West Nile Virus News and Research

Latest West Nile Virus News and Research

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at greater risk of crashes on foggy days

Drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Oct 2009

Surgical masks appear as effective as N95 respirators against influenza: Study

A McMaster University study has found that surgical masks appear to be as good as N95 respirators in protecting health-care workers against influenza.

3 Oct 2009

Flooding in Atlanta area, a potenital health hazard: Arrow Exterminators

Due to the flooding which hit the metro Atlanta area, Arrow Exterminators, a local pest and termite control company, is reaching out to educate the public on issues related to pest activity that can be expected after a flood and the diseases those pests might carry. As the water recedes, prime conditions and breeding grounds are created.

3 Oct 2009

UAB's researchers find early indicators for Alzheimer's disease

Inability to handle financial transactions or manage money may be an early indicator that a person with mild memory problems soon is likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Alzheimer's Disease Center, part of the Department of Neurology.

22 Sep 2009

Poor money management: A sign of developing Alzheimer's disease

New research finds poor money management skills may indicate that a person with mild memory problems will soon develop Alzheimer's disease. The study is published in the September 22, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Sep 2009

BioTrove partners with FDA to investigate the utility of SNAP system

BioTrove announced a collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research to investigate the utility of the company’s Standardized NanoArray PCR (SNAP) gene expression profiling system for the rapid and specific detection of pathogens in the nation’s blood supply.

8 Sep 2009

National Cancer Institute awards grant to Receptor Logic for breast cancer research

Receptor Logic, Inc. announced today receipt of a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant, entitled “Therapeutic Effectiveness of T-Cell Receptor mimic (TCRm™) Antibodies in Breast Cancer Treatment” will accelerate Investigational New Drug Application enabling studies surrounding lead candidate TCRm antibodies.

3 Sep 2009

NPMA warns homeowners of mosquito infestations during the fall months

As summer begins to fade, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) reminds homeowners of the ongoing caution necessary when dealing with increased mosquito populations across the United States. Although the itchy welts of mosquitoes are associated with summer, these pests flourish well into the fall months and can transmit a multitude of diseases, notably West Nile virus (WNV).

2 Sep 2009

Children suffering from chronic headache may outgrow the condition

Most children who suffer from chronic daily headache may outgrow the disabling condition, according to research published in the July 15, 2009, online issue of NeurologyÂ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Nearly 1.5 percent of middle school children are affected by chronic daily headache, which includes chronic migraines and tension-type headaches.

1 Sep 2009

Leading experts in health and health care reform to take part in symposium

With the nation facing a $9 trillion deficit over the next 10 years, according to government estimates, the future of health care reform depends upon a neglected but critical leg of the equation: cost. Some of the nation’s leading experts in health and health care reform will provide insights into this issue when they converge in Nashville Saturday for a nonpartisan public discussion.

29 Aug 2009

Avisio to acquire a portable sensory technology asset to instantly detect disease-causing pathogens

Avisio, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: AVIC), a publicly traded commercialization company providing access to best-of-breed processes and resources, today announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire a portable sensory technology asset that enables instant detection of infectious diseases, eliminating the need for processing samples in a lab.

26 Aug 2009

Microbiologists discover new therapies for human respiratory syncytial virus and influenza A virus

A cellular molecule that not only can sense two common respiratory viruses but also can direct cells to mount a defense has been identified by microbiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

24 Aug 2009

West Nile Virus threat continues in Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger today reminded Pennsylvania's citizens that although the number of West Nile Virus cases has dropped, the threat still exists.

21 Aug 2009

Influenza A H1N1 Real Time RT-PCR tests detect RNA of H1N1 influenza virus

Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics business of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, today announced that its Influenza A H1N1 (2009) Real Time RT-PCR test is now available as a test kit for use by "high complexity" clinical laboratories in the U.S.

21 Aug 2009

Smoking increases risk for brain shrinkage in multiple sclerosis

People who smoke and have multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at increased risk of brain shrinkage and increased brain lesions related to the disease, according to a study published in the August 18, 2009, print issue of NeurologyÂ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Smoking has already been linked to an increased risk of developing MS.

18 Aug 2009

Pennsylvania's first case of West Nile in 2009 confirmed

State Health Secretary Everette James today reported this year's first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania. The individual is a 21-year-old woman from Luzerne County.

12 Aug 2009

Automated network could predict disease outbreaks that originate in animals

The AP/San Francisco Chronicle examines Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers' efforts to create an automated network to monitor animals in an effort to predict disease outbreaks because two out of every three human diseases "originated in animals."

6 Aug 2009

Study to evaluate ‘Active Hexose Correlated Compound’ and the swine flu virus

A study evaluating the effect of AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound) on supporting the immune system in response to the swine flu virus will be conducted at the Southern China Agricultural University, one of the few research centers in China that have been approved to conduct studies on highly infectious diseases such as the swine flu. This controlled study will examine the effects of AHCC when supplemented to a group of mice infected with the virus.

1 Jun 2009

IBM and University of Texas Medical Branch launch effort to find flu drug treatments

IBM and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) launched an effort using IBM's World Community Grid "virtual supercomputer" to allow laboratory tests on drug candidates for drug-resistant influenza strains and new strains, such as H1N1, in less than a month.

6 May 2009

Federal funding for partnership to combat infectious diseases

Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Washington, along with a number of partner institutions across the Northwest, have received federal funding to form a regional research center aimed at combating emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases that pose a serious threat to human health.

15 Apr 2009