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Hepatitis C more prevalent among homeless adults in downtown Los Angeles

Recent government studies show that hepatitis C, which can destroy the liver and necessitate a liver transplant, now kills more American adults than AIDS, and new UCLA research shows just how prevalent the disease is among homeless adults in downtown Los Angeles.

12 Jun 2012

Subtype of CD4-positive immune cells in the gut may influence HIV infection outcome

The findings of a new study in monkeys may help clarify why some people infected with HIV are better able to control the virus. They also may pinpoint a target for treatment during early HIV infection aimed at increasing the supply of certain immune cells in the gut, which the study shows could be an important factor in limiting HIV growth in cells throughout the body.

11 Jun 2012

Biomedical engineers develop SMART detector for flu diagnosis

In April 2009, the world took notice as reports surfaced of a virus in Mexico that had mutated from pigs and was being passed from human to human. The H1N1 "swine flu," as the virus was named, circulated worldwide, killing more than 18,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States said it was the first global pandemic in more than four decades.

11 Jun 2012

PlusNews examines efforts of Malawi's new president to restore donor relations, fight HIV/AIDS

"Malawi's new president, Joyce Banda, has inherited an unenviable to-do list from former president Bingu wa Mutharika, and AIDS activists are hoping that bolstering the donor-dependent AIDS response will be one of her most urgent priorities," PlusNews reports.

8 Jun 2012

Peace Corps official reflects on Global Health Service Partnership

In this post in the AIDS.gov blog, Buck Buckingham, director of the Peace Corps Office of Global Health and HIV, reflects on the Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP), launched by Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams in March, writing, "Although this partnership is an exciting innovation for the Peace Corps, the commitment to health which it reflects finds deep roots in our history, as Director Williams described at the launch on March 13."

8 Jun 2012

Battle to control malaria in Cambodia 'not over'

"Two years after some $22 million in donor funds were pumped into malaria control along the Cambodia-Thailand border to fight off suspected resistance to treatment, health workers say the battle is not over," IRIN reports, adding, "The government reported 103,000 malaria infections and 151 deaths nationwide in 2010.

8 Jun 2012

Kenya to distribute free syringes, needles to people who use injection drugs

"The Kenyan government will begin distributing free syringes and needles to more than 50,000 [injection] drug users (IDUs) across the country in the next month," PlusNews reports, adding, "Policy-makers and experts said the decision was reached following concerns over the spread of HIV and other blood-borne illnesses through injection drug use."

8 Jun 2012

30th UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board meeting concludes in Geneva

"If the vision of zero new HIV infections is to be achieved, a reinvigoration of HIV prevention is urgently needed," UNAIDS writes in a feature article on its webpage, adding, "This will be most effective if a combination prevention approach is adopted, where multi-faceted and tailored programs are implemented."

8 Jun 2012

Study: HIV superinfection may be more common than previously believed

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) superinfection may be as common as initial HIV infection and is not limited to high risk-populations, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

8 Jun 2012

HIV superinfection may be more frequent among general population of Uganda

HIV superinfection, when a person with HIV could acquire a second, new strain of HIV, may occur as often as initial HIV infection in the general population in Uganda, a study suggests.

8 Jun 2012

UNAIDS Executive Director calls on African leaders to reduce 'triple dependency' on external sources of HIV drugs, commodities, technologies

"Delivering a speech at Wednesday's opening session of the 16th Conference of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe congratulated leaders across the region for their personal commitment to the HIV response, specifically with regard to upholding human rights and protecting human capital," UNAIDS reports in an article on its website.

8 Jun 2012

Life expectancy gap narrows between blacks and whites

The life expectancy gap between blacks and whites has narrowed thanks to fewer black deaths due to AIDS and heart disease, a new study finds.

7 Jun 2012

U.N. Women becomes 11th member of UNAIDS partnership

"The U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (U.N. Women) on Tuesday became the 11th member of the Joint U.N. Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partnership that focuses on achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support," the U.N. News Centre reports.

7 Jun 2012

Call for increased screening and faster testing for drug-resistant tuberculosis

Johns Hopkins experts in the prevention and treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis are calling for increased screening and more rapid testing of the 9 million people worldwide estimated to be infected each year with TB, and now at risk for this form of the highly contagious lung disease. The call follows results of a survey showing that the harder-to-treat TB variants are much more widespread than previously thought.

7 Jun 2012

WHO calls for greater vigilance on correct use of antibiotics against gonorrhoea

Millions of people with gonorrhoea may be at risk of running out of treatment options unless urgent action is taken, according to WHO. Already several countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are reporting cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics - the last treatment option against gonorrhoea. Every year an estimated 106 million people are infected with gonorrhea, which is transmitted sexually.

7 Jun 2012

CCR5 antagonists may also help prevent aggressive breast cancers from metastasizing

The HIV drugs known as CCR5 antagonists may also help prevent aggressive breast cancers from metastasizing, researchers from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson suggest in a preclinical study published in a recent issue of Cancer Research.

7 Jun 2012

Bangladesh may be facing HIV epidemic, Inter Press Service reports

"Bangladesh has shown low HIV prevalence rates so far but may be silently moving towards an epidemic, say experts pointing to underreporting and poor monitoring for the virus in the general population," Inter Press Service reports.

5 Jun 2012

USAID Administrator Shah addresses fight against HIV in children

In this post in the AIDS.gov blog, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discusses global efforts to end HIV infections in children. "

5 Jun 2012

Experts respond to PLoS editorial comparing Chagas disease to HIV/AIDS

"Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread to humans by insects, is not the new HIV/AIDS of the Americas, according to infectious disease experts who called the comparison," made in an editorial published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases last week, "'unrealistic' and 'unfortunate,'" ABC News' "Medical Unit" blog reports.

5 Jun 2012

Joint UNAIDS/UNDP briefing highlights potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health

"A new UNAIDS/UNDP joint issues brief highlights the potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health," UNAIDS reports in a feature story on its website. "The brief concludes that 'to retain the benefits of [flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)], countries at a minimum should avoid entering into free trade agreements that contain obligations that can impact on pharmaceutical price or availability,'" the article states.

5 Jun 2012