 Feb 2016

New method could help physicians detect infection in wounds in less than a minute

A new method for detection of infection in wounds could take physicians less than a minute to complete, rather than the current 24 hours it takes to plate bacteria and leave it to incubate overnight, according to research by the George Washington University's Victoria Shanmugam, M.D.

7 Feb 2016

Scientists identify potential marker for recurring HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

A look-back analysis of HPV infection antibodies in patients treated for oropharyngeal (mouth and throat) cancers linked to HPV infection suggests at least one of the antibodies could be useful in identifying those at risk for a recurrence of the cancer, say scientists at The Johns Hopkins University.

7 Feb 2016

UIC researchers discover molecular switch that allows salmonella bacteria to fight immune system

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered a molecular regulator that allows salmonella bacteria to switch from actively causing disease to lurking in a chronic but asymptomatic state called a biofilm.

7 Feb 2016

Study estimates prevalence of periodontitis at state and local levels across U.S. using SAE method

The International and American Associations for Dental Research have published an article titled "Predicting Periodontitis at State and Local Levels in the United States" in the OnlineFirst portion of the Journal of Dental Research. In it, authors P.I. Eke, X. Zhang, H. Lu, L. Wei, G. Thornton-Evans, K.J. Greenlund, J.B. Holt and J.B. Croft estimate the prevalence of periodontitis at state and local levels across the United States by using a novel, small area estimation (SAE) method.

5 Feb 2016

Discovery takes researchers one step closer to preventing C. diff

Exposure to specific antibiotics is linked to the development of certain strains of antibiotic-resistant C. difficile, one of the fastest growing bacteria superbugs, according to a new study published by Stuart Johnson, MD, of Loyola University Health System, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and the Hines VA Medical Hospital.

5 Feb 2016

World Hepatitis Alliance calls for comprehensive hepatitis strategies to help prevent liver cancer deaths

Rock-icon David Bowie died recently at the age of 69 after a battle with what is being reported as liver cancer. Each year, more than 800,000 people die from liver cancer globally, the second biggest cancer killer. Yet, a high majority of these deaths are completely preventable.

5 Feb 2016

Early use of influenza drug in pregnant women with flu may reduce length of stay in hospital

Pregnant women are at higher risk for serious illness and complications, including death, from influenza. For expectant mothers hospitalized with flu, early treatment with the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir may shorten their time in the hospital, especially in severe cases, suggests a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and available online.

5 Feb 2016

Study examines links between spending on social services and AIDS deaths in U.S.

Despite considerable advances in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS over the past 30 years, HIV infection rates have remained stagnant in the United States for the past decade. A study by researchers at the Yale Global Health Leadership Institute examines links between spending on social services and public health and AIDS deaths in the United States.

4 Feb 2016

Disease/Infection News

ESCMID gathers more solid data to better assess Zika virus risks, prepares for possible outbreak in Africa, Europe

Oral therapeutic drug shows promise against recurrent C. difficile infection

Researchers sequence genetic blueprint of Lyme-disease-spreading tick

ZAO provides platform for scientists, clinicians to share new research and clinical data on Zika

Reducing prison sentences could help curb spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections

Mayo Clinic researchers discover new bacterial species that triggers Lyme disease in people

El Niño plays significant role in outbreak of haemorrhagic fevers

Umeå University experts describe innovative interventions for fighting Zika virus in Europe

Researchers show how antiretroviral therapy reduces HIV infection in female reproductive tract

UM SOM researchers reveal genetic makeup of various strains of E. coli

Gut microbes influence severity of malaria

Novel quantitative method may reduce or eliminate need for invasive biopsies

New method could help physicians detect infection in wounds in less than a minute

Scientists identify potential marker for recurring HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer

UIC researchers discover molecular switch that allows salmonella bacteria to fight immune system

Study estimates prevalence of periodontitis at state and local levels across U.S. using SAE method

Discovery takes researchers one step closer to preventing C. diff

World Hepatitis Alliance calls for comprehensive hepatitis strategies to help prevent liver cancer deaths

Early use of influenza drug in pregnant women with flu may reduce length of stay in hospital

Study examines links between spending on social services and AIDS deaths in U.S.

Exploring the nanoscale: How AFM is transforming cosmetic science

Innovating Texture and Culture in Plant-Based Foods

Advancing brain microphysiological systems (bMPS)

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