All Infectious Disease articles – Page 12
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NewsNovel biosensing platform enables fingertip blood-based micro-volume t-cell immune monitoring
A new platform, known as Tip Optofluidic Immunoassay Interferon-Gamma Release Assay (TOI-IGRA), could revolutionize how people monitor their immune health. The platform allows for the precise quantification of pathogen-specific T-cell responses using a mere 15-25 μL of fingertip blood.
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NewsPrototype breath tests spot bacterial infections in minutes
Researchers have adapted the long-used breath test for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that causes a common stomach infection, expanding the technology’s capabilities to detect a broader range of bacterial infections.
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NewsA newly identified disease of corn and sorghum may be mistaken for iron deficiency
A newly identified bacterial disease affecting corn and sorghum can closely resemble iron deficiency, potentially leading farmers to apply costly nutrient treatments that do not address the underlying problem.
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NewsScientists discover a bacterium that protects against long Covid
Scientists have discovered the key role played by a bacterium, Dolosigranulum pigrum, that is naturally present in the respiratory microbiome. When present in greater numbers, these bacteria are associated with a reduction in the persistence of symptoms characteristic of long Covid.
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NewsInappropriate antibiotic use for COVID-19 is linked to resistance
Taking azithromycin for as little as one day triggers antibiotic resistance in the respiratory tract, according to a first-of-its kind look by scientists at the changes that occur in the microbiome of hospitalized patients who were treated for COVID-19.
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NewsNew single‑cell technique reveals how tuberculosis‑like bacteria alter human cells
Researchers have developed a new technique to measure the content of individual human cells infected with bacteria that model tuberculosis – and it is already revealing biological changes that conventional analysis would miss.
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NewsStudy identifies causes of potato dry rot in Colorado
Researchers have identified multiple fungal species causing dry rot in Colorado. By analyzing structural and molecular features, plant pathologists identified four Fusarium species associated with potato dry rot – including one that hadn’t previously been found in the U.S.
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NewsStudy maps how tuberculosis bacteria power themselves
A new study provides the first detailed 3D structure of a protein called EtfD, which the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses to extract energy from lipids (fats), along with the first laboratory test capable of directly measuring its activity.
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NewsClimate change is fueling disease outbreaks
Researchers analyzed the connection between a cyclone in Peru and a massive outbreak of dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause fever, rash, and life-threatening symptoms like hemorrhage and shock. Their findings reveal that warmer, wetter weather linked to climate change is making disease epidemics more likely.
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NewsLemongrass essential oil may target bacteria even more effectively than conventional antibiotics, research suggests
Lemongrass essential oil can be even more effective than traditional antibiotics against some Streptococcus bacteria under certain conditions, new research to be presented at MLSFF26 has found.
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NewsWhat factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Two new papers looked at factors that contribute to how Ebola outbreaks begin and how severe they become. This Q&A looks at how the results could inform public health interventions to prevent pathogen emergence or slow the spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
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NewsTargeting two flu proteins sharply reduces airborne spread
A study in ferrets — which have remarkably similar respiratory systems to humans — suggests that immunity to two proteins in the H1N1 influenza virus sharply reduces transmission.
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NewsTrial finds vitamin D supplements don’t reduce Covid severity but could reduce long COVID risk
In a large, randomized trial, researchers have found that high-dose vitamin D3 did not reduce COVID-19 infection severity, but may impact long COVID outcomes.
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NewsMothers' exposure to microbes protect their newborn babies against infection
A study dives into new depths to explore why only some babies develop severe infection to common bacteria. The research revealed that the babies that became most severely ill from E. coli infections also had markedly lower levels of germ-fighting antibodies transferred from their mothers.
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NewsMedicinal plants with anti-entamoeba histolytica activity: phytochemistry, efficacy, and clinical potential
Reported adverse effects associated with the current first-line treatment for amoebiasis, coupled with the evolution of resistance to it, call for the need to search for plant-based alternatives. This study systematically reviews medicinal plants with activity against Entamoeba histolytica.
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NewsScientists reveal how deadly Marburg virus enters human cells, identify therapeutic vulnerability
Researchers found that the Marburg virus, one of the world’s deadliest pathogens, is unusually efficient at getting inside human cells. They also showed that the virus’s entry protein contains structural features that explain this efficiency and point to a strategy for blocking infection.
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NewsHow one flu virus can hamper the immune response to another
Prior exposure to one strain of influenza virus may weaken children’s ability to mount an effective antibody response against their subsequent exposure to a different flu strain, according to a study.
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NewsResearch guides response to unprecedented 2023 E. coli outbreak affecting Calgary kids
Protocols developed by scientists informed care when hundreds of children were sick due to a severe strain of E. coli. Overall, 40 children were hospitalized, 21 developed HUS and nine required dialysis. The number of children who developed HUS was less than half of what would typically occur in an outbreak of this size.
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NewsTicks carrying more than one pathogen are on the rise in US Northeast
Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the northeastern US, with many ticks carrying more than one pathogen. Most commonly found together were Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti. Co-infection with these two pathogens was more frequent than expected, approaching 11% by the end of the study.
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NewsWebinar: Unraveling periprosthetic joint infection
The free ‘Unraveling Periprosthetic Joint Infection’ webinar on March 25 explores one of the most challenging complications in modern orthopedic medicine, sitting at the intersection of microbiology, surgery, and patient care.