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Haiti faces rise in cholera cases after flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy

"Flooding in Haiti caused by Hurricane Sandy has triggered a surge in cholera, with three deaths and almost 300 suspected cases, adding to a death toll from the storm of 54," the Financial Times reports.

6 Nov 2012

AIDS organizations release discussion paper on post-2015 development agenda

The International AIDS Alliance, in collaboration with the Stop AIDS Alliance and STOP AIDS NOW!, has published "a discussion paper to help the HIV community to engage in" discussions surrounding the post-2015 development agenda, the International AIDS Alliance's blog reports.

6 Nov 2012

USAID newsletter focuses on TB

The November 2012 issue of USAID's "Global Health News" newsletter focuses on tuberculosis (TB).

6 Nov 2012

Combination of mosquito nets and deltamethrin does not lead to decline in malaria

Some develop resistance. Others alter their behaviour. Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, the vectors of malaria, always find a way to foil human attempts to protect themselves from this disease. Researchers from the IRD and their partners have revealed their great capacity for adaptation, which weakens the strategies to combatting their presence, recommended by the WHO.

6 Nov 2012

Study: Superbug MRSA prevalent at wastewater treatment plants in the U.S.

A team led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health has found that the "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is prevalent at several U.S. wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

6 Nov 2012

Growing concern in Asia over resistance to artemisinin-based antimalarial medicines

"Growing resistance to a key anti-malarial drug derived from a shrub used in traditional Chinese medicine is threatening to roll back gains made in combating the disease," according to experts attending a U.N.-sponsored malaria conference that concluded on Friday in Sydney, Australia, the U.N. News Centre reports.

6 Nov 2012

University of Alberta medical research supports the 'obesity paradox'

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta studied the records of nearly 1000 patients who were admitted to hospital with pneumonia and noted those who were obese were more apt to survive compared to those who were of normal weight.

6 Nov 2012

Adenovirus detection not uncommon among children with Kawasaki disease

Clinicians should take caution when diagnosing a child who has a high fever and whose tests show evidence of adenovirus, and not assume the virus is responsible for Kawasaki-like symptoms. According to a new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital appearing in Clinical Infectious Diseases, adenovirus detection is not uncommon among children with Kawasaki disease.

5 Nov 2012

Mass. adopts stricter rules, penalties for compounding pharmacies

The emergency regulations will allow the state to monitor contamination and the volume of medicines being made.

3 Nov 2012

Blog series on global AIDS blueprint interviews NIH investigator

As part of its "Blueprint" series discussing the creation of a U.S. global AIDS blueprint called for by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in July, the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog features an interview with Rochelle Walensky, a member of Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC) and the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council at the NIH/DHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.

3 Nov 2012

November issue of WHO Bulletin available online

The November issue of the WHO Bulletin features an editorial examining the need for a new model for pharmaceutical research, a public health news roundup, a research article examining parental perceptions surrounding polio immunization activities in Karachi, Pakistan, and a paper on the use of evidence to support healthy public policy, among others.

3 Nov 2012

Legislation planned to tighten oversight of compounding pharmacies

Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., will introduce legislation requiring compounding pharmacies to meet the sterility, record-keeping and manufacturing standards faced by large drug makers.

3 Nov 2012

USAID to triple financial support for PAHO/WHO Regional TB Program

According to a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and WHO joint press release, USAID "has tripled its financial support for the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Regional Tuberculosis Program, which seeks to prevent 15,000 deaths from tuberculosis in Latin America and the Caribbean over the next five years and reduce the incidence of this disease."

3 Nov 2012

WHO reports on global diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination efforts

"Four in five children (83 percent) worldwide received the recommended three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine during infancy in 2011, according to new data released in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER)," a WHO media note reports.

3 Nov 2012

Blog reports on meeting of world's largest HIV vaccine research network

KPLU 88.5's "Humanosphere" blog reports on a meeting of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), "the world's largest HIV vaccine research network," held in Seattle this week. "We actually don't know what the agenda is," HVTN Executive Director Jim Kublin said during a lecture, titled "Scientific Agenda, the Next Seven Years," according to the blog.

3 Nov 2012

'Details of implementation' critical to reaching goal of AIDS-free generation

Noting the progress made since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the upcoming recognition of World AIDS Day on December 1, Ronald Valdiserri, deputy assistant secretary for health, infectious diseases at the Department of Health and Human Services, writes in a Public Health Reports opinion piece, "We would do well to keep in mind the following caution. No matter the elegance of the controlled trial, the statistical significance of the results, or the superiority of the science, we must confront this inevitable reality: We will never be able to take full advantage of our progress in HIV clinical and prevention science until we develop and sustain the human, organizational, and structural capacities necessary to implement these new scientific breakthroughs."

3 Nov 2012

'Keep the Promise on HIV/AIDS' March and Rally to be held on Nov. 3 in Centennial Park

Hundreds of advocates and community leaders are expected to participate in the "Keep the Promise on HIV/AIDS" March and Rally this Saturday, November 3, 2012 beginning at 1:00 pm in Centennial Park.

3 Nov 2012

Weill Cornell researchers awarded Grand Challenges Explorations grants

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

3 Nov 2012

ACE Environmental Advisory explores potential risks of mold and legionella at healthcare facilities

The ACE Group today announced the release of an environmental advisory entitled, "Legionella and Mold: Construction and Renovation Risks at Healthcare Facilities," which explores the potential risks of pollutants, such as mold and legionella, that hospitals and healthcare facilities can experience during renovation or construction projects.

3 Nov 2012

GlobalPost interviews director of WHO Stop TB Department about future of global response

In an interview with GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog, Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO's Stop TB Department, explains "why the fight against [tuberculosis (TB)] is at a crossroads."

3 Nov 2012