Annual Conference on Bacterial, Viral and Infectious Diseases

The study is the first to show that the chemical -- known as allicin -- could be an effective treatment against a group of infectious bacteria that is highly resistant to most antibiotics. Allicin is a natural compound secreted by garlic bulbs. This chemical compound ward off a closely-related group of plant pathogens found in soil and water habitats. In the 1980s, a bacteria -- known as the  Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) -- emerged as a cause of serious and transmissible lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis.  The Bcc are highly versatile plant and human pathogens that have not been studied to the same extent as other superbugs -- such as MRSA. The bacteria produce potent antimicrobial agents, making them naturally drug-resistant and allowing them to survive in polluted and antibiotic-rich environments. Caution Measures to limit the spread of Bcc infections among people with cystic fibrosis brought the number of cases down considerably. However, cur...

Ebola viral haemoorhagic fever is a deadly illness caused by four totally different strains of  Ebola virus . This virus infects humans and anthropoid primates.  The disease has killed thousands of individuals in sub-Saharan African nations since its discovery in 1976.     The term viral haemorrhagic fever is known as it because of the within the Democratic Republic of Congo where it was initially reported. It is selected as CDC grade four thereby indicating that it's one in all the foremost  dangerous pathogens  on the world.  EHF incorporates a fifty to ninety % rate, with a speedy onset of symptoms that begin with a headache and raw throat and accomplish major internal & external haemorrhage...

A guide to tackle Kissing bugs A group of scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has published a guide to battle a fatal disease transferred to humans by a blood sucking insect called kissing bug. The kissing bug carries the parasite , Trypanosoma cruzi which causes this fatal disease called Chagas disease. Chagas disease is estimated to affect more than 7 million people all around the world. It is often looked at as the silent killer because its symptoms are so difficult to be tracked. At early stages, the disease is treatable but if left undetected and untreated, it can lead to serious complications such as heart failure, an enlarged heart or stroke. Despite the serious effects it may cause upon the individual, there is still lack of knowledge about this disease and about the insect that carry the parasite as it shows no signs whatsoever. It's a complete myth that these kissing bugs could be only found in mud huts, they coul...

As their name suggest, giant viruses are big — as big as bacteria, and more than twice the size of typical viruses. The genome of Giant viruses are more complex than the genomes of simple microbes, and many of these genes of Giant viruses code for proteins that is found only in giant viruses. These so called orphan genes puzzled scientists about where they come from. In three new species of Pandora viruses, a family of giant viruses, it was found out that these genes originated in the viruses themselves. The giant viruses were like factories which churned out novel genes and proteins. However, the origin and purpose of this prolific gene creation is still a mystery. There are four known  giant virus families discovered till date: Molli virus, Mega virus, Pitho virus and Pandora virus. Recently researchers have identified three new members of Pandora virus from samples collected in France, New Caledonia and Australia. And these three new members of Pandora viruses ...

A key stage in infection by Neisseria meningitis, a human pathogen to be blamed for meningitis in infants and young adults was unravelled by a group of scientists at the Pasteur Institute. The progression of the infection was facilitated and aggravated by the blood aggregates formed in the blood vessel. Though treatment is run quickly, the death rate due to meningococcal infections remains terribly high. Human meningococcal infectious disease is characterised by the accumulation of bacteria in blood vessels, that fully top off with bacterium. However the mechanisms that govern the formation of those aggregates and also the impact of the process is still unknown. A syndicate of scientists, intrigued by this formation of intravascular aggregates, started to know this stage of infection, particularly its underlying physical basis. Their findings discovered that "the microorganism aggregates fashioned by Neisseria meningitidis appeared to be a thick liquid, like that of honey. Ana...

Avian flu refers to a group of infectious diseases caused by influenza viruses that infect birds causing disease. One sub type of Avian Flu is H5N1.  H5N1 is a severe infection with a high mortality rate.The first outbreak  of H5N1 bird  flu  was in December 2003. Since then, over 700 cases have been reported, in Africa, Asia, and Europe with the highest cases reported in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Egypt. The most recent  case of H5N1 was reported in Malaysia in March 2017. It killed a number of chickens, but no human cases were reported. It is not easy for humans to catch it, but it is fatal in 60 percentage  of cases. Symptoms include blood in the sputum, fever, headache  and an upset stomach . Deterioration can be rapid. Antiviral medication can help increase the chances of survival and reduce the impact of the disease. A pandemic is unlikely unless the disease learns to spread between people. What is H5N1?  Type  A strains of the in...

"Finding out what protects the majority of babies is very important , because it will cause ways that to spice up natural immune responses and build people proof against HIV infection, aforesaid Peter Kessler, laboratory intern with the Emory University faculty of drugs . Scientists had been speculative for years by the actual fact that solely a minority of babies born to mothers with HIV infection get the infection from their mothers. Currently, HIV infection is with success managed with antiretroviral medicine , however these medicine need to incline for all times . Preventing the infection is incredibly vital , however there's no immunizing agent on the market . However, Kessler and his colleagues found that levels of Treg lymphocytes were higher within the blood of new born babies born to mothers with HIV infection. World Health Organization had at large the infection themselves, compared with babies World Health Organization were born wi...