Bradley E. Britigan

Bats: The Missing SARS Reservoir

The worldwide outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that was probably transmitted

VRE + MRSA Can = VRSA

The first report of a fully vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA; MIC >32 µg/mL) strain was published last summer (Journal Watch Infectious

Aberrant Immune Response Key to 1918 Flu Virulence

The influenza strain responsible for the 1918 pandemic was unusually virulent. In previous studies, investigators gained new insight into this

Malaria and HIV: A Double Whammy

HIV infection and falciparum malaria are highly prevalent in Africa. Findings from previous investigations suggest that febrile malaria episodes increase HIV viral load by one log and that HIV infection increases the risk for acquiring malaria. A new mathematical modeling study estimates the public health effects of the HIV-malaria interaction. Using assumptions derived from published studies, …

SNPing HIV Viral Load

During the asymptomatic stages of HIV infection, some individuals have high levels of circulating virus, whereas others will have much lower levels;

HIV-Neutralizing Antibodies

Development of an HIV vaccine has been hampered by the inability to induce antibodies capable of inactivating diverse HIV strains. Some HIV-infected individuals have such antibodies. Recently, two research groups identified key features of these proteins. Li and colleagues tested 32 HIV-positive serum samples, 2 of which exhibited potent in vitro neutralizing activity against HIV …

Staph’s Panton-Valentine Toxin Causes Lung Damage

Community-acquired infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including strains that produce the Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin, have become common in recent years. Although the focus has been on skin and soft-tissue infections, fulminant pneumonias also can be caused by MRSA. New data link PVL production to severe lung injury. A team …

Influenza Pandemic Modeling and Prevention Strategies

What would an epidemic of avian influenza among humans look like, and how could it be limited by public health interventions? Three groups of

Influenza and Inflammation — A Lethal Link

The potential for a human H5N1 influenza pandemic is a major public health concern. What makes avian-derived H5N1 strains, and the influenza strain

Eliminating Polio in India

The inability to eradicate polio from India — specifically, from Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar — has stymied the WHO’s goal to eliminate polio from the planet. To investigate the reasons why polio persists, a multinational group analyzed data on the 96,421 cases of acute flaccid paralysis reported in India from 1997 through 2005. Overall, …