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Diseases

10/29/2018 / By Ethan Huff

Migrant caravan a public health risk due to disease carriers, expert warns

The threats associated with the incoming migrant “caravan” extend far beyond just border penetration and a potential crime infestation. According to Dr. Jan Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, the approaching caravaners could also be bringing disease with them. Unlike the days of old when the poor, huddled masses entered […]

10/27/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Why are 5,000 people dying globally every day from a curable disease?

Tuberculosis, or TB, is one of the top 10 causes of death around the world. In 2016, 10.4 million people were diagnosed with TB and 1.7 million died. At least 95 percent of these deaths were among people whose immune systems were damaged by HIV, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, experts are worried […]

10/17/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Misconception: The black-legged tick, not the lone star, carries the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, according to a review of evidence

One fact that people know about Lyme disease is that ticks cause it. As to which tick causes the condition – which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports as the most commonly reported vector-based illness in the U.S. – is where the confusion starts. Lyme disease, of which the causative agent is the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is known […]

10/01/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Pandemic cholera is naturally resistant to antibiotics: Scientists have discovered it is different than other drug-resistant bacteria

Cholera is dubbed as the first “global pandemic,” and for good reason — the disease has spawned seven pandemics around the world, and is still considered a threat to public health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease is known to be damaging once it hits, killing people “within hours” if not properly treated. […]

09/14/2018 / By Rhonda Johansson

Adaptable bacteria: Study shows MRSA adapts to your skin’s environment, increasing its ability to infect

A collaborative effort between scientists at the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Tübingen (IMIT) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) unveiled an important mechanism found in the cell wall of the bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus. This discovery shows potential in the development of new treatment options for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-intermediate […]

08/17/2018 / By Janine Acero

Just how clean are your kitchen towels? New research suggests that they may be a possible vector for food poisoning

Kitchen towels may seem harmless, but a new study suggests that they may be housing pathogens that could potentially cause food poisoning. The findings of the study suggest that factors such as hygienic practices, type of diet, and family size and composition, to name a few, may impact and even promote the growth of pathogenic […]

08/14/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Did you know that you have E.coli in your body right now? Some strains are actually needed for your survival

In the U.S., most food poisoning cases are caused by E. coli outbreaks. Still, it’s important to know that while some strains of E. coli are indeed harmful to humans, not all types are pathogenic. You even have different strains of E. coli in your intestines, such as a strain of the bacteria that can produce the vitamin K that it also […]

07/10/2018 / By Carol Anderson

Flesh-eating bacteria thrives on your suffering; the chemicals you release when in excruciating pain actually feed them

If the word flesh-eating bacteria isn’t scary enough, try bacteria which find happiness – or more accurately, satiation – when you’re in pain. It appears that the popular flesh-eating bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes does not only cause strep throat but also initiates a disease called necrotizing fasciitis. According to previous research, a certain type of toxin is being released […]

07/10/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists aim to predict the next Ebola outbreak by tracking the migration patterns of BATS

The next time an Ebola epidemic breaks out in Africa, we may be warned in advance by bats. A Science Daily article reports how Pennsylvania-based researchers created a computer model that predicts the migratory movements of the airborne mammals that carry the virus. Bats are considered to be a primary carrier of the Ebola virus. They are […]

06/24/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

New study reveals that the malaria parasite can infect you as deep as your bone marrow

A study published in the online journal mBio revealed that the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax infects its hosts much, much deeper than previously thought. Researchers found evidence that the parasite penetrates as deep as the bone marrow where it often stays undetected and unimpeded from starting and spreading disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports […]

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