(AP) -- The government approved a new genetic test for the flu virus Tuesday that will allow labs across the country to identify flu strains within four hours instead of four days.
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Whooping cough cases on the rise in Midwest
An underreported, often misdiagnosed disease that people think affects only young children is drawing concern from national health officials and has recently struck hospital workers, closed schools in the Midwest and kept multiple health departments busy sending out alerts.
New vaccine may give long-term defense against deadly bird flu and its variant forms
A new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
CDC seeks bird flu diagnostic tests
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $11.4 million for development of new, rapid diagnostic tests for avian influenza.
New Technology Expected To Help Rapidly Identify Avian Flu Strains
Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta have developed a novel "gene chip" based on a single influenza virus gene that is expected to allow scientists to quickly identify specific flu viruses, including avian influenza H5N1.
'Flu Chip' May Help Combat Future Epidemics, Pandemics
A novel "Flu Chip" developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.
Cellular senescence a double-edged sword
Scientists have identified a molecular cause behind the ravages of old age and in doing so have also shown how a natural process for fighting cancer in younger persons can actually promote cancer in older individuals. Cellular senescence, the process by which biological cells stop dividing in response to stress or damage to their DNA, was shown to trigger the secretion of proteins that cause inflammation in neighboring cells and tissue. Inflammation is linked to almost every major disease associated with aging, including many cancers.
New type of vaccines deliver stronger and faster immune response
A new vaccine principle is being developed by scientists at the University of Copenhagen which – if it works to its full expected potential – could help to save millions of lives and revolutionise current vaccine technology. The 'InVacc' platform, as it is known, represents an advance on the original DNA vaccines and generates new vaccines with greatly enhanced properties. The platform consists of a chain of amino acids attached to a gene of the virus being vaccinated against. This genetic cocktail is then inserted into an incapacitated flu-like virus such as the adenovirus and injected into the body, where it triggers a broader and more aggressive immune response, enabling the immune system to quickly seek out and destroy the disease when it invades.
Scientists fight stem rust UG99 before it becomes a threat
(PhysOrg.com) -- Wheat breeders and plant pathologists at Montana State University are part of a global effort to develop varieties of wheat resistant to a new fungus. UG99, a stem rust strain that was first discovered in Africa and is slowly creeping towards the United States, could be devastating to Montana's wheat industry.