Category: Science and Tech
FDA Could Soon Limit Use of Only Drug for COVID Prevention
MedPageToday Pemivibart may have reduced activity against growing variant KP.3.1.1, agency warns. Pemivibart (Pemgarda) should only be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients when the combined national frequency of SARS-CoV-2 variants with substantially reduced susceptibility to the drug is less than or equal to 90%, the FDA announced on Monday. The agency […]
Aug 28, 2024
Can you get sick from the germs in toilet plumes?
Washington Post When you flush a toilet, invisible plumes, which may contain viruses, can shoot almost five feet into the air and spread horizontally within a short time, a study showed. Is it true that there’s an invisible plume of pathogens that spews out of the toilet when you flush it — and that it […]
Aug 27, 2024
Can Flu Antivirals Treat Severe Cases or Prevent Influenza?
MedPageToday Although antivirals had some positive effects on the treatment of severe influenza and prevention of the flu, many effects on outcomes were uncertain, according to two World Health Organization-funded systematic reviews and network meta-analyses. In the first analysis, treatment of severe influenza with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and peramivir (Rapivab) appeared to reduce the length of […]
Aug 27, 2024
Key Avian Influenza Enzyme Mutates Enabling Virus Replication in Mammals
Technology Networks Immunology and Microbiology A new publication sheds light on how a key avian influenza virus enzyme can mutate to allow the virus to replicate in mammals. In recent years, public health measures, surveillance, and vaccination have helped bring about significant progress in reducing the impact of seasonal flu epidemics, caused by human influenza […]
Aug 20, 2024
Struggling COVID-19 Vaccines From AstraZeneca, BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna Cut Incidence Of Arterial Thromboses That Cause Heart Attacks, Strokes, British Study Shows
Yahoo News Researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Bristol, and Edinburgh have revealed that COVID-19 vaccinations may significantly reduce the incidence of arterial thromboses, a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. The study, published in Nature Communications and supported by the British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre at Health Data Research U.K., analyzed de-identified health records of 46 […]
Aug 14, 2024
An unexpected gene may help determine whether you survive flu or COVID-19
Science Study of blood from severely ill patients implicates a gene involved in the production of fatty acids After a 2013 outbreak of avian influenza in China killed about 35% of the people it infected, immunologist Katherine Kedzierska of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity set out to answer a baffling question: Why […]
Aug 13, 2024
World-First Mosquito Drone Deliveries Could Help Stop The Spread Of Diseases Like Dengue
IFL Science In the latest step in the fight against mosquito-borne disease, scientists have sent in the drones. Field trials have seen uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over Fiji, dropping hundreds of mosquitoes infected with bacteria that stop them from spreading diseases like dengue among the human population. Dengue is a viral disease that is […]
Aug 6, 2024
Blowflies are potential vector for avian influenza virus at enzootic area in Japan
Nature High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) poses a significant threat to both domestic and wild birds globally. The avian influenza virus, known for environmental contamination and subsequent oral infection in birds, necessitates careful consideration of alternative introduction routes during HPAI outbreaks. This study focuses on blowflies (genus Calliphora), in particular Calliphora nigribarbis, attracted to decaying animals and […]
Aug 6, 2024
Mortality Due to H5N1 Human Infections Could Decrease by Switching Receptor
Precision Vaccinations Avian influenza mortality might be due to a H5N1 virus pneumonia. The Lancet Infectious Disease recently published a Correspondence offering insights regarding the current influenza A(H5N1) outbreak in dairy cattle and poultry, raising concerns about increased risk for sustained human-to-human transmission. On July 24, 2024, these researchers wrote that avian influenza viruses’ increasing host […]
Jul 30, 2024
Mini lungs make major COVID-19 discoveries possible
Newswise Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, University of California San Diego and their international collaborators have reported that more types of lung cells can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 than previously thought, including those without known viral receptors. The research team also reported for the first time that the lung is capable of independently mustering an […]
Jul 23, 2024