One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
Making transfusion-transmitted malaria in Europe a thing of the past
The current strategy used in Europe to mitigate malaria transfusion risk is efficient with just 10 reported cases over the past 20 years, but current serological tests used to identify “at risk” donors are not sensitive enough to completely eliminate the risk.
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NewsExperts developing way to harness Nobel Prize winning CRISPR technology to deal with antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Scientists show how the latest CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology can be used to help modify and attack AMR bacteria.
NewsCRISPR is promising to tackle antimicrobial resistance - but remember bacteria can fight back
Experts are looking to use the Nobel winning technology to target resistance genes and make bacteria sensitive to first line antibiotics again; but the bacteria have ways to fight back.
More One Health
News
Experimental NIH malaria monoclonal antibody protective in Malian children
One injected dose of an experimental malaria monoclonal antibody was 77% effective against malaria disease in children in Mali during the country’s six-month malaria season, according to the results of a mid-stage clinical trial.
NewsEffective health comms needed to save lives during epidemics
An African infectious disease expert discusses how effective public health communication is critical for fighting epidemics and saving lives across the African continent.
NewsAntibiotic use in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 appears to have no beneficial effect on clinical outcomes
An analysis of more than 1,300 German adults hospitalised with moderate COVID-19 finds treatment with antibiotics was associated with five times greater likelihood of COVID-19 deterioration compared to patients not given antibiotics.
News Antimicrobial-resistant hospital infections remain at least 12% above pre-pandemic levels, major US study finds
Despite progress in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the USA since its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital-acquired AMR infections remain well above pre-pandemic levels, according to a major new study examining AMR before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in 120 US hospitals.
NewsVitamin D availability enhances antitumor microbes in mice
Dietary vitamin D modulates the gut microbiome to enhance the response to cancer immunotherapies, according to a new study in mice.
NewsWastewater plant yields giant viruses that infect deadly parasite
Researchers have discovered giant viruses that infect the single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri which ranks among the deadliest human parasites.
NewsClimate change linked surge in malaria transmission could be less than feared
Despite concerns about the potential impact of climate change on increasing malaria risk, there is still limited understanding of how temperature affects malaria transmission – until now.
NewsMicrobiota enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis-secreted BFT-1 promotes breast cancer cell stemness and chemoresistance
A new study highlights the importance of considering the microbiome as a factor in cancer treatment and offers a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies aimed at enhancing efficacy of breast cancer treatments.
NewsExperts call for global genetic warning system to combat the next pandemic and antimicrobial resistance
Clinical and public health microbiologists have called for investment in technology, capacity, expertise, and collaboration to put genomic surveillance of pathogens at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness.
NewsPaclitaxel-induced immune dysfunction and activation of transcription factor AP-1 facilitate Hepatitis B virus replication
A study finds that Paclitaxel treatment directly promotes HBV replication and transcription, leading to HBV reactivation in HBV stable expression cell models, HBV natural infection cell models, and HBV transgenic mouse models.
NewsStudy finds artificial intelligence can develop treatments to prevent superbugs
Researchers developed an AI model that can determine the best combination and timeline to use when prescribing drugs to treat a bacterial infection, based solely on how quickly the bacteria grow given certain perturbations.
NewsTo mask or not to mask? Understanding public health behaviors during COVID-19
Researchers from Osaka University find that mask-wearing behavior depends on complex relationships between context and social norms.
NewsCOVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and fewer common side-effects most important factors in whether adults choose to get vaccinated
Concerns about the common side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines and their effectiveness are key to determining whether adults in Germany and the UK choose to get vaccinated against the virus, according to new research.
NewsClimate change is multiplying the threat caused by antimicrobial resistance
Climate change is multiplying the threat caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR), amplifying its growing risk through increasing global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions and rising sea levels, experts have warned.
NewsNew ultraviolet light air disinfection technology could help protect against healthcare infections and even the next pandemic
Low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolet light, known as far-UVC, can kill viruses and bacteria without the safety concerns of conventional ultraviolet light.
NewsMosquito-borne diseases become a global phenomenon in a warmer, more populated world
An additional 4.7 billion people around the world are predicted to be at risk of malaria and dengue by 2100 if emissions and population growth continue to rise at current levels.
NewsMajor genetic meta-analysis reveals how antibiotic resistance in babies varies according to mode of birth, prematurity, and where they live
Meta-analysis of genetic studies from 10 countries finds infants born by C-section have more antibiotic resistance genes; antibiotic use and prematurity also fuel resistance.
NewsArtificial sweetener has potential to damage gut
New research has discovered that neotame, one of the new generation of artificial sweeteners, is capable of damaging the human intestine and causing illness.
NewsStudy finds X’s community notes provide accurate, credible answers to vaccine misinformation
A new study finds X’s Community Notes has resulted in hundreds of millions of views of accurate and credible COVID-19 vaccine education, suggesting considerable potential for the correction of misinformation.
