Highly contagious rotaviruses are the leading cause of severe diarrheal illnesses among infants and young children in both developed and resource-limited countries. Each year, rotavirus-induced diarrheal disease kills roughly 435,000 children younger than 5 years old and hospitalizes an estimated two million children worldwide, largely in developing countries.
A research collaboration Continue reading
Researchers have identified the dose of dengue virus in human blood that is required to infect mosquitoes when they bite. Mosquitoes are essential for transmitting the virus between people so the findings have important implications for understanding how to slow the spread of the disease.
By defining the threshold of the amount of virus needed for transmission, the research Continue reading
A new study by researchers at UCLA, Northwestern University and the University of Washington is the first to identify the strategy by which bacteria form the micro-colonies that become biofilms. The research may have significant implications for battling difficult bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics.
Bacteria on a surface wander Continue reading
Mosquitoes are deadly efficient disease transmitters. Research conducted at Michigan State University, however, demonstrates that they also can be equally adept in curing diseases such as malaria.
A study in the current issue of Science shows the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes to humans can be interrupted by using a strain Continue reading
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified an experimental drug that has shown promise in treating influenza virus, and preventing lung injury and death from the virus.
Eritoran, a drug developed by Eisai Inc. for the treatment of sepsis, was shown to protect mice from death after they had been infected with a lethal Continue reading
University of Washington scientists used lab-grown human lung cells to study cell response to infection by a novel human coronavirus (nCoV) and compiled information about which genes are significantly disrupted in early and late stages of infection.
The host response study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, has allowed the Continue reading
Scientists from the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna have provided insights into how much harm bacteria can cause to the lung of people with the flu. The results could prompt the development of alternative treatments for flu-related bacterial infections, to improve patient outcome and prevent permanent lung damage.
The Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) yesterday notified the World Health Organization of an additional four laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus and one additional death.
This brings the total as of April 23, 2013 to 108 laboratory-confirmed H7N9 cases Continue reading