Microbiology
How humans have forced disease-causing microbes to adapt and evolve
Humans increase the chance new viruses will emerge in us by simply being in the right place at the right time.<p>Humans play host to many little …
AgricultureTextbook-Rewriting Discovery Could Help Predict The Next Influenza Pandemic
Every year we go through the same motions: Scientists figure out what the most common flu strains will be, and prepare a vaccine that will best …
Technology (Australia)Deadly plague could potentially be released as a cloud above a city, killing thousands, according to bioterrorism experts
When two cases of plague popped up in New Mexico in June , they served as a reminder that the black death — yes, <i>the</i> plague — is still around.<p>The infection affects a handful of people in the US every year and between a few hundred and a few thousand annually around the world. Most people survive a …
Public HealthThe deadly virus in Planet of the Apes is a fictional flu inspired by real-world pandemics
The virus is a magic bullet that explains every major deviation between this franchise and our familiar world<p><i>Spoilers ahead for</i> <b>War for the Planet of the Apes.</b><p>By the third film in the blockbuster <i>Planet of the Apes</i> series, it seems like the franchise should have wrung every last narrative drop from …
Planet of the ApesExpansion planned for Winnipeg microbiology lab
Emerging deadly pathogens have made the world such a risky place that Ottawa has ordered a 34 per cent expansion of the highest-level containment …
Canadian NewsBacterial Infections In The Brain Could Be A Key Link To What Causes Alzheimer's
"<p>They discovered a 7-fold increase in the amount of bacteria.<p>Researchers in the UK have found what they believe could be a significant clue in the hunt for what causes Alzheimer’s disease.<p>Scientists from the University of Bristol used a process called DNA sequencing to examine the post-mortem …
NeuroscienceHarrowing tales from a superbug’s battle to the death with the latest antibiotic
<i>The orthopedic surgery wing of a Connecticut hospital, 2021</i><p>Day 1: Cavity<p>It’s so much darker in my new home.<p>There’s no natural light at all, in fact. I’m completely engulfed in darkness.<p>Not that I mind—on the contrary, it’s a welcome change of scenery. After that time Glove uprooted me, I’ll take …
MedicineAlabama's mad cow had an unusual form of the disease
It was detected before the cow was slaughtered<p>An “atypical” form of mad cow disease has been found in an 11-year-old beef cow in Alabama. Luckily, this is the form that is not dangerous to humans, and the disease was detected before the animal was slaughtered.<p>This is only the fifth case of this …
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture'Atypical' Mad Cow Case Identified in Alabama
An 11-year-old beef cow in Alabama recently tested positive for the brain disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow …
Cool StuffNature.com
NEWS<p>Vaccines promoted as key to stamping out drug-resistant microbes<p>Immunization can stop resistant infections before they get started, say …
Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationParasite worms its way into Alberta, infecting humans through dogs, coyotes
'When we pet them and then touch our food or our mouths, we ingest the parasite’s eggs'<p>University of Alberta scientists are alerting the public to a …
University of AlbertaWhy this adorable mouse is to blame for the spread of Lyme disease
The critters run through forest floors throughout the eastern United States, snatching up acorns and other tree seeds, berries and bugs.<p>White-footed mice — known for their wide eyes and ears, long tails and snow-white bellies and the feet from which they get their name — are often overlooked by …
There's tough and then there is tardigrade
The tiny eight-legged creatures are so resilient, they can even survive in outer space - and that's not all. Tardigrades are simply …
BiologyScientists are hunting for genes that enable bacteria to become resistant to life-saving antibiotics
Disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics more quickly than we’re discovering new ones.<p>From the muddy bottoms of deep ocean …
BiologyDrug-Resistant Bacteria Often Lurk In Children’s, Dogs’ Sandboxes
C. diff is increasingly being found outside hospitals.<p>(Reuters Health) - Playground sandboxes can harbor deadly - and drug resistant - strains of the diarrhea-causing bacterium Clostridum difficile, research in Spain shows.<p>Often called “C. diff” for short, the bug has typically been considered a …
Public HealthHow Bacteria Defend Themselves Against Lethal Antibiotics
In a new IISc-IISER study, researchers have shown how bacteria take the help of hydrogen sulphide gas to defend themselves.<p>In a new study, …
BiologyStudy reveals interplay of an African bat, a parasite and a virus
MADISON, Wis. -- If there is anything scientists are certain of when it comes to bats and their supposed role in causing human disease, it is that …
University of WisconsinAntibiotic nanoparticles fight drug-resistant bacteria
Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, especially among a type of bacteria that are classified as “Gram-negative.” These bacteria have two cell …
MITNASA is studying the fungus among us before humans take it to a new planet
As humanity starts packing for a trip to Mars, NASA scientists are studying what not to bring along for the journey. In short, leave the fungus at home. NASA researchers created a closed habitat—similar to where humans would have to live to survive long space travel or on a new planet—and looked at …
Space StationHow we've evolved to fight the bugs that infect us
<i>This is the second article in a four-part series looking at how infectious diseases have influenced our culture and evolution, and how we, in turn,</i> …
BiologyWorld Health Organization Warns Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens Will Be The Next Human Health Problem
People and animals are developing and winning the fight against bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal infections since the evolution of medicine. …
World Health OrganizationNew Tick-Borne "Heartland Virus" Is Spreading Across the South
Here's what you need to know to protect your loved ones.<p>Lyme's disease, Bourbon virus, Powassan virus, Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia, and Rocky Mountain …
Public HealthYour Burger is Contributing to Our Superbug Problem
"As far as imminent threats to human health go, I'd put antibiotic resistance second only to global warming. For 23,000 people, this apocalypse is already here."<p>Since the time of the Egyptians, humans have understood that certain molds and other natural substances can stop the spread of infection. …
AntibioticsOne in three Hongkongers carry bacteria linked to ulcers, cancer
One in every three Hongkongers is infected with a bacteria that could lead to stomach ulcers or gastric cancer, according to a new study.<p>Although not …
News (China)The rise of antibiotic-resistant infections threaten economies
Each day an estimated 1,900 people around the world die from infections that are resistant to antibiotics: that is 700,000 people every year. …
UN General AssemblyStaphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strain diversity underlying pediatric atopic dermatitis | Science Translational Medicine
The genus <i>Staphylococcus</i> is a known component of atopic dermatitis. In this issue, Byrd <i>et al</i>. used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to analyze the …
MedicineBacteria Might Share the Blame for Eczema
Your skin—like many other parts of your body—is crawling with microscopic critters. "It's a microbial zoo in a sense." Heidi Kong, a dermatology …
MedicineBad eczema flare-ups may be caused by strains of bacteria
Particular strains of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> bacteria have been linked to skin irritation in children with eczema, suggesting that the microbes that …
MedicineLyme Disease Is Spreading, And It’s Partly This Mouse’s Fault
Black-legged ticks in forests of the Northeast and Midwest have a variety of options for the three blood meals they consume in their lifetime: In …
Feature StoriesScientists look to viruses to fight bacteria
Scientists are re-exploring "phage therapy," the use of viruses to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to The Washington Post.<p><b>Why it</b> …
World Health Organization