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Progress in reducing child mortality rates at Somalia, Ethiopia border refugee camps is slow, U.S. official says

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Reuben Brigety, "the top U.S. official for refugee issues, ... says that despite intensive efforts, relief agencies have made little progress in reducing child mortality rates at refugee camps along Somalia's border with Ethiopia," VOA News reports.

3 Sep 2011

Sand fly's salivary components play a critical role in process for Leishmania

For millions of people who live under the constant threat of Leishmania infection, a new discovery by Brazilian scientists may lead to new breakthroughs, preventing these parasites from taking hold in the body or reducing the severity of infections once they occur.

2 Sep 2011

Wis. patients getting tested for HIV after misuse of equipment

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a nurse misused equipment to teach diabetic patients how to inject insulin. Meanwhile, researchers look at how hospital uniforms can carry germs.

2 Sep 2011

Using high-speed lasers to zap mosquitoes in the fight against malaria

In this post on CNN's Global Public Square, journalist Amar Bakshi interviews Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer of Microsoft and co-founder of Intellectual Ventures, about an anti-malaria project "that use[s] lasers and digital image processing techniques to not only find mosquitoes.

2 Sep 2011

NCD summit negotiations must get back on track to help millions worldwide

With negotiations over the outcomes for the U.N. High-level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) stalled, "[i]t is feared that sound proposals for clear goals and timelines to tackle these devastating diseases are being systematically deleted, diluted and downgraded by some U.N. Member States and urgent action is needed to put the negotiations back on track, when they recommence on September 1," Rob Moodie, chair of Global Health at the Nossal Institute of Global Health, writes in the Crikey health blog "Croakey."

2 Sep 2011

Discovery in rare disease may shed light on common causes of blindness

In a rare eye disease, the retina degenerates because light-receiving cells fail to regenerate, research led by a student at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine shows.

2 Sep 2011

New IDSA/PIDS guidelines can thwart pneumonia in children

Immunizations, including a yearly flu vaccine, are the best way to protect children from life-threatening pneumonia, according to new guidelines from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

2 Sep 2011

'Sustainable global pharmacovigilance' systems needed to monitor ARVs, other drugs

With more widespread access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs comes a greater need to monitor and promote the safety and effectiveness of these essential medicines in the new environments, which are distinct from those of pre-market studies and the resource rich countries that have had ARV access for years.

2 Sep 2011

People living with HIV in Egypt feel health care sector is source of stigma, report says

According to a 2011 report on HIV-related stigma in Egypt from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, "the health care sector was consistently identified by people living with HIV as a major source of stigma and discrimination," PlusNews reports.

2 Sep 2011

Special journal edition chronicles 3-D structures of important antibacterial, bioterrorist targets

The September issue of the online scientific journal Acta Crystallographica: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications (Acta Cryst F) will consist entirely of work done at the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), a consortium of researchers from Seattle BioMed, Emerald BioStructures, the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

2 Sep 2011

New meta-analysis reaffirms safety profile of aspirin for pain relief, fever

A new meta-analysis published this week in Drugs in R&D, reaffirms the safety profile of aspirin for short-term treatment of mild to moderate pain, and aches and fever due to colds when used as directed.

2 Sep 2011

Integrating rapid syphilis and HIV testing for pregnant women could reduce maternal, child morbidity and mortality

"A study conducted in Uganda and Zambia by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) found high rates of syphilis and HIV co-infection among pregnant women in both countries," but showed that "integrating rapid syphilis screening and HIV testing for pregnant women was feasible, cost-effective, and helped to prevent transmission of syphilis and HIV from mother-to-child," PlusNews reports.

2 Sep 2011

HIV/AIDS policies “woefully inadequate” in Britain: Report

AIDS and HIV prevention policies in Britain are “woefully inadequate” and must be improved, a House of Lords committee warned today. The report by the Lord Select Committee is published on the 25th anniversary of the 'Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign, a public health initiative launched to try to stem the spread of the virus.

2 Sep 2011

Tamiflu resistant flu found in Newcastle, Australia

The influenza pandemic has gathered a lot of action, advice and coverage over the last few years. In 2009, an international H1N1 influenza pandemic led to concerns that there would be a repeat of the 1918 influenza pandemic which resulted in millions of deaths worldwide. The World Health Organization recorded over 37,000 cases of the H1N1 pandemic influenza in Australia and 193 confirmed deaths.

2 Sep 2011

MRSA ‘superbug’: Everyone at risk!

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph bacteria that does not respond to commonly used antibiotic treatments, is a type of infection that has been a problem in hospital settings for many years. Back in 2000 it began steadily making its way into the lives of otherwise healthy people, especially children, who are not typically at risk for the fast-moving bacteria.

2 Sep 2011

Guatemalan Syphilis study in 1940’s violated ethical standards: US presidential commission report

The U.S. presidential commission has found that U.S. government researchers violated ethical standards by deliberately infecting Guatemalan prison inmates and mental patients with syphilis for an experiment in the 1940s. This research did not treat Guatemalan participants as human beings and failed to inform them they were taking part in research study, calling into question the bioethics behind the study design.

31 Aug 2011

Eleven UvA researchers named as recipients of ERC Starting Grants

Eleven researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have been named as recipients of Starting Independent Researcher Grants from the European Research Council.

31 Aug 2011

Medivir completes enrollment of three TMC435 phase 3 trials on CHC genotype-1 infection

MedivirAB is an emerging researchbased specialty pharmaceutical company focused on infectious diseases. Medivir today announced that its investigational protease inhibitor TMC435, developed by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals, has successfully completed enrollment of three ongoing global phase 3 trials and further reports that all patients are now on TMC435 or active control treatment.

31 Aug 2011

Infant rotavirus vaccination may provide indirect protection to older children, adults in the U.S.

Vaccinating infants against rotavirus also prevents serious disease in unvaccinated older children and adults, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

31 Aug 2011

IPS examines DNDi program to develop pediatric HIV drugs

Inter Press Service profiles a program launched by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) to develop antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) specifically designed for children living with HIV/AIDS.

31 Aug 2011

Disease/Infection News

Progress in reducing child mortality rates at Somalia, Ethiopia border refugee camps is slow, U.S. official says

Sand fly's salivary components play a critical role in process for Leishmania

Wis. patients getting tested for HIV after misuse of equipment

Using high-speed lasers to zap mosquitoes in the fight against malaria

NCD summit negotiations must get back on track to help millions worldwide

Discovery in rare disease may shed light on common causes of blindness

New IDSA/PIDS guidelines can thwart pneumonia in children

'Sustainable global pharmacovigilance' systems needed to monitor ARVs, other drugs

People living with HIV in Egypt feel health care sector is source of stigma, report says

Special journal edition chronicles 3-D structures of important antibacterial, bioterrorist targets

New meta-analysis reaffirms safety profile of aspirin for pain relief, fever

Integrating rapid syphilis and HIV testing for pregnant women could reduce maternal, child morbidity and mortality

HIV/AIDS policies “woefully inadequate” in Britain: Report

Tamiflu resistant flu found in Newcastle, Australia

MRSA ‘superbug’: Everyone at risk!

Guatemalan Syphilis study in 1940’s violated ethical standards: US presidential commission report

Eleven UvA researchers named as recipients of ERC Starting Grants

Medivir completes enrollment of three TMC435 phase 3 trials on CHC genotype-1 infection

Infant rotavirus vaccination may provide indirect protection to older children, adults in the U.S.

IPS examines DNDi program to develop pediatric HIV drugs

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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