Second MERS virus case in US

On May 11, 2014, the second US imported case of MERS was confirmed in Florida with a traveler from Saudi Arabia. The first US case was May 2, 2014 in Indiana with another traveler from Saudi Arabia. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a zoonotic viral respiratory disease first reported in 2012, with a likely reservoir in camels. MERS is a coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory illness with fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The mortality rate for MERS is >30% and the virus is known to be spread through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. There is currently no evidence of community spreading. 

University of Akron researchers trace bat killer’s path

Bats provide critical ecological services to humans. They are critical in food plant pollinators and in controlling bugs that threaten agriculture and forestry. A single bat can eat thousands of insects in a single night. Their pest-control value to the US economy is estimated in the billions of dollars. Unfortunately, they are dying in massive numbers. White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed about 7 million North American bats with no end in site. This trend will probably worsen, since the recent UA discovery indicates that the deadly WNS fungus can survive in caves with or without the presence of bats. The regional extinction of North American bats is possible. 

Engineers design ‘living materials’

MIT researchers design hybrid materials by combining living bacterial cells with nonliving elements such as gold nanoparticles and quantum dots. These “living materials” could potentially combine the advantages of living cells (responses to the environment and production of complex biological molecules) with the benefits of nonliving materials, such as conducting electricity or emitting light. The new materials could be used to design more complex devices such as solar cells, self-healing materials, or diagnostic sensors.