News

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reporting that Pentax has issued an Urgent Medical Device Correction and Removal notification informing customers of its voluntary recall of all ED-3490TK duodenoscopes in order to replace the forceps elevator mechanism, O-ring seal and distal end cap, and to update the Operation Manual to recommend annual maintenance.

Continuous low doses of far ultraviolet C (far-UVC) light can kill airborne flu viruses without harming human tissues, according to a new study at the Center for Radiological Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).

A number of visitors to a New York City amusement park were found to have common respiratory viruses, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

The human microbiome -- the trillions of tiny bacteria that live in and on our bodies -- is emerging as an increasingly important player in health and wellness. But, our co-existence with these organisms is complex, and scientists are learning that even minor changes in this relationship can lead to big problems with our health.

A new approach tested by researchers at the University of Iowa shows that de-identified data from a "smart thermometer" connected to a mobile phone app can track flu activity in real time at both population and individual levels and the data can be used to significantly improve flu forecasting.

The Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, is leading efforts to prevent the spread of dangerous multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), as detailed in a series of articles published in the February issue of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

Ebola virus can infect the reproductive organs of male and female macaques, according to a study published in the American Journal of Pathology, suggesting that humans could be similarly infected

Despite efforts the elimination of yaws in a high-endemic community in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is yet to be achieved. The research identifies relapsing, untreated infections and the emergence of antibiotic resistance as contributing to ongoing yaws infection in the community. Researchers from Spain, PNG, the U.S., Australia, and international colleagues led the study.

Ants, like humans, deal with disease. To deal with the bacteria that cause some of these diseases, some ants produce their own antibiotics. A new comparative study identified some ant species that make use of powerful antimicrobial agents - but found that 40 percent of ant species tested didn't appear to produce antibiotics. The study has applications regarding the search for new antibiotics that can be used in humans.

A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry is the first to describe a signaling pathway that affects communication -- a process called quorum sensing -- between Streptococcus bacteria cells.

An astonishing number of viruses are circulating around the Earth's atmosphere -- and falling from it -- according to new research from scientists in Canada, Spain and the U.S.