Pneumonia News and Research

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

Pollution kills more than three milion children under the age of five every year

Around the world, polluted air and water and other environment-related hazards kill more than three milion children under the age of five every year.

24 Jun 2004

MRSA superbugs emerged independently in at least eight countries including the UK

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria that are increasingly resistant to vancomycin, the antibiotic of last resort in the war against superbugs, have emerged independently in at least eight countries including the UK

24 Jun 2004

Cooking with gas increases risk of respiratory illness in young children

Cooking with gas seems to increase the risk of respiratory illness, indicates research in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

21 Jun 2004

SARS, the highly infectious respiratory virus, has been found in tears

The finding suggests that tear analysis could not only be an effective means of diagnosing the infection, but also an unrecognised source of its spread, if appropriate preventive measures are not taken, say the authors.

20 Jun 2004

Undernutrition is the cause of more than 53 percent of all child deaths

Undernutrition is the underlying cause of more than 53 percent of all child deaths that occur annually, including those from infectious diseases, pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and malaria, according to a new analysis by researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the World Health Organization.

17 Jun 2004

Emergence of MRSA bacteria that are increasingly resistant to vancomycin

Researchers had previously thought that such bacteria were emerging from only one sort of the MRSA superbug, but the new study has shown that they have evolved in all major types.

17 Jun 2004

New report outlines New Yorkers health problems

New York City residents are living longer than ever, but our city still faces significant health problems. In a new report, the leading causes of preventable illness and death in New York City are outlined.

15 Jun 2004

Significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis

Dr. Fraser discusses, for the first time, the significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax.

14 Jun 2004

U.S.$2.8 to study a virus associated with respiratory infections

The Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID), based in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, has been awarded a five-year, $2.8 million grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study a virus associated with respiratory infections.

11 Jun 2004

AMA campaign to stop parents smoking near babies and children

The bib giveaway, launched at King Edward Memorial Hospital today, is the centrepiece of a campaign to encourage parents not to smoke near their baby or children.

2 Jun 2004

Studies suggest white tea help prevent staphylococcus and streptococcus infections

New studies conducted at Pace University, have indicated that White Tea Extract (WTE) may have prophylactic applications in retarding growth of bacteria that cause Staphylococcus infections, Streptococcus infections, pneumonia and dental caries.

2 Jun 2004

Chronic diseases are the largest cause of death in the world

The rising global burden of chronic diseases needs a coordinated effort from policy makers, advocates and health professionals, according to a special communication in the June 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a theme issue on Global Health.

1 Jun 2004

West Nile set to explode in summer 2004

Experts predict the continued spread of West Nile virus this summer, with the potential for serious outbreaks in numerous states, including California.

1 Jun 2004

Smoking a lot more harmful than previously thought

The U.S. Surgeon General has released a new comprehensive report on smoking and health, revealing for the first time that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body. Published 40 years after the surgeon general's first report on smoking -- which concluded that smoking was a definite cause of three serious diseases -- this newest report finds that cigarette smoking is conclusively linked to diseases such as leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach.

30 May 2004

Smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body

U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona today released a new comprehensive report on smoking and health, revealing for the first time that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body.

27 May 2004

KETEK® (telithromycin) is highly active in vitro against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) isolates

Results from an ongoing surveillance study, PROTEKT US (Prospective Resistant Organism Tracking and Epidemiology of the Ketolide Telithromycin – United States) Year 2 (2001-2002), suggest that KETEK® (telithromycin) is highly active in vitro against Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) isolates, including those resistant to other antimicrobial agents.

24 May 2004

An antibiotic, Tigecycline produces 74 percent cure rate in cSSSI patients

An antibiotic, currently being tested in clinical trials, produced a 74 percent cure rate for hospitalized patients with possibly life-threatening, complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI).

23 May 2004

Nicotine remains one of the most addictive drugs ever used

Nicotine-the main ingredient in tobacco products-remains one of the most addictive drugs ever used. Still, nearly 72 million people have used nicotine in the United States, according to the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

21 May 2004

Zinc may help to accelerate recovery from pneumonia

The addition of zinc to standard antimicrobial treatment may accelerate recovery from pneumonia, say researchers in this week's issue of The Lancet.

20 May 2004

People infected with chlamydia is at an all-time high

The number of people in Washington infected with chlamydia is at an all-time high. According to the Washington State Department of Health 16,796 people were diagnosed with chlamydial infection in 2003. The Department of Health is advising all sexually active women age 25 and younger to be tested at least once a year for chlamydia.

12 May 2004