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Infectious diseases news

Reducing antibiotic courses by two weeks could be possible in patients with infective endocarditis

A response-tailored strategy reduced antibiotic duration by two weeks without compromising the safety of patients with left-sided infective endocarditis.

New RNA vaccine strategy aims to build broader immunity against mutating viruses

New research by Malaghan's Connor Laboratory, published in PNAS, shows how directing the immune system toward conserved areas of the COVID virus and its many variants using RNA technology could be a significant step toward ...

Egyptian group developing Ebola vaccine

An Egyptian pharmaceutical firm is developing a potential vaccine against the deadly Ebola strain raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it announced Thursday.

Early trials for 'common cold' vaccine offer encouraging signs

A vaccine designed to protect against rhinoviruses, which cause the great majority of common colds and exacerbate chronic respiratory illnesses, has shown encouraging early results in a phase 1 clinical trial. Initial findings ...

WHO declares Uganda Ebola-free

Uganda was declared officially Ebola-free by the World Health Organization on Thursday after 42 days without a new case.

New approach cuts sepsis diagnosis from days to hours

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition that stems from the body trying to fight off an infection, plagues more than 1.5 million patients a year in the U.S. alone, with one in three deaths recorded in hospitals attributed in ...

How pregnancy itself drives deadly hepatitis E outcomes

Researchers have uncovered a biological mechanism that helps explain why hepatitis E virus infections can be especially severe—and often fatal—during pregnancy, finding that normal pregnancy-related hormonal changes inadvertently ...

Wastewater may offer an early warning of pertussis outbreaks

Pertussis, or whooping cough, continues to cause periodic outbreaks worldwide and can be especially dangerous for infants who have not completed vaccination. Yet conventional surveillance depends on people seeking medical ...

What's the buzz about mosquitoes this year?

With mosquito populations peaking well above the 10-year average in Saskatchewan and double last year's count at this time, the buzz across Saskatchewan is how bad it will get, and what we can do to help enjoy our time outside.

Efforts to end school vaccine mandates hit a wall in Florida

Every state, along with Washington, D.C., requires children to obtain certain vaccinations before they can attend school or childcare These mandates date back decades, and many public health experts consider them a foundational ...

How YouTube shapes public understanding of avian influenza

A new study analyzing more than 11,000 YouTube videos and comments found that online narratives surrounding avian influenza evolved alongside major outbreak developments, including increasing reports of infections in mammals, ...

US activates highest-level response to Ebola outbreak

US health authorities on Friday activated the highest level of response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while announcing the shipment of experimental treatments to the region.

New research may lead to a vaccine against severe diarrhea

Research led by the University of Bergen (UiB) and NORCE may help pave the way for a new vaccine targeting one of the world's leading causes of severe diarrheal disease. The technology has now been licensed to the international ...

Armed conflict is linked to increased measles cases globally

Countries experiencing armed conflict tend to report more measles cases, and the elevated risk persists even a year after the fighting, according to new research published in PLOS Medicine. The study links armed conflict ...

A global push to recognize the threat of toxoplasmosis

One-third of the world's population is infected with the Toxoplasma parasite, which can cause ocular toxoplasmosis, an eye infection that can damage the retina and result in permanent vision loss. Although often seen as an ...