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Scientists uncover how a single gene shaped the course of plague pandemic

Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it took to kill its victims, but these forms of plague ultimately died out.

1 Jun 2025

Navigating the challenges and progress in dengue vaccine development

Dengue fever caused by a flavivirus named DENV is a major global health challenge, risking almost half of the world's population. Since the early 20th century, the scientific community has faced multiple challenges to develop effective dengue vaccines.

30 May 2025

New antibody discovery reveals powerful immune defense against tuberculosis

Researchers at the Ragon Institute have made a significant discovery about how antibodies can directly enhance the body's ability to fight Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis (TB).

30 May 2025

New electrochemical device advances point-of-care HIV diagnostics

Accurate monitoring of CD4+ T cell counts is vital for evaluating immune health and guiding treatment in people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

30 May 2025

LUCAS technology revolutionizes rapid viral diagnostics

Mass General Brigham researchers are shining a powerful new light into the viral darkness with the development of Luminescence CAscade-based Sensor (LUCAS), a rapid, portable, highly-sensitive diagnostic tool for processing complex biological samples.

30 May 2025

What drives insulin resistance? Proteomics reveals key pathways in human skeletal muscle

Identifying proteomic signatures of insulin resistance in fasting muscle offers insights for personalized type 2 diabetes therapies based on molecular profiles.

30 May 2025

Midlife weight loss may lower your long-term risk of diabetes, study finds

This study shows that midlife weight loss, without medical interventions, reduces chronic disease risk and supports longevity, beyond diabetes benefits.

29 May 2025

Genetic analysis shows leprosy was endemic in pre-colonial America

Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent.

29 May 2025

Genetic evolution of plague bacterium may have prolonged historic pandemics

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur and McMaster University have discovered that the evolution of a gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, may have prolonged the duration of two major pandemics.

29 May 2025

WHO and partners announce next phase of African disease monitoring initiative

The World Health Organization (WHO), Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom announced today the expansion of the successful Health Security Partnership to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Africa (HSPA) to seven countries on the continent.

29 May 2025

Early measles vaccination gains urgency amid global outbreak

The global measles outbreak must trigger an urgent debate into whether a vaccine should be recommended earlier to better protect against the highly contagious disease during infancy, a new review states.

29 May 2025

UVA researchers discover key to HIV latency and reactivation

University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have uncovered a key reason why HIV remains so difficult to cure: Their research shows that small changes in the virus affect how quickly or slowly it replicates, and how easily or stubbornly it can reawaken from hiding.

29 May 2025

Tree cover helps keep dengue-carrying mosquitoes at bay

Protecting trees might not seem like a public health strategy, but new research suggests it could be-especially in the tropics.

28 May 2025

Silence on E. coli outbreak highlights how Trump team’s changes undermine food safety

Colton George felt sick. The 9-year-old Indiana boy told his parents his stomach hurt. He kept running to the bathroom and felt too ill to finish a basketball game.

28 May 2025

Single measles strain triggers outbreak in Milan despite high vaccination rates

A unique measles B3 lineage drove a sustained local outbreak in Milan and surrounding areas in early 2025, marking a shift from previous D8 importations. This primarily affected unvaccinated adults, raising alarms about potential endemic measles resurgence in northern Italy despite high overall vaccination coverage.

27 May 2025

PAHO highlights surge in yellow fever cases across the Americas in 2025

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a new Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA) on yellow fever in the Americas which shows that the risk to public health remains high due to continued human cases in endemic countries of the Region.

27 May 2025

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

Researchers identified a novel genotype (D1.1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 spreading among wild birds, poultry, and a human in British Columbia, Canada, during fall 2024. Genomic analysis reveals the virus arose from reassortment between Eurasian and North American strains, with implications for surveillance and control.

27 May 2025

Prior COVID-19 vaccination provides strong protection against emerging variants

Prior COVID-19 vaccination did not stop the immune system from mounting a protective response to the Delta and Omicron strains, though new mutation-specific antibody production dipped slightly, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and published in Nature Immunology.

27 May 2025

Scientists make major progress toward an effective HIV vaccine

In the long battle to create an effective HIV vaccine, scientists have made a major leap forward. A new study shows that a series of vaccines can coax the immune system to produce powerful antibodies capable of blocking a wide range of HIV strains-including those that are typically the hardest to stop.

27 May 2025

Climate models predict spread of deadly Aspergillus pathogens

Climate change is projected to shift the global distribution of key Aspergillus species, with northward movement of suitable habitats and changing risks for human health and agriculture. Advanced modelling reveals significant implications for food security and clinical fungal infections.

26 May 2025