News

There’s an urgent demand for new antimicrobial compounds that are effective against constantly emerging drug-resistant bacteria. Two robotic chemical-synthesizing machines, named Symphony X and Overture, have joined the search. Their specialty is creating custom nanoscale structures that mimic nature’s proven designs. They’re also fast, able to assemble dozens of compounds at a time.

When Jose, a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer (“disease detective”), arrived in Liberia in October 2014, he was supposed to help with hospital infection prevention and control. However, soon after landing, his team learned of rampant Ebola outbreaks in remote parts of the country. Hours later he found himself trekking miles into the Liberian jungle.

When Leticia Linn arrived in Monrovia on July 13, 2014, most people in Liberia were not taking Ebola seriously and denial about the outbreak was widespread. A communications expert, Linn worked with the Ministry of Health’s team to liaise with the media and inform the public about the disease. And when Ebola jumped to Nigeria and the U.S. and cases tripled in Liberia, Ebola denial turned to fear. This is her story.

NovaBay® Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company commercializing and developing novel approaches for the global eye care market, including revolutionary non-antibiotic antimicrobial products, announces receipt of 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its novel intelli-Case with hydrogen peroxide solutions.

Researchers at the University of Bonn and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have discovered two new groups of viruses within the Bunyavirus family in the tropical forest of Ivory Coast. Previously only five groups responsible for serious illnesses in humans and animals were known. Most are spread through blood-feeding insects. Based on the discovered viruses researchers conclude that the ancester to all bunyaviruses must have existed in arthropods such as insects. The results are now being published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

As of May 16, 2015, a cholera outbreak was confirmed in the Kigoma region, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, along the Tanzania border with Burundi. Cholera is endemic in the region, but due to a recent influx of thousands of Burundian refugees, overcrowding and poor sanitation, the situation got worse. As of May 28, 2015, a total of 4,487 suspected cholera cases have been reported so far.