Disease/Infection News

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Field trials of rapid, inexpensive and portable HIV test show success, researchers report

"The first field trial for a 'lab on a chip' accurately detected both HIV and syphilis among a Rwandan population, researchers reported Sunday" in an online report published by Nature Medicine, the Washington Post reports.

2 Aug 2011

Antibody discovery leads researchers one step closer to universal influenza A vaccine

"The first human antibody that can knock out all influenza A viruses has been shown effective in lab mice, an exciting step forward in the hunt for a universal vaccine, researchers said Friday," Agence France-Presse reports.

2 Aug 2011

Azithromycin may predispose cystic fibrosis patients to mycobacterial infection

Azithromycin is an antibiotic that also has antiinflammatory properties. It is these antiinflammatory properties that are thought to account for the improvement in clinical outcome observed when patients with chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis are treated long-term with azithromycin.

2 Aug 2011

Lack of TLR1 surface expression linked with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis

Are you genetically predisposed to tuberculosis? Scientists may now be able to answer this question and doctors may be able to adjust their therapeutic approach based on what they learn. That's because new research presented in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that two frequent mutations in an immune system gene called TLR1 are responsible for cellular changes that ultimately make us less likely to resist the disease.

2 Aug 2011

PEPFAR will continue to lead HIV/AIDS fight

With recent scientific advancements in HIV prevention "transforming the way we think about AIDS," PEPFAR's "task is to translate new science into policy to inform programs," Ambassador Eric Goosby, the U.S. global aids coordinator, writes in a post on the State Department's "DipNote" blog.

2 Aug 2011

To eliminate germs in contact lens, 'rub and rinse' works best

For cleaning soft contact lenses with multipurpose disinfection solutions, the "rub and rinse" technique is most effective for eliminating micro-organisms—even when using "no-rub" disinfection solutions, according to a report in the August issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

2 Aug 2011

Insmed receives FDA clinical hold order for ARIKACE phase 3 trials in CF and NTM

Insmed Incorporated, a biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the Company that the agency has placed a clinical hold on Insmed's phase 3 clinical trials for ARIKACE in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with Pseudomonas lung infections and patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease.

2 Aug 2011

Meningococcal case at Townsville child care center

Meningococcal disease - a serious infectious disease affecting the brain and related organs - has been detected at a child care centre in Townsville, Queensland, where a medical student died of the illness last week. Queensland Health has confirmed a child at the centre has been admitted to hospital with meningococcal disease.

1 Aug 2011

Cubist initiates CXA-201 Phase 3 trial in complicated urinary tract infections

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of a pivotal Phase 3 trial of CXA-201 in patients with complicated urinary tract infections.

1 Aug 2011

New device can produce blood-based diagnostic results in minutes

Samuel K. Sia, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has developed an innovative strategy for an integrated microfluidic-based diagnostic device-in effect, a lab-on-a-chip-that can perform complex laboratory assays, and do so with such simplicity that these tests can be carried out in the most remote regions of the world.

1 Aug 2011

AAO-HNSF scientific program to discuss latest research on hearing loss, voice disorders

The 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 11-14, 2011 in San Francisco, CA.

1 Aug 2011

Universal flu vaccine based on “super antibody” coming soon

Researchers have finally found the first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus. The results of the experiments on flu-infected mice, published in Science Express, showed the antibody could be used as an “emergency treatment” for flu as well.

31 Jul 2011

Ghana declares eradication of Guinea worm

Ghana on Thursday declared the eradication of Guinea worm in the country, after a 23-year fight against the disease, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

30 Jul 2011

Demonstrators in Swaziland express concern over possible antiretroviral shortages

More than 3,000 demonstrators gathered across Swaziland on Thursday for a second day of protests over the king's handling of an economic crisis that they say is causing a shortage of medical supplies, including antiretroviral therapy, the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (7/28).

30 Jul 2011

CDC, ZKBS classifies Advaxis Agents as non-pathogenic materials

Advaxis, Inc., a leader in developing the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases, has received affirmation by the Public Health Service of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Zentrale Kommission für die Biologische Sicherheit, the Central Commission for Biological Safety in Germany, that Advaxis strains, constructs and immunotherapies have been attenuated to the point that they are classified as non-pathogenic materials for handling and shipment.

30 Jul 2011

PA departments warn public regarding use of glass-bottled milk from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa

The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Agriculture and the Allegheny County Health Department are advising the public of the possible health risks associated with products, specifically glass-bottled milk, from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa, Beaver County.

30 Jul 2011

U.S. investment in polio eradication must be protected

"Spying is a messy business that necessarily involves deceit, and U.S. intelligence operatives need latitude to do their work. In this case, however, the planners and approvers of the CIA vaccine operation didn't appropriately calculate the possible consequences of their actions on an agenda that is as important to the world as fighting al-Qaeda," a Bloomberg editorial states.

30 Jul 2011

Economist examines cholera, possible solutions to mitigate disease

The Economist in its current issue examines cholera, including the disease's history, current outbreaks, and research into vaccines and sanitation.

30 Jul 2011

Gates Foundation partners with soccer team for polio eradication, vaccine awareness campaign

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday announced a three-year partnership with the soccer team FC Barcelona aimed at promoting polio eradication and highlighting the importance of vaccines, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's "Seattle Big Blog" reports.

30 Jul 2011

Political, economic tensions in Malawi threaten new HIV/AIDS strategy

In a guest post on the GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog, Janet Fleischman, a senior associate at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, describes the Malawian government's "plans to launch a 'test and treat' program in which all HIV-infected pregnant women will immediately be put on antiretroviral treatment drugs for life."

30 Jul 2011

Disease/Infection News

Field trials of rapid, inexpensive and portable HIV test show success, researchers report

Antibody discovery leads researchers one step closer to universal influenza A vaccine

Azithromycin may predispose cystic fibrosis patients to mycobacterial infection

Lack of TLR1 surface expression linked with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis

PEPFAR will continue to lead HIV/AIDS fight

To eliminate germs in contact lens, 'rub and rinse' works best

Insmed receives FDA clinical hold order for ARIKACE phase 3 trials in CF and NTM

Meningococcal case at Townsville child care center

Cubist initiates CXA-201 Phase 3 trial in complicated urinary tract infections

New device can produce blood-based diagnostic results in minutes

AAO-HNSF scientific program to discuss latest research on hearing loss, voice disorders

Universal flu vaccine based on “super antibody” coming soon

Ghana declares eradication of Guinea worm

Demonstrators in Swaziland express concern over possible antiretroviral shortages

CDC, ZKBS classifies Advaxis Agents as non-pathogenic materials

PA departments warn public regarding use of glass-bottled milk from Brunton Dairy in Aliquippa

U.S. investment in polio eradication must be protected

Economist examines cholera, possible solutions to mitigate disease

Gates Foundation partners with soccer team for polio eradication, vaccine awareness campaign

Political, economic tensions in Malawi threaten new HIV/AIDS strategy

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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