Tetanus News and Research

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Tetanus is a severe, frequently fatal disease caused by an exotoxin produced by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium that is found in the environment. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, Clostridium tetani enters the body through an open wound, including lacerations, abrasions and puncture wounds. The toxin causes neuromuscular dysfunction, with rigidity and spasms of skeletal muscles. The muscle spasms usually start in the jaw (which is why the disease is sometimes called "lockjaw") and neck and may spread to many other muscles, leading to generalized paralysis.

Southampton scientists set to analyse investments into infectious disease research

Scientists at the University of Southampton are set to analyse research investments into infectious disease research, particularly pneumonia and maternal and neonatal infections, after receiving over £370,000 in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

23 Jul 2015

Tips to prevent, treat black widow and brown recluse spider bites

Most spiders are non-venomous and most spider bites are harmless. They may cause some local redness and pain, but can usually be managed at home by washing, applying ice and keeping the area clean.

22 Jul 2015

Emory University immunologists identify long-lived antibody-producing cells in bone marrow

Immunologists from Emory University have identified a distinct set of long-lived antibody-producing cells in the human bone marrow that function as an immune archive.

16 Jul 2015

Study analyzes attitudes and practices of general physicians in different vaccination scenarios

At population level, vaccines contribute to reducing mortality associated with infectious diseases such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B or bacterial meningitis.

9 Jul 2015

WHO: Progress towards global vaccination targets 'far off track'

Progress towards global vaccination targets for 2015 is far off track with 1 in 5 children still missing out on routine life-saving immunizations that could avert 1.5 million deaths each year from preventable diseases. In the lead-up to World Immunization Week 2015 (24 -30 April), the World Health Organization is calling for renewed efforts to get progress back on course.

24 Apr 2015

New text message alert system helps parents remember child's vaccination appointments

Nearly a third of all children nationwide and in Kentucky aren't up-to-date with the vaccination schedule recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), but not because their parents are refusing vaccines. Evidence suggests parents tend to forget appointments when children are scheduled to receive immunizations.

16 Apr 2015

FDA approves Quadracel vaccine to protect young children from life-threatening diseases

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved use of Quadracel (Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Absorbed and Inactivated Poliovirus; DTaP-IPV) vaccine for active immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and poliomyelitis in children 4 through 6 years of age.

25 Mar 2015

Researchers find way to enhance effects of immunotherapy in glioblastoma

When cancer strikes, it may be possible for patients to fight back with their own defenses, using a strategy known as immunotherapy. According to a new study published in Nature, researchers have found a way to enhance the effects of this therapeutic approach in glioblastoma, a deadly type of brain cancer, and possibly improve patient outcomes.

20 Mar 2015

Ebola crisis increases susceptibility to measles, other vaccine-preventable illnesses

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say that major disruptions in the health care systems in West Africa caused by the Ebola crisis have led to significant decreases in vaccinations for childhood diseases, increasing susceptibility to measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses.

13 Mar 2015

Tetanus booster shot enhances effect of vaccine therapy for lethal brain tumors

An innovative approach using a tetanus booster to prime the immune system enhances the effect of a vaccine therapy for lethal brain tumors, dramatically improving patient survival, according to a study led by Duke Cancer Institute researchers.

12 Mar 2015

New conference to discuss ways of abolishing female genital mutilation in the UK

'We believe that education is the way forward to eradicate FGM. Therefore, in this symposium we are also launching an educational package for both professionals and communities alike'- Sadiyo Siad, FGM survivor, activist and campaigner.

4 Mar 2015

Researchers examine individuals' confidence or reluctance in vaccination decision-making

Researchers explore individuals' confidence or reluctance to vaccinate their families and the associated effects on global health, in a collection published on February 25, 2015 by the open-access journal, PLOS Currents: Outbreaks. The collection is accompanied by the editorial "Hesitancy, trust and individualism in vaccination decision-making" by Jonathan E. Suk et al. from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

26 Feb 2015

Efficacy of ebola vaccine to be assessed in large-scale clinical trial

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced today that they will soon be commencing the first large-scale clinical trial to assess the efficacy of an experimental ebola vaccine.

23 Jan 2015

Researchers identify clusters of underimmunization, vaccine refusal in Northern California

Researchers used spatial analysis software and electronic medical records to identify clusters of underimmunization and vaccine refusal among Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics.

19 Jan 2015

Two MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics open inside CVS/pharmacy stores in Northern Nevada

Two MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics opened today inside CVS/pharmacy stores in Reno and Sparks. They join eight MinuteClinic locations inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in the Las Vegas area in Southern Nevada.

14 Dec 2014

UCL research opens up new way to treat neurological disorders

The way that tetanus neurotoxin enters nerve cells has been discovered by UCL scientists, who showed that this process can be blocked, offering a potential therapeutic intervention for tetanus. This newly-discovered pathway could be exploited to deliver therapies to the nervous system, opening up a whole new way to treat neurological disorders such as motor neuron disease and peripheral neuropathies.

28 Nov 2014

Preterm birth becomes world's number one killer of young children

For the first time in history, the complications of preterm birth outrank all other causes as the world's number one killer of young children.

17 Nov 2014

Tdap vaccination during pregnancy not associated with increased risk of preterm delivery

Among approximately 26,000 women, receipt of the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of preterm delivery or small-for-gestational-age birth or with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, although a small increased risk of being diagnosed with chorioamnionitis (an inflammation of the membranes that surround the fetus) was observed, according to a study in the November 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Nov 2014

Survey: Majority of U.S. adult women do not believe that they are up to date on vaccinations

A national survey from Rite Aid and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reveals that the majority of adult women living in the United States do not believe they are up to date on vaccinations to protect against many preventable diseases.

11 Nov 2014

MinuteClinic enters into clinical collaboration agreement with Lifespan

MinuteClinic, the retail medical clinic of CVS Health, and Lifespan, Rhode Island's largest health system, which includes five partner hospitals and multiple physician groups, announced today that they have entered into a clinical collaboration agreement.

27 Oct 2014