Polio News and Research

RSS

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

New research shows that low glycemic index diets reduce autism symptoms in mice

Bread, cereal and other sugary processed foods cause rapid spikes and subsequent crashes in blood sugar. In contrast, diets made up of vegetables, fruits and whole grains are healthier, in part because they take longer to digest and keep us more even-keeled.

9 Jun 2015

Nanopatch Jet Coating drug delivery platform wins 2015 Good Design Award

Invetech, a leader in instrument development, custom automation, and contract manufacturing, and Vaxxas, a biotechnology start-up and developer of the Nanopatch™ needle-free drug delivery technology, have been named winners of the 2015 Good Design Award for development of the Nanopatch Jet Coating Instrument, an advanced technology platform to support needle-free dermal drug delivery research and product development. The award was announced last evening at the Good Design Awards Gala Night held in Sydney, Australia.

1 Jun 2015

Chancellor Angela Merkel calls for new plan to tackle Ebola outbreak at 68th World Health Assembly

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany addressed delegates on the first morning of the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly. "The WHO is the only international organization that has universal political legitimacy on global health issues,” she said.

20 May 2015

CMO Council announces the launch of global innovation ecosystem to advance UNICEF’s work

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council today announced the launch of a global CauseTech.net community and portal site, which is part of a new private sector initiative to crowdsource breakthrough ideas, inventions, products, and emerging technologies that can advance the work done by the UNICEF Global Innovation Center worldwide.

18 May 2015

Malfunction of brain architecture can prompt neuron to make 'early-career' switch

Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered that the role of neurons -- which are responsible for specific tasks in the brain -- is much more flexible than previously believed.

12 May 2015

Liberia conducts first polio, measles immunizations since Ebola outbreak.

A week-long campaign to vaccinate more than 600,000 children against polio and measles kicks off today in Liberia...

8 May 2015

Salk discovery may offer new avenues for generating novel therapies

Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a novel type of pluripotent stem cell--cells capable of developing into any type of tissue--whose identity is tied to their location in a developing embryo. This contrasts with stem cells traditionally used in scientific study, which are characterized by their time-related stage of development.

7 May 2015

Rudolf Jaenisch honored with 2015 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology

Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, who laid the groundwork for the development and use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells - stem cells derived directly from adult tissue -- to potentially treat and cure a variety of human diseases, has received the 20th anniversary March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology.

30 Apr 2015

New microneedle patch simplifies measles vaccination

A new microneedle patch being developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) could make it easier to vaccinate people against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

28 Apr 2015

National Immunization Awareness Week launched by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health

Today, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Dr. Gregory Taylor, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, launched National Immunization Awareness Week, which runs from April 25 to May 2. They encouraged Canadians to stay healthy by making sure their vaccinations are up to date.

27 Apr 2015

New text message alert system helps parents remember child's vaccination appointments

Nearly a third of all children nationwide and in Kentucky aren't up-to-date with the vaccination schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), but not because their parents are refusing vaccines. Evidence suggests parents tend to forget appointments when children are scheduled to receive immunizations.

16 Apr 2015

Polio immunization campaign targets 5.8 million children in Iraq

A 5-day nationwide polio immunization campaign targeting 5.8 million children under 5 years of age will begin in Iraq on Sunday 12 April. The campaign will be marked by launch events on 12 April in Baghdad, organized by the Ministry of Health, and on 13 April in Erbil organized by the Kurdistan regional Ministry of Health.

15 Apr 2015

New study could point to potential ways to address defects in learning, memory

Just as some people seem built to run marathons and have an easier time going for miles without tiring, others are born with a knack for memorizing things, from times tables to trivia facts. These two skills—running and memorizing—are not so different as it turns out.

8 Apr 2015

New review highlights future research initiatives to eradicate polio

April 12th 2015 marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jonas Salk's landmark polio vaccine trial results, which confirmed that the first vaccine against polio was safe and effective. A new review, which was published online ahead of print in Future Microbiology, provides a comprehensive overview of current polio vaccines, and highlights new and future research initiatives, such as new vaccine formulations, that could help ensure that polio is eradicated and eradication is maintained.

6 Apr 2015

New report examines global issues affecting vaccine confidence since the new millennium

A decade on from the Northern Nigeria polio vaccination boycott and its global costs to the polio eradication initiative, a new report examines global issues affecting vaccine confidence and hesitation since the new millennium.

30 Mar 2015

New report explores global issues affecting confidence, hesitation about polio vaccines

A decade on from the Northern Nigeria polio vaccination boycott and its global costs to the polio eradication initiative, a new report examines global issues affecting confidence and hesitation about vaccines since the new millennium.

27 Mar 2015

World Health Organisation (WHO) joins with ESCMID to fight global infections

The European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) has been joined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to launch the 7th annual ‘International Day for Fighting Infection’ (April 24th, 2015).

16 Mar 2015

Study: Countries most affected by Ebola outbreak may soon have 100,000 more measles cases

An international study involving the University of Southampton suggests there could be a rise in measles cases of 100,000 across the three countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa due to health system disruptions.

16 Mar 2015

Ebola crisis increases susceptibility to measles, other vaccine-preventable illnesses

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say that major disruptions in the health care systems in West Africa caused by the Ebola crisis have led to significant decreases in vaccinations for childhood diseases, increasing susceptibility to measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses.

13 Mar 2015

Finding could lead to more effective, less invasive treatment for 'bubble boy' disease

For infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), something as simple as a common cold or ear infection can be fatal. Born with an incomplete immune system, kids who have SCID--also known as "bubble boy" or "bubble baby" disease--can't fight off even the mildest of germs.

12 Mar 2015