As US is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK’s new CDC deputy downplays its significance

After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unbothered by the prospect at a briefing for … Read more

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

New evidence from Indian patients shows that severe COVID-19 is associated with distinct mitochondrial methylation signatures and altered mitochondrial proteins, pointing to disrupted energy metabolism as a key feature of critical illness. Study: SARS-CoV-2 altered mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian COVID-19 patients. Image Credit: CI Photos / Shutterstock A recent study published in the journal Scientific … Read more

Interferon response key to fighting rhinovirus infections in nasal passages

When a rhinovirus, the most frequent cause of the common cold, infects the lining of our nasal passages, our cells work together to fight the virus by triggering an arsenal of antiviral defenses. In a paper publishing January 19 in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue, researchers demonstrate how the cells in our noses … Read more

PRoRota-project aims to fight diarrhea in children using probiotics, hygiene, and models

The PRoRota-project will use probiotics, improved education in hygiene and advanced mathematical models to prevent children from dying of diarrhea in low and middle-income countries.  Diarrhea kills nearly two million lives every year and is one of the main causes of child deaths globally. Rotavirus is one of the most important causes of childhood diarrhea, … Read more

Rapid COVID-19 Antibody Test: Fingertip Blood Analysis

Rapid, Portable COVID-19 Immunity Assessment: A New Diagnostic Tool Table of Contents Rapid, Portable COVID-19 Immunity Assessment: A New Diagnostic Tool The Challenge of Monitoring evolving Immunity How the TOI System Works: Microfluidics and Chemiluminescence RIVIA 2.0: A Breakthrough in Viral Neutralization Testing Validation and Predictive Potential rapid COVID-19 Antibody Test: Fingertip Blood Analysis – … Read more

Real world data confirms effectiveness of nirsevimab in young infants with bronchiolitis

A single dose of the long-acting antibody nirsevimab developed to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infections (The drug has been approved at the European level to protect infants in their first season of exposure to the virus) to infants can halve hospitalizations for bronchiolitis. It is the result of a study involving the Università Cattolica del … Read more

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

A novel bird flu genotype is driving a surge in outbreaks across wild birds, poultry, and even a human in British Columbia, raising urgent questions about how this virus is evolving and what it means for future pandemic preparedness. Study: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in Wild Birds and a Human, British Columbia, Canada, 2024. Image … Read more