Infectious disease – Science & research news

Video games offer clues to help curb animal disease outbreaks

October 14, 2019

As Asia and Europe battle African swine fever, University of Vermont research shows how farmers' risk attitudes affect the spread of infectious animal diseases and offers a first-of-its kind model for testing disease control and prevention strategies; Frontiers in Veterinary Science [...]

Challenges for sex workers in holding the line in condom use

January 10, 2019

Image of condoms. Research shows consistent condom use among Western Australian sex workers has declined over past decades: Frontiers in Public Health

Criminalization of sex work is a primary factor behind a decline in consistent condom use among sex workers in one Australian state: Frontiers in Public Health [...]

Cancer-fighting drugs also help plants fight disease

October 17, 2018

Image of plant leaf with fungus infection: The finding that anti-cancer drugs help plants fight disease could lead to new treatments for fungal and other plant pathogens: Frontiers in Plant ScienceThe finding that anti-cancer drugs help plants fight disease could lead to new treatments for fungal and other plant pathogens: Frontiers in Plant Science

The finding could help with efforts to develop disease resistance against fungal infections and other plant pathogens: Frontiers in Plant Science [...]

Lessons from the 1918 flu pandemic, 100 years on

October 15, 2018

Image of flu ward in 1918 influenza pandemic. New challenges will affect the impact of the next flu pandemic, such as changing demographics, antibiotic resistance and climate change: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

New challenges will affect the impact of the next influenza pandemic, such as changing demographics, antibiotic resistance and climate change: Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology [...]

Genetic diversity helps protect against disease

July 9, 2018

Frontiers in Microbiology: Researchers observing evolutionary change in real time show that a fungal parasite can quickly adapt to a population of genetically identical cyanobacteria but not to populations with different genetic variants

The finding that a fungal parasite can quickly adapt to a population of genetically identical cyanobacteria helps explain why diversity in populations may be valuable for their preservation: Frontiers in Mirobiology [...]

Mass vaccinations will not prevent Ebola virus outbreaks

May 30, 2018

Frontiers in Immunology: Ebola virus vaccine & vaccination programs

As the necessary vaccination rate for herd immunity is not yet possible, Ebola control depends on surveillance and isolation of cases: Frontiers in Immunology [...]

Mosquitoes more likely to transmit dengue virus in hot weather

December 8, 2017

Local weather conditions could serve as an early warning system for dengue fever outbreaks, suggests a study in Frontiers in Microbiology [...]

New technique predicts risk of plant disease and infestation

November 8, 2017

Algorithms described Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics provide maps of potential hotspots for plant disease and infestation worldwide. [...]

Open science helping to eradicate rabies by 2030

October 25, 2017

A research topic on the control and elimination of dog-mediated human rabies comes at the perfect time to support efforts towards a rabies-free future. [...]

HIV infection, even with antiretroviral therapy, appears to damage a growing child’s brain

October 19, 2017

HIV-positive children who started ART by the age of 18 months show ongoing disruptions in white matter development, shows a study in Frontiers in Neuroanatomy [...]

New method for producing malaria drug at large scales

September 15, 2017

A study in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology shows that genetically engineered moss can rapidly produce artemisinin at an industrial scale. [...]

Pale Rider: the Spanish flu of 1918 and how it changed the world

June 1, 2017

The Spanish flu, the pandemic of influenza that swept the world between March 1918 and March 1920, killed at least 50 million people and perhaps as many as 100 million.

This new book narrates a catastrophe that changed humanity for decades to come -- and yet, is largely accounted as a footnote to World War I [...]

The schoolyard interactions of Earth’s ecosystem

November 30, 2016

Predators eavesdrop on insect-plant interactions, while plants backstab the insects they attract, recent research shows [...]

Disease-causing gut bacteria common in children

October 5, 2016

A type of bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and inhibit growth in children in developing countries, is highly prevalent in a sample of children in an industrialized country. [...]

Infographic: Zika virus 101

May 14, 2016

What is Zika, what are its symptoms and how can you protect yourself? An infographic by Emily Maynard | Mphonline.org [...]

Decoding Zika virus to fight future outbreaks

April 27, 2016

By Fernando Bolaños, Frontiers science writer The constant emergence of viral outbreaks has become a permanent threat to human health. Last year, Zika virus infected [...]

STAFF PICK: Mutating to defeat malaria

February 23, 2016

This month’s Frontiers Staff Pick comes from Victor Kouassi. Victor is a Journal Operations Assistant and before joining us at Frontiers, was at the Francis Crick [...]

World AIDS Day 2015 – 1st December

December 1, 2015

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes HIV infection, which can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Since AIDS was clinically first observed in the USA [...]

Malaria: the long march to eradication

May 25, 2015

There are 200 million cases of malaria each year and 500,000 deaths, mostly among children under 5. Bednets, insecticides, and medication all help to control the disease, but complete eradication is a long way off. [...]