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Diseases

10/17/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Misconception: The black-legged tick, not the lone star, carries the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, according to a review of evidence

One fact that people know about Lyme disease is that ticks cause it. As to which tick causes the condition – which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports as the most commonly reported vector-based illness in the U.S. – is where the confusion starts. Lyme disease, of which the causative agent is the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is known […]

09/14/2018 / By Rhonda Johansson

Adaptable bacteria: Study shows MRSA adapts to your skin’s environment, increasing its ability to infect

A collaborative effort between scientists at the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Tübingen (IMIT) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) unveiled an important mechanism found in the cell wall of the bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus. This discovery shows potential in the development of new treatment options for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-intermediate […]

08/24/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Study reveals a bit of fat is necessary: Besides storing energy and maintaining body temperature, it powers your immune system

Try not to spend too much time at the gym – according to a study, a bit of excess fat in the body can actually protect you from infections. Based on the study’s results, body fat stores special cells that remember pathogens, and this makes them more efficient at staving off infection compared to other immune […]

08/17/2018 / By Janine Acero

Just how clean are your kitchen towels? New research suggests that they may be a possible vector for food poisoning

Kitchen towels may seem harmless, but a new study suggests that they may be housing pathogens that could potentially cause food poisoning. The findings of the study suggest that factors such as hygienic practices, type of diet, and family size and composition, to name a few, may impact and even promote the growth of pathogenic […]

08/14/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Did you know that you have E.coli in your body right now? Some strains are actually needed for your survival

In the U.S., most food poisoning cases are caused by E. coli outbreaks. Still, it’s important to know that while some strains of E. coli are indeed harmful to humans, not all types are pathogenic. You even have different strains of E. coli in your intestines, such as a strain of the bacteria that can produce the vitamin K that it also […]

08/02/2018 / By Michelle Simmons

Pigeons could offer insights to fight disease caused by water and air pollution

Pigeons may be seen as a burden in urban areas because of their unhygienic habits. Contrary to this, experts believe that they could be of use as they could provide insights to fight disease brought about by water and air pollution. This was based on a study conducted by a team of researchers from the […]

07/10/2018 / By Zoey Sky

The larger the variety of microbes you have in your gut, the healthier your blood vessels are

According to a study, the variety of microbes in your gut indicates the health condition of your blood vessels. A team of researchers has discovered that individuals who have a more diverse microbiome had a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is often linked to fatal health problems such as heart […]

07/10/2018 / By Carol Anderson

Flesh-eating bacteria thrives on your suffering; the chemicals you release when in excruciating pain actually feed them

If the word flesh-eating bacteria isn’t scary enough, try bacteria which find happiness – or more accurately, satiation – when you’re in pain. It appears that the popular flesh-eating bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes does not only cause strep throat but also initiates a disease called necrotizing fasciitis. According to previous research, a certain type of toxin is being released […]

07/10/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Scientists aim to predict the next Ebola outbreak by tracking the migration patterns of BATS

The next time an Ebola epidemic breaks out in Africa, we may be warned in advance by bats. A Science Daily article reports how Pennsylvania-based researchers created a computer model that predicts the migratory movements of the airborne mammals that carry the virus. Bats are considered to be a primary carrier of the Ebola virus. They are […]

06/24/2018 / By RJ Jhonson

New study reveals that the malaria parasite can infect you as deep as your bone marrow

A study published in the online journal mBio revealed that the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax infects its hosts much, much deeper than previously thought. Researchers found evidence that the parasite penetrates as deep as the bone marrow where it often stays undetected and unimpeded from starting and spreading disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports […]

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