Prevention

Over-the-counter diagnostic tests for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and pathogens associated with upper respiratory tract infections such as influenza and Group A Streptococcus may soon gain approval; however, making these tests immediately available to the public would not be without challenges.

Thanks to the recently approved $1.1 billion in federal funding to support Zika virus-related efforts, various government agencies are ramping up efforts to develop novel vaccines designed to prevent infection.

The FDA has released a warning on the risk of reactivation of hepatitis B virus in some patients receiving direct-action antivirals to treat hepatitis C infection.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has provided funding of $24 million this year to the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions, the first clinical research group that will focus on youth infected by HIV.

Current traditional culture methods can take up to three days to identify bacteria and test antimicrobial resistances from a urine sample.

Recent research suggests those who are physically active may have a lower risk of bacterial infections than those who live a sedentary lifestyle.

Researchers at the University of Zurich and the University Hospital-Zurich have made a discovery that may contribute to the development of an effective HIV vaccine.

Can a vaccine be developed for human rhinovirus in its many forms? A new study suggests that it is possible.

According to newly published research, high levels of zinc changes microbiota in the gut decreasing resistance to infections from Clostridium difficile.

Kenneth Fife, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine at Indiana University, School of Medicine, discusses whether or not his genital herpes vaccine, GEN-003, can protect against oral herpes.

The transdermal vaccine route offers an opportunity to improve vaccine administration.

As individual nations attempt to make meaningful progress on stemming antibiotic use, a troubling new study shows that hospitals in the United States have continued to dispense antibiotics at a steady rate in recent years.

Stephen Redd, MD (RADM, USPHS), Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discusses how clinicians can prepare for public health threats.

Stephen Redd, MD (RADM, USPHS), Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explains why healthcare providers are the ideal candidates to relay information about public health preparedness.

State health departments in Minnesota and Washington are on the alert after recent outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is designating Sansaria PfSPZ, a malaria vaccine, to the “fast track” a move that will expedite the process for the drug, now in review.

Despite the ongoing funding stalemate in Congress, several research initiatives hoping to yield an effective vaccine against Zika are advancing through the development process.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows influenza viruses currently in circulation in the United States are the same as anticipated by vaccine makers, hopefully signaling effectiveness ahead for 2016-2017 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccines.

When researchers recently discovered a strain of Escherichia coli resistant to the final resort antibiotics colistin and carbapenem in the United States, it marked an increasing pattern of pan–drug-resistant bacteria appearing worldwide. A new report from France, though, may indicate that identifying and isolating these deadly superbug strains may help us control their spread.

Barry Kreiswirth, PhD, founding director, Public Health Research Institute Tuberculosis Center, professor of medicine at Rutgers University, discusses the “ideal” treatment method for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

As health experts around the world take on the problem of antimicrobial resistance and overuse of antibiotics in humans as a prime cause, world leaders are reminding us of another contributor to this global health issue: our farming system.

In a collaborative effort, researchers have discovered what they refer to as a “Trojan Horse” strategy that uses two developed bispecific antibodies that have proved active against all five strains of the ebolavirus.

To find the next great innovation to fight the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, the National Institutes of Health has announced the launch of a new federal prize competition dubbed the Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostic Challenge.

A varicella outbreak that had occurred last year in Michigan is thought to be associated with riding on a school bus, which makes small, enclosed spaces, such as a school bus, a risk factor for both transmitting and acquiring airborne diseases.

With schools and colleges back in session, so too are contagious illnesses such as hand, foot, and mouth disease, which has recently broken out in two New Jersey high schools and a Florida university.

A new, adaptable antibody, has been discovered by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute that can mutate to neutralize a number of influenza strains.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, assistant professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Idaho State University, College of Pharmacy, explains his research regarding topoisomerase I and II enzymes.

Walgreens has partnered up again with the US Department of Health in an effort to improve rates of flu vaccination by providing over $10 million in free flu shot vouchers for Americans who are uninsured.

Barry Kreiswirth, PhD, founding director, Public Health Research Institute Tuberculosis Center, professor of medicine at Rutgers University, discusses the implications of the findings of his study.

Barry Kreiswirth, PhD, founding director, Public Health Research Institute Tuberculosis Center, professor of medicine at Rutgers University, explains which populations are most susceptible to antibiotic-resistant organisms.