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.
Tag: Viral Infection
Flu causes cardiac complications by directly infecting the heart
Researchers have shown for the first time in mice that heart problems seen in some of the sickest flu patients are caused by direct influenza infection of cardiac cells.
Possible new antivirals against COVID-19, herpes
The immune system fights viruses with peptides. Now, scientists have treated animal models of herpes with synthetic peptide mimics known as peptoids. These molecules could one day cure or prevent many kinds of infections, including COVID-19. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2021.

Immune cell implicated in development of lung disease following viral infection
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have implicated a type of immune cell in the development of chronic lung disease that sometimes is triggered following a respiratory viral infection. The evidence suggests that activation of this immune cell serves as an early switch that, when activated, drives progressive lung diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Am I Losing My Sense of Smell or Is It COVID-19
Do I have COVID-19 or is it something else? Bobby Tajudeen, MD, director of rhinology, sinus surgery and skull base surgery at Rush University Medical Center explains the differences between common smell loss and smell loss as a COVID-19 symptom and when to see a specialist.
ANTIVIRAL DEFENSE FROM THE GUT
Study demonstrates how a subset of common gut bacteria renders mice resistant to viral infections.

Microfluidics helps MTU engineers watch viral infection in real time
Watching a viral infection happen in real time is like a cross between a zombie horror film, paint drying, and a Bollywood epic on repeat. Over a 10-hour span, chemical engineers from Michigan Tech watched viral infections happen with precision inside a microfluidics device and can measure when the infection cycle gets interrupted by an antiviral compound.
Stopping lethal lung damage from the flu with a natural human protein
The raging lung inflammation that can contribute to death from the flu can be stopped in its tracks by a drug derived from a naturally occurring human protein, a new animal study suggests.
Researchers Explore COVID-19’s Effect on Pregnancy
Article title: Pregnancy and COVID-19 Authors: Elizabeth A.N. Wastnedge, Rebecca M. Reynolds, Sara R. van Boeckel, Sarah J. Stock, Fiona Denison, Jacqueline A. Maybin, Hilary O.D. Critchley From the authors: “From the current evidence base, it is difficult to draw…