Research on containing and managing disease. Covers critical-illness theory, zoonotic disease, immunotherapy trials, and historical epidemics.
Researchers screened 25,000 children in the Denver metro area and found that early detection can reduce incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis by 20%, leading to improved disease control and reduced healthcare costs. The study highlights the potential for screening to improve overall quality of life and reduce long-term health risks.
A new report suggests that strict international travel bans have contained the spread of COVID-19 in the EU. The study uses computer modeling to predict the impact of lifting air travel restrictions and highlights the importance of mobility in the global spread of the disease.
A recent study evaluated Medicaid benefits coverage and reimbursement amounts for recommended adult vaccines across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The findings suggest that state policies vary widely, with some states providing more comprehensive vaccination services than others.
Cassava has increased yields dramatically in Asia over the last 50 years, with yields in Vietnam rising from 3 tons per hectare to 20 tons through improved varieties and fertilizer management. Researchers have also developed new varieties for industrial use, such as high-starch cassava ideal for higher latitudes.
Researchers at UC Davis cleared a major obstacle to using CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive technology to control mosquito-borne diseases. A study found that 90% of protein-coding genes in mosquito populations have suitable target sequences for the gene drive, making it effective against disease-causing viruses and parasites.
Researchers at UC Davis have developed a new web application to track COVID-19 cases and testing globally, offering user-friendly data visualization and interactive maps. The app uses publicly available data from reputable sources, including the COVID Tracking Project and Johns Hopkins University.
This review found that quarantine can significantly reduce infections and deaths from COVID-19 when combined with other public health measures such as physical distancing, school closures, and travel restrictions. The effectiveness of quarantine alone was less consistent, but still showed promise in controlling outbreaks.
A recent study led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute found that Fijians carrying a pneumonia-causing bacteria are more likely to be of iTaukei ethnicity, young, living in urban areas, or with low family income. The study also linked toddlers and children under six years old to a higher burden of pneumococcal bacteria.
A new study reveals that the risk of transmitting the virus PPRV does not significantly increase with age, unlike its sibling virus measles. Instead, animals from pastoral areas are more likely to become infected compared to agropastoral areas.
An international team of experts has released 54 recommendations for caring for ICU patients with COVID-19, including guidelines on infection control, ventilation support, and therapy. The guidelines were developed in just three weeks and provide critical guidance for frontline clinicians, allied health professionals, and policy makers.
The Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 panel has released comprehensive guidelines for intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19, including infection control, laboratory diagnosis, and ventilator support. The guidelines were developed in just three weeks by a team of 36 experts from around the world.
The University of Montana has received a five-year, $10.75 million grant to establish the Center for Population Health Research (CPHR). CPHR will support epidemiological and mathematical modeling approaches to understand risk and resilience factors for children's health outcomes.
Researchers analyzed China's control measures during the first 50 days of the COVID-19 epidemic and found that they may have prevented over 700,000 infections outside of Wuhan. The study suggests that these measures successfully broke the chain of transmission by preventing contact between infectious and susceptible people.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released interim guidance on infection prevention and control in long-term care facilities to prevent COVID-19 spread. The guidance emphasizes early detection, personal protective equipment use, and cleaning measures.
The researchers have developed a computational model of a human cell that simulates its behavior for up to 15 minutes, revealing the effects of spatial organization on genetic processes. The study provides new insights into how genes are regulated and developed, and how diseases such as cancer are formed.
A recent study found that only half of all surfaces in an animal hospital were adequately cleaned during a 5.5-week period, with human-touch surfaces being the least likely to be disinfected. The researchers recommend creating checklists and educating staff on proper cleaning practices to protect animal and human health.
A new study found that taking higher daily step counts is associated with a lower risk of death from all causes. The study tracked over 4,800 U.S. adults and found that those who took 8,000 steps per day had a 51% lower risk compared to those who took 4,000 steps.
A study by Neil Mehta et al reveals that stagnant US life expectancy is largely attributed to a stalled decline in cardiovascular deaths. The analysis from CDC and WHO data challenges the prevailing narrative that drug overdoses are the primary cause of stagnation.
New research suggests that 86% of COVID-19 infections in China were undocumented prior to travel shutdowns, with these cases being highly contagious. The study highlights the importance of increased awareness and personal protective measures in reducing the spread of the virus.
A new study finds that machine learning algorithms can accurately diagnose mastitis origin and reduce mastitis levels on dairy farms. The technique achieved a classification accuracy of 98% for environmental vs contagious mastitis and 78% for lactation vs dry period environmental mastitis.
A Hong Kong study found that applying best practices for infection control, including handwashing and wearing personal protective equipment, prevented healthcare worker infections during the COVID-19 outbreak. Researchers tested over 1,275 cases and treated 42 active confirmed cases without any hospital-acquired infections.
The COVID-19 outbreak underscores the need for robust research to understand emerging pathogens and develop effective treatments. Researchers are working on various vaccine candidates and therapeutics, including an NIAID-sponsored trial of remdesivir.
A study found that volunteer-based outreach programs, such as door-to-door canvassing in Liberia, can effectively spread valuable information and change public practices during epidemics. The program improved health outcomes, increased public trust in government institutions, and led to more people following control measures.
Researchers have identified a rare immune cell type that expresses both alpha-beta and gamma-delta T-cell receptors, which can both protect against infection and trigger autoimmune responses.
A new UV technology has been shown to effectively eliminate more than 96% of pathogens in operating rooms and medical equipment, outperforming traditional chemical-based cleaning methods which only achieve 38% effectiveness. This breakthrough could significantly improve patient care environments and reduce hospital-acquired infections.
A multi-country intervention trial found that community health worker-led care led to significant reductions in blood pressure and improved hypertension management. The study, conducted in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, showed a 5mmHg decline in systolic blood pressure and better BP control in the intervention group.
Researchers at Swansea University have published two international studies on antifungal drug resistance, which highlights the growing threat of this disease. The studies investigated different aspects of resistance and examined drug resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus, a fungus that causes life-threatening infections.
A new study from NIH scientists found that remdesivir successfully prevented MERS-CoV disease in rhesus macaques and improved their condition when given after infection. The results support additional clinical trials of remdesivir for MERS-CoV and COVID-19.
A new study estimates that improving handwashing rates by travelers passing through just 10 major airports could significantly reduce the spread of many infectious diseases. The findings suggest that focusing handwashing messaging in these 10 airports could potentially slow the disease spread by as much as 37 percent.
A new study finds that educating growers about the effectiveness of control strategies is key to combating plant pathogens. Researchers coupled a mathematical model with human behavior data from a survey of growers, highlighting the importance of maintaining frequent engagement and trust.
Researchers at Yale School of Public Health have identified a new family of surface proteins, Fam10, which are uniquely associated with infectious metacyclic parasites transmitted by the tsetse fly. Vaccination with one member of this family significantly reduced parasitemia in mice, making Fam10 proteins promising vaccine candidates.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has secured renewed funding for the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN), a flagship program for preventing and controlling chronic diseases. Researchers from eight institutions will collaborate to produce research on implementing evidence-based approaches to reduce canc...
A 20-year study found that insured US adults faced worsening access to healthcare due to cost constraints, with increases in unmet needs for physician visits and services. Meanwhile, some preventive services showed improvements, such as increased guideline-recommended cholesterol tests and flu shots.
Research suggests that a ketogenic diet provides health benefits in short-term, but negative effects occur after about a week. The keto diet works best in small doses, increasing tissue-protective cells called gamma delta T-cells, which lower diabetes risk and inflammation.
A new study suggests that injection drug users prescribed controlled-release hydromorphone are three times more likely to develop endocarditis than those prescribed other opioids. The findings also highlight the role of equipment used in preparing the medication as a source of bacterial contamination.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has updated its risk assessment for Europe due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak. The agency warns that further global spread is likely, with a moderate likelihood of imported cases being detected in EU/EEA countries. Adherence to infection prevention and control pra...
A new study reveals that neurons in the striatum require the huntingtin gene for regulating movement, maintaining cell health, and developing connections between cells. This discovery may provide a new avenue against Huntington's disease, which affects motor control, dementia, and psychiatric symptoms.
A new study uses an eye movement test to investigate inhibitory control in healthy older adults, confirming a decline in this ability with age. The results show that older participants were more likely to look at the dot when it appeared and slower compared to younger participants.
Researchers found BPA exposure triggers an immune response that passes down through generations, leading to increased risk of allergic asthma. The study suggests that even after removal from the environment, descendants may still inherit changes in DNA expression that cause aberrant immune system activation.
A study found that antibiotics are widely available without a prescription in Chinese retail pharmacies, hindering the government's goal to make them prescription-only by 2020. The survey revealed that 83.6% of pharmacies sold antibiotics without a prescription, with no significant differences between urban and rural locations.
Dr. Shakirov and collaborators identified genes NOP2A, RPL5A, and RPL5B as crucial for controlling telomere length in Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant. This discovery provides new insights into the connection between ribosome biogenesis and telomere length control.
A Mayo Clinic study of 5,540 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer found that maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment is more beneficial for patients whose disease is under control. The preferred regimen is fluoropyrimidine with or without bevacizumab, according to the analysis.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a crucial connection between interleukin-1α and gut microbiome function in a mouse model of Crohn's disease. Blocking this protein reduces intestinal inflammation severity, with effects comparable to steroids, which are the current gold standard treatment.
The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network has published a supplemental issue of Preventive Medicine highlighting disparities in cancer prevention and control. The research findings report on factors contributing to rural disparities and strategies to improve equity in cancer screening rates.
A survey of US acute care hospitals found that those with high psychological safety levels were more likely to adopt infection prevention practices requiring staff to speak up and challenge customs. This association suggests that creating a psychologically safe environment can enhance the effectiveness of infection control programs.
Researchers engineered a violet-colored polyester fabric that attracts more female tsetse flies and shows improved effectiveness against savannah species. The new fabric was developed based on understanding how flies see color.
The Lancet Global Health study found that on average, countries implemented just over half of the 18 WHO-recommended policies to reduce chronic diseases. Implementation improved over time, but some countries lagged behind, including the USA. Democratic centre-left countries tended to implement more policies.
Analysis of US life expectancy reveals a nearly 10-year increase from 69.9 years in 1959 to 78.9 years in 2016, driven by factors such as drug overdoses, suicides, and organ system diseases among working-age adults.
Researchers used fluorescent gel to test vaccine effectiveness in wild vampire bats, showing a 2.6-fold increase in population-level immunity compared to conventional non-spreadable vaccines. The study suggests a strategic switch from poisoning to vaccination could lead to a dramatic reduction in rabies across Latin America.
The study assesses the performance of dengue forecasting models across 8 seasons in Peru and Puerto Rico, revealing improved accuracy late in the season. The results provide a framework for refining future epidemic forecasting models, improving predictive skill over time.
A newly developed experimental vaccine has demonstrated over 80% effectiveness in protecting mice from succumbing to Staphylococcus aureus infection. The vaccine targets specific proteins found on the bacteria and has shown promise in preventing biofilm formation, a major cause of hospital-acquired infections.
A NIH study found that only a third of prevention research projects measured leading risk factors for death, despite them being associated with half of US deaths. The study suggests an opportunity for the NIH to better align prevention research with leading causes and risk factors for death and disability.
For patients with cerebral ataxia, researchers linked specific biochemical changes in the CHIP protein to disease characteristics. Limiting mutant CHIP protein activity may decrease symptom severity.
Researchers developed a new technique using light to stabilize proteins for study, allowing scientists to observe how specific proteins contribute to health, development, and disease. The method, called GLIMPSe, involves attaching a short peptide sequence that signals the cell to degrade the protein, which can be controlled using light.
A cohort simulation model found that Mexico's sugar-sweetened beverage tax will prevent 239,900 cases of obesity and save $6.88 in healthcare costs for every dollar spent on implementation. Doubling the tax would also bring benefits, including a gain of 92,100 quality-adjusted life-years.
A nationally representative survey found that nursing homes with certified infection preventionists were nearly five times more likely to have comprehensive antibiotic stewardship programs. The study highlights the importance of well-trained IPs in reducing the risk of infections and improving patient safety.
US immigrant detention centers have faced criticism over deplorable conditions, including overcrowding and lack of access to healthcare. Seven children have died in the last 10 months amidst outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and mumps.
A new study found that a highly diluted version of the Ebola vaccine remains fully protective against disease in monkeys. The findings suggest that the vaccine could be made more available by reducing its dosage, potentially easing production burdens.
Cotton blue disease, caused by Cotton leafroll dwarf virus, was first reported in the US in 2017. Next-generation sequencing revealed characteristic symptoms, including slowed plant growth and loss of chlorophyll.
A new study from King's College London found that a low FODMAP diet improved certain gut symptoms such as swelling of the stomach and flatulence in patients with IBD. The diet reduced gut inflammation and improved health-related quality of life, with 52% of patients reporting adequate relief of gut symptoms.