The Verge
11/14/2013
Dengue fever outbreaks in the US leave scientists looking for answers
Dengue fever was eradicated from the US nearly 70 years ago, but the devastating tropical disease has made something of a comeback in recent years, following outbreaks in Florida, Hawaii, and Texas. Unlike dengue outbreaks in other parts of the world, its American resurgence has so far been limited in reach — though researchers are still struggling to explain why it hasn't spread further.
Science's "Science Now"
11/14/2013
Treatment for Dormant Malaria Shows Promise
The first new drug in half a century to target malaria parasites in one of their best hideouts is showing encouraging results. The researchers developing the drug, called tafenoquine, said today that data from a recently completed phase II trial were promising enough that they will soon start a phase III trial—the last step before asking drug regulators for approval.
Discover Magazine
10/29/2013
Plague It Again, Sam: Plague in the Twenty-First Century
The plague is an old microbial foe that has haunted our cities and our ports for millennia, killing millions of people in waves of pandemics since antiquity. But Yersinia pestis no longer has the same presence, or stranglehold, in our society and seems negligible when we consider the current state of microbial affairs – increasing levels of antibiotic resistance and novel and emerging viral pathogens, just to name a couple of today’s most pressing issues. Even its moniker, “the plague,” has been appropriated for more contemporary microorganisms that appear to come from nowhere and quickly, fatally sweep through a population – SARS and HIV are prime examples of two new “plagues.”
NPR's Shots
10/09/2013
Activists Sue U.N. Over Cholera That Killed Thousands In Haiti
Human rights activists are suing the United Nations on behalf of five Haitian families afflicted by cholera — a disease many believe U.N. peacekeeping troops brought to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating 2010 earthquake there.
New York Times
09/16/2013
United States Ranks 11th in Plague Cases Worldwide
The United States now ranks 11th in the world in cases of plague, according to a new survey of the disease. With 57 cases in a decade, it is far below the hardest-hit countries, Congo with 10,581 and Madagascar with 7,182. Still, it is the only wealthy country on the list; 97percent of cases are in Africa.
NPR's Shots
07/23/2013
Unusual Tick-Borne Virus Lurks In Missouri's Woods
Last year, scientists got the chance to solve a medical mystery — well, at least half of it. This week the final puzzle pieces fell into place, as investigators tracked the newly identified virus to an eight-legged bug.
Deutsche Presse Agentur
07/22/2013
Gefährliches Zeckenvirus breitet sich aus
Four years ago, suffering two men on a new virus that is transmitted by ticks. A new study shows that significantly more ticks the excitation carry with them than previously thought. (Translated with Google Translate)
Le Monde
03/27/2013
Un smartphone pour traquer les parasites intestinaux En savoir plus sur
A smartphone can be used for many things. And sometimes the most unexpected. With the help of American, Swiss and Tanzanian colleagues, Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital (Canada), transformed into a mobile phone optical microscope, able to detect stool samples in almost 70 % parasitic worm larvae. (Translated with Google Translate)
Agence France-Presse
03/12/2013
Scientists used iPhone to diagnose intestinal worms: study
Scientists used an iPhone and a camera lens to diagnose intestinal worms in rural Tanzania, a breakthrough that could help doctors treat patients infected with the parasites, a study said on Tuesday.