Kitchen Utensils Can Transfer Viruses
According to a new study, cutting unclean fruits and vegetables can spread viruses to the knife. Scienitists already knew that bacteria could contaminate utensils this…
Epidemiology
Novel Coronavirus hCoV-EMC Infects Humans & Animals
The novel coronavirus which was discovered this summer in the Middle East might infect more than just human patients. The pathogen is closely related to…
Epidemiologists Trying to Track Down Novel Coronavirus
The new coronavirus, linked to different cases in the Qatar and Saudi Arabia, was named HCoV-EMC, short for human coronavirus and the Erasmus Medical Center…
Diagnostic Tests Undercut Surveillance Abilities of Health Officials
Some new diagnostic tests for foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli hinder the ability of public health officials to detect outbreaks. The problem…
Cases of New Coronavirus Announced By WHO
The World Health Organization announced four new cases of the novel coronavirus that caused a great deal of worry just before the October hajj season….
Crystal Meth Could Reduce Susceptibility to the Common Flu
Researchers suggest that a small dose of methamphetamine, i.e. crystal meth, could reduce the replication of the human influenza virus. The scientists published their findings…
Whole-Genome Analysis Identifies the Source of a Recent MRSA Outbreak
In Cambridge, UK, there was a superbug outbreak at a special-care neonatal unit that lasted several months last year. Thanks to insights gained from whole-genome…
Fungal Meningitis Has New Appetite for Human Brains
In the USA, an ongoing fungal meningitis outbreak has killed 30 people and sickened another 419. The fungus responsible has never wrecked such havoc before….
Molecular Bio-Printing of Drugs Could Result in Emailed Vaccines
Emailing biological molecules, using 3D biological printers, might seem like science-fiction, but Craig Venter discussed the idea at the Wired Health Conference in New York….
Smartphones Are Great for Sharing Bacteria
Smartphones’ proximity to people’s ears, nose and mouth make them a good vector for transferring microbes. Bacteria and other infectious agents on smartphones can cause…
Hepatitis E Vaccine Debuts Thanks to Chinese Biotech Partnership
The world’s first vaccine against the hepatitis E virus began being deployed from China last week, promising to stop the propagation of a disease that…
US Concerns about Biosecurity Could Hamper Collaborations in Viral Research
U.S. Federal health agencies have started to tighten security surrounding the research on deadly pathogens. The move is to enhance public safety, but some fear…
Antibiotic Resistance Genes Found in a Colorado River System
In the Rocky Mountains, the South Platte River system flows east through the Coloradan plateau that has plenty cattle ranches, sheep pastures, dairy farms, and…
FDA States Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Tied to More Drugs
A second steroid that has been manufactured by New England Compounding Center has been linked to another potential meningitis infection. The ongoing fungal meningitis outbreak…
Gene Sequencing of New Coronavirus Speeds Up Testing
Some of the scientists that helped fight the 2003 SARS epidemic are working on the new coronavirus, which seems to be related to SARS. Researchers…
New Coronavirus Could Infect Millions during Hajj in Saudi Arabia
Back in February 2003, a 65-year-old physician living near Hong Kong checked into a hotel. Sometime during his stay, he encountered a dozen other people;…
West Nile Virus Might Be Linked to Kidney Problems
As of September of this year, there have been more than 2,600 new cases of West Nile virus in the USA, including 118 deaths, which…
Prevalence of Multi-Drug Resistant E. Coli Rising ICAAC 2 Reports
Infections with multi-drug resistant E. coli, which is also known as ESBL (extended spectrum beta-lactamase), have been assumed to be a hospital phenomenon. A recent…
