A small number of Candida auris infections are also resistant to antifungal drugs A fungus that recently evolved to infect humans is spreading rapidly in health care facilities in the United States and becoming harder to treat, a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. CandidaContinue Reading
Nanoparticles in the juice slowed the formation of the stones in rats A surprise ingredient may explain how lemon juice puts the squeeze on kidney stones. Lemons contain nanoparticles that, when fed to rats, block stone formation, scientists report in the Feb. 22 Nano Letters. If the tiny sacs doContinue Reading
The earlier myopia starts, the worse eye health can become later in life An eye drop a day could keep myopia at bay — at least temporarily. Using nightly eye drops with 0.05 percent atropine, a medication that relaxes the eye muscle responsible for focusing vision, may delay myopia onsetContinue Reading
A mother in Alabama gave birth to rare “MoMo” twins after a previous twin pregnancy. In a rare case, a mother in Alabama gave birth to two sets of identical twins in back-to-back pregnancies. Britney Alba learned she was pregnant with twins for the second time roughly six months afterContinue Reading
Low humidity and temperatures may make infections more likely When bitter winds blew and temperatures dropped, my grandmother would urge me to come inside. “You’ll catch your death of cold out there,” she’d say. Sure, freezing to death is possible in frigid temperatures. But doctors and other health experts haveContinue Reading
Polymyxins turn cell membranes into brittle, breakable crystals To kill drug-resistant bacteria, “last-resort” antibiotics borrow a tactic from Medusa’s playbook: petrification. New high-resolution microscope images show that a class of antibiotics called polymyxins crystallize the cell membranes of bacteria. The honeycomb-shaped crystals that form turn the microbes’ usually supple skinsContinue Reading
This interactive map shows locations, suggesting that finding care for lingering symptoms can be a challenge For the millions of people in the United States with long COVID, getting help comes down to where they live. Long COVID clinics have been popping up, but their accessibility and the kind ofContinue Reading
The virus is thought to be predominantly carried by shrews An international team of scientists is tracking a newly-identified, potentially dangerous virus that has jumped from animals to humans to infect at least 35 people in northeast China. The Langya henipavirus, also called “Langya” or “LayV,” was first detected inContinue Reading
Mice and humans infected with dengue emit acetophenone, a mosquito-attractor Some mosquito-borne viruses turn mice into alluring mosquito bait. Mice infected with dengue or Zika viruses — and people infected with dengue — emit a flowery, orange-smelling chemical that tempts hungry mosquitoes, researchers report June 30 in Cell. In mice,Continue Reading
A squirt up the nose could reduce coronavirus transmission, but the vaccines have challenges to overcome A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with my nose and throat. I was on a trip to Seattle to speak at a small, masks-required virology meeting about being a journalist during a pandemic.Continue Reading