One health
Communicable diseases remain one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. There are disparities in the numbers of individuals affected by disease between low-and-middle-income countries and those in developed nations. Microbes will play in important role in drug discovery: producing anticancer drugs and antimicrobials. Applying One Health principles, to understand the interaction of pathogens and the human host, development of diagnostics, treatments, and disease prevention, applied microbiologists can shape global health and wellbeing outcomes.
News
Researchers valuate the safety and efficacy of a smallpox vaccine for preventing mpox
Researchers explored the viability and safety of LC16m8, an attenuated vaccinia virus vaccine, to prevent monkeypox. The study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of LC16m8 across three animal species.
Read story
NewsScientists win award for bringing breakthrough HIV treatment lenacapavir into play
Three people have been awarded the AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award for their work on the first HIV drug to offer long-lasting protection from infection — eliminating the need for people to take a daily pill.
NewsTransforming hospital sanitation: autonomous robots for wiping and UV-C disinfection
Scientists have developed an ’Intelligent Autonomous Wiping and UV-C Disinfection Robot’ capable of automating hospital disinfection processes. The system can perform disinfection with consistent precision, significantly reducing the risk of infection within the hospital.
NewsGlobal review of bird flu in cats points to risk of another pandemic
Bird flu (H5N1) is rapidly evolving into the possibility of a human pandemic, say researchers who have been documenting research on bird flu in cats and calling for urgent surveillance of cats to help avoid human-to-human transmission.
More One Health
News
Scientists discover antibiotic resistance in newly identified bacterium
Staphylococcus borealis has been found to be resistant to several different types of antibiotics, posing a potentially significant problem for the elderly.
NewsFoot traffic can predict COVID-19 spread in New York City neighborhoods
A new study reveals how foot traffic data from mobile devices can enhance neighborhood-level COVID-19 forecasts in New York City, providing a novel approach to predicting the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and improving targeted public health interventions.
NewsResearch collaboration takes ‘one health’ approach to study Chagas disease
Researchers have received more than $4 million from federal and non-governmental organizations to support research on Chagas disease prevalence, diagnostics and treatment to benefit both dogs and humans.
NewsViruses under the super microscope: How influenza viruses communicate with cells
Scientists have characterized a new model of influenza A infection: binding to MHC class II complexes as an alternative receptor and the associated dynamic reorganization of the cell surface.
NewsDisease experts call for reinstatement of CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America has called for the reinstatement of CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), warning that decades of progress in preventing healthcare-associated infections are under threat.
OpinionIt’s game over for dangerous Gain of Function research
The Trump adminstration has signed an Executive Order halting federal gain of function research on microbes - but does it throw the baby out with the bathwater? Virologist Simon Wain-Hobson, Emeritus Professor with the Pasteur Institute, Paris, gives his take.
NewsSpiritual healing sites could be linked to antibiotic-producing microorganisms
A study by AMI member Dr Gerry Quinn highlights the potential of spiritual healing sites as fertile ground for novel antibiotics, particularly from Streptomyces bacteria, known for producing the majority of current antibiotics.
NewsShaken and stirred: why Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 007 poses a deadly threat
A new study has uncovered the secrets of a particular strain of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, revealing a potentially deadly genetic capacity for both antimicrobial resistance and virulence.
NewsBat virus evolution suggests wildlife trade sparked COVID-19 virus emergence in humans
The ancestor of the virus that causes COVID-19 left its point of origin in Western China or Northern Laos just several years before the disease first emerged in humans up to 2,700 kilometers away in Central China, suggesting the wildlife trade played a role.
NewsBreakthrough discovery uses gut bacteria and AI to diagnose a chronic pain syndrome
Scientists have developed AI technology that can detect patterns in gut bacteria to identify complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with remarkable accuracy, potentially transforming how CRPS is diagnosed and treated.
NewsSilver nanoparticles produced by fungus could be used to prevent and treat COVID-19
Silver nanoparticles produced by the fungus Trichoderma reesei could become important allies in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Tests on hamsters showed that they not only inhibited the infection but also reduced the viral load in the lungs.
NewsFood as medicine: How diet shapes gut microbiome health
New research shows how mice fed a Western-style diet are not able to rebuild a ‘healthy’, diverse gut microbiome following antibiotic treatment. These mice were also more susceptible to infection by pathogens like Salmonella.
NewsLong COVID may cause long-term changes in the heart and lungs and may lead to cardiac and pulmonary diseases
Patients suffering from long COVID may exhibit persistent inflammation in the heart and lungs for up to a year following SARS-CoV-2 infection, potentially placing them at elevated risk for future cardiac and pulmonary conditions.
NewsBiological patterns: Stability through protein reservoirs
Biophysicists have figured out how bacteria form robust patterns despite changing environmental conditions and fluctuating protein concentrations.
NewsNew CDC nPEP Guidelines should become ‘part of general medical practice’
Health experts say the updated CDC HIV Non-Occupational Post Exposure Prophylaxis (nPEP) Guidelines should be part of general medical practice, as incorporating them will reduce new HIV infections and improve public health.
NewsClinical trial underway for potential Long COVID treatment
A clinical trial is underway to assess the effectiveness and safety of sipavibart, AstraZeneca’s long-acting monoclonal antibody designed to provide protection against Covid-19, as a potential treatment for Long Covid.
NewsConsumption of ultra-processed foods by children up to one year old favors harmful bacteria in the gut
Analysis of the gut microbiota of more than 700 babies also showed that breastfeeding was a protective factor, mitigating the problem in those who consumed industrialized products. The study underscores the importance of breastfeeding.
NewsUrban rats spread deadly bacteria as they migrate, study finds
Urban rats spread deadly bacteria as they migrate within cities that can be the source of a potentially life-threatening disease in humans, according to a six-year study that also discovered a novel technique for testing rat kidneys.
NewsScientists introduce new engineered drug candidate for Mycobacterium abscessus to save lives
Scientists have introduced a promising drug candidate engineered to target a deadly and emerging infection. They took a hyper-detailed look into the problem of Mycobacterium abscessus, and chemically re-engineered a widely-used rifamycin antibiotic.