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Department of Health to hold vaccination drive for whooping cough

With some areas of the state seeing an increase in whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, the Department of Health urges all Pennsylvanians to ensure they are protected against the vaccine-preventable disease.The department will soon hold public vaccination clinics in York and Delaware counties, where cases of pertussis have been rising.

24 Aug 2010

OSDD program aims to develop new drug for tuberculosis

An unlikely effort is underway to lift the veil of nearly-total secrecy that has surrounded the process of developing new prescription drugs for the last century, scientists said today at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The upheaval in traditional practice would make key data available to college students, university professors, and others in an open, collective process.

24 Aug 2010

EPA selects Precision Antibody to develop monoclonal antibodies for 'Crypto' intestinal parasite

Precision Antibody™ announced today its selection by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop monoclonal antibodies to two species of Cryptosporidium, an intestinal parasite that has emerged over the past 20 years as one of the most common causes of waterborne illness in the United States.

24 Aug 2010

National Fibromyalgia Association, RemedyMD partner to build fibromyalgia research registry

The National Fibromyalgia Association has partnered with RemedyMD® to provide a national database that will aggregate data from a wide variety of sources to provide a complete disease registry for fibromyalgia research. It offers new hope to sufferers since this will represent the first time that researchers have the opportunity to look at all data relevant to fibromyalgia in order to identify patterns which lead to more effective diagnosis and treatment.

24 Aug 2010

LabCorp launches IL-28B gene test for HCV infection

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings announced today the nationwide availability of a genetic test to detect the presence of a single polymorphism within the IL-28B gene that has been reported to help predict a person's response to certain hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapies.

24 Aug 2010

Researchers develop new instrumentation to simplify testing patients for infectious diseases

Arizona State University researchers have demonstrated a way to dramatically simplify testing patients for infectious diseases and unhealthy protein levels.New testing instrumentation developed by Antonia Garcia and John Schneider promises to make the procedure less costly and produce results in less time.

24 Aug 2010

AP reports on efforts to monitor authenticity of antimalarials, other drugs in Africa

The Associated Press reports on a recent effort to use text messages to track the authenticity of antimalarials in Africa, where "more than 30 percent of malaria medicines are estimated to be fake."

24 Aug 2010

Researchers find gene sequences of MLV in chronic fatigue syndrome patients' blood samples

Researchers have found murine leukemia viruses (MLV) related gene sequences in blood samples collected from patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and some healthy blood donors, according to a study published online today by the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

24 Aug 2010

WHO calls on countries to prevent, control spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria

Amid the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the WHO on Friday urged countries to take greater action to limit the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, CIDRAP News reports. "Calling such pathogens 'a growing and global public health problem,' the WHO said, 'Countries should be prepared to implement hospital infection control measures to limit the spread of multi-drug resistant strains and to reinforce national policy on prudent use of antibiotics, reducing the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria,'" according to the news service (Roos, 8/20).

24 Aug 2010

Pfizer's Prevenar 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine receives WHO prequalification

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted prequalification to Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed])for active immunization of infants and children from 6 weeks through five years of age against invasive disease, pneumonia and otitis media caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) contained in the vaccine.

24 Aug 2010

Measles outbreak in northern NSW and Queensland

There is a confirmed measles outbreak just south of the Queensland border according to Queensland Health authorities. There have been seven cases of this highly infectious disease at Tweed Heads, NSW, including a person who reportedly visited a McDonald’s restaurant at Coolangatta over the weekend. Any residents who visited the fast food outlet between 8am and 1pm on Saturday are advised to check their vaccination status.

23 Aug 2010

Flu vaccine to be available at local pharmacies, doctor's offices

Flu vaccine will soon be available at local pharmacies and doctor's offices, and government officials are urging everyone over 6 months of age to receive it. This year's vaccine protects against H1N1 and two other strains of seasonal flu.

23 Aug 2010

Brain can act as a hiding place for HIV virus: Study

Studies of the spinal fluid of patients given anti-HIV drugs have resulted in new findings suggesting that the brain can act as a hiding place for the HIV virus. Around 10% of patients showed traces of the virus in their spinal fluid but not in their blood.

23 Aug 2010

New antisense drugs may help treat accidental infections: Study

New studies show that treatments targeting specific viral genes protected monkeys infected with deadly Ebola or Marburg viruses. Furthermore, the animals were protected even when therapeutics were administered one hour after exposure-suggesting the approach holds promise for treating accidental infections in laboratory or hospital settings.

23 Aug 2010

Cornell University experts comment on recall of 380 million eggs

Cornell University experts on farm animals and food safety comment on the recall of at least 380 million eggs in the past week due to concerns over salmonella contamination.

21 Aug 2010

Hillandale Farms of Iowa voluntarily recalls shell eggs

Hillandale Farms of Iowa is voluntarily recalling shell eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

21 Aug 2010

Immunization rate increases among teens: NIS report

In light of today's report of the National Immunization Survey results, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) encourages increased efforts in fully immunizing all adolescents.

21 Aug 2010

FDA issues update to nationwide Salmonella infected egg recall

Through tracebacks conducted as part of its ongoing investigation into the increase of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses nationwide, FDA and the State of Minnesota identified Hillandale Farms in Iowa as a second potential source of contaminated shell eggs.

21 Aug 2010

AHF thanks Obama for additional $5M, but says 'It isn't nearly enough'

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, responded to today's announcement by the Obama Administration that it will allocate $30 million in funding to address the national AIDS Drug Assistance Program crisis that has left 3,000 Americans on waiting lists to receive lifesaving AIDS medications by saying "Thank you, but it is not nearly enough."

21 Aug 2010

HHS unveils $1.9B strategy to better prepare for biological threats

"Acknowledging that the development of medical countermeasures against bioterrorism threats and pandemic flu is lagging, [U.S.] federal authorities Thursday announced a $1.9 billion makeover of the system for identifying and manufacturing drugs and vaccines for public-health emergencies," Tribune Company/Seattle Times reports.

21 Aug 2010