Infections

Fungi pose a significant threat to crops worldwide, scientists warn in a new commentary, with increasingly "devastating" effects on our food supply.We tend to worry more about pathogens that sicken humans directly, especially viruses and bacteria. But while corn smut and stem rust might not scare us like Ebola or E. coli, maybe they should.Such fungi are already wreaking havoc, with growers globally losing up to 23 percent of their crops to fungal infections every year. Fungi claim another 10 to 20 percent after harvest,…

Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is a type of bacterium that can cause infection in the gut, leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. C. diff infections are often a result of an imbalance in the gut microbiome, which can occur after taking antibiotics.According to a recent Cochrane Review, stool transplantation has proven to be a more effective method of treating Clostridioides difficile infection as compared to standard antibiotic treatment. According to a recent Cochrane Review headed by a…

A Swedish study shows that providing food for small birds during winter results in healthier birds with better immune response. As birds face new pathogens due to climate change and human activity, understanding factors like winter feeding is important for their survival.Seeds and fat balls do more than just fill small birds’ stomachs. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that feeding during the wintertime causes birds to be healthier, since they do not have to expend as much energy fighting infections.A…

There may be a rise in concerning brain infections afflicting U.S. children. Hospitals and public health officials in some areas have documented higher than expected numbers of pediatric brain abscesses in recent years, often caused by Streptococcus bacteria. The complication remains rare, however, and in some places the rate has since returned to its baseline. Mental Health Apps Are a Privacy NightmareAbscesses are pockets of pusthat are usually caused by an ongoing bacterial infection (the pus is a mix of dead immune…

The healing powers of poop can now officially come in a more palatable pill. This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Vowst, an oral capsule packed with beneficial bacteria derived from human fecal matter. The drug is intended to treat recurrent infections of Clostridioides difficile by balancing out the gut microbiome.Won’t Virtual Reality Make Me Sick?While certain bacteria and other microorganisms regularly make us sick, our bodies are filled with many more species that are either harmless or even…

Children who contract lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) by the age of two face nearly double the risk of dying prematurely from respiratory diseases in adulthood, according to a study led by researchers from Imperial College London. This research emphasizes the importance of preventing childhood respiratory infections and improving overall child health through public health measures and interventions such as vaccinations, improved living conditions, and better diagnosis and treatment of underlying health…

Reykjavik-based Akthelia Pharmaceuticals and the University of Iceland have been awarded a €6m grant by Horizon Europe to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat. AMR is listed among the WHO’s most pressing health threats of our time, with the potential to give rise to the next global pandemic as “pan-drug”-resistant strains emerge. It’s also estimated that AMR…

New Delhi: India experienced a modest decline in daily covid-19 cases, with 7,000 new infections reported on Tuesday, down from the average 10,000 daily cases. However, hospitals across major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and…

Medicine may be about to achieve a long-sought goal: a “morning-after pill” to prevent sexually transmitted infections. It could sharply reduce soaring rates of illness and huge health care costs.The effectiveness of this pill—and it literally is a pill, a 200-milligram tablet of the antibiotic doxycycline—has been studied for a decade, and people have taken it covertly for years. But study results published in The New England Journal of Medicine look likely to tip the pill into clinical practice. In the study, conducted…

The researchers suggest that the findings could lead to a new approach in enhancing therapies and ultimately finding a cure for HIV.In their quest to create treatments that could potentially eliminate HIV infection completely, scientists have been searching for all the locations where the <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>virus</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>A virus is a tiny infectious agent that is not considered…