‘Hospital’ superbug Clostridioides difficile reveals ‘weak spots’
The superbug Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, can cause dangerous intestinal infections. There are limited treatment options, and patients often face repeated infections, which can be fatal. Now, a new study shows that this dangerous bacterium can quickly develop resistance to antibiotics, although this resistance comes at a cost to the superbug itself. Researchers have identified two different mechanisms of drug resistance in C. difficile.
Coxsackie – symptoms, treatment, prevention, complications. Groups of viruses
Russians are urged to see a doctor if they detect symptoms of the Coxsackie virus. Immunologists reported that the Coxsackie virus, known as intestinal flu, causes high fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea. If they are detected, it is important to immediately see a doctor and get tested. The virus is transmitted through food, water and airborne droplets, and is especially common in the fall season when children return to school. Several schoolchildren and toddlers in kindergartens have previously contracted the virus.
Scientists in China have discovered a previously unknown fungal pathogen that can infect humans
Scientists have discovered a type of fungus that has never been seen in humans before. They say warmer temperatures may be making it evolve for the worse. The fungus, called Rhodosporidiobolus fluvialis, was found in clinical samples from two unrelated hospital patients. In experiments, the researchers found that the yeast was resistant to several first-line antifungal drugs at higher temperatures – around human body temperature. This temperature also led to the emergence of “hypervirulent mutants” that could cause more severe illness in lab mice.
A hard-to-treat form of ringworm can be transmitted sexually and has now been found in the US
A difficult-to-treat form of ringworm can be sexually transmitted and has now been found in the United States. Ringworm, also known as tinea, is a skin infection caused by a variety of fungi. In this case, the culprit is a fungus called Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII (TMVII). It has previously been reported in Southeast Asia and Europe. In 2023, for example, doctors in Paris published a case series of 13 infections reported among men in the city. These recent cases occurred among men who have sex with men, suggesting that the fungus may now be circulating in this demographic, although anyone can become infected.
The most dangerous fungus for humans: Candida auris
Fifteen years ago, scientists discovered a new species of deadly, drug-resistant fungus: Candida auris. It is now considered one of the most dangerous fungal pathogens on Earth. In an excerpt from What If Fungi Win? (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024), author Arturo Casadevall looks at the rise of this deadly fungus, which may be the first to emerge as a result of climate change.
New strain of monkeypox has spread to Eurasia, Europe, North and South America
Since autumn 2023, about 23 thousand residents of the DRC have been infected with the virus from the “clade Ib” by the beginning of August 2024, which is significantly higher than official estimates. Epidemiologists from the UK, Japan, Singapore and the US have concluded that the new strain of monkeypox virus, identified in the fall of 2023 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has recently penetrated not only Sweden and Thailand, but also other countries of the world far from Africa. The experts’ findings were published in an article in the electronic library medRxiv.
Mosquito-borne virus dubbed Triple E is killing people in the US
Recent cases of a viral disease called Triple E have occurred in New York and New England. A mosquito-borne virus called Triple E recently killed a man in Ulster County, New York. Earlier this year, Triple E fatally infected a man in New Hampshire and has also sickened a number of people in other northeastern states. The city of Plymouth, Massachusetts, has begun closing public parks between dusk and dawn to help reduce the risk of people becoming infected.
Tick-borne WELV can cause deadly infections by attacking the brain and other organs
Scientists report that a new tick-borne virus has been discovered in China that can be transmitted to humans and sometimes cause neurological diseases. Animal studies have shown that the virus can cause fatal infections by affecting the brain and other organs. Infection with the orthonairovirus (Wetland virus – WELV) can cause serious neurological problems, as well as organ dysfunction, if not diagnosed and treated in time. This was reported to TASS by the press service of the National Medical Research Center for Phthisiopulmonology and Infectious Diseases (NMIC FPI) of the Russian Ministry of Health.
Wild Gorillas Eat Plants With Antibacterial Properties Against Drug-Resistant E. Coli
Wild gorillas eat the same tree bark used by traditional healers that can inhibit the growth of E. coli in petri dishes, according to a new study. Scientists have found that wild gorillas in Gabon eat some of the same plants used by traditional healers in the region, and these plants show antibacterial properties in the lab.
Arctic expedition discovers actinobacteria that could contain next-generation antibiotics
An analysis of samples collected during an expedition to the Arctic Ocean suggests that marine microbes could be a promising new source of antibiotics. Scientists have found that substances produced by Arctic Ocean microbes called actinobacteria can stop harmful bacteria from growing and causing disease.