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Migrants and refugees do not bring disease and are at greater health risk themselves says WHO

The irregular migrant refugees coming to European nations are often accused on bringing with them host of exotic communicable diseases that tend to spread among the host communities. The World Health Organization (WHO) this week has absolved the migrants of spreading disease in its first report that deals with this issue.

22 Jan 2019

Human 'common cold' virus continues to spread in wild chimpanzees

Less than two years after the first report of wild chimpanzees in Uganda dying as a result of a human "common cold" virus, a new study has identified two other respiratory viruses of human origin in chimpanzee groups in the same forest.

22 Jan 2019

Scientists have reversed memory loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Using a new epigenetics-based approach, scientists have managed to reduce memory loss and improve cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.

22 Jan 2019

The Tiny Camera That Could Revolutionize Cardiovascular Surgery

An interview with Cambridge Consultants, discussing Leap; a miniature camera that provides a digital view of live veins and arteries.

22 Jan 2019

Study offers new hope for elimination of malaria

After major global successes in the battle against malaria, the positive trend stalled around 2015 - apart from in Zanzibar in East Africa, where only a fraction of the disease remains.

22 Jan 2019

A global influenza pandemic high on the WHO's agenda

Another influenza pandemic is on the third spot of the list of 10 health threats collated by the World Health Organization for 2019.

21 Jan 2019

WHO identifies non-communicable diseases as major threat to human health

Second on the list are non-communicable diseases including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc. The WHO report states that around 70 percent of the deaths are caused by these non-communicable diseases.

21 Jan 2019

Blood test detects brain damage linked to Alzheimer’s years before symptoms develop

Researchers have developed a blood test that can detect signs of brain damage among people who will develop Alzheimer’s years before the onset of memory loss.

21 Jan 2019

Fear and embarrassment are causing smear test numbers to plummet

A UK survey of more than 2,000 young women has shown that many delay or avoid having a smear test due to feeling scared, vulnerable, or embarrassed.

21 Jan 2019

High fat reduces efficiency of the immune system to fight infectious disease

APC Microbiome Ireland scientists based at University College Cork have shown for the first time that a high fat "western" diet reduces the efficiency of the immune system to fight infectious disease particularly in the gut, and to infection with the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes.

21 Jan 2019

New drug for treating liver parasites in vivax malaria

Vivax malaria is a serious illness with high fever that, if untreated, can keep people bed-ridden for weeks or even months. But even after successful treatment, it's tricky: although the current, commonly-used drugs successfully treat the blood stage of vivax malaria, they are unable to prevent malaria parasites from invading the liver (liver stage) and causing the disease to recur repeatedly over many years.

21 Jan 2019

Maintaining an active lifestyle in older age could prevent dementia

A new study has found that keeping active in older age may help to maintain memory and thinking skills and reduce the risk of dementia.

18 Jan 2019

New resource-based approach to improve HIV care in low- and middle-income countries

A practical resource-based public health approach for the rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected individuals living in low- and middle-income countries could save thousands of lives, according to an Essay published January 15 in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Mark Tenforde of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and colleagues.

18 Jan 2019

Combination therapy shows high efficacy in treating people with leishmaniasis and HIV

The results of clinical trials conducted in Ethiopia by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières, the University of Gondar, and Addis Ababa University, open the way for more effective and safer treatments for people with both HIV and visceral leishmaniasis, a group of patients who have historically suffered from poor treatment options.

18 Jan 2019

DZIF scientists reveal problems with available diagnostics for Zika and chikungunya virus

Millions of people have contracted Zika and chikungunya virus infections since the outbreaks that have been striking Latin America since 2013. Particularly Zika-related malformations in newborns warrant reliable diagnostics.

18 Jan 2019

Anti-vaccination movement one of the top health threats in 2019 says WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a list of health threats for the New Year. Interestingly, Anti-vaccination movement has featured among the top threats to the world. The anti-vaccination movement comprises of a group of people who are reluctant to getting vaccinated and refuse to vaccinate themselves or their children against vaccine preventable infections.

17 Jan 2019

Many cancer patients have undiagnosed hepatitis

A new report has described an alarmingly high rate of undiagnosed acute and chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C in patients with cancer.

17 Jan 2019

Stem cell-based approach to diabetes offers hope for treatment

Researchers developed a new stem-cell based approach to treating diabetes that improves how recipients respond to fluctuating glucose levels in the blood.

17 Jan 2019

New rapid blood tests could speed up TB diagnosis, save the NHS money

Rapid blood tests used by the NHS are unable to rule out tuberculosis (TB) and should be replaced with a new, more accurate test, a study has found.

17 Jan 2019

AHF urges United Nations to follow own mandate for protecting Ebola response efforts

As the second worst Ebola outbreak in history rages on in Central Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) urges the United Nations Security Council to protect response efforts, healthcare workers and civilians by enforcing its existing UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo mandate to ensure the security of personnel and resources being used to fight the virus.

17 Jan 2019