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MRSA study suggests strategy shift needed to develop effective therapeutics

USA300-the major epidemic strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causing severe infections in the United States during the past decade-inherits its destructiveness directly from a forefather strain of the bacterium called USA500 rather than randomly acquiring harmful genes from other MRSA strains.

17 Mar 2009

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid 'turns on' latent HIV

HAART (highly active anti-retroviral therapy) has emerged as an extremely effective HIV treatment that keeps virus levels almost undetectable; however, HAART can never truly eradicate the virus as some HIV always remains dormant in cells.

16 Mar 2009

Ultraviolet light cuts spread of tuberculosis

Ultraviolet lights could reduce the spread of tuberculosis in hospital wards and waiting rooms by 70%, according to a new study, published in PLoS Medicine today.

16 Mar 2009

Lethal risks associated with preparing dog meat

Eating dog meat is common in many Asian countries, but research conducted as part of the South East Asian Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Network has discovered a potentially lethal risk associated with preparing dog meat: rabies.

16 Mar 2009

Discrimination against Jamaican HIV-positive MSM hinders efforts to seek health care

Men who have sex with men in Jamaica continue to experience difficulty in seeking health care because of discrimination and a law that criminalizes homosexuality, the Jamaica Gleaner reports.

16 Mar 2009

New HHS grant will allow Pennsylvania HIV, STI education program to continue

The Community Prevention Partnership of Berks County, Pa. -- which runs a program that provides Hispanic women with education about HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention, as well as domestic violence -- has received a five-year, $335,000 grant from HHS to continue the program, the Reading Eagle reports.

16 Mar 2009

HIV/AIDS in Haiti - progress made, challenges remain

There is "some good news" in the fight against HIV in the Americas, Cesar Chelala -- an international public health consultant -- writes in a Miami Herald opinion piece, adding that "most surprisingly, it's coming from Haiti, one of the countries hardest hit by the epidemic." Chelala writes that United Nations data show that about 2.2% of Haiti's population -- or 120,000 people -- are living with HIV/AIDS and that AIDS-related deaths in the country have decreased in recent years.

16 Mar 2009

Lexington Herald-Leader examines funding issues in Kentucky HIV/AIDS clinic

The Lexington Herald-Leader on Thursday examined funding issues faced by the Bluegrass Care Clinic, a Kentucky-based HIV/AIDS clinic that has seen a twofold increase in the number of patients over the last eight years, despite receiving no federal funding increases.

16 Mar 2009

UNITAID working with travel web sites to raise donations for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Philippe Douste-Blazy, former French foreign minister and head of UNITAID, announced recently that he is in talks with online travel industry CEOs to allow air travelers booking online to make a $2 per-flight donation to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria efforts worldwide, the Financial Times reports.

16 Mar 2009

Continued HIV/AIDS progress could lead to increased life expectancy, population among developing countries, U.N. report says

Life expectancy in developing countries could increase to 69 years by 2050 if the global health community sustains progress in controlling HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations Population Division, Montreal's Gazette reports (Edwards, Gazette, 3/12).

16 Mar 2009

European Commission pledges to increase support for HIV/AIDS efforts in southern Africa

The European Commission plans to increase support for efforts to prevent HIV transmission in southern Africa, Alessandro Mariani, the European Union's ambassador to Malawi and chair of the E.C.'s regional HIV/AIDS group, said Thursday, AFP/Google.com reports.

16 Mar 2009

Religious leaders must play role in HIV prevention efforts, opinion piece says

Addressing HIV/AIDS at a local level "demands a vigorous response from the faith community," Charles Jackson -- pastor of Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia, S.C. -- and John Culp, pastor of Virginia Wingard Memorial United Methodist Church in Columbia, write in a Columbia State opinion piece.

16 Mar 2009

Caribbean coalition on women, girls pledges to address HIV, gender-based violence

The Caribbean Coalition on Women, Girls and AIDS on Thursday pledged to address all aspects of female vulnerability to HIV -- including violence against women -- and cited growing concerns that current HIV/AIDS strategies are not adequately addressing their needs, Inter Press Service reports.

16 Mar 2009

U.N. member states agree to drug control policy

United Nations member states on Thursday agreed to a 10-year renewal of their anti-drug policy amid criticism that the strategy has contributed to the spread of HIV, Reuters reports.

16 Mar 2009

Efforts needed to increase HIV/AIDS education, prevention, experts, advocates say at California conference

California public health officials and other experts on Wednesday called for new ways to better educate people about HIV/AIDS prevention, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.

16 Mar 2009

American Indian youth group to perform in Minneapolis to mark native HIV/AIDS awareness day

An American Indian youth theater group on Friday will perform in Minneapolis to mark National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is scheduled for March 20, the AP/Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.

16 Mar 2009

District of Columbia HIV/AIDS prevalence at 3%, report says

At least 3% of District of Columbia residents are living with HIV/AIDS, greater than the 1% level that constitutes a "generalized and severe" epidemic, according to a 2008 report to be released Monday by the city's HIV/AIDS Administration, the Washington Post reports.

16 Mar 2009

Malaria immunity trigger found for multiple mosquito species

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have for the first time identified a molecular pathway that triggers an immune response in multiple mosquito species capable of stopping the development of Plasmodium falciparum -the parasite that causes malaria in humans.

15 Mar 2009

A natural immune response to HIV in exceptional patients

For 25 years, researchers have tried and failed to develop an HIV vaccine, primarily by focusing on a small number of engineered "super antibodies" to fend off the virus before it takes hold.

15 Mar 2009

Rutgers AIDS researchers progress toward vaccine

Rutgers AIDS researchers Gail Ferstandig Arnold and Eddy Arnold may have turned a corner in their search for a HIV vaccine.

12 Mar 2009

Disease/Infection News

MRSA study suggests strategy shift needed to develop effective therapeutics

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid 'turns on' latent HIV

Ultraviolet light cuts spread of tuberculosis

Lethal risks associated with preparing dog meat

Discrimination against Jamaican HIV-positive MSM hinders efforts to seek health care

New HHS grant will allow Pennsylvania HIV, STI education program to continue

HIV/AIDS in Haiti - progress made, challenges remain

Lexington Herald-Leader examines funding issues in Kentucky HIV/AIDS clinic

UNITAID working with travel web sites to raise donations for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria

Continued HIV/AIDS progress could lead to increased life expectancy, population among developing countries, U.N. report says

European Commission pledges to increase support for HIV/AIDS efforts in southern Africa

Religious leaders must play role in HIV prevention efforts, opinion piece says

Caribbean coalition on women, girls pledges to address HIV, gender-based violence

U.N. member states agree to drug control policy

Efforts needed to increase HIV/AIDS education, prevention, experts, advocates say at California conference

American Indian youth group to perform in Minneapolis to mark native HIV/AIDS awareness day

District of Columbia HIV/AIDS prevalence at 3%, report says

Malaria immunity trigger found for multiple mosquito species

A natural immune response to HIV in exceptional patients

Rutgers AIDS researchers progress toward vaccine

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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