USDA Issues Food Safety Tips for Areas Affected by Flooding
August 26th 2016Many Louisiana residents have been impacted by severe flooding. In response, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing food safety recommendations to guide those in Louisiana who have been affected.
Study Finds Food and Healthcare Workers More Susceptible to Norovirus
August 26th 2016Individuals who handle foods in the course of their work, as well as those working in healthcare settings, have a higher risk for infection with highly contagious, gastroenteritis-inducing noroviruses when an outbreak occurs where they work.
Severity of Zika Threat Still Open for Debate—US Health Officials Not Taking Any Chances
August 25th 2016With 43 “local” cases of Zika virus infection now reported in Florida, and as far north as St. Petersburg, health officials in other Gulf states are ramping up responses in the event of potential outbreaks—even as there remains some disagreement as to the true nature of the threat of local transmission in the United States.
New Genetic Research Holds Promise for C. Difficile Treatment
August 25th 2016In the battle against drug-resistant pathogens, genetic research holds promising answers to our toughest threats. A new study shows that the best tool for treating Clostridium difficile infections could be within the genome of the bacteria itself.
Fruit Flies May Provide Answers to How HPV-induced Cancers Work
August 25th 2016By using a fruit fly model of human papillomavirus (HPV) induced human cancer, a team of researchers from the University of Missouri hope to better understand the mechanism that allows HPV to cause cancer as well as identify therapies that can potentially treat HPV-induced cancers.
Probiotics Could Offer Important Line of Defense Against Drug-resistant Bacteria
August 23rd 2016As the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria leads to higher rates of life-threatening infections from pathogens such Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), researchers are increasingly looking to probiotic treatment as an important part of fighting infections.
Two Novel Biomarkers Associated with Clinical Outcome in Dengue
August 22nd 2016Researchers analyzed soluble forms of the B cell antigens CD27 and CD38 (sCD27 and sCD38, respectively) in the plasma of children with dengue and have suggested a role for these soluble forms as biomarkers of progression of the disease.
Genetically Diverse Viral Antigens Needed to Win the Fight Against Viral Pathogens
August 21st 2016A new model of the within-host evolutionary arms race between viral pathogens and the adaptive immune responses intended to fight them suggests that vaccines based on genetically diverse sets of viral antigens may be more likely to stimulate the production of antibodies capable of neutralizing broad panels of virions.
Co-Infection with Malaria Parasites Can Result in Higher Chances of Surviving Ebola
August 20th 2016A new study conducted by an Ebola diagnostic laboratory in Liberia has found that there is a connection between the survival of individuals with Ebola and co-infection with Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria.
New Project Calls for More HIV Research That Includes Pregnant Women
August 19th 2016A UNC bioethicist is leading the PHASES Project, funded by a grant of over $3 million from the National Institutes of Health, in an effort to address the need for effective HIV prevention and treatment options for pregnant women worldwide.
New Process for Creating Synthetic DNA Drugs Can Ultimately Save Lives
August 19th 2016Scientists at Michigan Technological University have created a process for creating synthetic DNA that prevents cells from forming harmful proteins that result in a number of maladies; this process can lead to the development of more effective gene therapy drugs.
Scientists Identify Zika Proteins Causing Microcephaly
August 18th 2016In the first research of its kind, an interdisciplinary group of scientists analyzed three Zika strains in second trimester fetal neural stem cells (fNSC) to identify which viral proteins cause congenital microcephaly. Since Zika causes significant neurological impairment, early diagnosis is imperative.