AAAS Science
10/05/2012
Vipers Go Viral
Every year as the days grow warmer, the Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) reemerges along the eastern coast of the United States, where it causes devastating disease in horses and, more rarely, humans. Scientists have long wondered how the virus, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, survives the cold, mosquito-killing North American winters. Now, a new study suggests that snakes harbor the virus through the winter, but experts disagree on whether the finding clinches the question for good.
NBC News
10/01/2012
Snakes may harbor deadly virus
Snakes may provide a winter hiding place for a virus that’s causing an unusually severe outbreak in the U.S. northeast this year, and this could be good news for control efforts, researchers said on Monday. They found eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE for short) in cottonmouths and copperhead snakes and said it’s likely the reptiles incubate the virus while they hibernate over the winter. When they come out in spring, mosquitos feast on the snakes and then pass it to birds.
Wired Science
08/02/2012
Bats Incredible: The Mystery of Rabies Survivorship Deepens
No other disease kills every single human it afflicts ... And studies in dogs and bats have shown that those rabies carriers, who almost always die from the infection, nevertheless will occasionally survive. Now a new study provides more ammunition for the idea that humans might survive rabies on their own.
Agence France Presse
08/02/2012
Amazon people 'resistant to rabies'
Scientists said that a rare group of people in the Peruvian Amazon appears to have some natural resistance to rabies, which is widely considered fatal if not immediately treated.
Fox News
08/02/2012
CDC uncovers small population with natural resistance to rabies
If left untreated, the rabies virus is considered to be fatal 100 percent of the time – with less than 10 known cases of survival among people who did not receive the vaccine. However, new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is challenging that established theory by unveiling a small population in South America that may have natural protection against the disease.
Los Angeles Times
08/01/2012
Not all rabies infections lead to death; some may have resistance
Rabies is generally thought to be universally fatal, but new evidence suggests that is not always the case. A study in Peru suggests that some people -- admittedly a very small percentage of the population -- may have a natural resistance to the rabies virus that protects them from serious illness when they become infected. The results suggest that it may be possible to develop new ways to prevent and treat rabies.
Austria Presse Agentur
08/01/2012
Forscher fanden Hinweise auf Tollwut-Resistenzen
Deep in the Peruvian Amazon , scientists have evidence of possible rabies resistance in humans found. "Our results suggest that there might be in certain communities, a kind of natural resistance or increased reaction of the immune system that are exposed to the disease on a regular basis," said Amy Gilbert from the US Centre for Infection Control CDC. (Translated with Google Translate)
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
07/03/2012
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
The number of malaria deaths has declined significantly in recent years - but for how long? In two studies, researchers examine two areas in the fight against the disease: the spraying of insecticides and the effectiveness of artemisinin. The works are in the " American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene " (AJTMH). (Translated with Google Translate)