Hygiene News and Research

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ASTMH recommends FDA to include neglected infections of poverty in orphan classification

Today, U.S. scientists committed to finding answers to reducing and eliminating what are known as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that plague the world's poorest people in developing countries, urged the FDA to include in its orphan classification the neglected infections of poverty that also affect Americans, and expressed support for stronger relationships with the FDA to ultimately halt these ancient scourges.

24 Sep 2010

Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health draws more than $40 billion in resources

Culminating a global summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Heads of State and Government, along with the private sector, foundations, international organizations, civil society and research organizations, kicked off a concerted world-wide effort to save the lives of more than 16 million women and children.

23 Sep 2010

Scarab Genomics, Lonza enter sales agreement for Clean Genome technology

Scarab Genomics, a pioneer in the world of E. coli genomics and production strains, and Lonza, a world leader in biopharmaceutical development and production, announced today the companies have entered into a preferred marketing and sales agreement for Scarab Genomics' Clean Genome E. coli. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.

23 Sep 2010

Genetic variation in taste pathway genes associated with dental caries risk

Dental caries is a highly prevalent disease that is disproportionately distributed in the population. Caries occurrence and progression is known to be influenced by a complex interplay of both environmental and genetic factors, with numerous contributing factors having been identified including bacterial flora, dietary habits, fluoride exposure, oral hygiene, salivary flow, salivary composition, and tooth structure. Previous reports have characterized the influence of the genetic variation on taste preferences and dietary habits.

23 Sep 2010

Specific orofacial characteristics can lead to accurate diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term that describes the range of effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol while pregnant. Each year, FASD affect an estimated 40,000 infants in the United States—more than spina bifida, Down syndrome, and muscular dystrophy combined.

22 Sep 2010

USAID, GAIN announce $1 million to reduce malnutrition burden

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) announced today $1 million to expand efforts to reduce the growing burden of malnutrition. The announcement will be made today at a historic gathering of the First Ladies of Africa, who convened to declare nutrition as a critical priority for eliminating poverty, improving health and advancing food security in their nations.

21 Sep 2010

Flu shots, heart attacks and flu prevention guidelines

According to a new British study yearly flu shots may protect against heart attacks, and the earlier in the season a shot is given the greater the protection. Niroshan Siriwardena, a professor of primary and pre-hospital health care at the University of Lincoln said, “The risk of getting a heart attack was reduced by 19 percent for those who had a vaccination in the past year.”

21 Sep 2010

U.N. launches largest humanitarian appeal to aid Pakistan flood relief

The U.N. on Friday launched an appeal for $2 billion in flood relief for Pakistan, Bloomberg reports. The request is the "largest appeal for humanitarian relief ever made by the world body," the news service writes (Varner, 9/17).

21 Sep 2010

Tips to keep students healthy, from brain to body

With kids back in school, good health starts with clean hands. Now that the new school year has begun, many moms are looking for an extra hand to help keep their kids healthy and reduce sick days. In fact, elementary school students who do not use proper hand hygiene will miss more school than those that do employ good hand-washing habits, according to an American Journal of Infection Control study.

18 Sep 2010

HHS Secretary Sebelius announces $130.8 million in grants to expand health professions workforce

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $130.8 million in grants to strengthen and expand the health professions workforce. Six areas are targeted: primary care workforce training, oral health workforce training, equipment to enhance training across the health professions, loan repayments for health professionals, health careers opportunity programs for disadvantaged students, and patient navigator outreach and chronic disease prevention in health disparity populations.

18 Sep 2010

Opinions: Bachelet appointment; Sanitation MDG; Women's education; Smallholder farms

The appointment of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to head U.N. Women is an "excellent choice" that "adds stature and star power to the agenda for gender equality," according to a Los Angeles Times editorial.

18 Sep 2010

Study finds aerobic exercise improves chronic insomnia

The millions of middle-aged and older adults who suffer from insomnia have a new drug-free prescription for a more restful night's sleep. Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a small but significant new study from Northwestern Medicine.

16 Sep 2010

Spray-on fabric technology for spray-on bandages

Seamless fabric that can be sprayed on to skin and other surfaces to make clothes, medical bandages and even upholstery will be demonstrated this Thursday, in advance of the Science in Style spray-on fashion show next week at Imperial College London.

15 Sep 2010

Unsuccessful gum-disease treatment linked to preterm birth

A collaboration led by a periodontal researcher from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine has found a possible link between the success of gum-disease treatment and the likelihood of giving birth prematurely, according to a study published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

15 Sep 2010

More adults washing hands in public restrooms

In the latest observational study sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology and the American Cleaning Institute- (formerly The Soap and Detergent Association), 85% of adults washed their hands in public restrooms, compared with 77% in 2007. The 85% total was actually the highest observed since these studies began in 1996. The results were announced at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, an infectious disease meeting sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology.

14 Sep 2010

People to gather for CUGH annual conference to discuss critical role of universities in global health

More than 600 people will gather for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health annual conference being held at the University of Washington in Seattle on September 19-21 to discuss the critical role of universities in global health. The conference is the largest university-based global health conference ever held.

10 Sep 2010

Inter Press Service examines World Water Week's focus on 'dirty water'

Inter Press Service reports on the ongoing talks at World Water Week over "the widespread devastation caused to humans by polluted water."The article offers statistics on the health problems faced by the "more than 900 million" people without access to safe drinking water and the "estimated 2.6 billion" without access to basic sanitation.

10 Sep 2010

Canberra restaurants put on notice over hygiene

According to health authorities some of the ‘shabbier’ Canberra restaurants have been put on notice after a court quadrupled the fines imposed on an inner north eatery caught preparing food in “Third World” conditions.

9 Sep 2010

3M to acquire Arizant for $810M

3M announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Arizant Inc. for a purchase price of $810 million in cash. Based in Eden Prairie, Minn., Arizant is a leading manufacturer of patient warming solutions designed to prevent hypothermia in surgical settings.

9 Sep 2010

Researchers reveal surface protein alteration mechanism of mycoplasma bacteria

Pathogenic bacteria have evolved a variety of mechanisms to avoid being killed by the immune systems of the humans and animals they invade. Among the most sophisticated is that practised by mycoplasmas, which regularly change their surface proteins to confuse the immune system. Recent work in the group of Renate Rosengarten and Rohini Chopra-Dewasthaly at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna has revealed surprising new details of the way they do so and at the same time raised important evolutionary questions.

9 Sep 2010