Breaking news on infectious diseases, bacteria, viruses
New Cost-Effective Means To Reconstruct Virus Populations published
Fri, 09 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
 Researchers from the United States and Switzerland have developed mathematical and statistical tools for reconstructing viral populations using pyrosequencing, a novel and effective technique for sequencing DNA. They describe their findings in an article published May 9th in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology .
Duneland Schools Lead State In MRSA Fight published
Fri, 09 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT
The Duneland School Corporation, with the purchase of the Sports-O-Zone machine, becomes the first in the State of Indiana to take steps to proactively protect its athletes from the deadly MRSA virus. After a student athlete was hospitalized last fall with a cut infected by the MRSA virus, the school administration moved quickly to insure that all precautions were being taken. Dr.
A Real-life I Am Legend? Researcher Champions Development Of "Reovirus" As Potential Treatment For Cancer published
Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Virologist and cancer biologist Patrick Lee was on his way to the American Association of Cancer Research in San Diego last week when he decided to check out the in-flight movie I Am Legend.The premise of the sci-fi horror movie is that a virus successfully used to fight cancer in clinical trials has gone out of control, pushing humankind to the edge of extinction.
Free Antiretroviral Treatment In Malawi Proving Effective published
Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
According to an article published in The Lancet,adult mortality of HIV patients in Malawi has been significantlyreduced after the introduction of free antiretroviral therapy (ART).The effect, say researchers, is large enough to detect at thepopulation level.Malawi, a country of about 13 million people located in southeasternAfrica, sees some 80,000 deaths from AIDS each year. Between 2004 and2006, the country offered free ART to over 80,000 patients.
British Prime Minister Brown Holds Conference On Role Of Businesses In Efforts To Meet MDGs published
Thu, 08 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT
Multinational companies need to increase their efforts to address development issues worldwide, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Tuesday ahead of a conference on global businesses and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, AFP/Google.com reports.
Is Your Toilet Cleaner Than Your Keyboard? published
Thu, 08 May 2008 07:00:00 PDT
UK consumer watchdog and publication group Which? recently conducted a survey at their own offices that revealed some computer keyboards had dangerously high levels of bacteria normally associated with a toilet.
Serious Illness In Infants Infected With Chikungunya Virus published
Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
The chikungunya virus rarely harms the infants of mothers who areinfected early in pregnancy, but frequently causes serious issuesincluding persistent brain injury to babies born to mothers who getthe virus near the time of delivery. This was released on March, 17,2008 in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.
Preventing Perioperative Transmission Of Airborne Microorganisms: Pilot Study Reinforces Use Of Portable Anteroom HEPA Filtration published
Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT
Amidst an increase in new tuberculosis cases, researchers have begun investigating the effectiveness of new operating room filtration systems designed to protect staff and patients.
World Asthma Day Raises Awareness Of Pest-Related Health Issue published
Wed, 07 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT
World Asthma Day, observed May 6th during Asthma Awareness Month, highlights a significant health issue facing many American families. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 22 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, suffer from asthma. This respiratory disease not only results in over 2 million ER visits each year but, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, accounts for $16 billion in healthcare expenditures and lost productivity.
Outbreak Of Screw Worm In Yemen published
Wed, 07 May 2008 02:00:00 PDT
An outbreak of the insidious ´screw worm´ fly in Yemen, is threatening livelihoods, in a country where rearing livestock is a traditional way of life. In recent weeks, a Ministerial delegation was at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, to turn to the international community for emergency assistance to fight the deadly pest.The menacing fly lays its eggs in a cut or open wound of a warm-blooded animal.
Novartis Menveo(R) Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Response Against Four Types Of Meningitis Disease In Pivotal Phase III Study published
Wed, 07 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT
A vaccine being developed by Novartis against four types of meningitis produces a better antibody response than a commonly used existing vaccine, data released today shows.
New Discovery On Role Of Vital Protein That Fights Meningitis published
Wed, 07 May 2008 01:00:00 PDT
University of Leicester research assigns hitherto unappreciated importance to protein of the body's immune defence system A University of Leicester researcher has discovered how a protein in the blood - linked to defence against meningitis - plays a more vital role than previously understood in the body's immune defence system. The published research has helped to advance medical understanding of how the body defends against disease and heals itself.
Steroids Provide No Survival Benefit For Children With Bacterial Meningitis published
Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Corticosteroids given to children who are hospitalized for bacterial meningitis do not provide a benefit in survival or in reduced hospital stays, according to a large multicenter study by pediatric researchers. This finding stands in contrast to previous studies in hospitalized adults, for which corticosteroids dramatically reduced mortality.
New York Firm's Meat And Poultry Products Recalled published
Tue, 06 May 2008 14:00:00 PDT
A New York meat company is recallling over 286,000 pounds of fresh and frozen meat and poultry products because they could be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a potentially fatal bacterium that causes listeriosis.
Overcoming Gaps In Newborns' Immune Response published
Tue, 06 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT
Newborn babies have immature immune systems, putting them at risk for severe infections and preventing them from mounting an effective immune response to most vaccines. Over the years, Ofer Levy, MD, PhD, of Children's Division of Infectious Diseases, has shown that the newborn immune system functions differently than that of adults, but that one part of the system is fully functional and can be harnessed to boost immunity.
Infants Benefit From Research Into Respiratory Syncytial Virus Replication published
Tue, 06 May 2008 06:00:00 PDT
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have achieved promising results with a potential new weapon against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common cause of infant hospitalization in the United States.In an effort to find an effective antiviral therapy for RSV, the scientists tested two types of complex, custom-designed molecule to interfere with the genetic machinery that RSV uses to replicate, or copy itself, within cells.
Latest Findings On Lyme Disease: Annual Conference At UNH Highlights Diagnosis And Treatment Of Debilitating Disease, May 17th published
Tue, 06 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States, costing about $1 billion a year due to inappropriate medical care, lost productivity, and legal fees associated with misdiagnosis.
Annual Conference On Vaccine Research To Highlight Not Only Health Benefits But Also Economic Gains published
Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Vaccines don't just keep children healthy, they also lead to more productive adult workers who can earn higher wages and save more money, according to Dr. David E. Bloom, a labor economist at the Harvard School of Public Health. Bloom, who has studied the economic impact of vaccination in developing countries, will be the keynote speaker at the 11th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).
Study Shows Physician Judgment Is Important In Reducing Rate Of RSV-Related Hospitalizations Among High Risk Infants published
Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
MedImmune announced that the company presented results from a retrospective chart review that evaluated the use of Synagis(R) (palivizumab) as a preventive measure against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in high-risk infants. RSV is a leading cause of viral respiratory infection among preterm infants. Approximately 4,000 medical records from premature infants born at 32-to-35 weeks gestational age were reviewed.
Albemarle Optimizes Smallpox Drug Candidate For SIGA published
Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Two American companies are teaming up for second-round test-phase production of a FDA-designated "fast track" drug candidate to treat smallpox, a deadly virus that is feared to be able to reach people through acts of bio-warfare or bio-terrorism.
Virus Spreading Among Children In China published
Mon, 05 May 2008 11:00:00 PDT
The number of children infected with an intestinal virus (Enterovirus 71) continues to rise in China - the total number of deaths officially reported has risen to 26. 8,500 children have been infected, say authorities, the bulk of them in Anhui province where 600 new cases were reported on Sunday. During the weekend a nationwide alert was issued in an effort to stem the spread of the outbreak.
Northeastern Researcher Develops Model To Track Concentration Of E. Coli Bacteria In The Lower Charles River published
Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 PDT
It is a common belief that the water quality of the Charles River and other lakes, streams and rivers is at its worst after a large rainfall because of pollutants carried by runoff. However, a recent study completed by researchers at Northeastern University in Boston found high concentrations of E. colibacteria in the Charles River after a long period of no rain. Ferdi Hellweger, Ph.D.
Serious Disease And Bacterial Slime published
Mon, 05 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Leptospirosis is a serious but neglected emerging disease that infects humans through contaminated water. Now research published in the May issue of the journal Microbiology shows for the first time how bacteria that cause the disease survive in the environment.Leptospirosis is a major public health problem in South East Asia and South America, with over 500,000 severe cases every year. Between 5% and 20% of these cases are fatal.
Scientists Discover Why Plague Is So Lethal published
Mon, 05 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Bacteria that cause the bubonic plague may be more virulent than their close relatives because of a single genetic mutation, according to research published in the May issue of the journal Microbiology."The plague bacterium Yersinia pestis needs calcium in order to grow at body temperature. When there is no calcium available, it produces a large amount of an amino acid called aspartic acid," said Professor Brubaker from the University of Chicago, USA.
Phylogeny And Geography Predict Pathogen Community Similarity In Wild Primates And Humans published
Mon, 05 May 2008 03:00:00 PDT
Emerging infectious diseases are increasingly impacting human health and species conservation. Many of the most deadly diseases known to mankind have originated among wild animals, e.g. AIDS and Ebola. A critical question, therefore, is what determines when and where a disease first crosses from one species to another. We show that in primates infectious diseases are most often shared between species which are closely related and inhabit the same geographic region.
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