Disease/Infection News

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Egg recall raises questions about FDA

The recent salmonella outbreak/egg recall is raising questions about whether the FDA is fulfilling its regulatory role, PBS' NewsHour reports. "For the past few years, it's been one food safety scare after another. There was E. coli-laced spinach, salmonella-tainted peppers. ... There have also been problems with drugs. The ingredients in a contaminated blood thinner came from China.

3 Sep 2010

Researchers discover novel compound to combat drug resistant malaria

Novartis announced today that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.

3 Sep 2010

New antibacterial peptide effective against infections in burn or blast wounds

An antibacterial peptide developed by Laszlo Otvos, a research professor of biology in Temple's College of Science and Technology, looks to be a highly-effective therapy against infections in burn or blast wounds suffered by soldiers.

2 Sep 2010

AHF proposes innovative solution to resolve AIDS drug crisis in Florida

As the State of Florida grapples with a budget shortfall that is crippling its AIDS Drug Assistance Program and forcing the state to place more than 1,300 low-income Floridians on waiting lists to access lifesaving AIDS medications, AIDS Healthcare Foundation has proposed an innovative solution to state health officials and seven leading AIDS drug companies that would create a public/private partnership to resolve the drug crisis and get vulnerable Florida AIDS patients on to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment.

2 Sep 2010

Lytix Biopharma granted Hungarian approval for Lytixar Phase IIa clinical trial in Gram positive skin infections

The Norwegian pharmaceutical company Lytix Biopharma AS today announces the approval in Hungary to commence a Phase IIa clinical trial with Lytixar (LTX-109) treatment of skin infections caused by Gram positive bacteria.

2 Sep 2010

HIV-infected children who receive HAART require revaccination: Researchers

HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy may require revaccination to maintain immunity against preventable diseases. There remains no standard or official recommendation on revaccination of children receiving HAART, an effective intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected children.

2 Sep 2010

Inhibitex completes INX-189 Phase1a trial for HCV

Inhibitex, Inc., announced today that it has successfully completed a Phase1a, first-in-man, single ascending dose trial of INX-189, its nucleotide polymerase inhibitor in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infections. In this trial, 42 healthy volunteers received either a single oral dose of INX-189, ranging from 3 mg to 100 mg, or placebo. The Company plans to present detailed results from this trial during a future scientific meeting.

2 Sep 2010

Unitract Tuberculin syringe clears FDA 510k market clearance

Unilife Corporation, today announced that its Unitract Tuberculin (TB) Syringe has received 510(k) market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

2 Sep 2010

WPI researchers: Cranberry juice cocktail blocks strain of S. aureus

Expanding their scope of study on the mechanisms of bacterial infection, researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have reported the surprise finding from a small clinical study that cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from beginning the process of infection.

2 Sep 2010

Abbott RealTime HBV assay receives marketing approval from FDA

Abbott announced today it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market the Abbott RealTime HBV assay for measuring viral load or the amount of hepatitis B virus in a patient's blood. It is the first and only approved test capable of automating HBV viral load testing from sample extraction to final results.

2 Sep 2010

Neutralizing key toxin associated with Staph aureus bacteria reduces severity of skin and soft-tissue damage

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and University of Chicago have found a promising treatment method that in laboratory mice reduces the severity of skin and soft-tissue damage caused by USA300, the leading cause of community-associated Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States.

2 Sep 2010

Innate immune processes sufficient for driving silicosis: Study

For the nearly 2 million U.S. workers exposed to silica dust each year, a new discovery may help prevent or treat the development of chronic lung diseases related to this exposure. In the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology scientists from Montana and Texas use mice to show for the first time that the part of our immune system responsible for keeping airways clean and free of contaminants (innate immunity) can cause inflammation and symptoms of disease.

2 Sep 2010

Researchers find new fusion protein for E.coli bacterium vaccine development

South Dakota State University research is exploring a "fusion strategy" for making improved vaccines to protect pigs and humans against some strains of E. coli.

2 Sep 2010

National Health Information Resource Center honors Interstitial Cystitis Association for special publication

The Interstitial Cystitis Association, the only nonprofit health association dedicated solely to improving the lives of those affected by interstitial cystitis (IC), was recently honored with an award from the National Health Information Resource Center. The organization received honors for a special issue of its ICA Update – a quarterly magazine focused on current IC research, treatment, and lifestyle issues.

2 Sep 2010

Health leaders gather to discuss WHO's work in Africa

Health leaders from 46 African WHO member states gathered in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Monday for the 60th session of the Africa Committee of the WHO, Agencia AngolaPress reports. According to the news service, meeting attendees will discuss a report on the WHO Africa's activity in the region during the 2008-2009 period to evaluate the success and challenges associated with efforts to improve health outcomes in Africa (8/30).

2 Sep 2010

Media examine floods' impact in Pakistan

News outlets reported on the effects of major flooding in Pakistan and described the situation on the ground.

2 Sep 2010

Also in Global Health News: China's first HIV discrimination case; Congo mass rape; S. Sudan flooding; Kenya's population growth; Family planning in the Philippines

"A municipal court in central China has accepted the country's first lawsuit alleging work discrimination because of HIV status, state media reported Tuesday," the Associated Press reports (8/31). "The lawsuit alleges city officials denied the plaintiff, a recent college graduate, a teaching job after a medical screening revealed he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS," Agence-France-Presse reports (8/31).

2 Sep 2010

World becoming numb to HIV/AIDS: UNAIDS executive director

HIV infection is on the rise but there is potential to control the upsurge of infections with effective measures only if there are adequate funds. According to UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibe the world has become numb to the fact that 7,400 people are being infected with AIDS every day and funds to combat it are not pouring in as they should. Since 2001, the number of newly infected people has fallen by 17 per cent a year - but there are still 2.7 million new cases each year.

1 Sep 2010

Report finds some donated malaria drugs are being stolen, resold In Africa

Some of the malaria drugs given to Africa by international donors are "being stolen and resold on commercial markets," according to a study to be released Thursday in the journal Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine, the Associated Press reports.

1 Sep 2010

Medicago included in President's report that examines drugs to prevent spread of infectious diseases

Medicago Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today announced that it was included in a report of President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology entitled "Report to the President on Reengineering the Influenza Vaccine Production Enterprise to Meet the Challenges of Pandemic Influenza", which was released earlier this month. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other public health officials held a briefing to discuss this report and the $2 billion plan to accelerate the development of drugs and vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

31 Aug 2010