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Scientists propose reaction-diffusion model to study transmission of Lyme disease seasonally

Lyme disease is a common tick-borne illness caused by a bacterium, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. The transmission dynamics of Lyme disease is dependent on a variety of factors, including the length of the tick's life cycle, availability of hosts, climatic conditions and seasonal influences, which are important to understand for control strategies.

20 Dec 2013

Immunologists discover risk factor responsible for infectious mononucleosis in young people

More than 90 percent of all adults are carriers of the oncogenic Epstein-Barr Virus. Primary infection with this herpes virus as a young child is generally not linked to any symptoms, and usually offers life-long protection from its cancer-causing effect. However, for people who do not become infected with the virus until adolescence, the infection often leads to infectious mononucleosis (commonly known as glandular fever). Our immune systems can generally fend off this disease after a period of between one and several months. However, there is an increased risk of developing Hodgkin lymphoma at a later stage, a cancerous tumor of the lymphatic system.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers develop oral vaccine against Helicobacter pylori

Researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangdong, Guangzhou, China, have developed an oral vaccine against Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers and some forms of gastric cancer, and have successfully tested it in mice. The research is published ahead of print in the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

20 Dec 2013

BCG vaccine highly protective against pulmonary TB: Study

The BCG vaccine has been found to be more effective against the most common form of tuberculosis than previously thought, according to a new study in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

20 Dec 2013

Randomized control trials to study clinical effectiveness of high dose flu vaccine in nursing homes

One of the highest risk groups for developing pneumonia or even dying from the flu is the elderly, especially in group settings such as nursing homes.

19 Dec 2013

Researchers discover series of compounds possessing anti-HIV activity

University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a first-of-its-kind series of compounds possessing anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity. The compounds present a new target for potential HIV drug development and future treatment options.

18 Dec 2013

UCD Conway Institute researchers identify potential biomarker of idiopathic pulmonary ﬁbrosis

Researchers in UCD Conway Institute have identified a potential biomarker of rapidly progressive pulmonary fibrosis and pinpointed a defective molecular function as a potential therapeutic target.

18 Dec 2013

Flu is yet to take hold of the UK, reveals Flusurvey

Preliminary results from the first month of the Flusurvey run by scientists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine indicate that flu is yet to take hold of the UK, with just 6,000 cases per 100,000 people reported, compared to 12,000 cases per 100,000 people for the same period in 2012.

18 Dec 2013

Researchers produce first definitive evidence that MERS-CoV infects camels

Scientists from the Netherlands and Qatar have produced the first definitive evidence that Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infects camels. The researchers used gene-sequencing techniques to show that three camels from a site where two humans contracted MERS-CoV were infected with the virus.

18 Dec 2013

E. coli evolution studies may lead to better treatments

Going back in time to compare evolutionary changes in several thousand generations of E. coli, a University of Houston biologist hopes to one day be able to isolate a bacterial pathogen and predict the likelihood it will become resistant to a particular antibiotic.

18 Dec 2013

Extracts from pecan shells may be effective at protecting meats

The majority of consumers that eat or buy organic products do not want synthetic antimicrobials or antioxidants added to their foods and prefer a "clean label". A study in the Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) showed that extracts from pecan shells may be effective at protecting meats, such as chicken from listeria growth.

18 Dec 2013

Arizona scientists investigate intriguing effects of spaceflight on microbial pathogens

At Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, Cheryl Nickerson and her team have been investigating the intriguing effects of spaceflight on microbial pathogens.

17 Dec 2013

MTN receives $70M to develop and test products that aim to reduce spread of HIV

With funding of $70 million to support its effort into 2021, the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) will continue to develop and test products that aim to reduce the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, federal officials announced yesterday.

17 Dec 2013

HIV self-test screening strategy: an interview with Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, McGill University

Conventional health facility based HIV testing is plagued with poor rates of testing and has been around for the past 15+ years. Further, about 40-60% of individuals tested in facilities are lost to follow up.

17 Dec 2013

Scientists reveal how MRSA strain rapidly rises to prominence

Scientists believe they have an explanation for how the most common strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rapidly rose to prominence. Research published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, suggests that the strain recently acquired a number of genes from common skin bacteria that allow it to grow and thrive on the skin where other strains of MRSA cannot.

17 Dec 2013

Study reveals that two wastewater treatment plants in China fail to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Tests at two wastewater treatment plants in northern China revealed antibiotic-resistant bacteria were not only escaping purification but also breeding and spreading their dangerous cargo.

17 Dec 2013

Investigators, CTUs chosen to lead five HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks through 2021

Principal investigators and clinical trials units have been chosen to lead and conduct the research of five HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks through 2021. The effort is directed and funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Total funding for the networks' leadership and the CTUs is expected to reach $225 million in 2014, the first year of operation.

17 Dec 2013

Disease/Infection News

Scientists propose reaction-diffusion model to study transmission of Lyme disease seasonally

Immunologists discover risk factor responsible for infectious mononucleosis in young people

Researchers develop oral vaccine against Helicobacter pylori

BCG vaccine highly protective against pulmonary TB: Study

Randomized control trials to study clinical effectiveness of high dose flu vaccine in nursing homes

Researchers discover series of compounds possessing anti-HIV activity

UCD Conway Institute researchers identify potential biomarker of idiopathic pulmonary ﬁbrosis

Flu is yet to take hold of the UK, reveals Flusurvey

Researchers produce first definitive evidence that MERS-CoV infects camels

E. coli evolution studies may lead to better treatments

Extracts from pecan shells may be effective at protecting meats

Arizona scientists investigate intriguing effects of spaceflight on microbial pathogens

MTN receives $70M to develop and test products that aim to reduce spread of HIV

HIV self-test screening strategy: an interview with Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, McGill University

Scientists reveal how MRSA strain rapidly rises to prominence

Study reveals that two wastewater treatment plants in China fail to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Investigators, CTUs chosen to lead five HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks through 2021

WSU researchers discover how Nipah virus employs burglary-ring-like teamwork to infiltrate human cell

Secondary conditions can become deadly and affect how long HIV patients stay in hospital

Scientists find vaccine that blocks invasion of blood cell by Malaria parasite

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

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