Development of Broad Spectrum Antivirals For Potential Treatment of Various Viral Infections

There is no effective small-molecule therapy for most viruses, including highly pathogenic viruses such as Ebola, which is associated with mortality rates of up to 90 percent following infection. Filone et al, describe compounds that inhibit the replication of genetically diverse viruses, including Ebola. These compounds can limit virus replication (illustrated as green molecules "blocking" spread of orange Ebola virus virions from an infected cell). These molecules represent probes of a central virus function as well as a lead compound for the development of effective broad-spectrum antivirals.
Credit: Image created by Claire Marie Filone and John Connor, Ebola virus micrograph by Chris Reed at USAMRIID.

Researchers are studying molecules called indolie alkaloids that can be modified to enhance antiviral activity for a possible treatment for various viral infections such as the deadly Ebola virus.

Viruses are small infectious agents that are made up of a chain of genetic DNA or RNA. Viruses needs a host cell to stay alive and replicate.

The difference between bacteria and a virus is that a bacteria is a living single celled organism. A virus is not considered a living organism (there are some arguments for and against this). A virus does not have any cellular parts or internal cellular structure. It consists only of a protein coat that holds a coiled string of nucleic acid, in this case DNA or RNA.

While bacteria can thrive in most surfaces and environments, a virus needs a living host to stay alive. It infects the cells of the host and uses these cells to make copies of it, infecting other cells in the process. Viruses spread from host to host through contact; direct or indirect.

Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections. They address bacterial infections by killing off the bacteria. For viral infections, there are relatively few drugs that can address these. This is because the virus lives inside the cells. Destroying the virus means killing the cells of the host.

Immunizing against a virus is the most common way. Immunization protects the body from contracting the viral infection. But as seen with the common cold or the influenza virus, viruses can mutate and work around the immunization.

Studying Current 21st Century Patterns of a Spreading Pandemic

World map shows flight routes from the 40 largest U.S. airports.
Image: Christos Nicolaides, Juanes Research Group

Northwestern University developed a computational model, based on transportation data, that determines its source and how quickly a pandemic will spread to a specific location.

A pandemic refers to an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread across a large area or even in global proportions. It occurs when a strain of a virus appears that causes a readily transmissible disease for which most have no immunity. Influenza pandemics are the most common and occurs with little or no warning and infects a large area of population in multiple waves.

In 1918, The Spanish Flu Pandemic infected 500 million worldwide and killed 20 to 30 million. At the time, the death toll equates to about one to three percent of the world's population, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history. The most recent pandemic was the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic that killed about 300,000 people worldwide.

Recently, scientists are worried about the H5N1 virus, also known as the avian flu virus. Currently it only affects birds but studies have surfaced showing how this virus can be modified to infect mammals. They believe that if this virus carries over to humans, it may cause a pandemic that will overshadow the disaster brought about by the Spanish Flu Pandemic.

Scientists are studying how pandemics can spread worldwide and how this can be contained in the fastest and most effective way. With the advent of air travel and how fast one can travel from one point in the world to another, the dynamics of a spreading disease has changed from how it was centuries ago.

Phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) Transport System Is Key To Developing Staph Infection Drug

Electron Microscope Image of Staphylococcus aureus
Credit: CDC

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are developing a new drug based on their studies on phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) that can treat infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus or simply staph, is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that can be stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. Staphylococcus appear round and form in clusters (see image).

There are about 40 species under the staphylococcus genus and most are harmless. But one strain of staph that may cause problems is the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. It is commonly carried in the skin and the nasal passages (nose) by healthy people. Staphylococcus aureus is resistant to antibiotics and is a common cause of skin infections, respiratory disease, and food poisoning. S. aureus is a surface bacteria and can survive for months depending on the strain.

Infections occur when this bacteria enters the body through an open wound or when the skin is punctured or broken. One dangerous condition is MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. This is a strain that has become resistant to the medication used to commonly treat ordinary staph infections.

Antiseptic Baths Significantly Reduce Blood Infection Risk In Critically Ill Children

Antiseptic baths with diluted chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) safely reduces risk of bloodstream infection in critically ill children.

A bedside bath or sponge bath is an alternative to regular bathtub bathing or showering. It is usually done to patients where water immersion is challenging or may pose a health risk.

Sponge baths are important for bedridden patients not only for personal hygiene but also because of bedsores. Bedsores form when excess dirt and oil accumulate in the body because of limited mobility.

Bedside baths are done with a sponge, soap, and water. There are products that are specifically made for these kinds of baths. Regular soap tend not to rinse off well during bedside baths and may cause irritation.