Diarrhoea News and Research

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Cholera outbreaks on the rise, WHO expert says

A recent increase in the number of cholera outbreaks is threatening populations in pockets of the world, Claire-Lise Chaignat, WHO's cholera group coordinator, said on Thursday, Agence France-Presse reports. "Cholera is transmitted by water but also by food that had been contaminated by unclean water," the news service writes. "It causes serious diarrhoea and vomiting, leading to dehydration. With a short incubation period, it can be fatal if not treated in time," AFP writes.

21 Aug 2010

U.S. boosts aid relief to Pakistani flood victims; U.N. donors meet about funding

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) visited Pakistan on Thursday "to assess the damage and relief efforts" as flooding continues and millions remain in need of humanitarian aid, the New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, Kerry "said the United States would increase its flood aid to $150 million" (Masood/Gall, 8/19).

20 Aug 2010

Concern about slow pace of aid for Pakistan mounts as U.N. secures additional funds

U.N. officials and aid groups "expressed alarm on Tuesday that the plight of millions of Pakistanis flooded from their land has yet to strike a sufficiently sympathetic nerve among donors - neither governments nor the general public - with aid trickling in far more slowly than needed," the New York Times reports.

19 Aug 2010

World Bank to provide $900M in emergency funding for Pakistan floods, country's High Commissioner provides rough damage estimate

The World Bank on Monday "pledged to reroute money from other projects to provide $900 million in emergency funding to help Pakistan" with its flood recovery efforts, the New York Times reports (Ellick, 8/17).

18 Aug 2010

'Heart-wrenching' Pakistan floods need more aid from international community, U.N. Secretary-General says

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday that the flooding in Pakistan is the worst natural disaster he has seen and called on the international community to expedite the aid effort, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ban traveled to flooded areas of the country and surveyed damage on Sunday (Rodriguez, 8/16).

17 Aug 2010

WHO provides medicines, related health supplies to flood-affected areas in Pakistan

The worst floods on record in Pakistan are placing the health of hundreds of thousands of people at risk, with a high threat of waterborne disease outbreaks and immense damage to health facilities. WHO is coordinating the response of health partners and supporting Pakistani authorities by sending medicines and related health supplies capable of treating more than 200 000 people to the affected areas in the northwestern region of the country.

4 Aug 2010

Pakistani officials fear cholera outbreak after massive flooding

After floods in northwest Pakistan have "already killed up to 1,200 people" and forced 2 million from their homes, authorities are now concerned about disease spread, the Associated Press reports.

2 Aug 2010

African leaders agree to expand maternal health campaign as AU Summit concludes

African leaders participating in the 15th African Union Summit, which concluded on Tuesday, agreed to expand a campaign aimed at curbing maternal mortality on the continent and adopted other "key actions" in an effort to reduce infant and maternal mortality, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.

29 Jul 2010

Three toxins in food identified as triggers to gluten intolerance: study

Coeliac disease cause by intolerance to gluten present in food and drinks like bread, pasta, cereals, biscuits and beer commonly affects many people all over the world. This affects 1 percent of all people in UK, especially women. Patients are advised to stay away from gluten to prevent damage to their intestines. In spite of this in five years most patients develop problems in their intestines. A gluten free diet is also difficult to maintain. Possible symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, recurrent stomach pain, tiredness, headaches, weight loss and mouth ulcers. These may be mild, moderate or severe in different individuals.

22 Jul 2010

New & improved rotavirus vaccine to be trialed in Melbourne

Now a vaccine is being developed against rotavirus in Melbourne. At present Australian children were given rotavirus vaccine at the age of six to eight weeks since 2007. This new vaccine will be applicable to infants from birth.

20 Jul 2010

Spanish scientists develop new parasite detection method to prevent Anisakidosis

A new method enables anisakids to be detected in any fish product, from a whole fish, fresh or frozen, to tinned fish and surimi. Developed by Spanish scientists, the system is based on molecular techniques and overcomes the limitations of traditional procedures.

16 Jul 2010

News outlets examine Haitian rebuilding effort six months after major quake

"Six months to the day since a magnitude-7.0 earthquake leveled 60% of [Port-Au-Prince's] buildings and killed 230,000 people, there are few visible signs of improvement," USA Today reports.

13 Jul 2010

Experimental anti-obesity and diabetes drug avoids risk of psychiatric side effects: Study

A second-generation experimental anti-obesity and diabetes drug has shown promise in reducing body weight in rodents just as effectively as the predecessor rimonabant while avoiding the risk of psychiatric side effects that led to the withdrawal of rimonabant from the market and stopped further development of other brain-penetrating drugs of its type.

12 Jul 2010

Recent releases in global health

Looking ahead to AIDS 2010 which will be held in Vienna, Austria, July 18-23, a Lancet editorial writes that 2010 marks "the deadline set by global leaders to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care. Sadly, the world will not meet these ambitious goals." However, the latest issue of the Lancet "offers some new insights to progress," the editorial notes.

3 Jul 2010

Model Formulary for Children provides information on how to use over 240 essential medicines

The first ever WHO Model Formulary for Children released by the WHO provides information on how to use over 240 essential medicines for treating illness and disease in children from 0 to 12 years of age. This means that for the first time medical practitioners worldwide have access to standardized information on the recommended use, dosage, adverse effects, and contraindications of these medicines for use in children.

18 Jun 2010

Financial Times examines how GAVI's $2.6B shortfall might affect new vaccine programs in developing countries

GAVI Alliance's plan to introduce new vaccine projects in the developing world "is under threat amid the international economic downturn," the Financial Times reports. "Subsidies to extend the use of vaccines against rubella, HPV to tackle cervical cancer, cholera and Japanese encephalitis in the developing world are among those likely to be cancelled or delayed," according to GAVI's CEO Julian Lob-Levyt, the newspaper writes.

17 Jun 2010

Vandetanib extends Progression Free Survival in ZETA phase III study for advanced medullary thyroid cancer

Results from ZETA, a phase III study in patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), showed that treatment with the investigational drug vandetanib significantly extended Progression Free Survival (PFS), the primary endpoint of the study, by demonstrating a 54% reduction in the rate of progression compared to placebo.

8 Jun 2010

IFST Advisory Statement cautions against food-borne Campylobacter infection

Campylobacter is one of the major causes of food poisoning, and the theme of this year's Food Safety Week is how to prevent illness caused by it. Campylobacter is a germ that occurs widely in the intestines of many warm-blooded animals and birds, particularly chickens and turkeys, and can be carried in animals that are used for food production and in domestic pets. In addition, it can occur in untreated water and raw milk.

5 Jun 2010

Scidev.Net reports on developing country health care providers, scientists access to research

SciDev.Net reports on two recent studies published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal which look at how frequently health care providers and researchers in developing countries access research-based evidence.

18 May 2010

Vaccination of infants with Rotarix reduces rate of rotavirus infection: Researchers

Vaccination of infants with Rotarix or RotaTeq significantly reduces the rate of severe rotavirus diarrhoea, hospitalizations, medical attention due to rotavirus and severe diarrhoea from all causes. The vaccines are not associated with increased numbers of serious adverse events.

12 May 2010