Disease/Infection News

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Device uses light to treat overactive bladder

Researchers have developed an implantable device that could one day treat overactive bladder.

2 Jan 2019

Molecular signatures reveal why women are more likely to die from glioblastoma

Scientists have discovered molecular signatures that reveal why women are more likely to develop and die from the brain cancer, glioblastoma.

2 Jan 2019

Speedier examinations may be useful in public health assessments of scabies

For years, the diagnosis of scabies has relied on time-consuming and intrusive full-body examinations. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have found that an exam of just a patient's hands, feet and lower legs may have the potential to catch more than 90 percent of all scabies cases, regardless of severity.

28 Dec 2018

Sleeping sickness parasite exhibits metabolic flexibility and adaptability

Parasitic protozoa called trypanosomes synthesize sugars using an unexpected metabolic pathway called gluconeogenesis, according to a study published December 27 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by David Horn of the University of Dundee in the UK, and colleagues.

28 Dec 2018

Physical contact with primates puts people at risk of infection with new diseases

Animal diseases that infect humans are a major threat to human health, and diseases often spillover to humans from nonhuman primates. Now, researchers reporting in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have carried out an extensive social sciences evaluation of how populations in Cameroon interact with nonhuman primates, pointing toward behaviors that could put people at risk of infection with new diseases.

28 Dec 2018

Researchers develop vaccine effective against emerging tick-borne virus in mice

A group of researchers led by Michael Diamond of Washington University in St. Louis have developed a vaccine that is effective in mice against Powassan virus, an emerging tick-borne virus that can cause life-threatening encephalitis in humans.

27 Dec 2018

Study: Reactivation of HIV-infected cells depends on its size and cell cycle

Thanks to the development of antiretroviral drugs, human immunodeficiency virus is considered a manageable chronic disease today.

27 Dec 2018

Study reveals how Hepatitis C infection varies by state and region

Hepatitis C virus infection is a major cause of illness and death in the United States and injection drug use is likely fueling many new cases.

24 Dec 2018

Bacterial resistance to last-resort antibiotic is spreading at alarming rate in Vietnam

Researchers have discovered that polymyxin E-resistant Escherichia coli is widely prevalent among people living in rural Vietnam.

21 Dec 2018

Scientists develop novel eye drop that reduces sight-threatening scarring to the eye surface

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have developed a novel eye drop that rapidly reduces sight-threatening scarring to the surface of the eye.

21 Dec 2018

New vaccine shows promise against chikungunya virus

A live vaccine genetically engineered from a common measles vaccine promises to be effective against the chikungunya virus. Such is the central finding of a recently completed Phase II trial now published in the prestigious journal "The Lancet".

21 Dec 2018

New approach to destroy HIV reservoirs

Current HIV treatments need to be taken for life by those infected as antiretroviral therapy is unable to eliminate viral reservoirs lurking in immune cells. Institut Pasteur scientists have identified the characteristics of CD4 T lymphocytes that are preferentially infected by the virus - it is their metabolic (or energy-producing) activity1 that enables the virus to multiply.

21 Dec 2018

Study reveals high prevalence of colistin-resistant bacteria in residents in Vietnam

A team of researchers led by Osaka University examined the dissemination of colistin-resistant bacteria among residents of rural communities in Vietnam to find that the prevalence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli in the intestines was extremely high, at about 70 percent.

21 Dec 2018

GW researchers receive NIH funding to study causes of high risk of heart disease in HIV patients

Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease are major complications of HIV infection and cannot currently be treated by antiretroviral treatments.

21 Dec 2018

Even napping in contact lenses could lead to serious infection

The CDC has published six reports using real data on the seriousness of napping or falling asleep while wearing contact lenses.

20 Dec 2018

X-rays may double the risk of cancer for obese patients

A new study has revealed that obese patients who undergo an x-ray are at a greater risk of developing cancer due to the higher dose of radiation required.

20 Dec 2018

Animals living in large groups have more parasites but are less likely to suffer from infections

Animals living in large groups tend to have more parasites than less social animals do, but according to a new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, they may also be better protected from the negative effects of those parasites.

20 Dec 2018

Viral hepatitis: Liver failure caused by defects in the vascular system

In severe cases, a viral hepatitis infection can result in liver failure. A team from the Technical University of Munich has now discovered how this occurs: by immune cells attacking cells in the vascular system, which disrupts the organ's blood and nutrient supply.

19 Dec 2018

KU Leuven scientists develop new vaccine against Zika virus

Scientists at the KU Leuven Rega Institute in Belgium have developed a new vaccine against the Zika virus. This vaccine should prevent the virus from causing microcephaly and other serious conditions in unborn babies.

19 Dec 2018

Universal meningitis vaccination for college students may be too costly, study suggests

A computer-generated model developed by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers adds to evidence that providing universal vaccination against meningitis B infection to students entering college may be too costly to justify the absolute number of cases it would prevent.

19 Dec 2018