All Public Health articles – Page 2
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NewsStudy reveals fungi as overlooked players in agricultural antibiotic resistance
Fungi may be helping antibiotic resistance genes survive during livestock manure composting. Researchers found that suppressing fungal activity weakened microbial networks and increased the removal of resistance genes, suggesting that fungi could play an overlooked role in the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance.
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NewsGene-regulatory pathway helps T cells tolerate gut bacteria and prevent inflammation
The immune system somehow tolerates trillions of gut bacteria without constantly attacking them. Researchers have now identified a gene-regulatory pathway that helps regulatory T cells maintain this peace, with defects in the pathway triggering severe inflammation and autoimmunity in mice.
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NewsWhy do some people spread the flu while others avoid infection? Mizzou researchers investigate
Why do some people spread influenza efficiently while others barely pass it on? A new $19 million NIH-funded research programme will investigate how immunity, temperature and humidity shape airborne flu transmission, with the aim of improving vaccines and other prevention strategies.
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NewsMicrobes could become factories for the next generation of food ingredients
Precision fermentation is moving beyond niche ingredients towards a broader role in food production, from egg-white substitutes to proteins that mimic meat. Researchers argue that scaling the technology across both high-value and everyday ingredients could help make food production more sustainable and resilient.
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News$16.4m NIH grant launches new hepatitis C vaccine centre
Hepatitis C has long frustrated vaccine developers with its extraordinary ability to mutate and evade immunity. A new $16.4 million research centre will bring together experts in antibodies, T cells and vaccine design to identify the virus’s most stable weak points and develop broadly protective vaccine candidates.
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NewsAvian flu could push vulnerable vulture populations into further decline
H5N1 avian influenza is emerging as a serious threat to already vulnerable vulture populations, with deaths reported across the Americas and Europe. Researchers warn that losing these scavengers could also weaken a natural barrier against disease by allowing infected carcasses and pathogens to persist for longer.
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NewsOne Health initiative aims to build safer, more sustainable food systems
A new One Health initiative in Thailand is bringing together expertise across food safety, antimicrobial resistance, climate change and public health. The platform aims to turn scientific evidence into coordinated action across agrifood systems, with a strong focus on collaboration between researchers, government, industry and international partners.
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NewsCommon cell-death inhibitor reveals an unexpected pathway in tuberculosis
A widely used cell-death inhibitor may be triggering macrophage death during mycobacterial infection through an unexpected off-target pathway. The findings reveal a caspase-8-independent route to necroptosis and could help explain how damaging necrotic granulomas form during tuberculosis.
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NewsDistant climate patterns may offer early warning of Ebola outbreaks
Ebola outbreaks may leave a climatic trail months before they emerge. By analysing nearly five decades of outbreak data alongside large-scale climate oscillations, researchers identified distant weather patterns that could help flag periods and regions where Ebola risk may be increasing.
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NewsScientists propose national microbiome plan to prevent chronic disease
Leading microbiome researchers are calling for a global ‘moonshot’ to determine how the microbes living in and on our bodies contribute to chronic disease. The proposed agenda would combine long-term human studies, clinical trials, global research standards and public education to move the field from promising associations towards proven causes and treatments.
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NewsDrug-resistant bacteria in clinic air raise infection-control concerns
Air sampled inside a South African clinic contained multiple ESKAPE bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics, with some surviving even last-resort treatments. The findings raise concerns about airborne exposure in healthcare settings, particularly for patients with weakened immune systems.
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NewsNew dosing data expands HIV treatment options for newborns
Newborns with HIV can now be treated with dolutegravir from the first days of life. An international clinical study identified a safe dosing regimen that produced drug levels comparable to those seen in older children and adults, helping support the FDA’s expanded approval.
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NewsNeedle-free approach could offer a new way to deliver mRNA vaccines
A needle-free mRNA vaccine delivered through the skin protected mice against both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza while causing less inflammation than lipid-based formulations. The approach uses a high-pressure liquid jet and a combination of two immune-boosting adjuvants to strengthen protection without relying on conventional mRNA carriers.
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NewsChildhood measles vaccination rates fall worldwide post COVID-19
Routine vaccine program disruptions and under-resourced health systems are driving a global decline in childhood measles vaccination rates post COVID-19, a study has found.
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NewsResearch to uncover hidden life cycle of bacteriophages
Some bacteriophages can quietly replicate inside bacteria for generations without killing their hosts, making these infections difficult to detect with standard methods. A new research project will investigate this hidden life cycle and explore whether understanding it could help scientists engineer more effective phage therapies against drug-resistant infections.
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NewsAdvanced air purification fails to reduce surgical infections
Cleaner operating-room air may not be enough to prevent surgical infections. In a study of more than 110,000 procedures, advanced air-purification systems did not reduce infections, complications or deaths, suggesting hospitals may gain more by targeting direct contamination of surgical wounds.
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NewsCranberry juice may be a boon for oral hygiene
Pure cranberry juice may do more than add a tart kick to the holiday table. In a small human study, it slowed dental plaque growth and reduced acid production, suggesting the fruit’s natural compounds could help protect tooth enamel.
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NewsScientific triumph, equity failure: Faster, fairer COVID-19 vaccine roll-out could have saved millions of lives
Beginning the global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out 100 days after the virus was sequenced could have saved more than 8 million lives by the end of 2021, most of them in lower-middle-income countries. The authors of a new Policy Brief argue that fair vaccine-sharing rules should be established before the next pandemic, rather than negotiated during the crisis itself.
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NewsProposed changes to Hepatitis B vaccination schedule could significantly increase infections, model suggests
A modeling study suggests that replacing universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth with delayed vaccination or a shared decision-making approach, as recommended by the U.S. federal government this year, could lead to substantially more chronic hepatitis B infections among U.S. children.
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NewsImmune protein may fight viruses while limiting harmful inflammation
A naturally occurring immune protein may help the body fight viruses without triggering the damaging inflammation that can make infections worse. New research suggests interferon lambda can strengthen antiviral defences while keeping inflammatory responses under tighter control.