Disease/Infection News

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Antibiotic treatment may be sufficient to overcome River Blindness

The team found that a bacterium inside the worm acts as a 'disguise' for the parasite, resulting in the immune system reacting to it in an ineffective way. The bacteria protect the worm from the body's natural defences, but once the bacteria are removed with antibiotics, the immune system responds appropriately, releasing cells, called eosinophils, that kill the worm.

13 Jan 2011

Washington Post examines theories on climate change's potential impact on disease spread

The Washington Post examines the debate among scientists over the impact climate change might have on the spread of infectious diseases, and the potential for a rise in the number of tropical diseases in the U.S. The article describes how extreme weather conditions, such as flooding and drought - "thought to be linked to the warming of the oceans and to changes in the precipitation cycle" - can create ideal conditions for waterborne disease.

13 Jan 2011

New discovery has brought dream of transforming measles virus against cancer

When most people in the developed world think of measles, what comes to mind is only a dim memory of a vaccination at a pediatrician's office. But while childhood vaccination has virtually eliminated measles from North America and much of Europe, researchers remain interested in the virus.

13 Jan 2011

FDA's determination of equivalency validates Neogen's rapid test for Salmonella enteritidis

Neogen Corporation today announced that its rapid test for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) has been determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be equivalent to the FDA's traditional testing method in accuracy, precision, and sensitivity for detecting SE.

13 Jan 2011

New research paper reveals key lessons about origins of 2009 H1N1 pandemic

How Swine Flu Overturned the Understanding of Pandemic Outbreaks. As H1N1 'Swine Flu' returns to the national headlines a new research paper reveals the key lessons about the origins of the 2009 pandemic. The paper, published today in BioEssays, reveals how the pandemic challenges the traditional understanding of 'antigenic shift', given that the virus emerged from an existing influenza subtype.

13 Jan 2011

Drug resistant malaria on the prowl

Experts have warned that drug-resistant malaria could spread from Southeast Asia to Africa within months, putting millions of children’s lives at risk. Nicholas White, professor of tropical medicine at Mahidol University in Bangkok warned that a malaria strain resistant to the drug artemisinin that first emerged along the Thai-Cambodian border in 2007.

12 Jan 2011

Americans taking bed bug resurgence seriously

One out of five Americans has had a bed bug infestation in their home or knows someone who has encountered bed bugs at home or in a hotel according to a new survey released by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

12 Jan 2011

Offensive protein generated by HPV handicaps defensive protein made by the human body

An international team of researchers is reporting that it has uncovered new information about human papillomavirus that one day may aid in the development of drugs to eliminate the cervical-cancer-causing infection.

12 Jan 2011

Study highlights importance of independent evaluation of Tamiflu drug

Tom Jefferson and colleagues from the Cochrane Group argue that the current system for assessing the safety and effectiveness of drugs, based on published trial data only, is "wholly inadequate" and "ethically dubious."

12 Jan 2011

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases features Inovio’s Chikungunya DNA vaccine

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of novel therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today the publication of a scientific paper highlighting positive results from Inovio's multi-antigen Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) DNA vaccine in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

12 Jan 2011

Scientists introduce DNA directly into cell nucleus using protein nanodisks

One of the challenges of gene therapy - a set of methodologies aimed at treating several nucleic acid diseases - is to assure that this material arrives directly to the nucleus of the cell without losing a substantial amount along the way and without producing any undesired side effects. With this aim, scientists experiment with the use of different types of vectors, molecules capable of transporting genetic material to the correct place.

12 Jan 2011

56% of respondents have still not received flu shots

As we enter peak flu season, flu activity is steadily increasing in the United States, with eight states now reporting widespread outbreaks of influenza cases according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

12 Jan 2011

Private rooms in the ICU help reduce hospital infections

A research team from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University has demonstrated that private rooms in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) play a key role in reducing hospital infections like C-difficile. The study, published today in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, also suggests that length of stay would be shorter and this could lead to cost savings to the healthcare system.

12 Jan 2011

Common disinfectant degrades water-borne viruses

A simple technique to make a common virus-killing material significantly more effective is a breakthrough from the Rice University labs of Andrew Barron and Qilin Li.

12 Jan 2011

Antibodies produced by people who recovered from H1N1 offer clues for universal flu vaccine

The antibodies produced by individuals who fought off H1N1 (swine flu) infection last year may bring researchers one step closer to their quest to develop a "universal" flu vaccine, U.S. researchers said Monday, HealthDay News/Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

12 Jan 2011

Acne bacterium may also cause infections all over the body

A bacterium which causes acne and is commonly found on the skin, is now known to cause infections all over the body. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)5 has been associated with infections of artificial joints and heart valves (endocarditis), as well as eye infections and chest infections - which are common at this time of year.

12 Jan 2011

How chlamydia increases risk of ectopic pregnancy

Women who have had chlamydia are at greater risk of an ectopic pregnancy because of a lasting effect of the infection.

11 Jan 2011

Dirty cash machines – Literally!

Experts have found that cash machines carry same amounts and kinds of bacteria as a public toilet. They took swabs from both places and found pseudomonads and bacillus bacteria types, both of which are behind common afflictions such as diarrhea.

11 Jan 2011

Medical aid workers should take pre-travel precautions to prevent disease transmission

Guidance about pre-travel precautions and preventive measures are highlighted in the December 1, 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, written by clinicians and researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and their partners from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Naval Medical Research Center and others.

11 Jan 2011

OraSure to introduce QuickFlu test for detection of type A and type B influenza

OraSure Technologies, announced today the impending launch of the OraSure QuickFlu Rapid Flu A+B Test, a U.S. Food and Drug and Administration approved in vitro rapid qualitative test for the detection of influenza type A and type B, including H1N1 viral infections.

11 Jan 2011