Infectious Diseases News - SciTechDaily

How Body Lice Could Rewrite the History of the Black Death

PLOS — Tue, 21 May 2024 18:00:39 +0000

Study could challenge the widespread view that fleas and rats are the only contributors to plague outbreaks. According to the results of a new laboratory...

Pandemic Potential: New Research Shows H5N1 Bird Flu Can Transmit Through Air

Penn State — Mon, 20 May 2024 12:28:58 +0000

New findings show that a strain of the H5N1 influenza virus has developed only a minimal capacity for airborne transmission. In March, the United States...

When Cells Turn Against Us: The Ferroptosis Link in COVID-19 Lung Destruction

Columbia University — Mon, 20 May 2024 09:00:42 +0000

Researchers at Columbia University have discovered that ferroptosis, a specific type of cell death, is primarily responsible for the lung damage observed in severe COVID-19...

Deciphering Zoonotic Mysteries: The Squirrel-Leprosy Connection in Medieval Europe

University of Basel — Tue, 14 May 2024 06:32:39 +0000

Researchers at the University of Basel and the University of Zurich have been able to prove that British squirrels carried leprosy bacteria as early as...

Genetic Sleuths Discover Red Squirrels As Medieval Leprosy Carriers

Cell Press — Fri, 03 May 2024 15:00:45 +0000

Research reveals medieval English red squirrels hosted leprosy-causing bacteria, impacting our understanding of disease history and its transmission between humans and animals. Evidence from archaeological...

Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Identified in Dead Florida Dolphin

University of Florida — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:36:36 +0000

Researchers documented the first North American cetacean case of avian influenza in a Florida dolphin, underscoring the need for further research on this cross-species virus...

How Cancer Research Is Revolutionizing Lyme Disease Treatment

Tulane University — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 23:14:22 +0000

Fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitors, a type of drug previously studied in the context of cancer, shows promise in reducing inflammation and cell death in...

Experimental NIH Antibody Protects Children From Malaria in Clinical Trial

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:00:31 +0000

A new study reports a single dose of a malaria antibody was 77% effective in protecting children in Mali from malaria, marking a significant step...

Combating the Next Pandemic: Experts Call for Global Genetic Warning System

Frontiers — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:00:19 +0000

Scientists champion global genomic surveillance using the latest technologies and a ‘One Health’ approach to protect against novel pathogens like avian influenza and antimicrobial resistance,...

Startling: Disease-Spreading Blood-Sucking Flies Are Spreading Throughout Germany

Goethe University Frankfurt — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:31:41 +0000

The suitability of habitats for these medically relevant insects has been modeled across four federal states. At just six millimeters long, black flies (Simuliidae) might...

The Invisible Assault: How COVID-19 Clandestinely Ravages the Heart

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 04:52:44 +0000

NIH-supported research shows that the virus that causes COVID-19 can damage the heart without directly infecting heart tissue. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can...

The Iron Twist: The Unexpected Driver of Long COVID

University of Cambridge — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 23:58:13 +0000

Iron levels and inflammation after COVID-19 infection are linked to long COVID, with research indicating that early intervention in iron regulation could mitigate long-term symptoms....

Climate Change Ignites Global Infectious Disease Alarm

University of California - Davis Health — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 10:28:16 +0000

Experts highlight the connection between climate change and infectious diseases, urging medical professionals to prepare for new disease patterns and advocate for climate action. A...

Unlocking the Power of “Hexaplex” To Revolutionize Flu Vaccines

Cory Nealon, University at Buffalo — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 23:19:26 +0000

Tests show the recombinant vaccine outperforming existing vaccines in some areas. Recombinant protein vaccines, like the Novavax vaccine used to fight COVID-19, offer several advantages...

New Study Challenges Conventional Wisdom on Lockdowns

Carnegie Mellon University — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:27:48 +0000

New research highlights the fine balance between health and economic strategies in pandemic response, introducing an innovative approach that adapts to changing virus dynamics. The...

The Invisible Assassin: How E. Coli’s Hidden Mutation Turns Deadly

University of Queensland — Sun, 25 Feb 2024 01:22:42 +0000

Mutation in E. coli facilitates severe disease by hindering cellulose production, revealing new approaches to fight antibiotic resistance. Queensland researchers have discovered that a mutation...

Swarming Secrets: Bat ‘Nightclubs’ Hold the Key to Preventing Future Viral Outbreaks

Courtney Price, Texas A&M University — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:12:10 +0000

The evolution of viral tolerance in Myotis bats may help scientists prevent future pandemics, say researchers at Texas A&M. Bats carry some of the deadliest...

Unlocking the Lung’s Hidden Army of Flu Fighters

Jules Bernstein, University of California - Riverside — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 01:47:19 +0000

Researchers discovered that the sac around the lungs contains macrophages that fight flu infections by moving into the lungs, offering new insights into lung health...

Headaches, Memory Problems, and Fatigue – How COVID-19 Affects the Brain

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:34:36 +0000

Neurological symptoms are apparently not a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection of the brain. Scientists still are not sure how neurological symptoms arise in COVID-19. Is...

Silicon Strikes Back: 96% Viral Reduction Without Chemicals

Rovira i Virgili University — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 06:27:10 +0000

An international research project in which the URV has taken part has designed and manufactured a surface that has virucidal properties but does not use...

Unlocking T Cells’ Tactical Advantage Against Tuberculosis

La Jolla Institute for Immunology — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:14:14 +0000

By tracking T cell activity, researchers uncover promising tuberculosis vaccine and drug targets. La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is working to guide the development...

How Natural Killer Cell Therapy Offers a Lifeline to COVID-19 ARDS Patients

Anglia Ruskin University — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 10:00:43 +0000

Initial trial suggests invariant natural killer cell therapy improves survival. Promising trial results indicate that a new type of cell therapy could improve the prognosis...

Unmasking the Immune System’s Secret Role in Brain Damage From Viral Infections

McMaster University — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 10:00:28 +0000

A new study discovered that T cells, not viruses, are responsible for neurological damage in diseases like Zika and COVID-19, suggesting new treatment strategies. For...

The “Surprisingly Different” JN.1 Variant Is a Game-Changer in Our COVID Battle

Suman Majumdar, Brendan Crabb, Emma Pakula, and Stuart Turville — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 03:19:31 +0000

The JN.1 COVID-19 variant, emerging in late 2023, marks a significant shift in the virus’s evolution, emphasizing the need for sustained global health efforts. Since...