New drug inspired by images that captured how bacteria block antibiotic activity
Tag: Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases expert available to comment on increased rate of new Syphilis infections
Ochsner Health Infectious Diseases expert and national thought leader, Dr. Kathernine Baumgarten, is available to comment on the recent CDC report on an alarming increase in new infections of Syphilis. Reach out to [email protected] to schedule an interview.
Dr. R. Wesley Farr available for interviews on Syphilis
Dr. R. Wesley Farr, Lecturer, teaches environmental health, aerospace toxicology, global health, and infectious diseases for the UWF Department of Public Health. Farr is a physician with specialties in Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Aerospace Medicine. He continues…
Risk of serious infection even in low-active IBD
IBD patients with low disease activity are still at increased risk of serious infections. Aiming for full intestinal healing may reduce this risk.
Long COVID most prevalent in the most seriously ill
Severe physical symptoms persist for up to two years in people who had a severe COVID-19 infection, highlighting the importance of long-term monitoring.
Johns Hopkins Study Supports Potential for Injectable ‘Chemical Vaccine’ For Malaria Using Atovaquone
Johns Hopkins researchers looking to develop a long-acting, injectable malaria preventive using atovaquone have shown in a new study that resistance may not be the challenge scientists thought it was, particularly when using atovaquone as a malaria preventive.
Infectious Disease Expert Available: Flu Season, COVID-19 Variant and other Respiratory Viruses
In the United States, flu season usually occurs in the fall and winter, and while influenza viruses spread year-round, most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February. The overall impact of the flu varies from season to…
UM School of Medicine Researchers Provide First Statewide Prevalence Data on Two New Emerging Pathogens in Healthcare Settings
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers conducted a statewide survey of all patients on breathing machines in hospitals and long-term care facilities and found that a significant percentage of them harbored two pathogens known to be life-threatening in those with compromised immune systems.
Assessing the Global Impact: Floods and Infectious Diseases Over Three Decades
Natural flood disasters were associated with increased new cases and deaths of enteric infections, neglected tropical diseases, and respiratory infections. Concerted efforts should be made to design better strategies for adaptation to prevent and control the outbreak of floods-related infectious disease and reduce their impact on health and life.
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Awarded $27.5 Million CDC Grant to Launch New Epidemic Preparedness Project
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has received a five-year $27.5 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics to conduct an epidemic preparedness project as part of the CDC’s multisite Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling Network.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Licenses Next-Generation Diagnostic Test Epigenetic /AI Platform to GNOMX Corp.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has agreed to an exclusive license option with GNOMX Corp. (GNOMX) for epigenetic diagnostic and prognostic technology for infectious diseases.
Top Facts About ‘Flesh-Eating Bacteria’ and Warming Coastal Waters
Vibrio vulnificus is relatively rare, with only 100 to 200 cases reported each year in the United States. On Sept. 1, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory telling healthcare providers and the public to be aware…
Reductions in sexual mixing ended mpox outbreak in England, while vaccination has prevented resurgences in 2023
The rapid outbreak of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in 2022 likely resulted from high levels of sexual mixing among some gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), with the initial downturn in cases probably due to a reduction in sexual contacts among these men.
Biosecurity blanket
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, research on coronaviruses and other harmful pathogens has increased in laboratories across the world – and not just any labs.
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…
COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Could we be seeing a new phase of the pandemic?
Jennifer Horney, professor and founding director of the University of Delaware’s epidemiology program, can talk about the recent wave of COVID-19 cases that hit Japan and the Dominican Republic and an uptick in cases here in the United States. Horney, core…
Medical experts available: C. auris, Autism, Black Maternal Health
Ochsner Health has medical experts on standby to discuss Candida Auris, many topics related to autism as we promote Autism Acceptance Month in April, including signs of Autism in adults. Black Maternal Health Week is coming up in April as…
Drug-resistant fungal disease expert available to comment
Someone dies from complications of antimicrobial resistance every 15 minutes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. Luis Ostrosky, MD, professor of infectious diseases and epidemiology at McGovern…
Archaeologists uncover early evidence of brain surgery in Ancient Near East
Archaeologists know that people have practiced cranial trephination, a medical procedure that involves cutting a hole in the skull, for thousands of years.
Octavio Ramilo, M.D., named chair of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Internationally renowned expert will focus on growing
St. Jude into a global leader in infectious diseases research.
First-of-its-kind instrument officially ushers in new era of X-ray science
Arizona State University has officially begun a new chapter in X-ray science with a newly commissioned, first-of-its-kind instrument that will help scientists see deeper into matter and living things. The device, called the compact X-ray light source (CXLS), marked a major milestone in its operations as ASU scientists generated its first X-rays on the night of Feb. 2.
Data Analytics Could Prevent Testing Bottlenecks During Future Pandemics
Breaking research demonstrates the efficacy of two data analytics-based strategies that clinical labs employed to meet COVID-19 testing demands during the height of the pandemic. These findings, published in the Data Science Issue of AACC’s The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, give labs a blueprint for using data analytics to ensure patient access to testing during future infectious disease outbreaks.
What You Should Know About Mpox
Find out what special pathogens expert Erika Cheung, MSN, RN, CPN, has to say about the disease, which the WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern. Since May 18, 2022, cases of mpox have been spreading in the United States, including California. On July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Receives $2.8 Million Award to Use AI to Predict Precision Dosing for Critically Ill Children
Artificial intelligence could help doctors dynamically determine safe and effective medication dosing for unstable ICU patients. Predicting the right dose of medication that a critically ill child in the ICU will require in the future is a huge challenge for clinicians. FDA prescribing guidelines generally assume that patients are stable enough so that dosing for a given group is usually unchanged during treatment, but this ‘one size fits all’ approach to medication dosing does not accurately target the condition of each individual patient over time.
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.
Dr. Fauci reflects on the perpetual challenge of infectious diseases
Once considered a potentially static field of medicine, the discipline of studying infectious diseases has proven to be dynamic as emerging and reemerging infectious diseases present continuous challenges, Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., writes in a perspective in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Physicians urged to consider fungal infections as possible cause for lung inflammation
UC Davis Health infectious diseases expert George Thompson warns of the rising threat and apparent spread of disease-causing fungi outside their traditional hot spots. Fungal lung infections are commonly misdiagnosed, leading to delays in treatment and increase in antimicrobial resistance in the community.
RUSH, Discovery Partners Institute Awarded CDC Contract to Test Wastewater for Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
Under a four-year $2 million contract awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientists from RUSH and the Discovery Partners Institute will test wastewater from long-term care facilities to identify antibiotic-resistant organisms.
NAU research collaborative receives $21M grant to continue pioneering work into health equity in the Southwest
A groundbreaking research collaborative at Northern Arizona University received another $21 million grant to continue its work to promote health equity and study health disparities among diverse populations of the American Southwest.
‘Placenta-on-a-chip’ Mimics Malaria-infected Nutrient Exchange between Mother-Fetus
Combining microbiology with engineering technologies, this novel 3D model uses a single microfluidic chip to study the complicated processes that take place in malaria-infected placenta as well as other placenta-related diseases and pathologies. The technology supports formation of microengineered placental barriers and mimics blood circulations, which provides alternative approaches for testing and screening.
Long COVID in Kids: A Path to Recovery
A new service at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is providing comprehensive care for children with a debilitating post-COVID condition. Some teens can’t get back to the sports they love. Other children can no longer get through a school day—or even walk up a flight of stairs. Still others feel “off”—and anxious and depressed, too.
UC Davis Health study reports on the safety, efficacy of tecovirimat in treating monkeypox
UC Davis Health has published one of the earliest studies assessing the use of tecovirimat to treat monkeypox (MPX) symptoms and skin lesions. The antiviral drug approved for smallpox treatment appeared to be safe and effective in 25 patients with monkeypox.
UCI research team finds positivity is not equally protective against illness across races
Research has consistently shown that positive psychological factors are linked to better physical health, including increased resistance to infectious illnesses such as the flu and the common cold. A new study from the University of California, Irvine, examines the role that race plays in this connection, comparing the results of African American and European American participants in a series of landmark experimental studies from the Common Cold Project, conducted between 1993 and 2011.
UC San Diego Researchers Add Monkeypox to Wastewater Surveillance
A UC San Diego-led program that monitors wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and which has effectively predicted subsequent surges in COVID-19 cases in San Diego has been expanded to detect the presence of monkeypox.
Mount Sinai Announces the Formation of CastleVax Inc., a Clinical-Stage Infectious Diseases Company Developing Novel Vaccines and Therapeutics, Targeting Pandemic Threats and Diseases of Unmet Medical Need
The Mount Sinai Health System has launched CastleVax, Inc. (“CastleVax”), a clinical-stage vaccine research and development company.
New Low-cost Device Rapidly, Accurately Detects Hepatitis C Infection
The entire virus detection process is executed inside a uniquely designed, portable, inexpensive, disposable, and self-driven microfluidic chip. The fully automated sample-in–answer-out molecular diagnostic set-up rapidly detects Hepatitis C virus in about 45 minutes and uses relatively inexpensive and reusable equipment costing about $50 for sample processing and disease detection. The disposable microfluidic chip also offers shorter times for a reliable diagnosis and costs about $2.
Vircell launches Amplirun® Monkeypox Virus DNA Control, an independent molecular control to combat the current outbreak
Vircell, leading provider of independent external run controls for nucleic acid testing, announces the launch of a new independent molecular control which will help laboratories all over the world to combat the current outbreak
Did Gonorrhea Give Us Grandparents?
UC San Diego researchers tracked the evolution of a gene variant that supports cognitive health in older humans, but may have first emerged to protect against bacteria.
The Medical Minute: Monkeypox cases on the rise
Like the coronavirus pandemic, misinformation about monkeypox is mounting along with the number of cases. A Penn State Health infectious disease doctor cuts through the white noise in this week’s Medical Minute.
Milk boost: Research shows how breastfeeding offers immune benefits
When infants breastfeed, they receive an immune boost that helps them fight off infectious diseases, according to recent research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
Mathematical Model Helps Predict Anal Cancer Risk in Persons with HIV Infection
UC San Diego researchers have created a mathematical model to help predict risk of anal cancer in persons with HIV infection and aid patients and doctors regarding screening decisions.
Hiking Safety for Kids: Expert Tips
As you’re enjoying the early fall weather and outdoor adventures, like hiking, don’t forget to make safety a priority to help keep illness and injuries from spoiling family fun time. Jeffrey M. Bender, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and former ranger in the Sierra Mountains, points out tips on how to prevent bug bites, proper animal interaction and empowering kids to explore the outdoors in a safe and smart way.
Kids and the COVID-19 Vaccine: Eleven Key Questions Answered
With the vaccine for children ages 6 months and older approved, the experts at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provide guidance for families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone approved to receive a COVID-19 vaccine get one—including children ages 6 months and older.
University of Pennsylvania’s First NFT Commemorates mRNA Research
The historic scientific breakthrough at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania that helped lead the world’s fight against COVID-19 through mRNA-based vaccines is being commemorated through a non-fungible token—a digital asset to be auctioned by Christie’s—that will support ongoing research at Penn.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation Launches 2022 ‘IDea’ Incubator Competition
The Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation has launched the 2022 IDea Incubator, the premier showcase of technology in the field of infectious diseases.
COVID long-haulers: Study shows who is most at risk, impact on local communities
A Japanese research team looking at COVID-19’s lingering impacts on survivors and local communities found that having a mild case of COVID-19, smoking status, comorbidities, or your sex aren’t significant predictors to tell if you are less likely to develop long-term symptoms but age is.
FAU’s LeaAnne DeRigne, Ph.D., Cited in U.S. ‘2022 Economic Report of President Biden’
DeRigne’s research on the importance of paid sick leave benefits cited in President Biden’s report, was published in 2016 in the journal Health Affairs. The study was the first to examine the relationship between paid sick leave benefits and delays in medical care and forgone medical care for both working adults and their family members.
Study Reveals Genetic Diversity of a Particularly Problematic Pathogen
Researchers at UC San Diego have used a systems biology approach to parse the genetic diversity of Clostridioides difficile, a particularly problematic pathogen, particularly in health care settings.
Hand washing and sanitizing not enough: close that toilet lid after flushing!
Leaving toilet lids open after flushing can disperse contaminated droplets beyond a metre and remain in the air for 30 minutes. This is one of the findings revealed in a global review of the risks of bacterial and viral transmission in public bathrooms, undertaken by the ANU and University of South Australia.
What causes disease outbreaks?
Since 1974, contaminated water has been the most common driver of large-scale zoonotic infectious disease outbreaks, according to new research from the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID) at the University of Georgia.