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HHS to provide H1N1 response update on December 17, 2009

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and senior HHS officials leading the H1N1 response at the Department will hold a press conference, at the National Press Club on Thursday, December 17, 2009.

16 Dec 2009

DNA reveals earliest proven case of leprosy, Turin Shroud not from Jesus-era Jerusalem

The DNA of a 1st century shrouded man found in a tomb on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem has revealed the earliest proven case of leprosy. Details of the research will be published December 16 in the PloS ONE Journal.

16 Dec 2009

H1N1 outbreak reveals existing gaps in nation's public health emergency preparedness

The seventh annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), found that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies and that the economic crisis is straining an already fragile public health system.

16 Dec 2009

MRSA, the most concerning pathogen to surveyed for skin and skin structure infections

Arlington Medical Resources (AMR) and Decision Resources find that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most concerning pathogen to surveyed European infectious disease specialists with regard to their treatment of skin and skin structure infections.

16 Dec 2009

Human Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda points to infected livestock movements

The northwards spread of human Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda is likely due to the movement of infected livestock, according to new findings from an interdisciplinary research group including members from the Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh; the Ministry of Health, Uganda; and the Universities of Oxford and Southampton.

16 Dec 2009

Pennsylvania expands H1N1 vaccination program to everyone

Certified healthcare providers who have already immunized patients most at risk of complications from the H1N1 flu virus may now offer the vaccine to anyone who wants it, the Department of Health announced today.

16 Dec 2009

Immune system produces neutralizing antibodies capable of blocking HIV, says study

Scientists seeking to understand how to make an AIDS vaccine have found the cause of a major roadblock. It turns out that the immune system can indeed produce cells with the potential to manufacture powerful HIV-blocking antibodies - but at the same time, the immune system works equally hard to make sure these cells are eliminated before they have a chance to mature.

16 Dec 2009

Physicians need to utilize best practices to treat HAE patients in emergency settings

Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease causing acute attacks of intense edema. These attacks can result in life-threatening complications, including asphyxiation.

16 Dec 2009

Chagas disease transmission in Peru linked to migration and urbanization patterns

New research shows how the migration and settlement patterns associated with the rapid urbanization of Peru may link to Chagas disease transmission. The

16 Dec 2009

Post-surgical infections raise healthcare expenditures

Post-surgical infections significantly increase the chance of hospital readmission and death and cost as much as $60,000 per patient, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers who conducted the largest study of its kind to date.

16 Dec 2009

Infectious virus particles can bind to the surface of red blood cells: MHRP researchers

Free infectious HIV-1 is widely thought to be the major form of the virus in the blood of infected persons. U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) researchers, however, have demonstrated that essentially all of the infectious virus particles can bind to the surface of red blood cells isolated from each of 30 normal (non-infected) human donors.

16 Dec 2009

Drug monitoring may provide alternative treatments for patients with severe H1N1

An international team of Canadian and Spanish scientists have found the first potential immunological clue of why some people develop severe pneumonia when infected by the pandemic H1N1 virus.

16 Dec 2009

Interactive education program to fight against malaria

ONE and Malaria No More announced today they are accepting applications for the first-ever "Malaria Griots" program, a dynamic education course that will train and educate participants to become leaders in the fight against malaria.

16 Dec 2009

Routine tests to patients in community health centers increase HIV screening: UCSF researchers

UCSF researchers have found that routinely offering rapid HIV tests to patients in community health centers can significantly increase the number of patients screened for HIV.

16 Dec 2009

Majority of workers believe swine flu may impact workflow and productivity

Adecco Group North America's latest American Workplace Insights Survey finds that 77% of workers(1) think their workplace will be impacted in some way by the swine flu.

16 Dec 2009

Dendritic cell changes suggest new strategy to identify and treat debilitating lung disease

A new study links chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, with increased activity of cells that act as sentinels to activate the body's immune system.

15 Dec 2009

Increased funds lead to 'significant progress' in global malaria fight, WHO report says

WHO's World Malaria Report 2009, which was released on Tuesday, found "increased funding is starting to pay off in the battle against malaria but prevention and treatment must be increased to try to halt the killer disease," Reuters reports (Kelland, 12/15). According to the Associated Press, there were more than 240 million cases of malaria and an estimated 863,000 people, mostly in Africa, died of the disease in 2008 (Cheng, 12/15).

15 Dec 2009

Can-Fite BioPharma to commence Glaucoma Phase II clinical study in Israel

Can-Fite BioPharma, a biotechnology company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, announced on December 13 the initiation of the regulatory process for a Glaucoma Phase II clinical study in Israel. Leading Medical Centers in Israel will enroll 44 patients with Ocular Hypertension or Glaucoma for the first segment of the trial, who will be treated for 16 weeks with CF101 or placebo.

15 Dec 2009

Also in Global Health news: Drug trafficking in Kenya; violence in S. Sudan; Uganda bill; sleeping sickness

Drug trafficking and use are fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, according to a recent report by the U.N. Security Council, the Nation reports. "A statement from the council's Presidency currently … states that Afghan heroin was being imported, causing a dramatic increase in heroin addiction and spreading HIV/AIDS in the slums of Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya's two main cities," the newspaper writes.

15 Dec 2009

Genocea Biosciences to develop Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine with UPMC grant

Genocea Biosciences, a leading vaccine discovery and development company, today announced it has been awarded a grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Cooperative Research Center for the development of vaccines for Chlamydia trachomatis.

15 Dec 2009

Disease/Infection News

HHS to provide H1N1 response update on December 17, 2009

DNA reveals earliest proven case of leprosy, Turin Shroud not from Jesus-era Jerusalem

H1N1 outbreak reveals existing gaps in nation's public health emergency preparedness

MRSA, the most concerning pathogen to surveyed for skin and skin structure infections

Human Rhodesian sleeping sickness in Uganda points to infected livestock movements

Pennsylvania expands H1N1 vaccination program to everyone

Immune system produces neutralizing antibodies capable of blocking HIV, says study

Physicians need to utilize best practices to treat HAE patients in emergency settings

Chagas disease transmission in Peru linked to migration and urbanization patterns

Post-surgical infections raise healthcare expenditures

Infectious virus particles can bind to the surface of red blood cells: MHRP researchers

Drug monitoring may provide alternative treatments for patients with severe H1N1

Interactive education program to fight against malaria

Routine tests to patients in community health centers increase HIV screening: UCSF researchers

Majority of workers believe swine flu may impact workflow and productivity

Dendritic cell changes suggest new strategy to identify and treat debilitating lung disease

Increased funds lead to 'significant progress' in global malaria fight, WHO report says

Can-Fite BioPharma to commence Glaucoma Phase II clinical study in Israel

Also in Global Health news: Drug trafficking in Kenya; violence in S. Sudan; Uganda bill; sleeping sickness

Genocea Biosciences to develop Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine with UPMC grant

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