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The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79 percent from 546,800 at the beginning of the century to 114,900 in 2014. New data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against this highly contagious viral disease. Measles vaccination has played a key role in reducing child mortality and in progress toward Millennium Development Goal 4.

In a recent study funded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), University of Georgia researchers found that produce that contained bacteria would contaminate other produce items through the continued use of knives or graters-the bacteria would latch on to the utensils commonly found in consumers’ homes and spread to the next item.

New research from the University of Southampton has found that copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which are linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Different studies have demonstrated that the Ebola virus infection process starts when the virus reaches the cellular DC-SIGN receptor to infect the dendritic cells (of the immune system). European researchers have designed a "giant" molecule formed by 13 fullerenes covered by carbohydrates which, by blocking this receptor, are able to inhibit the cell infection by an artificial ebola virus model.

Complacency in the high-level disinfection (HLD) and manual pre-cleaning of endoscopes is never an option. In order to ensure competency, an institutional quality program with written policies and procedures for endoscope processing must be established and strictly followed. These policies should be based on the Society of Gastrointestinal Nurses and Associates (SGNA) and the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopists (ASGE) guidelines for the reprocessing of endoscopes.

Tenofovir (TDF), a widely-prescribed antiretroviral therapy for patients infected with HIV, is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a new study that will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2015, held Nov. 3-8, 2015 in San Diego. AKI is a costly, yet preventable, health burden linked to nephrotoxic medications, such as medical imaging dyes and anti-inflammatories, and a common postoperative complication.

A rapid-detection Ebola test developed by international scientists including a University of Stirling, Scotland virologist has been deployed following a highly effective pilot project. Dr. Manfred Weidmann, from the University's School of Natural Sciences, was part of a Wellcome Trust project led by the Pasteur Institute of Dakar.

Infectious disease researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a signaling protein critical for host defense against influenza infection. The findings, recently published in PLoS Pathogens, shed light on how a single component of the body's defense system promotes effective immunity against viral infections -- particularly respiratory viruses -- that affect mucosal sites.