The common cold is in many ways mysterious. One of the milder infections of the upper respiratory tract, the cure for this viral disease has eluded medical science for decades. Given its prevalence and its somewhat innocuous-seeming set of symptoms,…
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Norovirus is highly contagious and once infections start to occur they are difficult to contain. Knowing the causes and risk factors associated with the virus can help you decrease your chances of contracting this infection. Norovirus accounts for approximately approximately…
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Malaria weakens the immune system. It is a parasitic disease whereby parasites from mosquitoes inhabit the red bloods cells of victims and continue to overcrowd the cell until it bursts. Young children and pregnant women are most at risk of…
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According to the World Health Organisation’s World Malaria Report, there were ‘216 million episodes of malaria in 2010’ of which 81% were in Africa and another 13% were in South East Asia. A massive 655,000 deaths occurred in 2010, just…
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When it comes to infections, the body has its own mechanisms to fend them off. Some of these mechanisms such as the immune mediated resistance could be considered specific to a particular invasive pathogen. However, there are mechanisms that would…
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The immune system provides protection against foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and pollen. There are two distinct forms of defenses against foreign invaders: innate (non-specific) immune system and adaptive (specific) immune system. While only vertebrates possess specific immune…
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Retrovirology took a significant step forward in October 2010, when researchers managed to resurrect a long-dormant chimpanzee retrovirus, having identified its receptor. The discovery, as reported in Nature, could lead to humans understanding a great deal more about the way in which…
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Brucellosis is a disease that has been around for quite some time, and while it has gone by many names over the years, Brucellosis is now the official term for it. Originally discovered in the 1850, it was then named…
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The United States government rushed to block it…The World Health Organization (WHO) called for its suppression…But now the research on a deadly mutated flu strain that WHO says could kill billions is about to be released. Back in 2011, two…
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Giardiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the single celled microscopic parasite Giardia lamblia, which can be carried by both people and animals. It is a common cause of both childhood and ‘travelers’ diarrhea. The infection is, however, more common…
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