Pneumonia News and Research

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Pneumonia is a leading cause of death and hospitalization, costing health care systems billions of dollars and an estimated 600,000 adult deaths worldwide each year. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and the term describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections. Although all age groups may be affected, the highest rate of pneumococcal disease occurs in young children and older adults. In addition, persons suffering from a wide range of chronic conditions (eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and immune deficiencies are at increased risk.

Can Pets Harbor and Spread Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria?

According to new research, pet dogs and cats are major contributors to the spread of bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

15 Apr 2024

Unlocking Bacterial Dormancy: Polyphosphates' Role Revealed

Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick.

12 Apr 2024

New Cost-Effective RNA Sequencing Method for Legionella Detection

Legionnaires' disease (LD), a rare and severe type of pneumonia, is a respiratory infection caused by species of Legionella bacteria.

22 Mar 2024

Novel Antibiotic Discovery: Harnessing Energy Compounds to Combat Bacterial Infections

About a decade ago, researchers in UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Guillermo Bazan's lab began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing the microbes.

22 Feb 2024

New Virus Targets Dormant Bacteria, Boosting Antibiotic Power

In nature, the majority of bacteria adhere to a minimalistic lifestyle. When faced with nutrient scarcity or stress, they initiate a controlled shutdown of their metabolism, entering a resting state.

22 Jan 2024

Novel Bacterial Protein can Prolong Cell Longevity by Acting Directly on Mitochondria

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, partnering with colleagues in Australia, have identified a novel bacterial protein that can keep human cells healthy even when the cells have a heavy bacterial burden.

10 Nov 2023

Genomic Surveillance Shows Antibiotic Resistance in Ghana Driven by Clinical Use of Antibiotics

Some strains of heavily antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Ghana are not successful at spreading outside of the hospital, suggesting that control measures can be focused on clinical settings to help curb treatment-resistant infections.

17 Oct 2023

Understanding How Antibiotic Resistance Occurs in Pneumonia

Scientists at the University of Sheffield have uncovered an evolutionary gateway that enables pneumonia cells to develop resistance to antibiotics.

3 Oct 2023

Analyzing the First Vaccine Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Many Older Adults

The first Americans over age 60 just started rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, now that brand-new vaccines have started to arrive at pharmacies and clinics.

23 Aug 2023

Nasal Swab Proves to Determine the Effectiveness of Antibiotics

According to a recent JAMA study by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, a nasal swab to screen for three types of bacteria can reveal whether or not antibiotics are likely to be beneficial in children with suspected sinusitis.

26 Jul 2023

Study Provides More Treatment Options for Severe COVID-19

Two anti-inflammatory drugs, abatacept and infliximab, reduced deaths among patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, according to a national study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

11 Jul 2023

Study Characterizes the Properties of MAIT Cells in Mouse Lung

A population of unconventional white blood cells has recently captured the attention of immunologists and clinicians alike.

26 May 2023

Targeting Respiratory Viral Infections with a New Immunotherapy Treatment

A researcher at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine has created a novel, more effective therapy for acute respiratory viral infections, a significant global cause of illness each year.

16 May 2023

Researchers Reveal Dual Nature of Beneficial Bacteria UD1022

Alfalfa, also known in Latin as Medicago sativa, is an agricultural crop that is part of the legume family. It is known as a protein-rich food source for dairy cattle that is easily digested and can lead to increased milk production.

19 Apr 2023

Organoid Platform Could Help Reduce the Time for Developing New Conjugate Vaccines

Developing and testing new treatments or vaccines for humans almost always requires animal trials, but these experiments can sometimes take years to complete and can raise ethical concerns about the animals' treatment.

13 Apr 2023

Study reports a new target to fight against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Increases in multidrug-resistance in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae have made it the fourth-leading cause of death associated with antibiotic resistance.

30 Mar 2023

Fomepizole may reduce disease severity in the lungs of mice with bacterial pneumonia

Pneumococcal disease leads to over three million hospitalizations and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.

17 Mar 2023

Effective and faster methodology detects RNA viruses based on the triplex-forming probe technology

Experts from the University of Barcelona, the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) and the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute of Aragon (INMA) -;a joint institute of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza-; have developed a new method to detect RNA viruses based on the triplex-forming probe technology.

28 Feb 2023

New genetic condition that raises vulnerability to opportunistic infections

An international consortium co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center immunogeneticist Rubén Martínez-Barricarte, PhD, has discovered a new genetic disorder that causes immunodeficiency and profound susceptibility to opportunistic infections including life-threatening fungal pneumonia.

24 Jan 2023

Studying the association between gut microbe and Parkinson’s disease

A new study by the University of Surrey suggests that Parkinson’s disease may begin in the gut and pass on to the brain.

From University of Surrey 18 Jan 2023