The disease is decimating bird populations and spreading into mammals, but human infections remain rare.
Tag: Infectious Disease
HPV genotype-specific prevalence and infection risks: A 10-year population-based study from the United States
Abstract Background: Various studies have reported on the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. Here we present the largest population-based investigation of genotype-specific distributions over the decade following implementation of the 4-valent HPV vaccine (HPV6/11/16/18) in the United States. Methods:…
Tufts University Professor Named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Charles “Chuck” Shoemaker, a professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
Researchers are Going to Map Cells Crucial to Child Respiratory Health and Disease
A research project co-led by researchers at the UNC School of Medicine and colleagues, will create an atlas of the cells in the nasal and oral cavities, throat, and lower airways of pediatric populations in unprecedented detail.
Expert available: Bird flu incidents increasing globally
From the detection of bird flu in raw milk in the United States, to the culling of chickens in New Zealand, incidents of avian influenza are capturing headlines around the globe. The impact of bird flu doesn’t just stop at…
WHO Authorizes First Monkeypox Vaccine for Children
The first mpox vaccine for children has been approved by The World Health Organization. The vaccine is approved for children over the age of one. This comes as Congo and other parts of Africa are being hit the hardest with…
Rates of a tick-borne parasitic disease are on the rise
Rates of babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic disease, increased an average of 9% per year in the United States between 2015 and 2022 and four in 10 patients were found to be co-infected with another tick-borne illness such as Lyme disease.
LJI discovery paves the way for antivirals against Ebola virus and its deadly relatives
The new study, led by researchers in the Saphire Lab at LJI, reveals the inner workings of the Ebola virus nucleocapsid. LA JOLLA, CA—At this moment, the world has few tools to combat deadly filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses. The only approved vaccine and antibody treatments protect against just one filovirus species.
How Beetle Juice Led to the Discovery of a Virus and Solved the Mystery of a Superworm Die-Off
Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists have discovered a virus that caused a nationwide die-off of superworms, a common food for birds, reptiles, other pets and, more and more so, even for humans as an alternative protein source. In doing so, they pioneered a different way to search for and identify emerging viruses and pathogens in humans, plants and animals.
What should I know about Eastern Equine Encephalitis?
With recent reporting of a Massachusetts man being infected with the mosquito-borne Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, people trying to enjoy the last days of summer are being cautioned. An infectious disease expert from Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center shares some answers.
Gut bioelectricity provides a path for bad bacteria to cause diseases
UC Davis Health researchers has discovered a novel bioelectrical mechanism pathogens like Salmonella use to find entry points in the gut lining that would allow them to pass and cause infection.
Study reveals oleoyl-ACP-hydrolase underpins lethal respiratory viral disease
Respiratory infections can be severe, even deadly, in some individuals, but not in others. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and other collaborators have gained new understanding of why this is the case by uncovering an early molecular driver that underpins fatal disease.
Illicit Fentanyl Use Linked to Increased Risk of Hepatitis C Among People Who Use Drugs
Researchers from University of California San Diego and el Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Mexico have revealed a link between illicit fentanyl use and the transmission of hepatitis C (HCV) among people who inject drugs in San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico.
Mini lungs make major COVID-19 discoveries possible
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, University of California San Diego and their international collaborators have reported that more types of lung cells can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 than previously thought, including those without known viral receptors.
Expert available: Fourth human case of bird flu confirmed in the U.S.
The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a fourth human case of bird flu. The patient, who has since recovered, worked at a dairy farm in Colorado. Previous cases have been reported in Texas and Michigan. Matthew…
Herpes Infections Take Major Economic Toll Globally, New Research Shows
The first-ever global estimate of the economic costs of genital herpes infections shows billions of dollars of health care expenditures and productivity losses.
Infectious Disease Doctor: Flying This Summer? Here’s What You Should Know Before Boarding.
The TSA just reported an all-time high for the number of airline travelers screened, and major U.S. airlines expect to transport 271 million passengers this summer, a 6.3 percent increase from last year. Now, board-certified infectious disease physician Carl Abraham, M.D., assistant…
Bird Flu Basics: Safety, Symptoms and Risks
The highly infectious bird flu, also known as avian influenza H5N1, primarily spreads among birds. However, there have been rare cases of infection to humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two human cases of H5N1 have…
LJI home to new “Center of Excellence”
The Institute’s Flow Cytometry Core, which provides cutting-edge research services, has been named a BD Biosciences “Center of Excellence.” Along with this distinction, the LJI Flow Core has brought in a sophisticated instrument for immune cell research: the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter.
Measles: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School expert available
William Moss, MD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is available to speak about the “renewed threat” of measles in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that from January 1, 2020–March 28,…
Measles: How to Spot it, When to Seek Care and Importance of Vaccination
As the Measles outbreak continues to grow in Florida, Francesca Torriani, MD, infectious disease specialist with UC San Diego Health is available to discuss symptoms to look out for, when to seek medical care, and the importance of vaccination. Biography…
New Approach to Tackling Bacterial Infections Identified
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections. The findings were described in the February 6 online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
A Decade of Progress: Addressing Humanity’s Shared Challenges
Ten years after the creation of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, new university institutes and centers are bringing the world’s best medical ideas to New Jersey and beyond
Not all viruses are harmful
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people became well aware that viruses can be extremely harmful. But can viruses also be helpful? Bryan Hsu aims to find out by studying viruses that infect bacteria in the bellies of mammals.
Remoteness didn’t protect Amazonian Tsimané from COVID-19
Voluntary collective isolation alone was ineffective to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 into small-scale, remote Indigenous communities of the Tsimané in the Bolivian Amazon.
Training immune cells to remove ‘trash’ helps resolve lung inflammation
Acute lung injury occurs when our lung’s immune system response becomes hyperactivated and causes inflammation to continue unchecked. In fact, many deaths from COVID-19 were from acute lung injury.
New LJI research has major implications for controlling T cell activity
According to new research in the journal Immunity, T cells have a nuclear receptor doing something very odd—but very important—to help them fight pathogens and destroy cancer cells.
Rutgers Scientist’s Research Provides Insight Into COVID-19 Immunity
Exposure to common cold-causing coronaviruses may contribute to pre-existing immunity to COVID-19, according to a new study involving a Rutgers research scientist.
Infectious Disease Physician Available to Comment on Leprosy Cases in Florida
Board-certified infectious disease physician Carl Abraham, M.D., assistant professor at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM), is available to comment on leprosy cases in Florida. Abraham, who is both a faculty member at NYITCOM’s Arkansas location (in…
A new look inside Ebola’s “viral factories”
The study, led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), reveals the inner workings of viral factories, clusters of viral proteins and genomes that form in host cells.
EG.5 COVID Variant: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health expert available
Andrew Pekosz, professor and vice chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is available for media interviews to discuss the EG.5 COVID variant, which the Centers for Disease Control…
New Resource Harmonizes 16S and Shotgun Sequencing Data for Microbiome Research
UC San Diego scientists debut Greengenes2, a massive reference database that could be used to reconcile years of microbiome studies.
Asymptomatic infections may underlie recent rise in whooping cough
In a new study, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) compared the immune response of individuals who received older versus newer versions of the whooping cough vaccine. The unexpected findings may help explain the recent rise in whooping cough cases and point to potential targets for the next generation of vaccines.
UC San Diego Health Experts Available to Discuss Shingles, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has developed rare complications due to a months-long shingles infection, including encephalitis (brain inflammation) and Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome occurs when shingles infects cranial nerves, including the auditory, vestibular and facial nerves, which can…
How a Virus Causes Chromosomal Breakage, Leading to Cancer
UC San Diego Researchers describe for the first time how the Epstein-Barr virus exploits genomic weaknesses to cause cancer while reducing the body’s ability to suppress it.
Deadly Fungal Infection Candida Auris in 2023: Should You Be Worried?
You might have heard or read about the ‘superbug’ Candida auris (C. auris), but is it as scary as the news makes it seem?
Why Subvariants of the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Accelerated the Pandemic
UC San Diego researchers describe why SARS-CoV-2 subvariants spread more rapidly than the original virus strain, and how an early treatment might have made people more susceptible to future infections.
A Quick New Way to Screen Virus Proteins for Antibiotic Properties
A whole new world of antibiotics is waiting inside the viruses that infect bacteria. Our scientists are making it easier to study them.
New $17 million grant establishes LJI as global hub for immunology data curation and analysis
A new grant of over $17 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has established La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) as the leading institute for human immunology data curation, analysis, and dissemination. With this funding, LJI has taken the helm of the Human Immunology Project Consortium Data Coordinating Center, a critical tool in the effort to fuel scientific collaboration in immunoprofiling and highlight findings from the overall Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC).
UT Southwestern biochemist, molecular biologist to receive HHMI Emerging Pathogens awards
Two of UT Southwestern’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers in biochemistry and molecular biology will lead separate teams as part of HHMI’s Emerging Pathogens Initiative (EPI) targeting infectious diseases that pose a threat to human health.
Host-Cell Factors Involved in COVID-19 Infections May Augur Improved Treatments
Researchers at University of California San Diego and UC Riverside have further elucidated the molecular pathway used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect human lung cells, identifying a key host-cell player that may prove a new and enduring therapeutic target for treating COVID-19.
International policy adviser, epidemiologist Dr. Saad Omer selected inaugural dean for UT Southwestern’s O’Donnell School of Public Health
Internationally recognized epidemiologist Saad B. Omer, M.B.B.S, Ph.D., who currently directs the Yale Institute for Global Health, has been appointed the inaugural Dean of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
UTSW Pharmacologist James Collins receives 2023 TAMEST Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award
James Collins III, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, will receive the 2023 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) for broadening understanding of schistosomiasis.
Increasing Robo4 expression may help with infections
The researchers screened a library of drugs using a mouse endothelial cell line to identify pathways that are involved in the regulation of Robo4 and found that two competitive SMAD signaling pathways appear to regulate Robo4 expression. When the researchers treated LPS-injected mice with a drug that inhibits ALK1-SMAD signaling, they observed increased Robo4 expression, decreased vascular permeability, and reduced mortality.
Japan’s lack of infectious diseases research exposed by COVID-19 pandemic
Japan’s government has drawn criticism from some of the nation’s researchers following a new analysis that shows Japan has for years been lagging in the field of infectious diseases research, including after the COVID-19 pandemic had hit.
LJI Instructor Annie Elong Ngono, Ph.D., wins GVN support to advance infectious disease research
LJI Instructor Annie Elong Ngono, Ph.D., has spearheaded important studies into the immune response to deadly pathogens such as dengue virus. Now, this dedication to global health and virology has earned her acceptance to the Global Virus Network’s (GVN) highly selective Rising Star Mentorship Program.
LJI scientists confirm smallpox vaccine also teaches T cells to fight mpox
“Vaccines such as JYNNEOS should be able to induce T cells that also recognize mpox and can provide protection from severe disease.”
Flu shots are recommended for those 65 and older as cases rise
With flu cases on the rise, geriatric specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center say vaccinations are particularly important this year for people 65 and older who are more at risk from complications than other age groups.
Say Goodbye to Fish Vaccine Injection with “FLAVO INNOVAC” Nano Vaccine for Immersion : The Effective Solution for Prevention of Bacterial Gills Diseases in Fish caused by Flavobacterium spp.
A lecturer and his research team from Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, have developed “FLAVO INNOVAC” nanovaccine for the prevention of bacterial gills diseases in freshwater fish species such as Tilapia and freshwater Asian sea bass. This nanovaccine is an effective solution that reduces the risk of death from diseases and the limitations of vaccine injections.
The cell sentinel that neutralises hepatitis B
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for one of the most serious and common infectious diseases. Transmitted through biological fluids, it attacks the liver cells.