Immunology

A new position statement goes contrary to the consensus and finds that the introduction of gluten into the infant diet, or the practice of introducing gluten during breast-feeding, does not reduce the risk of celiac disease in infants at risk. The statement appears in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Contrary to previous advice, gluten may be introduced anytime between four to twelve completed months of age, the updated recommendations state. Although breastfeeding should be promoted for its other well-established health benefits, current evidence suggests that neither…

Imagine a virus so serious the government recommends that women stop getting pregnant. It exists, and it is now in Brazil, which is a big concern as the Olympics approaches. The Zika virus, native to parts of Africa and Asia, has been spreading locally among people who have not traveled abroad. There is no vaccine against the virus or antiviral treatment. Zika is generally a mild illness, spread by a day-biting mosquito. However, there is a worrisome, but as of yet unproven, association of infected mothers in Brazil giving birth to babies with small heads and underdeveloped brains, Dr.…

The bacterium Bacillus cereus had so far been considered to be exclusively endospore-forming. In response to harsh conditions, the bacteria form protective endospores enabling them to remain dormant for extended periods, then they reactivate to become fully functioning bacteria when conditions are favorable again. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna have found that B. cereus has an alternative lifestyle in the form of so called small colony variants (SCVs). In B. cereus these SCVs form in response to exposure with aminoglycoside antibiotics. SCVs grow slower than the…

While the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has prompted the medical community and media to educate the public to the dangers of misusing and overusing antibiotics but there may be more to the problem than medications - an ecologist is finding a way to blame nuclear research from the 1950s, good timing as environmentalists have declared open war on 'green' scientists who support nuclear energy as the most viable alternative to fossil fuels. J. Vaun McArthur of the University of Georgia is making his claim based on a study of streams on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah…

The children's flu vaccine doesn't trigger an allergic reaction in those with egg allergy, finds a study in The BMJ today, and it is also appropriate for young people with well-controlled asthma or recurrent wheeze. Evidence suggests that children and young people are the main spreaders of influenza infection. In 2012, the UK Department of Health therefore recommended annual vaccination of those aged 2-16 years of age with live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) as part of the NHS childhood vaccination program. LAIV is a nasal spray vaccine developed specifically for young people, but there…

Why would you want to create a group of farmers who would not need state milk producer licenses, permits, or to obey state milk quality rules while selling something that everyone not making a buck hustling it or being duped by faux health claims into buying it knows is dangerous? That is exactly what Wisconsin is thinking about doing with raw milk. The CDC certainly wishes they would not - an alarming risk comes with raw milk, that is why pasteurization was invented and then foodborne illnesses plummeted. Usually anti-science and anti-health positions related to food come from Democrats(that…

Sometimes viruses do not attack right away, they instead find a way to enter the cells of the human body without tripping the alarm, and stay there without notice until it is time to strike. It’s how viruses in the herpesvirus family, like human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), do their business. HCMV infects people at high rates all around the world. People with compromised or weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable. In newborn babies, the virus can cause deafness, intellectual disability and learning disorders. Other viruses in the herpesvirus family can cause cancer, shingles and…

Since making its debut during World War II, the influenza vaccine has become one of the most heavily criticized immunizations. It is not just anti-vaxxers, even science advocates think it underperforms. The seasonal nature of the shot, as well as misinformation about its perceived toxins, have damaged the vaccine’s public image. But researchers are looking to change that, by trying to learn why we are failing to make a universal flu vaccine. As they write in Science Translational Medicine, they believe the solution may be found by studying an individual’s immune history.…

Scientists have shown how a parasitic worm infection common in the developing world increases susceptibility to tuberculosis. The study demonstrated that treating the parasite reduces lung damage seen in mice that also are infected with tuberculosis, thereby eliminating the vulnerability to tuberculosis (TB) that the parasite is known to cause. The study raises the possibility of using inexpensive and widely available anti-parasitic drugs as a preventive measure in places where the parasite and TB are common -- stopping infection with the parasite and reducing susceptibility to TB and the…

Scientists have found that people infected by the dengue virus but showing no clinical symptoms can actually infect mosquitoes that bite them. It appears that these asymptomatic people - who, together with mildly symptomatic patients, represent three-quarters of all dengue infections - could be involved in the transmission chain of the virus.  Dengue virus infects 390 million people worldwide each year through the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus. But estimates suggest that 300 million of these people do not present clinical symptoms that are severe enough to be detected by health…