Texas cities increasingly susceptible to large measles outbreaks

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 21, 2019 – The growing number of children arriving at Texas schools unvaccinated makes the state increasingly vulnerable to measles outbreaks in cities large and small, according to a computer simulation created by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate…

As whooping cough evolves, WVU researcher studies how to maintain vaccine’s effectiveness

Scientists and bacteria are locked in an arms race. Over time, bacteria can evolve to resist today’s powerful vaccines. Bordetella pertussis–which causes pertussis, or whooping cough–is no different. Although the current vaccines that protect against it are highly effective–plunging the…

‘Catcher of the rye’ method detects rye gluten proteins in foods

Gluten-free diets have been trendy for several years now, with adherents claiming that avoiding grains that contain the substance helps with weight loss or improves general health. However, for people with celiac disease, avoiding gluten is not a fad but…

Findings shed new light on why Zika causes birth defects in some pregnancies

One thing is clear when it comes to Zika: pregnant women must do everything they can to avoid getting infected. If the virus gains entry to the mother’s cells, it can also infect the baby and cause severe birth defects,…

Birth defects associated with Zika virus infection may depend on mother’s immune response

New research led by scientists at The Rockefeller University in New York may help explain why Zika virus infection causes birth defects in some children but not others. The study, which will be published August 14 in the Journal of…

Attacking asthma in kids

According to the World Health Organization, asthma is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease worldwide. That’s why researchers are working on developing technology that could predict when a child will have an asthma attack and provide prevention and treatment suggestions,…