Sequencing Technology to Detect Viruses

In order to quickly spot viruses in plants, there is a new technology hitting the market. CIRAD, the French Agricultural Centre for International Development, has created the Oxford Nanopore MinION. The MinION uses a sequencing approach to see different viruses in plants. The sequencing approach is explained by Phillippe Roumagnac, a virologist from CIRAD,  as […]

New Cancer Detecting Technology

New cancer detecting technology can help decrease cancer deaths throughout the years. Whiteman states that cancer deaths are increasing and by the year 2030 they will increase by one fourth percent. Growing from 8 million to around 13 million. In addition, some ways to reduce deaths by cancer is to detect them early using new […]

Flu Vaccine Misconceptions

  By Julia Vann With flu season approaching, it’s now more important than ever to get the flu vaccine. However, according CNBC, less and less people have been getting the flu shot every year. It’s time to look at the reasons why and the misconceptions associated with them. Misconception 1 A lot of people assume […]

Antibiotic Resistant Infections

  by Julia Vann Imagine a society where a minor cut could threaten your life. It may seem silly, but that is exactly the danger we currently face with the rise of antibiotic resistant infections. According to a year long research study conducted by the Annals of Emergency Medicine, bacteria resistant to the most common […]

World Antibiotic Awareness Week

  World Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov. 13-19): The Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance “This year’s theme: Seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional before taking antibiotics.” (WHO) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is known as infections that no longer respond to drug treatments. For the most part, AMR can happen one of two ways. The first way is […]

California vaccination bill

On June 25th, California’s assembly voted to approve a bill that would end religious and personal belief exemptions from vaccinations for school children. To officially pass, Gov. Jerry Brown will have to sign off on the bill as well. The bill would make California the 32nd state to ban exemptions based on personal beliefs, but […]

Chloroquine ineffective for Ebola treatment

Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug once thought to be a viable treatment for Ebola, was ineffective in a new study using mice and hamster models. Chloroquine has been proven safe for humans and is also inexpensive. For more than 30 years, chloroquine has been  effective due to its antiviral properties in HIV-1, coronaviruses, dengue, chikungunya and influenza treatments, […]

Journey towards polio eradication

Polio eradication remains a priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Without eradication, a resurgence of polio could paralyze more than 200,000 children worldwide every year within a decade,” says Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the CDC. The journey towards polio eradication has been a collaborative effort. In 1998, the CDC […]

MERS-CoV linked to camels

MERS-CoV, formally known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, is a new coronavirus first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. About 1,000 infections have been reported to the World Health Organization, including infections in the U.S. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Emerging Infectious Diseases, MERS-CoV has been linked to people […]

H5N8 transmission concerns

H5N8 virus, a new strain of avian flu (HPAI),  has been tracing an alarming path from its origination in China through South Korea, Russia, Japan, Canada, multiple countries in Europe and the central United States. Researchers believe that since its discovery in early 2014, the virus was carried from Russia to various parts of the world […]

Ebola virus treatment options

The Ebola outbreak of the past year was a reminder of the lack of treatment options for people infected. According to the World Health Organization’s Ebola Response Roadmap Situation Report, as of November 2014, 15,935 Ebola cases have been reported and 5,689 deaths. No vaccines or treatments are currently available and interventions are at early stages. Although […]

Malaria transmission via mosquitoes

Malaria was eliminated during the 1950s in the United States with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yet every year, approximately 1,500 cases of malaria are reported, mainly from returning sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia travelers. According to the World Health Organization, in 2013 alone, 500,000 deaths were reported. A […]