Colombian infants exposed to Zika virus in the womb showed neurodevelopmental delays as toddlers, despite having ‘normal’ brain imaging and head circumference at birth, a finding that underscores the importance of long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up for Zika-exposed infants. «These infants had no evidence of Zika deficits or microcephaly at birth. Neurodevelopmental deficits, including declines in mobility…

Researchers published findings that blight leads to an increased abundance of disease-carrying mosquitoes. The researchers investigated the presence of several mosquito species in two adjacent but socio-economically contrasting neighborhoods in Baton Rouge: the historic Garden District, a high-income neighborhood, and the Old South neighborhood, a low-income area. «These two neighborhoods are very similar in terms…

Deletion of the gene that codes for an enzyme called GSTM1 increased kidney injury in mice with hypertension and kidney disease, but supplementing the diet with broccoli powder lessened kidney injury in the genetically altered mice. In humans, high consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables was linked with a lower risk of kidney failure,…

According to a UN-agreement, assistance dogs like guide dogs, signal dogs and medical response dogs are welcome in hospitals and other public places. However, in practice, they are regularly refused entry. Hygiene reasons are often given as the main argument for this. Research now shows that the paws of assistance dogs are cleaner than the…

New insight on how bacteria in the lungs protect against invading pathogens has been published. The study in mice shows that a strain of lung bacteria called Lactobacillus provides a barrier against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) colonisation in animals previously infected with influenza A virus when applied therapeutically following infection. S. pneumoniae can cause severe…

A simple, portable test can detect the deadliest of the mushroom poisons in minutes, researchers say. Eating toxic mushrooms causes more than 100 deaths a year, globally, and leaves thousands of people in need of urgent medical assistance. Amanitin is the class of mushroom toxins that cause the most serious issues. Eating toxic mushrooms causes…

Scientists develop a microneedle bandage for cardiac tissue regeneration using the mussel adhesive protein (MAP). Damaged cardiac wall is regenerated by delivering biofunctional peptides to the myocardial infarction site through microchannels. A research team led by Professor Hyung Joon Cha and Ph.D. candidate Soomee Lim, Dr. Tae Yoon Park, and Dr. Eun Young Jeon (currently…

Human prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS). A new study reports a significant advance in the development of mouse models of human prion diseases. The study demonstrates spontaneous formation of disease-relevant, transmissible prion protein assemblies in mice bearing only human forms of the prion protein. Prion diseases are due to the…

The interferon-stimulated gene C19orf66 plays an important role in the defence against hepatitis C viruses. Researchers have now studied how C19orf66 works. The results show that C19orf66 disrupts the formation of the viral replication machinery. The interferon-stimulated gene C19orf66 plays an important role in the defence against hepatitis C viruses. A research team at Ruhr-Universitat…

A new model based on 17 years of data can help predict the trajectory of where Lyme disease will spread. Identifying high-risk areas can lead to surveillance in counties and areas where infections are likely to emerge. It also allows authorities to alert physicians and the public, which can lead to early treatment, when it…