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CDC Says Flu Cases Remain Elevated, Activity Decreasing in Some Areas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its influenza statistics for the 2012-2013 influenza season for Week 1 ending Jan. 5, 2013. Public health officials are reporting that from Dec. 30, 2012 through Jan. 5, 2013, influenza activity remained elevated in the U.S., but may be decreasing in some areas.

Study Quantifies the Size of Holes Antibacterials Create in Cell Walls to Kill Bacteria

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has initiated a quest for alternatives to conventional antibiotics. One potential alternative is PlyC, a potent enzyme that kills the bacteria that causes strep throat and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. PlyC operates by locking onto the surface of a bacteria cell and chewing a hole in the cell wall large enough for the bacteria's inner membrane to protrude from the cell, ultimately causing the cell to burst and die.

Investigators Discover New Gene That Affects Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus

Scientists have discovered a gene that interferes with the clearance of hepatitis C virus infection. They also identified an inherited variant within this gene, Interferon Lambda 4 (IFNL4), that predicts how people respond to treatment for hepatitis C infection. The results of this study, by investigators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the NIH, and their collaborators at NIH and other institutions, were published online in Nature Genetics on Jan. 6, 2013.