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Research aims to improve health of women, children in developing countries

RTI International will continue research efforts to improve and prevent premature disease and death among women and children in developing countries as part of the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research.

1 Jun 2007

Research points to a broadly-protective HIV vaccine

New research conducted at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) suggests that it may be possible to develop a vaccine that protects against the myriad strains of the HIV virus.

1 Jun 2007

New TB vaccines could protect all strains

New tuberculosis (TB) vaccines in development have the potential to provide protection against all strains of TB, including multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug- resistant (XDR) TB, Dr. Jerald C.

1 Jun 2007

New tests for leishmaniasis and leprosy

The Seattle-based Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) and Chembio Diagnostics, Inc. have entered into two research and development agreements for the development of rapid diagnostic tests for Leishmaniasis and Leprosy, two "neglected diseases" targeted by IDRI.

1 Jun 2007

The illness flexibility model and sickness absence

People with fun and stimulating jobs, and who are able to adapt their workplace to their needs, have a lower rate of sickness absence and more often go to work despite being ill.

1 Jun 2007

Drug use increasing among young American Indians

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center have completed a study that compared the age of first-time drug users across the nation to the age of first-time drug users on and near two different American Indian reservations.

1 Jun 2007

New toolkit to assist humanitarian workers assess reproductive health needs of women refugees

A new resource for health care officials working with women displaced from conflict-affected regions throughout the world was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

1 Jun 2007

Damages caps in medical malpractice cases

Caps on medical malpractice damages mean lower insurance premiums for doctors, according to a new review from two Alabama universities.

1 Jun 2007

Veterinarians who work with birds at increased risk for infection with avian influenza virus

The study showed that, compared with the control group, the veterinarians who worked with birds had significantly higher levels of antibodies in their blood against the H5, H6 and H7 avian virus strains, indicating previous infections with these viruses.

1 Jun 2007

Mass-media advertising encourages people with stroke symptoms to go to hospital more quickly

Mass-media advertising can encourage more people experiencing stroke symptoms to go to the hospital more quickly, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

1 Jun 2007

Encouraging people to walk more

People can be encouraged to walk for up to 30-60 minutes more per week if they are given the right kind of help, finds a study published on bmj.com.

1 Jun 2007

Public health ethics expert on quarantine order for tuberculosis patient

Marc Hiller, associate professor of health management and policy at the University of New Hampshire and a specialist in ethical issues in public health, is available to comment on the recent federal order that placed a Georgia man with a lethal form of tuberculosis into quarantine.

1 Jun 2007

Perchlorate in foods not likely to present a public health threat

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new report, 2004-2005 Exploratory Survey Data on Perchlorate in Food and has indicated that the estimated average exposure to perchlorate in foods is well below the perchlorate reference dose (RfD) suggested by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).

1 Jun 2007

Man with rare TB zig-zagged his way around Europe on planes

Officials in the United States have revealed that the airline passenger infected with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis fled across Europe to avoid detection.

31 May 2007

Rapid syphilis testing prevents congenital disease and stillbirths

Congenital syphilis is a major preventable public health problem in many developing countries, frequently causing stillbirths or neonatal death and disabling children who survive.

30 May 2007

Human antibodies protect mice from H5N1 avian influenza

An international team of scientists, including researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), report using antibodies derived from immune cells from recent human survivors of H5N1 avian influenza to successfully treat H5N1-infected mice as well as protect them from an otherwise lethal dose of the virus.

30 May 2007

Caring for grandchildren does not have negative impacts on grandparents' health

Despite previous research findings that showed negative health impacts on grandmothers who care for their grandchildren, new research conducted by Linda Waite, the Lucy Flower Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago, and researchers at three other universities shows caring for grandchildren generally does not have dramatic and widespread negative impacts on grandparents' health.

30 May 2007