Recent News

By Category: Public Health

Agroterrorism: Attacking with food

(MedillReports) In April food was used as a weapon when an unidentified person sent ricin-laced letters to President Obama and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Ala.). Ricin, a derivative of castor beans, was the poison in this case of agroterrorism. “This is the terrorism of the past and a potential arena for the future,” said Dr.  Read More »

New Insight Into How Pathogens Break Through A Host’s Defenses

“Friendly Viruses” Shield Us From Infection

Yellow fever vaccination booster not needed

(WHO) The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given ten years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to WHO. An article published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) reveals that the Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) has reviewed the latest evidence and concluded that a single dose of vaccination is sufficient  Read More »

Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

(EurekAlert) Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a study in mBio®, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.