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Rinsing technique with betadine may reduce infection rate following total knee, hip arthroplasty

A rinsing technique with betadine that costs just a little over one dollar per patient may significantly reduce the infection rate following total knee and hip joint replacement surgery according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

18 Feb 2011

RyMed's InVision-Plus IV Connector decreases catheter-related bloodstream infections by 92.6%

Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA exhibited a poster at the recent 11th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research in Los Angeles, in which their clinical study showed RyMed Technologies' zero displacement InVision-Plus® IV Connector significantly decreased the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) by 92.6% on average when compared to a simple split septum with negative displacement IV connector (Becton-Dickinson Q-Syte®) and a reversed split-septum device with negative displacement IV connector (ICU Medical Clave®).

18 Feb 2011

New approaches for controlling sleeping sickness caused by trypanosomes

The research could eventually lead to new approaches for controlling sleeping sickness in humans and wasting diseases in livestock which are caused by trypanosomes carried by the bloodsucking tsetse fly.

18 Feb 2011

Report finds neglected diseases research funding up in 2009, funding for related non-profits down

"A rise in global funding for research into neglected diseases needs to be matched by a continued focus on delivering practical new ways to curb sickness in the developing world," according to the third annual report by the Global Funding of Innovation for Neglected Diseases released on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

18 Feb 2011

Smoking, exercise influence Vitamin E's effect on pneumonia risk

Depending on the level of smoking and leisure time exercise, vitamin E supplementation may decrease or increase, or may have no effect, on the risk of pneumonia, according to a study published in Clinical Epidemiology.

18 Feb 2011

Avenir team discovers how Neisseria meningitidis disseminates into bloodstream

Although, in the majority of cases, the localized presence of Neisseria meningitidis in the throat has no consequence, it can sometimes lead to meningitis or septicaemia. The seriousness of these two infections is driving researchers from around the world to improve their understanding of the mode of operation of this bacterium, which, once it leaves its favourite location becomes extremely dangerous.

18 Feb 2011

Conatus commences multi-center CTS-1027 Phase 2b trial for HCV treatment

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today the treatment of the first patient in a multi-center Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating CTS-1027 in combination with Peginterferon Alfa-2a and ribavirin in a treatment experienced, hepatitis C null responder patient population. Safety, tolerability, and antiviral activity of the triple combination will be assessed after up to 48 weeks of therapy.

18 Feb 2011

Study: Ventilator-associated pneumonia infections drop by 70% in Michigan hospitals

Cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia — the most lethal and among the most common of all hospital-associated infections — dropped by more than 70 percent in Michigan hospitals where medical staff used a simple checklist designed by Johns Hopkins researchers. Such pneumonias kill an estimated 36,000 Americans each year.

17 Feb 2011

Researchers develop new pneumococcal vaccine through novel discovery approach

Pneumococcus accounts for as much as 11 percent of mortality in young children worldwide. While successful vaccines like Prevnar exist, they are expensive and only work against specific pneumococcal strains, with the risk of becoming less effective as new strains emerge.

17 Feb 2011

Experts say signs and treatment of bacterial infection often misunderstood

According to the Canadian Foundation for Infectious Diseases, antibiotics are the second most frequently prescribed class of drugs - second only to pain relievers. Yet most people don't know the difference between a true bacterial infection, like chronic bronchitis that can be treated with antibiotics — and viruses like the common cold, which cannot.

17 Feb 2011

Clinical trial finds atorvastatin may inhibit HIV progression, help in infection's management

A recent multicenter clinical trial of atorvastatin, a type of cholesterol-lowering drug, found that although the drug did not inhibit plasma HIV RNA levels, it did inhibit expression of cellular markers of immune activation and inflammation in patients with HIV infection.

17 Feb 2011

Poll: 73% of New Jersey people think investment on global health research is important to state's economy

Despite the unpredictable economy, nearly three-quarters of New Jersey residents think spending money on research to improve health globally is important to jobs and incomes in the state, according to a new statewide poll commissioned by Research!America.

17 Feb 2011

WH statement says Obama would veto FY11 budget that 'undermines critical priorities or national security'

The Office of Management and Budget released a statement on Tuesday warning that President Barack Obama would "veto the continuing resolution funding bill now being debated in the House if it contains drastic cuts to national security, but it remains unclear if large cuts in diplomacy and foreign aid programs would be enough to force White House action," Foreign Policy's blog "The Cable" reports.

17 Feb 2011

HHS unveils new National Vaccine Plan to enhance coordination of immunization activities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today unveiled a new National Vaccine Plan to enhance coordination of all aspects of federal vaccine and immunization activities. Its goal is to ensure that all Americans can access the preventive benefits of vaccines.

17 Feb 2011

Upcoming Bangladeshi mass cholera vaccine program might shed light on strategy effectiveness

TIME reports on an oral cholera vaccination program to kick off on Thursday in Bangladesh that researchers hope will determine how good of a "weapon" the mass vaccination strategy can be "against an old disease".

17 Feb 2011

Study: 1 in 5 homeless people with tuberculosis die within a year of diagnosis

One in five homeless people with tuberculosis die within a year of their diagnosis, according to a study led by St. Michael's Hospital's Dr. Kamran Khan. And that number remains unchanged over the last decade despite recommendations calling for greater improvements in prevention and control of tuberculosis in homeless shelters.

17 Feb 2011

New fully human monoclonal antibodies to battle Chikungunya

The Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), an institute of the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and VIVALIS, a French biopharmaceutical company, announced today the discovery of two new fully human monoclonal antibodies which could battle Chikungunya, a disease that currently has no available vaccine or specific treatment.

16 Feb 2011

Vical announces issuance of U.S. Patent for cytomegalovirus vaccines

Vical Incorporated announced today the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,888,112 covering DNA vaccines for cytomegalovirus containing specific gene sequences and formulated with Vical's Vaxfectin adjuvant.

16 Feb 2011

Flu vaccine update

This new vaccine which could become available in the United States in the next few years, is made by growing the influenza virus in cultures of animal cells rather than in the chicken eggs that have been used for more than five decades. This shortens the process by six months. Using animal cells, which are grown in enclosed steel tanks, also reduces the risk of bacterial contamination, which has led to shortages of seasonal vaccines in some years. The study was reported in The Lancet this Tuesday.

16 Feb 2011

Bioniche presentation focuses on implementing E. coli cattle vaccine to reduce risk of human infection

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, gave a presentation about its E. coli O157 cattle vaccine at the First International One Health Congress in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

16 Feb 2011

Disease/Infection News

Rinsing technique with betadine may reduce infection rate following total knee, hip arthroplasty

RyMed's InVision-Plus IV Connector decreases catheter-related bloodstream infections by 92.6%

New approaches for controlling sleeping sickness caused by trypanosomes

Report finds neglected diseases research funding up in 2009, funding for related non-profits down

Smoking, exercise influence Vitamin E's effect on pneumonia risk

Avenir team discovers how Neisseria meningitidis disseminates into bloodstream

Conatus commences multi-center CTS-1027 Phase 2b trial for HCV treatment

Study: Ventilator-associated pneumonia infections drop by 70% in Michigan hospitals

Researchers develop new pneumococcal vaccine through novel discovery approach

Experts say signs and treatment of bacterial infection often misunderstood

Clinical trial finds atorvastatin may inhibit HIV progression, help in infection's management

Poll: 73% of New Jersey people think investment on global health research is important to state's economy

WH statement says Obama would veto FY11 budget that 'undermines critical priorities or national security'

HHS unveils new National Vaccine Plan to enhance coordination of immunization activities

Upcoming Bangladeshi mass cholera vaccine program might shed light on strategy effectiveness

Study: 1 in 5 homeless people with tuberculosis die within a year of diagnosis

New fully human monoclonal antibodies to battle Chikungunya

Vical announces issuance of U.S. Patent for cytomegalovirus vaccines

Flu vaccine update

Bioniche presentation focuses on implementing E. coli cattle vaccine to reduce risk of human infection

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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