Intranasal administration of the protein flagellin may activate innate immunity and protect against acute pneumonia say researchers from France. They report their findings in the October 2010 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of respiratory infections in infants and the elderly worldwide. ...

Klassevirus, a new member of the picornavirus family, has recently been discovered in human stool and more specifically linked with pediatric diarrhea. Researchers from the U.S. and abroad detail their findings in the October 2010 issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. Initial analysis of klassevirus shows it to ...

Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium largely associated with gastritis and peptic ulcers in humans, may invade and replicate in gastric epithelial cells say researchers from China. This discovery disputes prior views of H. pylori as a noninvasive pathogen and could offer significant insight into its ability to resist antibacterial therapy ...

A new class of peptides may neutralize the endotoxin that causes sepsis, offering a new therapeutic strategy against an often lethal systemic bacterial infection. The researchers from Germany and Spain detail their findings in the September 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Septic shock, caused by systemic ...

A self-administered patch containing tiny microneedles may effectively deliver influenza virus-like particles through the skin and protect against potentially pandemic flu viruses such as H5N1. Researchers from the U.S. and abroad report their findings in the September 2010 issue of the journal Clinical Vaccine and Immunology. In the United ...

Antimicrobial peptides from the skin of frogs may protect against life-threatening, multidrug-resistant infections such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa say researchers from Italy. They detail their findings in the September 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes some of the most prevalent ...

A new compound may offer an effective drug candidate against the deadly tropical infection, Chagas’ disease say researchers from Brazil. They report their findings in the August 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Chagas’ disease is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and it affects ...

A naturally occurring virus in mosquitoes may serve as a “late-life-acting” insecticide by killing older adult mosquitoes that are responsible for the bulk of malaria transmission. The researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, detail their findings in the August 2010 ...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) may persist on feathers fallen from the bodies of infected domestic ducks and contribute to environmental contamination. Researchers from the National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan report their findings in the August 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. ...

German researchers have isolated a strain of Salmonella in pork that is closely related to the bacteria commonly found in chickens and linked to human food-borne illness. They report their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. First emerging overseas in the mid-1990’s in pigs, ...

Researchers from the U.S. and abroad used bacteria inherent to the human vaginal tract to develop a live, topical microbicide that may induce production of HIV-1 protein inhibitors and ultimately prevent transmission of the virus. They detail their findings in the July 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and ...

Patients with chronic gum disease who quit smoking in addition to undergoing nonsurgical therapy not only demonstrated a lower abundance of harmful oral pathogens, but also an increase in health-associated bacteria. The researchers from The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio, and Newcastle University, United Kingdom report their findings in ...

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have developed a more sensitive test for Lyme disease that may offer earlier detection and lower cost. The details are reported in the June 2010 issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

Hong Kong researchers suggest a new theory for why swine flu infections turned out to be so mild. Prior exposure to seasonal influenza A, either infection or vaccination, may induce a cross-reactive immune response against the pandemic virus. They report their findings in the July 2010 issue of ...