- Infectious diseases ×
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Rabies virus: can we treat the untreatable?
June 25, 2019
Every year, an estimated 59,000 people die from rabies. Usually contracted following a bite from an infected animal, rabies is almost always fatal in people who have not been vaccinated. Once symptoms of appear, there is little-to-no hope for the infected individual, with no treatment options currently available.
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Highlights from the UK AMR Strategy
February 22, 2019
Last year the Microbiology Society submitted a joint response with the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into antimicrobial resistance. On the 24th January 2019, the UK government launched its strategy to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this blog we highlight key points in the UK AMR Strategy and research priorities.
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JMM Editor's Choice: The changing face of diphtheria in Malaysia
January 7, 2019
The Journal of Medical Microbiology (JMM) is a journal published by the Microbiology Society, focused on providing a comprehensive coverage of medical, dental and veterinary microbiology and infectious diseases, including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology. This month, Norman Fry, Co-Editor-in-Chief of JMM, has selected an outstanding paper from the January issue to highlight as Editor’s Choice. The paper, titled ‘Molecular characterisation of Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates in Malaysia between 1981 and 2016’, discusses the changes in the microbial populations that cause diphtheria in Malaysia.
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Why won’t TB go away?
October 16, 2018
This September, the United Nations convened a high-level meeting aimed at addressing the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. Delegates heard from heads of state and political leaders, but one of the most powerful speakers was Nandita Venkatesan. Shortly after graduating from university in 2007, Nandita was diagnosed with TB. At the high-level meeting, she spoke of her years spent battling the disease and the devastation she felt when she lost her hearing as a side effect of the essential, lifesaving treatments she had to take.
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Has TB had its time?
September 26, 2018
In 19th century Europe, the Industrial Revolution brought on a new age of technological advancement. Cities saw an explosion in population growth. But with this came something more sinister - a mysterious disease which killed as many as one in four people. Factories opened and jobs in towns and cities grew in abundance. Urban populations boomed whilst living conditions deteriorated. There was little-to-no sanitation, and more and more people crammed into smaller living spaces; a perfect breeding ground for disease.
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How is the hepatitis C-like hepacivirus of horses transmitted?
October 11, 2016
In 2011, a new virus was identified in dogs that were suffering from respiratory disease. Analysis revealed that this virus – at the time named canine hepacivirus (CHV) – was the closest known relative of the human virus hepatitis C (HCV), which infects millions of people across the world and can cause serious liver problems.
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Drumming up disease? Anthrax and African drum hides
October 6, 2016
In 2006, a man in Scotland died from the first case of anthrax in Britain for 32 years. Then, in 2008, a man in London was fatally infected with the same disease. The properties of both men were sealed up while the authorities investigated where the anthrax spores had come from. The source in both cases? West African drums, made from animal hides.
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Spotlight on Grants: The motility of Staphylococcus aureus
October 3, 2016
Each year, the Microbiology Society awards a number of grants that enable undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during the summer vacation. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of articles from students who were awarded Harry Smith Vacation Studentships this summer. This week is Megan Davies, a second year student from the University of Sheffield.