A new study uncovered new information on why the Ebola virus can exert such catastrophic effects on the infected person. They've described for the first time how the virus disables T cells, an important line of immune defense, thus rendering the infected person less able to combat the infection.
Read moreA single dose of a highly diluted VSV-Ebola virus (EBOV) vaccine — approximately one-millionth of what is in the vaccine being used to help control the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — remains fully protective against disease in experimentally infected monkeys, according to scientists. The investigators completed the dosage study using cynomolgus macaques and an updated vaccine component to match the EBOV Makona strain that circulated in West Africa from 2014-16.
Read moreBy collaborating globally in a new, large-scale effort, researchers have made strong progress in sequencing genomes from regions and countries across Africa. These findings will enable more broadly representative and relevant studies ranging from basic through clinical genetics.
Read moreScientists show, on the molecular level, how an experimental vaccine offers long-term protection against the disease.
Read moreInfants with a high fever may be at increased risk for infections, according to new research.
Read moreChikungunya is an infectious disease caused by a mosquito-borne virus transmitted to humans. It is characterized by high fever and intense joint and muscle pain that can last for several months. The mechanisms of infection of human cells with the virus remain very poorly understood. Researchers have now identified a protein that is crucial in order for the virus to replicate within its target cells. This research opens up therapeutic avenues in the fight against chikungunya.
Read moreRubbing hands with ethanol-based sanitizers should provide a formidable defense against infection from flu viruses, which can thrive and spread in saliva and mucus. But new findings challenge that notion — and suggest that there's room for improvement in this approach to hand hygiene.
Read moreValley fever is endemic to hot and dry regions like the southwestern United States and California's San Joaquin Valley, but a new study predicts climate change will cause the fungal infection's range to more than double in size this century, reaching previously unaffected areas across the western U.S.
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