Could global warming push malaria to higher elevations?Each year, more than 300 million individuals are infected with malaria, a life-threatening blood disease caused by a parasite transmitted to humans by mosquitos. Whether malaria cases could be affected by warming climates has been a topic of debate, but now, researchers present the first evidence that the disease climbs to higher elevations during warmer years.
Primates protected from deadly Marburg virusFor the first time, scientists have demonstrated the effectiveness of a small-molecule drug in protecting nonhuman primates from the lethal Marburg virus. Their work, published online in the journal Nature, is the result of a continuing collaboration between Army scientists and industry partners that also shows promise for treating a broad range of other viral diseases.
Europe is joining forces against neglected parasitic diseasesThe international consortium A-PARADDISE (Anti-Parasitic Drug Discovery in Epigenetics), coordinated by Inserm, has just obtained funds of €6 million from the European Commission to conduct large-scale testing of innovative therapies against four neglected parasitic diseases: schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and malaria.
Neglected diseases of poverty plague IndonesiaThe control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is one of the most cost-effective ways Indonesia can sustain economic growth and reduce inequality, said scientists in an analysis published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Nanoparticles as drug carriers for malariaA study by researchers from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and the Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB) demonstrates that an antimalarial drug encapsulated in nanoparticles - chloroquine salts in polyamidoamine polymers - is significantly more effective when delivered in vivo than free (unencapsulated) drugs and may help to curb drug resistance.
Analysis of archived mummy reveals murdered young female with Chagas diseaseBlunt force trauma to the skull of a mummy with signs of Chagas disease may support homicide as cause of death, which is similar to previously described South American mummies, according to a study published in PLOS ONE by Stephanie Panzer from Trauma Center Murau, Germany, and colleagues, a study that has been directed by the paleopathologist Andreas Nerlich from Munich University.
New target discovered for dengue virus vaccineBy re-engineering a tiny chain of amino acids in one type of dengue virus, Ralph Baric and Aravinda de Silva discover a new path toward solving the dengue vaccine dilemma. The research has the potential to transform vaccine development for other diseases, including SARS and HIV. Creating a vaccine that protects people from all four types of dengue virus has frustrated scientists for decades.
In Tanzania febrile illnesses in children most often due to viral infectionsMost children ill with fever in Tanzania suffer from a viral infection, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows. A research team led by Dr. Valérie D'Acremont from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel and the Policlinique Médicale Universitaire in Lausanne systematically assessed the causes of febrile illnesses in Tanzanian children.
The genetic secret of mosquito resistance to DDT and ITNs revealedResearchers from LSTM have found that a single genetic mutation causes resistance to DDT and pyrethroids (an insecticide class used in mosquito nets). With the continuing rise of resistance the research, published in the journal Genome Biology, is key as scientists say that this knowledge could help improve malaria control strategies.
Mosquitoes resistant to DDT are also resistant to mosquito net insecticideA single genetic mutation causes resistance to DDT and pyrethroids (an insecticide class used in mosquito nets), according to new research in the journal Genome Biology. As resistance to pyrethroids and DDT is already spreading in mosquito populations, scientists say that this knowledge could help improve malaria control strategies.
Early warning system for epidemicsThe environment has an impact on our health. Preventing epidemics relies on activating the right counter-measures, and scientists are now trying to find out how better use of forecasting can help. The EU's EO2HEAVEN project developed a risk map for correlating environmental and health data in order to identify where a disease may break out next.
Some of the ancient mysteries of leprosy revealedResearch at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is finally unearthing some of the ancient mysteries behind leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, which has plagued mankind throughout history. The new research findings appear in the current edition of journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Malaria: 57% of African population live in high-risk infection areasIn 2010, 90% of all malaria deaths occurred in populations living in the African region of the World Health Organization. Although the past 10 years have seen major investments in malaria control in Africa, new research suggests that almost 60% of the population continue to live in moderate- and high-risk infection areas.This is according to a study recently published in The Lancet.
![](\"http://www.igotyourindex.com/igyindex.gif?DOCUMENTNAME=&DOCUMENTLINK=&GOALNAME&=DOCUMENTVALUE&=GROUPNAME\")