BugBitten 2016 July

Yellow Fever cases on the rise in West Africa

29/07/2016 Christina Faust

Urbanization and shortage of vaccines are leading to the largest yellow fever outbreaks in 30 years.

Protect mosquitoes from malaria, save human lives

Gametocytes of P. falciparum in a thin blood smear

22/07/2016 Anja Choon

Gametocytocidal drugs stop the malaria life cycle by preventing transmission from human to mosquito. This has the potential to contribute towards malaria elimination.

Biology Developing World Health Medicine

The most dangerous enemies of humanity

15/07/2016 Krisztian Magori

Arthropod-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease and the Zika virus, seem to be emerging and re-emerging at an alarming rate in the last few years. In this post, we discuss how the technological progress and promise of modern medicine and biotechnology, which has saved countless lives already, contrasts with the continual problems caused by the rapid changes in our world, the lack of political will to provide funding to develop new and implement existing solutions, and the simple lack of public awareness and support.

Uncategorised

Emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris

08/07/2016 Srimathy Sriskantharajah

Candida auris, first isolated in 2009, is emerging as a multidrug resistant pathogen, causing outbreaks and deaths in several countries across the world. In the past fortnight both the US CDC and Public Health England have issued guidance on the pathogenic fungus.

Biology Health Medicine

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Friend or Foe; the probiotic power of helminths can prevent Crohn’s Disease

01/07/2016 Anouk Gouvras

A recent study on helminths and Crohns Disease, describes how Trichuris whipworms modulate the immune system creating a protective gut microbiota, promoting ‘friendly’ gut microbial species and hindering the propagation of damaging pro-inflammatory bacteria. This research supports the Hygiene Hypothesis on the rise of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as opening up potential new routes for drug development.