Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Giardiasis, caused by the protozoan Giardia intestinalis, is the leading cause of intestinal parasitic infections in humans and pets, in particular dogs. Some of the main symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and weight loss. Additionally, it can lead to post-infectious complications such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic fatigue.

A new study published in JCI Insight suggests that interleukin-7 (IL-7), a key immune-boosting cytokine, may help critically ill COVID-19 patients by reducing life-threatening secondary infections. Led by Richard S. Hotchkiss, MD, professor of anesthesiology, medicine, surgery, and developmental biology at WashU Medicine, the study highlights IL-7’s ability to enhance immune recovery without triggering harmful inflammation.

Pregnancy may offer some protection from developing long COVID, found a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, University of Utah Health and Louisiana Public Health Institute. Previous research has mostly focused on non-pregnant adults affected by long COVID— a condition lasting for months after a person recovers from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Mpox has the potential to become a significant global health threat if taken too lightly, according to scientists at the University of Surrey.

Most comatose patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest who died after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) were considered by experts to have recovery potential of at least 1%, according to a study published online March 25 in JAMA Network Open.

Research from Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago strongly suggests that Kawasaki disease is caused by a single respiratory virus that is yet to be identified. Findings contradict the theory that many different pathogens or toxins could cause this disease that can lead to serious cardiac complications in young children.

For women with early-stage breast cancer, breast-conserving therapy (BCT)—including radiation therapy (RT)—leads to progressive reduction in breast size over time, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

In an analysis of soil samples from twelve parks in Dublin, Ireland, park entrances were more heavily contaminated with infective roundworm eggs than any other tested park location.

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the main causes of viral hepatitis and is responsible for an estimated 159,000 infections and 39,000 deaths each year. To prevent infection, it is recommended to disinfect surfaces, especially when infection rates are high.

They’re on our highways and our state roads. We see them at rest stops and service plazas. They move our economy. Literally. They’re tractor-trailer trucks, and they’re a vital part of the U.S. economy, hauling 70% of consumer and industrial goods and logging about 200 billion miles annually in the United States. Trucks, and the men and women who drive them, play an indispensable role in U.S. society. But truck driving is a high-stress, high-risk profession.