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Bangladesh outperforms Asian neighbours despite low spending on health care

Exceptional improvements in the survival of infants and children under 5 years of age, life expectancy, immunisation coverage, and tuberculosis control in Bangladesh are part of a remarkable success story for health in the South Asian country, according to a major new Series published in The Lancet. This is despite low spending on health care, a weak health system, and widespread poverty.

21 Nov 2013

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

In developing nations, rural areas, and even one's own home, limited access to expensive equipment and trained medical professionals can impede the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

21 Nov 2013

Vaccinating kids against rotavirus may also reduce risk of seizures

A new study suggests an additional-and somewhat surprising-potential benefit of vaccinating children against rotavirus, a common cause of diarrhea and vomiting. Besides protecting kids from intestinal illness caused by rotavirus, immunization may also reduce the risk of related seizures, according to findings published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online.

21 Nov 2013

DNA vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent and treat deadly MERS coronavirus

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that preclinical testing of a DNA synthetic vaccine for the virulent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) induced robust and durable immune responses, demonstrating the potential for a SynCon DNA vaccine to prevent and treat this deadly virus.

20 Nov 2013

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria anticipates and turns immune defenses against the host

Around 20 percent of all humans are persistently colonized with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, a leading cause of skin infections and one of the major sources of hospital-acquired infections, including the antibiotic-resistant strain MRSA.

20 Nov 2013

TSRI researchers solve structure of key protein in deadly, but little known virus

What began as a summer internship project designed for an undergraduate student evolved into a one-year study of one of the deadliest, but little known viruses. Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have now solved the structure of a key protein in the Nipah virus, which could pave the way for the development of a much-needed antiviral drug.

20 Nov 2013

Rapid DNA biochip tests for screening disease-causing bacteria

Patients affected by a bacterial infection can usually be treated with an antibiotic. But sometimes a resistant bacterial strain is causing the infection. In a hospital setting, doctors ideally want to know if they are dealing with such bacteria and which drugs they should choose. But if the doctor runs a test it can take days to get a result. Now, a European project is paving the way for much more rapid tests using DNA biochips. The aim is to rapidly screen disease-causing bacteria using a microarray to spot which resistant genes are present in bacteria.

20 Nov 2013

Call to recognize lung diseases as leading causes of morbidity and mortality

Experts from the world's leading lung organisations have come together for the first time to call for a worldwide effort to improve healthcare policies, systems and care delivery to make a positive difference to the lung health of the world.

20 Nov 2013

NeutroPhase irrigation therapy and NPWT help treat severe flesh eating and wound infections

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing topical non-antibiotic antimicrobial products, today announced the publication of a scientific paper by Dr. John R. Crew of Seton Medical Center, Daly City, California, describing the first use of adjunctive NeutroPhase irrigation therapy in conjunction with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy to successfully manage the severely-infected wound in the arm of a patient with life-threatening 'flesh-eating' disease.

20 Nov 2013

Metal coil therapy may provide same benefits as major surgery for COPD

Brown was diagnosed with COPD and emphysema, the third leading cause of death in the United States, only behind heart disease and cancer. Right now, the only studied interventions that prolong life for patients with severe COPD are supplemental oxygen in people with low oxygen levels and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in appropriately selected individuals. Like most COPD patients, Brown was given medication but told there was no cure. He was 58 years old.

20 Nov 2013

Experts call for worldwide effort to make positive difference to the lung health

Experts from the world’s leading lung organisations have come together for the first time to call for a worldwide effort to improve healthcare policies, systems and care delivery to make a positive difference to the lung health of the world.

20 Nov 2013

NPS MedicineWise urges people to guard against superbug whilst travelling

With the holiday season just around the corner and many Australians heading overseas, NPS MedicineWise is urging people to guard against the risk of infection whilst travelling.

20 Nov 2013

Advanced cytotoxins help bacteria survive antibiotics treatment

In spite of the fact that the first antibiotics were discovered almost a century ago, infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, encephalitis and meningitis are still serious diseases for humans in the twenty-first century. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are more than 8 million new cases of tuberculosis per year on a global scale, and that more than 300,000 of these are due to multidrug-resistant strains that are not only difficult to treat, but are also emerging rapidly in regions such as Eastern Europe.

20 Nov 2013

Special issue on Helicobacter pylori provides new insights into diagnosis, prevention and treatment

A special issue on Helicobacter pylori has been published by Landes Bioscience (Austin, TX USA). The articles contained in this special issue of the journal Gut Microbes have been authored by world-class investigators and provide new insights into the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this microbe.

20 Nov 2013

NIAID awards $4.4M grant to study unknown gene function in bacteria that cause plague, brucellosis

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded the University of Chicago $4.4 million over five years to study genes of unknown function in bacteria that cause plague and brucellosis.

20 Nov 2013

Youth prefer rapid point-of-care HIV tests than traditional blood tests

Youth prefer, accept and receive HIV results more often when offered rapid finger prick or saliva swab tests rather than traditional blood tests according to a study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital.

20 Nov 2013

Researchers use computer modeling to investigate complex relationships between spread and evolution of HIV virus

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory are investigating the complex relationships between the spread of the HIV virus in a population (epidemiology) and the actual, rapid evolution of the virus (phylogenetics) within each patient's body.

20 Nov 2013

Study reveals substantial economic impact of HAIs following cardiac surgery

After cardiac surgery, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are common complications associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and use of resources.

19 Nov 2013

U-M researchers collaborate with MDCH to evaluate statewide influenza vaccination reminder campaign

A new University of Michigan study found that the state immunization registry - the public health database that tracks vaccinations- can be an effective tool to encourage influenza vaccinations during a pandemic.

19 Nov 2013

New method could cut hours off the time it takes to diagnose blood infections

A new method could cut hours off the time it takes to diagnose blood infections while also eliminating the need for complicated manual processing and expensive equipment, according to a report to be published in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, on November 19.

19 Nov 2013

Disease/Infection News

Bangladesh outperforms Asian neighbours despite low spending on health care

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

Vaccinating kids against rotavirus may also reduce risk of seizures

DNA vaccine demonstrates potential to prevent and treat deadly MERS coronavirus

Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria anticipates and turns immune defenses against the host

TSRI researchers solve structure of key protein in deadly, but little known virus

Rapid DNA biochip tests for screening disease-causing bacteria

Call to recognize lung diseases as leading causes of morbidity and mortality

NeutroPhase irrigation therapy and NPWT help treat severe flesh eating and wound infections

Metal coil therapy may provide same benefits as major surgery for COPD

Experts call for worldwide effort to make positive difference to the lung health

NPS MedicineWise urges people to guard against superbug whilst travelling

Advanced cytotoxins help bacteria survive antibiotics treatment

Special issue on Helicobacter pylori provides new insights into diagnosis, prevention and treatment

NIAID awards $4.4M grant to study unknown gene function in bacteria that cause plague, brucellosis

Youth prefer rapid point-of-care HIV tests than traditional blood tests

Researchers use computer modeling to investigate complex relationships between spread and evolution of HIV virus

Study reveals substantial economic impact of HAIs following cardiac surgery

U-M researchers collaborate with MDCH to evaluate statewide influenza vaccination reminder campaign

New method could cut hours off the time it takes to diagnose blood infections

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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