News

The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae has been under suspicion for quite a while. Now, researchers at the University of Zurich, the University Children's Hospital Zurich, and the Erasmus University in Rotterdam have proved without a doubt that it is the culprit. In fact, mycoplasma is not only responsible for respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia in children and adults, it can also trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in infected individuals. The scientists have succeeded for the first time in culturing mycoplasma from a GBS patient in a laboratory setting.

Cranial neural crest cells-which give rise to the bones and cartilage of the skull-are vulnerable to Zika virus, report Stanford University School of Medicine researchers September 29 in Cell Host & Microbe. The discovery, made by infecting in vitro cultures of human cells, offers a potential mechanism for how children born with the virus can have smaller-than-average skulls and disproportionate facial features.

While current U.S. flu activity is low overall, localized influenza outbreaks have been reported. Influenza activity often begins to increase in October. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Now is a good time to get vaccinated. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for protection to set in.

Good news for the millions of people who suffer from skin wounds that won’t heal. A team of researchers at Ohio State University has brought a potentially transformative solution to the problem by creating a portable adhesive patch that drives a continuous, small electrical current to stimulate healing and reduce the risk of infection.

This report addresses issues relating to the use of spray cleaner-disinfectants and the importance of using the right product for any cleaning and disinfection task.