Measles is ridiculously contagious: Sneezed from someone’s nose, the virus lingers in the air, able to infect others who enter the same room hours later. …
Tag: infectious disease
Rift Valley fever virus illustrates interdependence between environment, global health
Formerly bound to the African continent, recent cases of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in western nations and China warrant increased vigilance given the viruses’ …
Foreign aid cutbacks could harm health of Americans, Stanford health policy researcher argues
New legislation introduced last week to could reduce foreign aid by $10 billion. Some of these cuts would affect global health organizations that fight HIV …
Price of protection: Immune-gene version, great at combating leprosy, is not without drawbacks
Leprosy begins with a bacterial infection and, after five to 20 symptom-free years, can end in severe nerve, skin, vision and respiratory-tract damage and limb …
Is it possible to eliminate viral hepatitis in the U.S. by 2030? Yes, says national committee
Stanford's Samuel So, MD, wants to eliminate viral hepatitis in the United States. Rubbing out a disease that causes more than 20,000 deaths in the …
Model predicts best temperature for mosquito-borne disease transmission
A new model developed by Stanford researchers suggests the optimal temperature for the spread of mosquito-borne diseases may be 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The researchers hope …
Artificial intelligence could help diagnose tuberculosis in remote regions, study finds
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that kills almost two million people worldwide each year, even though the disease can be identified on a simple chest …
How cellphones might help researchers battle mosquito-spread disease
In many regions, mosquitos are basically flying disease distributors. Bed nets and pharmaceuticals save lives, but to support additional advances — from environmental controls such …
Combination of two approved cancer drugs defeats dengue, Ebola viruses in mice
Treating viral infections with a "one drug, one bug" approach can be quite successful, as in the case of hepatitis C. A concerted effort generated several …
Test can spot TB in children, helping save lives
During his decade of work in South Africa, Stanford’s Jason Andrews, MD, has seen many young children die from tuberculosis and been frustrated by the …
Intestinal pathogen drops gene, spreads through body — and sub-Saharan Africa
Typhoid fever, caused by a strain of the bacterial pathogen Salmonella, is thought to have wiped out one-third of the population of Athens in 430 B.C. and continues to …
Keeping mosquitoes in check to prevent widespread disease
What is the most deadly animal in the world, when it comes to human disease? Some might be surprised to learn that it’s a bug: …
Snails can travel far, spreading disease, researchers find
I would expect it to take all day for a snail to get across my backyard and its entire life to get around my neighborhood. …
Ebola infection may be asymptomatic, study finds
In the heat of the Ebola crisis in late 2014, Stanford’s Gene Richardson, MD, was among the brave physicians who volunteered in Sierra Leone to …
The secret Swiss Agent: Puzzling comments reveal new twist to the Lyme disease saga
While I was conducting a 2013 biographical interview with Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, the discoverer of the Lyme disease bacterium, he reluctantly confessed that he’d left …
New study provides deep dive into deadly fungal infections
Fungi lack the big name players fielded by the viruses — such as HIV and Zika — or the bacteria — think salmonella, streptococcus. But …