CDC Calls for Antiviral Drug Use to Combat Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a public health advisory warning that the incidence of influenza infection, primarily with the virulent A(H3N2) strain, has been increasing rapidly over the last month.1 Historically, influenza A(H3N2) has been linked to an increased risk of hospitalizations…
Immune Response May Highlight Gender Differences
The designation “man flu” began as a joke to acknowledge the eye-rolling observation among women that the men in their lives consistently complain more and feel and act sicker than they do, given the same diagnosis. New research, however, may vindicate males: gender differences in immune system responses may actually provide…
Chronic Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease
As medical researchers continue to make progress in understanding the causes and mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it appears that AD may be another example of an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s own immune system turns on itself in a case of mistaken identity.
Viruses May Be Harmful, Helpful, or Passengers
One of the best estimates we have for the average total number of cells in the human body is 37.2 trillion. It sounds like a lot, until you consider that the average number of microbes in an adult human is estimated at 20 times the number of cells in the body. That would equal approximately 744 trillion microorganisms. In other words, we humans are vastly more microbial than cellular in nature. Each of us is, essentially, one giant germ.
The “Silent Epidemic” of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s
A study published in the journal Surgical Neurology International in 2015 highlighted a growing trend in the onset of dementia among people under 65 years of age. The study, authored by Colin Pritchard and Emily Rosenorn-Lanng of Bournemouth University in England, found that dementia and other neurological diseases…
Sneaky Lyme Bacterium Avoids Detection, Defies Treatment
Lyme disease has been around for thousands of years. The tenacious bacteria were found in the 5,300-year-old mummy known as “Ötzi” or the “Iceman,” and Lyme is widely regarded as the most common tick-borne illness in North America. Despite pervasiveness of Lyme, currently…