Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 30, 2017

'Spermbot' May One Day Help Treat Cervical Cancer

A biohybrid sperm microrobot might one day deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumors in the female reproductive tract, according to a new paper from Germany. The sci-fi-sounding microbot, which was described in a December article in the journal ACS Nano, consists of sperm from a bull combined with a plastic, 3D-printed...

Oct 31, 2017

Many Vietnam Vets May Have Cancer-Causing Parasites: What Are Liver Flukes?

Hundreds of Vietnam War veterans may be infected with parasites called liver flukes, which can sometimes lead to cancer, recent research suggests. A recent study from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) found that, out of 50 blood samples submitted from Vietnam veterans, more than 20 percent tested positive...

Sep 30, 2017

Tiny Acrobat: Louse Photographed Flipping and Twirling

Doctors in Mexico snapped a stunning photo of an acrobatic arthropod flipping and twirling. But the critter was far from a medical marvel — rather, the crab-shaped parasite was a lowly pubic louse. The doctors spotted the pubic louse (Phthirus pubis) when they were examining a 65-year-old man who said...

Sep 30, 2017

Bacteria in Your Mouth Could Fuel Gut Diseases

Bacteria that normally live in a person's mouth could contribute to gut diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, a new study in mice suggests. The study found that, when certain strains of bacteria from the mouth make their way to the gut and settle...

Sep 30, 2017

What Is Leptospirosis? Dozens of Cases Suspected in Puerto Rico

Dozens of people in Puerto Rico are suspected to have contracted leptospirosis, a bacterial illness, in the wake of Hurricane Maria, and several people have died from the disease. Yesterday (Oct. 24), officials in Puerto Rico said they had confirmed two deaths from the disease, according to CBS News. Another...

Aug 31, 2017

How Zika Virus Could Help Fight Brain Cancer

The Zika virus can be a serious health threat, especially to unborn children, but now researchers say the virus itself could help treat another devastating illness — brain cancer. A new study suggests that the same properties that make Zika a dangerous virus for unborn children could be useful in...

Aug 31, 2017

America's STD Epidemic: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea & Syphilis Cases on the Rise

In Americans, cases of three common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — have together reached an all-time high, according to a new report. In 2016, a total of more than 2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States, according to...

Jun 30, 2017

Parasitic Worm in Walrus Meat Infects 10 People in Alaska

Ten people in Alaska were recently infected with what is now a relatively rare parasitic worm that they got from eating walrus meat, according to a new report. The cases occurred between July 2016 and May 2017, the report said. All 10 were infected with a parasitic worm called Trichinella,...

Jun 30, 2017

How Bad Is Gonorrhea's Resistance to Drugs? Some Cases Are Untreatable

The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is becoming increasingly more difficult, or at times even impossible, to treat because strains of the bacteria that cause it have become resistant to antibiotics, according to a new report. In the report, researchers looked at data from gonorrhea cases and antibiotic resistance from 77...

Jun 30, 2017

Missouri Woman Dies from Tick Bite: What Is Bourbon Virus?

A woman in Missouri recently died from a rare tick-borne illness called Bourbon virus disease, which was first identified only a few years ago. The woman, 58-year-old Tamela Wilson, began feeling unwell in late May, shortly after she'd spotted and removed two ticks from her body, CBS News reported. Soon,...

Jun 30, 2017

Why You May Not Have to Finish All Your Antibiotics

If you have ever taken an antibiotic, you likely know the drill: Finish the entire course of treatment, even if you are feeling better, or else you risk a relapse. Worse, by not finishing, you might contribute to the dangerous rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The advice to always finish your...

Jun 30, 2017

This Is How a Woman Died from a Tick-Borne Disease Without a Tick Bite

A woman in Japan died last year from a tick-borne disease — but she was never bitten by a tick. Instead, investigators believe the woman became infected with a disease called severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome through a bite from a stray cat, according to The Japan Times. (Essentially, the...

May 31, 2017

Tuna Steaks Recalled in 3 US States for Hepatitis A

A number of restaurants in California, Oklahoma and Texas received shipments of frozen tuna steaks that may be contaminated with hepatitis A, according to health officials. The tuna products, distributed by Hilo Fish Company in Hawaii, recently tested positive for the hepatitis A virus and are being recalled, according to...

May 31, 2017

Unproven Treatments for 'Chronic Lyme Disease' Lead to Severe Infections

In a small number but growing number of cases, people in the U.S. have suffered severe bacterial infections, bone damage or a life-threatening condition called septic shock — all because of treatments they received for a condition called chronic Lyme disease. But there is no test for chronic Lyme disease,...

May 31, 2017

Brain-Infecting 'Rat Lungworm' Spreads in Florida

A parasitic worm that can infect people's brains has been found throughout Florida, according to a new study. The researchers found the parasite, called rat lungworm, living in rats and snails in five Florida counties in both the central and northern parts of the state. Rat lungworm was previously found...