What you really need to know about group B Strep from Group B Strep Support. #GBSaware […]
July is Group B Strep awareness month
Tag: infection
How malaria invades red blood cells
How do malaria parasites invade human red blood cells where they multiply and cause infection? And can we use this knowledge to find a way to prevent this happening? To my mind, despite decades of research, we still know very little about this question or how to capitalise on our understanding of this mosquito-borne disease that […]
Hacked off by the adenovirus
Every year, thousands of people in the UK get a bout of cold, (which is not the same as influenza), but can still leave you feeling unwell for 7-10 days. This year, there seems to be a particularly nasty version doing the rounds – the Queen has only just recovered after weeks of staying indoors at Sandringham […]
A robust new virus
Human parvovirus 4, ‘PARV4’, is a tiny, robust DNA virus. In the decade since it was first reported – the result of a trawling expedition by a North American virology group who went hunting for this unknown trophy [1] – we have uncovered enough to make certain robust statements, but also plenty to perplex and […]
Why Hepatitis B Isn’t On Its Way Out (Yet)
Is hepatitis B infection a problem that will gradually fizzle out over time? On initial reflection, it is easy to think it might be. We have a cheap, safe and effective vaccine, and a choice of antiviral drugs that can successfully suppress the virus. We can also intervene reliably to prevent transmission from mothers to […]
How we fight infection
Our bodies are designed to keep out infection, using an armoury that includes a tough outer layer of skin, tiny hair-like structures in the respiratory tract that propel microbes away from the lungs and gut flora that repel unpleasant bugs. The micro-organisms attempting to penetrate these fortifications include bacteria, viruses, fungi – such as candida – and protozoa, like the […]
Why more women die of bacteraemia
Scientific research is an ongoing process and one conclusion often raises more questions than it answers. Our research, published in the journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infection in June, provides evidence that some types of blood infections are more fatal in women than in men. In a large cohort of patients with bacteraemia caused by […]
Sepsis is just as urgent as a heart attack and should be treated similarly
“Every year doctors, in the UK, have to deal with 150,000 cases of sepsis, resulting in around 44,000 deaths. This condition (also known as the silent killer) occurs when the immune system becomes overactive during an infection, often of a minor nature, causing damage to the body itself. Early symptoms of sepsis may include fast […]
Read More… from Sepsis is just as urgent as a heart attack and should be treated similarly
Wearing face veils in the workplace
The NHS has a long tradition of balancing patient safety and religious views and practices. In 2008 there was some debate over new health guidelines introduced to stop the spread of infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile. There is growing discussion on wearing full-face veils, such as the burqa and the nijab. They should not be […]