Encephalitis News and Research

Latest Encephalitis News and Research

West Nile virus DNA vaccine shows promise in phase 1 trial

Vical Incorporated has announced that in a Phase 1 clinical trial, a West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine candidate administered using Vical's proprietary DNA delivery technology was safe and well tolerated

5 Jun 2006

Drought-induced amplification key to West Nile transmission

The spread of West Nile Virus appears to be triggered by a complex interaction of mosquitoes, nesting birds and specific weather patterns, scientists say, which leads to "amplification" of the virus within mosquito populations.

9 May 2006

Western Australia measles warning

The West Australian Department of Health has issued an alert following notification of five cases of measles in Western Australia over the Easter period.

19 Apr 2006

Concern over spread of Mumps in the U.S.

Health officials in the United States have voiced concern about an outbreak of mumps in the Midwest and say they believe some people may have become infected on airline flights.

16 Apr 2006

Environmental change and viral mutations combine to fuel outbreaks of a deadly mosquito-borne disease

Environmental change and viral mutations have combined to fuel outbreaks of a deadly mosquito-borne disease that have plagued South and Central America for the last 100 years, a new study by University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and Colorado State University researchers reports.

11 Apr 2006

Japanese encephalitis in Bali widespread

Japanese encephalitis might be more widespread in Indonesia than previously thought.

11 Apr 2006

Ceftriaxone may help fight dementia in HIV patients

An antibiotic commonly used to treat a variety of serious infections may also help prevent dementia in HIV patients, according to a test-tube study of human brain cells by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine neurologist Jeffrey Rumbaugh, M.D., Ph.D.

7 Apr 2006

High prevalence of mumps in Iowa

The Department of Public Health in Iowa says 245 confirmed, probable or suspected cases of mumps have been reported there since mid-January.

3 Apr 2006

Ocean Vesivirus found in human blood samples

A virus of ocean origin that can cause a range of diseases in several animal species has been found in human blood samples. The virus, or antibodies to it, was found most often in the blood of individuals with liver damage, or hepatitis of unknown cause related to blood exposure.

28 Mar 2006

Purdue biologists visualize protein interaction that may initiate viral infection

Biologists at Purdue University have taken a "snapshot" of a Velcro-like protein on a cell's surface just after it attached to the dengue virus, a linkup thought to initiate the early stages of infection.

16 Feb 2006

Genetic risk factor for West Nile virus infection identified

People who lack a cell surface protein called CCR5 are highly resistant to infection by HIV but may be at increased risk of developing West Nile virus (WNV) illness when exposed to the mosquito-borne virus, report researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

18 Jan 2006

Genetic mutation that protects against HIV increases the risk of West Nile Virus infection

A genetic mutation that protects against HIV increases the risk of developing clinical West Nile Virus infection, according to a new study appearing online on January 9th in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

9 Jan 2006

Evidence is mounting to link toxoplasmosis with schizophrenia

Keep pet cats inside, stop feeding strays, cook meat sufficiently and reconsider the way the veterinary profession and public health agencies think - and teach - about the zoonotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii.

18 Oct 2005

Single-dose of Japanese encephalitis vaccine protects children for over a year

A single-dose of a live vaccine against Japanese encephalitis can give children in Nepal high levels of protection for over a year, according to an article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

13 Oct 2005

Flaviviruses immune system defenses in different ways depending on whether they are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks

"Flaviviruses exact an enormous toll in terms of illness and death worldwide," notes NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "Because this is a relatively new field of study, everything we learn about how these viruses operate is significant.

28 Sep 2005

India struggling to cope with encephalitis outbreak in Uttar Pradesh

According to a local health official, authorities are struggling to cope with an encephalitis epidemic in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, where more than 600 people have died from the disease.

10 Sep 2005

Two die from mosquito-borne disease, experts say public must protect themslves from bites

According to health officials, a rare mosquito-borne disease has killed a young girl and an elderly man who lived in neighboring towns, and they are urging people to protect themselves against the insects.

10 Sep 2005

Two die from mosquito-borne disease, experts say public must protect themslves from bites

According to health officials, a rare mosquito-borne disease has killed a young girl and an elderly man who lived in neighboring towns,and they are urging people to protect themselves against the insects.

7 Sep 2005

The Measles Initiative partnership a significant reason for success

The results from a new study published in The Lancet demonstrate that high- quality measles immunization campaigns and improvements in routine immunization services have reduced measles cases by 91% in 19 African nations from 2000-2003, preventing an estimated 90,000 child deaths in 2003 alone.

6 Sep 2005

GenoMed has announced that it successfully treated its thirteenth patient with presumed West Nile virus encephalitis

The patient is a previously healthy man from Aberdeen, South Dakota who developed fever and headache and was diagnosed by his physician as having West Nile virus on Monday of this week. South Dakota has about 50 times higher incidence of West Nile virus this summer than California.

1 Sep 2005