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Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

USAID Administrator Shah addresses fight against HIV in children

In this post in the AIDS.gov blog, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah discusses global efforts to end HIV infections in children. "

5 Jun 2012

Experts respond to PLoS editorial comparing Chagas disease to HIV/AIDS

"Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread to humans by insects, is not the new HIV/AIDS of the Americas, according to infectious disease experts who called the comparison," made in an editorial published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases last week, "'unrealistic' and 'unfortunate,'" ABC News' "Medical Unit" blog reports.

5 Jun 2012

Joint UNAIDS/UNDP briefing highlights potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health

"A new UNAIDS/UNDP joint issues brief highlights the potential impacts of free trade agreements on public health," UNAIDS reports in a feature story on its website. "The brief concludes that 'to retain the benefits of [flexibilities in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)], countries at a minimum should avoid entering into free trade agreements that contain obligations that can impact on pharmaceutical price or availability,'" the article states.

5 Jun 2012

Risk of recurrent shingles episode is relatively low: Study

People who have had an episode of herpes zoster, also known as shingles, face a relatively low short-term risk of developing shingles, according to a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published online in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. These findings suggest that among people with immune systems that have not been compromised, the risk of a second shingles episode is low.

5 Jun 2012

Zimbabwe's successful PMTCT efforts serve as a 'model' for other countries in drive to eliminate pediatric AIDS

"Zimbabwe is one of the key countries to watch in the drive to eliminate pediatric AIDS in Africa," Chip Lyons, president and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, writes in this post in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog.

5 Jun 2012

Patients with normal lipoprotein(a) levels may retain risk of atherosclerosis due to elevated LDL-P number

LipoScience, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company advancing patient care by developing high value proprietary clinical diagnostic tests using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, today announced results from a clinical study demonstrating that patients with normal levels of lipoprotein(a) may retain significant risk of atherosclerosis due to an elevated low density lipoprotein particle (LDL-P) number.

2 Jun 2012

PMTCT of HIV 'critical, effective' to making progress in child survival

In this post in the Management Sciences for Health's (MSH) "Global Health Impact" blog, Scott Kellerman, global technical lead for HIV/AIDS at MSH, discusses USAID's "Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday" campaign and recent attention to the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.

2 Jun 2012

Chagas disease could pose threat similar to other global pandemics, experts warn

"Researchers are warning that the little-known Chagas disease could pose a threat similar to other global pandemics," Fox News reports, noting Chagas disease "is a parasitic illness that is most commonly transmitted by the so-called 'kissing bugs,' a subfamily of blood-sucking insects, through the parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi" (5/31).

2 Jun 2012

Cera announces new citrus ready-to-drink oral rehydration solution

Cera Products is proud to announce its new CeraLyte-70 Citrus Ready to Drink in a 500 ml environmentally green container with a re-closeable top and a long shelf-life. No mixing is needed, saving health care staff time when fast patient hydration is needed.

2 Jun 2012

HIV markets in rich, poor countries are two distinct markets

HIV drugs have not only "transformed a fatal disease into a chronic one," but "[t]hey have also made HIV a big business," this Economist editorial states.

2 Jun 2012

Montefiore experts available to discuss cancer research at 2012 ASCO meeting

Bringing together international experts with the latest technologies and pioneering research, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center, advances the front lines of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare and common cancers.

2 Jun 2012

Large-scale, coordinated effort needed to stop increase in HIV transmission among MSM in China

HIV transmission in China is increasing faster among men who have sex with men (MSM) than in any other population, a trend that "cannot continue," a group of researchers working in China write in a Nature commentary, adding, "Policymakers, public health researchers, clinicians, educators, community leaders and other stakeholders in China must come together to educate everyone, and gay men in particular, about HIV prevention and treatment -- before any more people become infected as a result of ignorance and fear."

1 Jun 2012

Target of 25% reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025 a 'rallying call' for global health community

Member states at the 65th session of the World Health Assembly, which concluded last week, "agreed to adopt a global target of a 25 percent reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases [NCDs] such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases by 2025."

1 Jun 2012

Foreign-born populations in the U.S. are at increased risk for chronic HBV

The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the U.S. may be as high as 2.2 million cases according to a new study now available in Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

1 Jun 2012

Illumina launches Nextera XT DNA Sample Preparation Kits

Illumina today introduced the Nextera XT DNA Sample Preparation Kit, the easiest way for researchers to prepare and sequence small genomes, PCR amplicons, and plasmids.

From Illumina, Inc. 1 Jun 2012

Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday weekly theme is PMTCT

"The Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday theme for this week is prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT)," an e-mail alert from USAID reports, noting, "PMTCT provides HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services for the whole family and is the most effective way to create an HIV-free generation."

31 May 2012

Trade officials at WIPO fail to make progress on proposals to improve access to generic medicines

Trade officials met last week at the U.N. World Intellectual Property Organization "to make progress on a proposal that would allow poor countries to provide inexpensive generic versions of lifesaving medications, rather than rely a single version of the same drugs under expensive patent monopolies," but the U.S. "remained steadfast in rejecting proposals aimed at lowering the prices of existing medicines in poor countries," the Huffington Post reports.

31 May 2012

'Silo' effect of western health aid to Africa damaging continent's future

In a two-part series in his Slate blog "The Reckoning," author Michael Moran examines the "silo" effect of Western aid to improve health in Africa, writing in the first part, "Charities know that raising money for exotic disease eradication in the West is a good deal easier than, say, funding upgrades to substandard cardiac facilities.

30 May 2012

Researchers identify mechanism key in drug allergy

Adverse drug reactions are a major issue that cause harm, are costly and restrict treatment options for patients and the development of new drugs. A groundbreaking finding by researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology could lead to a new way to dramatically improve drug safety by identifying drugs at risk to cause potentially fatal genetic-linked hypersensitivity reactions before their use in man.

30 May 2012

IACFS/ME releases new guidelines for chronic fatigue syndrome

The International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (IACFS/ME), the largest group of physicians and researchers dedicated to chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), has released updated care guidelines directed at primary care physicians and other health care providers.

30 May 2012