Polio News and Research

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Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that invades the nervous system and can cause severe paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralyzed, 5-10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio mainly affects children under five years of age. Naturally occurring polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1979 and in the Western Hemisphere by 1991; however, worldwide efforts are continuing towards eradication of this contagious and devastating disease.

Leaders speak at Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health conference

Education for women is the most important factor for positively influencing the health of women and children, Indian President Pratibha Patil said on Saturday at a meeting in New Delhi of The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), IANS/Sify News reports. "Education is a powerful driver of health. The relationship between poverty, lack of education and limited access to health services, is well recognised," Patil said at the start of the two-day conference (11/13).

16 Nov 2010

Fisetin slows onset of motor problems, delays death in three models of Huntington's disease: Study

Fisetin, a naturally occurring compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, slows the onset of motor problems and delays death in three models of Huntington's disease, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The study, published in the online edition of Human Molecular Genetics, sets the stage for further investigations into fisetin's neuroprotective properties in Huntington's and other neurodegenerative conditions.

16 Nov 2010

U.N. agencies, Rotary International launch mass polio immunization campaign in Central Africa

The WHO, UNICEF and Rotary International on Thursday announced they will kick off a "mass polio immunization campaign in three Central African nations" on Friday "in response to a polio outbreak suspected in more than 100 deaths and deemed 'unusual' because it targets adults more than children," the Associated Press reports.

14 Nov 2010

Researchers study Rett neurons in a Petri dish

A collaborative effort between researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the University of California, San Diego, successfully used human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients with Rett syndrome to replicate autism in the lab and study the molecular pathogenesis of the disease.

12 Nov 2010

Vaccinations do not increase risk of RA

Common adult vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta.

9 Nov 2010

Pres. Obama, Indian PM Singh announce partnership to improve global food security

During a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, President Barack Obama announced a new partnership between U.S. and Indian agriculture sectors to help improve food security globally, Press Trust International/Livemint.com reports.

8 Nov 2010

WHO Director-General in Pakistan to monitor flood relief, polio vaccinations

The WHO will continue to support efforts to boost polio eradication efforts in Pakistan, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said recently during talks with Pakistani health officials, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.

2 Nov 2010

Polio vaccination campaign targeting 72M children in 15 African countries announced; Ugandan health authorities declare polio outbreak

The WHO on Tuesday announced a mass polio immunization campaign in 15 African countries targeting a total of 72 million children, Agence France-Presse reports. "Polio has spread again in recent years with cases imported from some of the four endemic nations in Asia and Africa, mainly Nigeria, in a setback to global attempts to eradicate the crippling and sometimes lethal disease," the news service writes (10/26).

28 Oct 2010

Bivalent oral polio vaccine produces better immune response than more commonly used trivalent vaccine, study says

The bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) was found to induce a significantly higher immune response than the existing trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports.

27 Oct 2010

72 million children to be immunized against polio across 15 African countries

This week, Africa seizes an unprecedented chance to drive out polio when 15 countries across the continent launch a synchronized mass immunization campaign to reach 72 million children, capitalizing on gains made this year. A total of some 290 000 vaccinators have been mobilized to go door-to-door to deliver two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to every child under five in areas considered at "highest risk" of polio transmission.

26 Oct 2010

Salk discovers potential new target for MS

Scientists are closer to solving one of the many mysteries of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases, thanks to a recent study conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The research revealed a previously unknown connection between two ion channels, which, when misaligned, can cause the many bizarre symptoms that characterize the condition.

26 Oct 2010

In India, major reduction seen in polio since 2009, WHO says on World Polio Day

There has been a significant reduction in the number of polio cases diagnosed in India this year compared with the same time last year, the WHO said on World Polio Day Sunday, IANS/Sify News reports.

26 Oct 2010

Seven million people in Pakistan still without shelter since flooding, U.N. says

Nearly three months after major floods hit large portions of Pakistan, at least seven million people are still without shelter, Stacey Winston, a U.N. spokesperson, said at a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports.

21 Oct 2010

Opinions: Mdgs in Africa; development maintenance; U.S. efforts to eradicate polio; Global Fund commitment

Addressing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa will not only require extra spending, but also better spending, as well as the improvement of social services and priority setting, Kingsley Alu writes in a Leadership column.

20 Oct 2010

Reuters examines experts' concerns about global polio eradication effort

Reuters examines the global effort to eradicate polio and how failure to eliminate the disease could affect future global health undertakings.

15 Oct 2010

Pharmalink's Nefecon for IgA nephropathy receives FDA orphan drug designation

Pharmalink AB, a privately held Swedish pharmaceutical company, has received orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its product candidate Nefecon (PL-56) for patients with IgA nephropathy, also referred to as Berger's Disease. This program is presently in clinical development phase II.

13 Oct 2010