Dengue, a virus endemic to Latin America and Southeast Asia, infects about 400 million people and causes about 25,000 deaths each year by dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). To date there is no cure for dengue, and its toll hits hardest in areas with poorly developed medical systems. Due to the deadly consequences of this virus, […]
infectious disease
Smarter Antimalarial Use: Altering Drug Duration to Improve Efficacy
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchFighting malaria is getting harder, with rising rates of drug resistance and drug tolerance making it more difficult for doctors to effectively cure patients. Drug resistance is distinct from drug tolerance, in that a resistant microbe can survive even high doses of a particular drug, while tolerant microbes are able to replicate in the drug’s […]
Predicting the Path of the Next Flu Pandemic
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchWe’re all familiar with the flu. Most consider it a pesky inconvenience or perhaps a good reason to miss work to stay home and watch Netflix. Among the list of viruses frequently mentioned in the news — Ebola, HIV, Zika — the “scare factor” associated with the flu is relatively low. But to an epidemiologist, […]
Zika Virus: Where Did It Come From, and How Big of a Threat Is It?
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchRecently, my inbox has been filled each morning with emails warning about Zika virus. And my clinics have been filled with women wondering what the risks are to them and their unborn babies. Some are even wondering about the risks to future babies, heeding concerns from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting […]
Visualizing the Salivary Gland of a Mosquito
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchBuzzing. Biting. Itchiness. Mosquitoes can be annoying but can also be a carrier of many diseases, including malaria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 198 million cases of malaria were estimated to have occurred and 500,000 died of the disease worldwide in 2013. Most of these cases are caused by malaria parasites […]