The hepatitis E virus (HEV) can cause serious liver inflammation and is the most common cause of acute virus-mediated hepatitis worldwide. Infection can be prevented through appropriate hygiene measures. Scientists have investigated the effectiveness of various common hand disinfectants against HEV. They were able to show that most formulations do not completely inactivate the virus.…

A strain of coronavirus that has devastated the pork industry has the potential to infect humans as well, according to new research. The coronavirus strain, known as swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), emerged from bats and has infected swine herds throughout China since it was first discovered in 2016. Outbreaks of such an illness…

Researchers studying how small worms defend themselves against pathogens have discovered a gene that acts as a first-line response against infection. They identified ‘ZIP-1’ as a centralized hub for immune response, a finding could have implications for understanding human immunity against viruses. University of California San Diego researchers studying how small worms defend themselves against…

Voluntary fasting, for example interval fasting, is beneficial to health for many people, depending on their individual condition. For example, controlled periods of starvation can prevent and improve diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Researchers have now found that the immune system plays an important role in ensuring the positive effects of fasting on our…

Flavonoids found in plants and plant foods such as berries, apples, tea, wine and dark chocolate are known to offer health benefits, including some protective effects on the cardiovascular system. A study of over 900 adults in Germany evaluated the quantity and frequency of eating flavonoid-rich foods and measured bacteria in the gut microbiome to…

Dengue risk is exacerbated in highly populated areas of Brazil after extreme drought because of improvised water containers housing mosquitoes, suggests a new study. The research was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine’s (LSHTM) Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health and Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. Using…

A new test could measure patient immunity against multiple COVID-19 variants such as Omicron and Delta at once and inform which synthetic monoclonal antibody to use for treatments. This test could potentially tell doctors how protected a patient is from new variants and those currently circulating in a community or, conversely, which monoclonal antibodies to…

A new study has identified a set of cellular receptors for at least three related alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals that host the virus. Going a step further, the researchers tested a «decoy» molecule that successfully prevented infection and slowed disease progression in a series of experiments in cells and animal models, an…

When pregnant mice were fed butyrate — a food supplement derived from intestinal bacteria — most of their pups survived after exposure to infection that induces fatal biliary atresia, according to new study. However, when pregnant mice were fed butyrate — a food supplement derived from intestinal bacteria — most of their pups survived after…