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Study explores how genetic sequencing can help fight new strains of flu

Published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, senior author, Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology said that being able to predict which patients will be more susceptible to the emerging influenza strain, will allow clinicians to better manage an early intervention strategy.

24 Dec 2013

Healthcare workers' hands contaminated with C. difficile after routine care, study shows

A new study finds nearly one in four healthcare workers' hands were contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after routine care of patients infected with the bacteria. The study was published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

24 Dec 2013

New tools for neglected diseases: an interview with Dr. BT Slingsby, CEO, GHIT Fund

Nearly 3.3 billion people, a little less than half of our world’s population, are at risk of malaria, TB and what we call “neglected tropical diseases”—diseases caused by worms, parasites, viruses and bacteria like Chagas disease, river blindness, elephantiasis, sleeping sickness, etc.

24 Dec 2013

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's David Perlin explains how fungal infections can become deadly

Ask someone what the term 'fungus' brings to mind, and chances are it will be an image of something that smells or looks disgusting. Ask David Perlin, executive director of the Public Health Research Institute at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the response will be far more somber - because he knows how deadly fungi can be.

24 Dec 2013

Research findings reveal how immune system responds to respiratory viral infections

An antibody that blocks a component of a key signaling pathway in the respiratory airways could help the immune system rid the body of the influenza virus, a new study suggests. The findings, from a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, not only offer a new approach to treating the flu, but also add new information about how the immune system responds to respiratory viral infections.

24 Dec 2013

Preoperative antibiotics within two hours of cardiac surgery decrease risk of developing SSIs

A new study found preoperative antibiotic therapy administered within two hours of cardiac surgery decreased the risk of developing surgical site infections (SSIs) significantly. The study was published in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

23 Dec 2013

FDA grants QIDP and Fast Track designations to TaiGen's nemonoxacin

TaiGen Biotechnology Company, Limited today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted nemonoxacin (Taigexyn) Qualified Infectious Disease Product and Fast Track designations for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

23 Dec 2013

Researchers develop new vaccine that protects against lethal pneumonia caused by staph bacteria

University of Iowa researchers have developed a new vaccine that protects against lethal pneumonia caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, including drug-resistant strains like MRSA.

23 Dec 2013

Death rates two times higher in postmenopausal women with anti-CCP and RA antibodies

New research shows mortality rates are two times higher in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. Findings published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, soon to be called Arthritis & Rheumatology, indicate the higher mortality rates persisted after adjusting for age, positive rheumatoid factor, positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use.

23 Dec 2013

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Researchers from Boston University's School of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences found that among HIV-infected Russian drinkers, depressive symptom severity alone was not significantly associated with lower rates of antiretroviral therapy initiation. However, when examining cognitive symptoms of depression, results showed that high levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation.

22 Dec 2013

Research finding could lead to development of vaccine and therapies for mucormycosis

Mucormycosis is a deadly infection that strikes people with weakened immune systems when certain types of fungi, called Mucorales, invade the patients' cells. A novel protein on the surface of the Mucorales cells, called CotH, makes this invasion possible.

22 Dec 2013

SLU nursing faculty, students receive special training to operate Closed Point of Dispensing

In the case of a bioterror attack, Saint Louis University will operate a medication dispensing station for students, faculty, staff and their families, offering quick access to medicines and easing the burden on local health departments so they can serve residents who lack similar access to lifesaving drugs.

22 Dec 2013

Scientists discover new way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying

Scientists have taken an important step towards new malaria treatments by identifying a way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying.

22 Dec 2013

Researchers make new breakthrough in HIV vaccine research

A vaccine study in monkeys designed to identify measurable signs that the animals were protected from infection by SIV, the monkey version of HIV, as well as the mechanism of such protection has yielded numerous insights that may advance HIV vaccine research.

20 Dec 2013

Scientists explore ways to tackle bacterium that causes diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain

Scientists want to make a chink in the armor of a bacterium that has little name recognition yet is the number-one bacterial cause of the diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain Americans experience annually.

20 Dec 2013

Biocryst seeks FDA NDA approval for Peramivir to treat influenza

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of treatments for rare and infectious diseases, today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) filing for intravenous (i.v.) peramivir to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). BioCryst is seeking an indication as the first i.v. neuraminidase inhibitor approved in the U.S. for the treatment of acute uncomplicated influenza in adults. Peramivir is approved in Japan and Korea for the treatment of influenza.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers discover way to identify artemisinin-resistant malaria

An international team of researchers has discovered a way to identify, at a molecular level, malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites that are resistant to artemisinin, the key drug for treating this disease.

20 Dec 2013

TB-causing bacteria appear to mask their identity to avoid recognition by infection-killing cells

TB-causing bacteria appear to mask their identity to avoid recognition by infection-killing cells in the upper airways. The bacteria call up more permissive white blood cells in the deeper regions of the lungs and hitch a ride inside them to get into the host's body.

20 Dec 2013

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

Disease/Infection News

Study explores how genetic sequencing can help fight new strains of flu

Healthcare workers' hands contaminated with C. difficile after routine care, study shows

New tools for neglected diseases: an interview with Dr. BT Slingsby, CEO, GHIT Fund

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's David Perlin explains how fungal infections can become deadly

Research findings reveal how immune system responds to respiratory viral infections

Preoperative antibiotics within two hours of cardiac surgery decrease risk of developing SSIs

FDA grants QIDP and Fast Track designations to TaiGen's nemonoxacin

Researchers develop new vaccine that protects against lethal pneumonia caused by staph bacteria

Death rates two times higher in postmenopausal women with anti-CCP and RA antibodies

Study: High levels of depressive symptoms may be associated with delayed ART initiation

Research finding could lead to development of vaccine and therapies for mucormycosis

SLU nursing faculty, students receive special training to operate Closed Point of Dispensing

Scientists discover new way to stop malaria parasites from multiplying

Researchers make new breakthrough in HIV vaccine research

Scientists explore ways to tackle bacterium that causes diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain

Biocryst seeks FDA NDA approval for Peramivir to treat influenza

Researchers discover way to identify artemisinin-resistant malaria

TB-causing bacteria appear to mask their identity to avoid recognition by infection-killing cells

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

Immunologists discover risk factor responsible for infectious mononucleosis in young people

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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