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Greece and Croatia test for bird flu, while Europe gets more jittery

While authorities in Greece anxiously await test results on eight dead birds found in the northeastern Evros River delta, in another main migratory route, Croatia had also started testing dead birds found by citizens.

17 Oct 2005

Antibody-dependent enhancement

Some viruses' ability to exploit the human body's own defenses to increase their replication may be both a blessing and curse, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

16 Oct 2005

Harvard study finds vaccines boost economies of poor countries

Immunization programs in impoverished countries not only save lives, they boost economies, finds a study by researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) published in the current edition of World Economics.

16 Oct 2005

Europe frantically prepares for possible bird flu pandemic

The confirmation by British laboratory tests that the H5N1 deadly strain of bird flu had reached mainland Europe for the first time, has prompted Romanian authorities to slaughter poultry and send in doctors.

16 Oct 2005

PCBs found widely in the environment and absorbed in the diet - may damage sperm

Research by an European Union-supported international team of scientists has shown that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - synthetic organic chemicals found widely in the environment and absorbed in the diet - may damage sperm.

13 Oct 2005

Russian moonshine contributes to very high death rate among Russians

Heavy alcohol consumption contributes to numerous problems in Russia, not the least of which is a very high death rate.

13 Oct 2005

Single-dose of Japanese encephalitis vaccine protects children for over a year

A single-dose of a live vaccine against Japanese encephalitis can give children in Nepal high levels of protection for over a year, according to an article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

13 Oct 2005

Why breast black cancer patients experience lower survival rates than other women

Black women with stage I or II breast cancer are more likely than their counterparts of other races to abandon chemotherapy before completing their full course of treatment, according to a recent Columbia University Medical Center study.

12 Oct 2005

One in nine women in the UK now risk contracting breast cancer during their lifetime

Some scientists argue that the cause may be an increased exposure to a number of environmental chemicals, a claim taken up by campaigners in the US and the UK who urge the government to provide better health protection.

11 Oct 2005

Tropical diseases such as sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, river blindness, hookworm, elephantiasis, and blinding trachoma are being ignored

"The big three" infections AIDS, TB and malaria have caught the world's attention but other disabling and fatal infectious diseases in Africa are being ignored, say three eminent tropical disease researchers in the international health journal PLoS Medicine.

11 Oct 2005

New Orleans floodwaters not as toxic as previously thought

The floodwaters that inundated New Orleans immediately following Hurricane Katrina were similar in content to the city’s normal storm water and were not as toxic as previously thought, according to a study by researchers at Louisiana State University.

11 Oct 2005

Paying clinicians to reach a common, fixed performance target may produce little gain in overall quality

...and may largely reward those with higher performance at baseline, according to a study in the October 12 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

11 Oct 2005

Health campaigns to tackle river blindness

River blindness is a disease transmitted by biting flies, affecting areas such as West Africa, Nigeria, Congo, the Central African Republic and Central and South America, and causing significant health problems for at least 18 million people.

11 Oct 2005

Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low

Investigators failed to see improvement in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among patients enrolled in a managed care health plan after testing the effectiveness of a CRC screening promotion program targeting the physician organizations (POs).

10 Oct 2005

Eating fish lowers risk of dementia

Consuming fish at least once a week was associated with a 10 percent per year slower rate of cognitive decline in elderly people, according to a new study from the Archives of Neurology.

10 Oct 2005

Colorectal cancer screening rates are too low

An intervention program designed to promote screening for colorectal cancer – and thereby decrease the number of cancers diagnosed - failed to increase screening rates in the managed care setting, a University of California - Los Angeles study has found.

10 Oct 2005

Amount of exercise more important than the intensity of the exercise

A study in the October issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows that adults who participate in mild exercise, such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising for 125 to 200 minutes a week at moderate intensity can significantly improve their aerobic fitness and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

10 Oct 2005

Screening for cardiovascular risk by measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein should not be advocated

C-reactive protein (CRP) is released by the liver in response to inflammation related to an infection, injury, or conditions such as arthritis. Inflammation also has been associated with the cause and progression of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the build up of fatty deposits in the lining of arteries.

10 Oct 2005

People living in predominantly minority areas face significant barriers to accessing pain medication

Chronic pain is a condition that affects one in five Americans without regard for their race or finances. But a new study finds that minorities and people with low incomes have less access than high-income white people to the medications that will help them endure their pain.

10 Oct 2005

The rise of breast cancer

In a continuing increase in breast cancer, one in nine women in the UK now risk contracting the disease during their lifetime.

10 Oct 2005

Public Health News and Research

Greece and Croatia test for bird flu, while Europe gets more jittery

Antibody-dependent enhancement

Harvard study finds vaccines boost economies of poor countries

Europe frantically prepares for possible bird flu pandemic

PCBs found widely in the environment and absorbed in the diet - may damage sperm

Russian moonshine contributes to very high death rate among Russians

Single-dose of Japanese encephalitis vaccine protects children for over a year

Why breast black cancer patients experience lower survival rates than other women

One in nine women in the UK now risk contracting breast cancer during their lifetime

Tropical diseases such as sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, river blindness, hookworm, elephantiasis, and blinding trachoma are being ignored

New Orleans floodwaters not as toxic as previously thought

Paying clinicians to reach a common, fixed performance target may produce little gain in overall quality

Health campaigns to tackle river blindness

Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low

Eating fish lowers risk of dementia

Colorectal cancer screening rates are too low

Amount of exercise more important than the intensity of the exercise

Screening for cardiovascular risk by measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein should not be advocated

People living in predominantly minority areas face significant barriers to accessing pain medication

The rise of breast cancer

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