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Infant rotavirus vaccination reduced severe gastroenteritis among U.S. children

"Implementation of infant rotavirus vaccination in 2006 has substantially reduced the burden of severe gastroenteritis among U.S. children younger than 5 years," write Paul A. Gastanaduy, M.D., M.P.H., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues. "Whether indirect protection (due to reduced transmission of rotavirus) extends to adults remains unclear."

28 Aug 2013

HCV treatment with sofosbuvir and ribavirin results in sustained virologic response

Treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection with the interferon-free regimen of sofosbuvir and ribavirin resulted in a high sustained virologic response rate in a patient population with unfavorable treatment characteristics, according to a study in the August 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Aug 2013

Study: Apoptosis triggers alternate replication pathway in HHV

Washington, DC-Researchers from Children's National Medical Center have found that an alternate, "escape" replication process triggered by apoptosis-the process of cell death or "cell suicide"-appears to be common in human herpesviruses (HHV).

28 Aug 2013

New mothers and obese people have higher risk of severe outcomes from influenza

Although up to 500,000 people world-wide die of severe influenza each year, there has been no clear evidence about who is susceptible for influenza complications and it may not be who people think, says a study from McMaster University.

28 Aug 2013

BiondVax: Priming with universal flu vaccine makes conventional bird flu vaccine effective against pandemic strains

BiondVax announced today that priming with universal flu vaccine before boosting with a conventional bird flu H5N1 vaccine (containing a single strain from Clade 1) resulted in mice exhibiting a significantly higher level of immunity to the strain contained in the conventional bird flu vaccine and in addition, broadened immunity to other H5N1 flu strains (from Clade 2).

27 Aug 2013

Study reveals role of cadherin receptor BT-R3 in killing action of Cry4B mosquito toxin

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), led by Dr. Lee Bulla, have demonstrated for the first time the selective cytotoxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Cry4B toxin is mediated by BT-R3.

27 Aug 2013

HIV-infected people who carry gene face greater risk of contracting cryptococcal disease

HIV-infected people who carry a gene for a specific protein face a 20-fold greater risk of contracting cryptococcal disease, according to a study published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Aug 2013

Engineers create biodegradable needles that penetrate skin and precisely deliver tuberculosis test

Each year, millions of people in the United States get a tuberculosis skin test to see if they have the infection that still affects one third of the world's population. But the standard diagnostic test is difficult to give, because a hypodermic needle must be inserted at a precise angle and depth in the arm to successfully check for tuberculosis.

27 Aug 2013

Powerful new option for treating vasculitis

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a research consortium that includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has shown that a new drug for vasculitis, a potentially life-threatening auto-immune disease which causes inflammation in blood vessels, is as effective as standard therapy over 18 months.

27 Aug 2013

Sanofi Pasteur reports clinical benefit of Fluzone High-Dose vaccine in preventing influenza

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, today announced topline results of a large-scale, multi-center efficacy trial in people 65 years of age and older showing a superior clinical benefit of Fluzone High-Dose (Influenza Virus Vaccine) relative to the standard dose of Fluzone vaccine in preventing influenza.

26 Aug 2013

HEALTHY FUTURES project aims to address risk of outbreaks, transmission of VBDs

Important outputs are starting to arise from the HEALTHY FUTURES (Health, environmental change and adaptive capacity) project, which aims to address the risk of outbreaks and transmission of three water-related vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in eastern Africa. HEALTHY FUTURES is now past its halfway point, with less than eighteen months of the project remaining.

26 Aug 2013

Best way to protect infants from influenza is to vaccinate rest of the family

A University of Sydney study has found the best way to protect children under six months of age from influenza, the most vulnerable of the population to the condition, is to vaccinate the rest of the family.

23 Aug 2013

Mentors International, Co-Diagnostics HBDC to lower real-time PCR test prices in developing world

Mentors International and Co-Diagnostics HBDC signed an agreement to lower real-time PCR test prices in the developing world, starting with tuberculosis. Under the agreement, Co-Diagnostics HBDC will provide low-cost testing reagents and Mentors International will leverage its international connections to set up low-cost testing facilities.

23 Aug 2013

WHO hand-hygiene compliance strategy easy for health-care workers to practise

WHO's strategy for improving hand hygiene is easy for health-care workers to practise, according to a new study published today in "Lancet Infectious Diseases". Health care-associated infections are a major threat to patient safety worldwide and transmission in these settings is mainly from the hands of health-care workers.

23 Aug 2013

Review Article examines FMT methodology as effective treatment for C. difficile infection

Fecal microbiota transplantation has emerged as a highly effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, with very early experience suggesting that it may also play a role in treating other gastrointestinal and non-GI diseases.

23 Aug 2013

Researchers uncover how SARS coronavirus uses host cell to reproduce itself

UC Irvine infectious disease researchers have uncovered components of the SARS coronavirus - which triggered a major outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002-03 - that allow it to take over host cells in order to replicate.

23 Aug 2013

Novartis starts shipment of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza vaccines to US customers

Novartis announced today that it has begun shipment of its seasonal influenza vaccines to customers in the US market for the 2013-2014 season. Novartis plans to ship a minimum of 30 million doses of its influenza vaccines to the US market, including Fluvirin (Influenza Virus Vaccine), approved for use in people 4 years of age and older, and Flucelvax (Influenza Virus Vaccine), approved for use in adults 18 years of age and older.

22 Aug 2013

Disease/Infection News

Infant rotavirus vaccination reduced severe gastroenteritis among U.S. children

HCV treatment with sofosbuvir and ribavirin results in sustained virologic response

Study: Apoptosis triggers alternate replication pathway in HHV

New mothers and obese people have higher risk of severe outcomes from influenza

BiondVax: Priming with universal flu vaccine makes conventional bird flu vaccine effective against pandemic strains

Study reveals role of cadherin receptor BT-R3 in killing action of Cry4B mosquito toxin

HIV-infected people who carry gene face greater risk of contracting cryptococcal disease

Engineers create biodegradable needles that penetrate skin and precisely deliver tuberculosis test

Powerful new option for treating vasculitis

Sanofi Pasteur reports clinical benefit of Fluzone High-Dose vaccine in preventing influenza

HEALTHY FUTURES project aims to address risk of outbreaks, transmission of VBDs

Best way to protect infants from influenza is to vaccinate rest of the family

Mentors International, Co-Diagnostics HBDC to lower real-time PCR test prices in developing world

WHO hand-hygiene compliance strategy easy for health-care workers to practise

Review Article examines FMT methodology as effective treatment for C. difficile infection

Researchers uncover how SARS coronavirus uses host cell to reproduce itself

Novartis starts shipment of 2013-2014 seasonal influenza vaccines to US customers

Low-cost intervention reduces transmission of lymphatic filariasis to undetectable levels

Scientists reveal why TB is a successful pathogen

Kentucky researcher uses advanced biomedical technology to study HMPV

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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