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Scientists using molecular epidemiology to diagnose and track disease outbreaks

The New York Times examines "new methods of quickly sequencing entire microbial genomes that are revolutionizing the field" of molecularly epidemiology and could help public health officials identify and track disease outbreaks.

31 Aug 2011

Presidential panel reveals new details of 1940s syphilis experiments in Guatemala

"A presidential panel on Monday disclosed shocking new details of U.S. medical experiments done in Guatemala in the 1940s, including a decision to re-infect a dying woman in a syphilis study," the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

31 Aug 2011

Hospitalized children with colonized with MRSA more likely to develop full-blown infections

A Johns Hopkins Children's Center study of more than 3,000 hospitalized children shows that those colonized but not sick with the antibiotic-resistant bacterium MRSA are at considerable risk for developing full-blown infections.

31 Aug 2011

Racial, ethnic and poverty disparities in human papillomavirus vaccination completion

Barriers that hinder young African-American, Hispanic and poor women from completing a series of three vaccinations to prevent human papillomavirus infection (HPV) also leave them at higher risk for cervical cancer and death.

30 Aug 2011

Study may help explain plague's rapid evolution and aid in development of therapeutics

In the evolutionary blink of an eye, a bacterium that causes mild stomach irritation evolved into a deadly assassin responsible for the most devastating pandemics in human history. How did the mild-mannered Yersinia pseudotuberculosis become Yersinia pestis, more commonly known as the Plague?

30 Aug 2011

Iranian HIV physician released from Tehran prison

"Iranian HIV doctor Arash Alaei has been released from jail in Tehran after spending more than three years behind bars for allegedly conspiring against the regime, his U.S.-based brother said Monday," Agence France-Presse reports.

30 Aug 2011

Water and sanitation, NTD sectors should work together

In a post on the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases' "End the Neglect" blog, Kerry Gallo of Children Without Worms writes, "Effective control strategies for several NTDs such as soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), trachoma, and schistosomiasis require that communities have access to water and latrines to break the cycle of infection," concluding, "The intertwined nature of water and sanitation issues and NTD control shows that our two sectors should work together in partnership to improve the health of communities and maximize impact".

30 Aug 2011

FAO warns mutant form of H5N1 bird flu poses threat to Asia

"The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday warned about a new mutant strain of the deadly bird flu H5N1 virus in China and Vietnam, saying there could be a 'major resurgence' of the disease," Agence France-Presse reports.

30 Aug 2011

Few treatment options for growing population of drug users in Afghanistan

The New York Times examines the "growing drug addiction problem" in Afghanistan, where, in 2010, about 900,000 people, or seven percent of the adult population, were using drugs, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

30 Aug 2011

Genetic analysis of medieval plague skeletons proves the presence of y. pestis bacteria

Genetic analysis of medieval plague skeletons proves the presence of yersinia pestis bacteria. Collaboration between the University of Tübingen and Canadian scientists proves today's plague pathogen has been around at least 600 years.

30 Aug 2011

High risk of serious complications or death in children with SP-HUS

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by infection with pneumococcal bacteria leads to severe illness—with a high rate of irreversible kidney damage—in infants and young children, reports a study in the September issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

30 Aug 2011

Tel Aviv University develops Facebook app to track the spread of infections

From SARS to swine flu, virus outbreaks can be unpredictable - and devastating. But now a new application through the ubiquitous social networking site Facebook, developed in a Tel Aviv University lab, is poised to serve as a better indicator of how infections spread among populations.

30 Aug 2011

Black Death bacteria may be extinct - Study

The bacteria that caused the Black Death or plague, which wiped out millions in mid-14th century Europe, may be extinct, according to a new study. The Black Death claimed the lives of one-third of Europeans in just five years from 1348 to 1353. Until recently, it was not certain whether the bacterium Yersinia pestis - known to cause the plague today - was responsible for that most deadly outbreak of disease ever. Now, the University of Tübingen's Institute of Scientific Archaeology and McMaster University in Canada have been able to confirm that Yersinia pestis was behind the great plague.

30 Aug 2011

Bird flu on the rise again

Avian or bird flu is showing signs of a resurgence, while a mutant strain – that cannot be prevented by vaccination - could be spreading in Asia, the United Nations has warned. This mutant strain appeared in Vietnam and China and its risk to humans cannot be predicted, veterinary officials said.

30 Aug 2011

Disappearance of mosquitoes from some parts of Africa puzzles researchers

"Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are disappearing in some parts of Africa, ... indicat[ing] controls such as anti-mosquito bed nets are having a significant impact on the incidence of malaria in some sub-Saharan countries," researchers report in a paper published in Malaria Journal, according to BBC News. But the team of Danish and Tanzanian "researchers say mosquitoes are also disappearing from areas with few controls," and "[t]hey are uncertain if mosquitoes are being eradicated or whether they will return with renewed vigor," the news agency writes.

29 Aug 2011

Infrared Systems completes several internal projects, discusses corporate strategies

Infrared Systems International announces the completion of several internal projects and discusses corporate strategies for continued success.

29 Aug 2011

CD8 alpha+ dendritic cells can help the body beat back infection

The same trait that makes a rare immune cell invaluable in fighting some infections also can be exploited by other diseases to cause harm, two new studies show.

29 Aug 2011

Statins protect people against death from respiratory illness, infections

The death rate among patients prescribed a statin in a major trial that ended in 2003 is still lower than those given a placebo, even though most participants in both groups have been taking statins ever since. ASCOT, the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial, was stopped early because the statin was so effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes, but a new analysis has shown that eight years on, the most significant difference between the groups is a reduction in deaths from infection and respiratory illness.

29 Aug 2011

Protein that allows Ebola virus to attack cells discovered

A U.S. research team has discovered a protein called Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1), which they found was responsible for allowing Ebola virus to enter and replicate within cells.

26 Aug 2011

Autism link to vaccines dispelled by a large review of studies

According to a report issued by the US Institute of Medicine (IOM), vaccines are largely safe, and do not cause autism or diabetes. This conclusion followed a review of more than 1,000 published research studies.

26 Aug 2011