new bacteria (IMAGE) Penn State Caption An international team led by Penn State investigated the origin of the severe brain infections afflicting thousands of Ugandan infants in the neonatal period, and often resulting in hydrocephalus in the survivors. Fluid from the brain taken at surgery led to the recovery of a novel strain of a highly virulent bacteria, shown on the tree of life of related organisms. These infection cases, shown as red dots on the map, are concentrated within a region in Eastern Uganda characterized by wetlands and swamps on the north and south banks of Lake Kyoga that the Nile river flows into and out of. This map is adapted and based on OCHA/ReliefWeb (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and is used as permitted by the agency. Credit Schiff Lab, Penn State Usage Restrictions non commercial use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.