Disease/Infection News

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Patients with COPD can benefit from ICS use

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are hospitalized for pneumonia and treated with inhaled corticosteroids have decreased mortality when compared to those who are not treated with ICS, according to a retrospective analysis of almost 16,000 COPD patients admitted to VA hospitals.

15 Apr 2011

WHO group hopes to have virus-sharing draft agreement finalized by Friday

Countries are narrowing in on a "deal to speed up their response to the next flu pandemic by sharing virus samples in return for access to affordable vaccines," co-chairs of a WHO working group told reporters on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

15 Apr 2011

Safer-sex education leads to fewer episodes of unprotected sex

Teaching young women how to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases condom use and might reduce their number of sexual partners, but little research exists on whether educational programs reduce rates of STIs such as human papillomavirus, according to an updated research review from England.

15 Apr 2011

New JAMA issue focuses on infectious diseases and immunology

Several media outlets report on findings published in this week's issue of JAMA, which focuses on infectious diseases and immunology.

15 Apr 2011

Study finds 47% of meat and poultry samples contaminated with S. aureus

Drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria linked to a wide range of human diseases, are present in meat and poultry from U.S. grocery stores at unexpectedly high rates, according to a nationwide study by the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

15 Apr 2011

New report reveals toad brains may contain germ-fighting proteins

Frog and toad skins already are renowned as cornucopias of hundreds of germ-fighting substances. Now a new report in ACS's Journal of Proteome Research reveals that the toad brains also may contain an abundance of antibacterial and antiviral substances that could inspire a new generation of medicines.

15 Apr 2011

African genital herpes strains are more infectious than the U.S. virus

Strains of genital herpes in Africa are far more virulent than those in the United States, researchers at Harvard Medical School report, a striking insight into a common disease with important implications for preventing HIV transmission in a region staggered by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

15 Apr 2011

Tansy plant can help treat herpes: Study

A folk remedy may be an effective treatment for the sexually transmitted disease herpes according to Dr Solomon Habtemariam from the University of Greenwich's School of Science and Professor Francisco Parra at the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain.

15 Apr 2011

Novartis, Duke sign deal to develop pandemic flu vaccine

The Duke Human Vaccine Institute today announced a collaboration and strategic agreement with Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics to enable the rapid development of a vaccine and accelerate preparedness in case of a pandemic virus threat such as pandemic influenza.

15 Apr 2011

Deadly infections at Veterans Affairs hospitals drop

The New York Times: Study Finds Drop In Deadly VA Hospital Infections.

15 Apr 2011

Mosquito borne virus alert for Western Australia

There is a mosquito alert for people living and holidaying in northern and central WA after a high number of reports of encephalitis and Ross River virus. According to Department of Health entomologist Sue Harrington, it is confirmed that a Carnarvon resident has been diagnosed with the potentially fatal encephalitis while several other cases are currently being investigated.

12 Apr 2011

NIAID finding to accelerate Chlamydia infection study

WHAT: In a new study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, scientists describe successfully mutating specific genes of Chlamydia bacteria, which cause the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States as well as a type of blindness common in developing nations.

12 Apr 2011

Study provides new insights into tuberculosis behavior

Patience may be a virtue in a person, but in an infectious disease, it is insidious. Witness tuberculosis, which can lie dormant in a human host for decades before bursting forth into infection. TB's stealthy nature has made it difficult to decipher how it spreads, seriously hampering efforts to control it. The World Health Organization estimates that a third of the people on Earth are infected.

12 Apr 2011

Health situation deteriorates in Cote d'Ivoire as violence continues

Medecins Sans Frontieres on Sunday highlighted its concerns about the health situation in Cote d'Ivoire, Reuters reports.

12 Apr 2011

Non-specific recurring genital symptoms could be undiagnosed herpes

A study of patients attending sexual health clinics in Gothenburg found that just four out of ten patients with genital herpes actually knew that they had the disorder. However, a third of those who did not realise that they had been infected reported typical symptoms at a follow-up visit, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

12 Apr 2011

Depression can sabotage efforts to effectively treat Hepatitis C

Adherence to interferon, an important medication used to treat Hepatitis C, is critical to successfully clearing the virus that causes the disease. A new observational analysis by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. finds that when Hepatitis C patients are also being treated for depression -- a frequent side effect of interferon use -- they are more likely to remain on their interferon therapy.

12 Apr 2011

Strong bitter taste can cause nausea: Research

Swallow the good, spit out the bad. A new study from the Monell Center highlights the vital role taste plays as the body's gatekeeper. The research shows that strong bitter taste in and of itself can cause people to both report the sensation of nausea and display a pattern of stomach activity characteristic of actual nausea.

12 Apr 2011

Scientists develop new method to detect virus presence in cells

Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory Center for Bio-Molecular Science and Engineering have developed a method to detect the presence of viruses in cells and to study their growth.

12 Apr 2011

Opinions: Empowering women, reducing global hunger; wars justified by humanitarianism; climate change, human health; budget cuts to foreign aid

In a perspective piece in The Globalist, Contributing Editor Cesar Chelala calls for more attention to be paid to the role of women in reducing hunger worldwide. "Giving women the same tools and resources as men, such as financial support, education and access to markets, could reduce the number of hungry people worldwide by up to 150 million, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization," he writes.

12 Apr 2011

Gay men in Britain allowed to give blood after a decade of celibacy: Trust system

The ban on gay men in Britain donating blood is being lifted because it was decided that the rule could be discriminatory and might breach equality legislation.

11 Apr 2011