Infectious Diseases News and Research

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1976 "swine flu" vaccine protects against 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus

New evidence shows immunization against "swine flu" in 1976 might provide individuals with some protection against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, according to new research from St. Jude investigators.

24 Apr 2010

U.N. agencies issue warning, appeal for funds to tackle measles outbreak in West, Central Africa

"Sixteen countries in West and Central Africa are in the throes of a measles outbreak, at a time when there is a shortfall in funding for vaccination campaigns against the disease, two U.N. agencies said in a joint statement on Thursday," Reuters AlertNet reports (Fominyen, 4/22).

24 Apr 2010

Children need to be immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases: Secretary of Health

Pennsylvania parents are strongly urged to protect their children by making certain they are fully immunized against preventable diseases, Secretary of Health Everette James said today to mark the start of National Infant Immunization Week, April 24-May 1.

24 Apr 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"What is still needed [to fight malaria] is the only tool that has ever truly conquered any infectious disease: an effective and affordable vaccine. And here, the global malaria community has been too complacent," a Lancet editorial asserts in an article highlighting achievements and drawbacks in attempting to provide universal access to malaria prevention and treatment.

24 Apr 2010

PMI releases 6-year malaria strategy

The U.S. government Thursday released a six-year strategy to address malaria globally, Reuters reports (Fox, 4/22). The plan was issued through the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) in conjunction with World Malaria Day, April 25, and is a "core component of President [Barack] Obama's Global Health Initiative," according to a USAID press release (4/22).

24 Apr 2010

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

"A year after the emergence of swine flu [H1N1], U.S. health authorities and laboratories say the pandemic illustrated the need for new vaccine production techniques that are faster and more reliable," Agence France-Presse writes in an article that examines the challenges associated with current vaccine development practices and plans for future development.

24 Apr 2010

QF-CMV test helps predict transplant recipients at increased risk of CMV disease after surgery

New international guidelines published in the journal Transplantation reinforce the use of a new type of blood test to assess cytomegalovirus (CMV) risk in solid organ transplant recipients (i.e. transplant recipients). This blood test, QuantiFERON®-CMV (QF-CMV), is the first commercially-available blood test to allow physicians to monitor a person's risk of CMV disease. Most commonly used in the transplant setting, QF-CMV may predict which transplant recipients are at increased risk of CMV disease after transplant surgery.

23 Apr 2010

Interesting heart rate dynamics in premature infants

A normal healthy heart beats at a variable rate with extraordinarily complex fluctuations across a wide range of time scales. Reduced complexity of heart rate has both clinical and dynamical significance - it may provide warning of impending illness, or clues about the dynamics of the heart's pacemaking system.

23 Apr 2010

New USG strategy to combat malaria globally

In conjunction with World Malaria Day, and in accordance with the requirements of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 (Lantos-Hyde), the U.S. Government, through the President's Malaria Initiative, today released a comprehensive strategy to combat malaria globally.

23 Apr 2010

Deadly fungus on the move

Researchers revealed this Thursday that a deadly fungus that is usually found only in the tropics is making its way to the Pacific Coast of British Columbia and south into Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

23 Apr 2010

TUM scientists collaborate with Fujitsu Laboratories of Japan to commercialize biosensor chip

In the battle against cancer and other diseases, precise analysis of specific proteins can point the way toward targeted treatments. Scientists at theTechnische Universitaet Muenchen, together with Fujitsu Laboratories of Japan, have developed a novel biosensor chip that not only recognizes proteins that are characteristic for specific diseases, but also can show if these proteins are changed through the influence of disease or drugs.

23 Apr 2010

BUSM professor receives Individual Biomedical Research Award

Richard Goldstein, PhD, a professor of pediatrics, division of pediatric infectious diseases, at Boston University School of Medicine, has been awarded an Individual Biomedical Research Award by The Hartwell Foundation and will receive $300,000 over three years as a Hartwell Investigator for his project titled, "A Vaccine Against Streptococcus Pneumoniae Based on Bacterial Surface Proteins Phylogenically Certified as Highly Conserved."

23 Apr 2010

Mystic Pharmaceuticals granted U.S. patent covering VRx2 drug delivery platform technology

Mystic Pharmaceuticals today announced it has been granted U.S. Patent 7,669,597, a key technology of its VRx2™ drug delivery platform. The VRx2™ Delivery Platform provides preservative free, precision dose delivery for ophthalmic and intranasal drugs and biologics.

22 Apr 2010

RCPSG's Faculty of Travel Medicine selects Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease as official journal

Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, in partnership with the Faculty of Travel Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, announces that Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease has been chosen to become the official journal of RCPSG's Faculty of Travel Medicine.

22 Apr 2010

International Day for Fighting Infection focuses on hospital infection control

Hospital acquired infections are the focus for the 3rd International Day for Fighting Infection, being marked on St. George’s Day, as experts meet to look at the evolution of infection control in hospitals.

22 Apr 2010

Swine flu vaccine blues

Exactly a year after the swine flu outbreak vigilance, newer vaccine techniques and other measures are being emphasized by researchers and key decision makers. Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of the World Health Organization's pandemic review committee and President of the U.S. Institute of Medicine says, we need to look at the past to learn from it.

22 Apr 2010

Rheonix announces completion of $12.6 million Series A financing

Rheonix, Inc. today announced the completion of a $12.6 million Series A financing to continue development of the Rheonix CARD™ (Chemistry And Reagent Device) system. This powerful, analytic platform for the life-science industry vertically integrates all the functions of traditional molecular diagnostic instrumentation into a single system to achieve unprecedented raw sample preparation, molecular amplification and multiplex analysis.

21 Apr 2010

Inovio Biomedical wins Vaccine Industry Excellence Award in “Best Early Stage Biotech” category

Inovio Biomedical Corporation, a leader in DNA vaccine design, development and delivery, announced today that the company was awarded a Vaccine Industry Excellence Award in the category of "Best Early Stage Biotech" by a panel of judges composed of a broad selection of biotech industry stakeholders. The award was presented at the World Vaccine Congress being held April 19 - 22, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

21 Apr 2010

A*STAR's BMRC and SIgN award grants for twelve research projects on infectious diseases and immunology

Twelve research projects on infectious diseases and immunology have been awarded grants by A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) and Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) this year.

21 Apr 2010

Study shows Inuit children are tall as U.S. counterparts, but are also heavier

Inuit preschoolers in Nunavut are as tall as their U.S. counterparts but they're also heavier, according to a new study published in the online edition of the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.

21 Apr 2010

Infectious Diseases News and Research

1976 "swine flu" vaccine protects against 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus

U.N. agencies issue warning, appeal for funds to tackle measles outbreak in West, Central Africa

Children need to be immunized against 14 vaccine-preventable diseases: Secretary of Health

Recent releases in Global Health

PMI releases 6-year malaria strategy

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

QF-CMV test helps predict transplant recipients at increased risk of CMV disease after surgery

Interesting heart rate dynamics in premature infants

New USG strategy to combat malaria globally

Deadly fungus on the move

TUM scientists collaborate with Fujitsu Laboratories of Japan to commercialize biosensor chip

BUSM professor receives Individual Biomedical Research Award

Mystic Pharmaceuticals granted U.S. patent covering VRx2 drug delivery platform technology

RCPSG's Faculty of Travel Medicine selects Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease as official journal

International Day for Fighting Infection focuses on hospital infection control

Swine flu vaccine blues

Rheonix announces completion of $12.6 million Series A financing

Inovio Biomedical wins Vaccine Industry Excellence Award in “Best Early Stage Biotech” category

A*STAR's BMRC and SIgN award grants for twelve research projects on infectious diseases and immunology

Study shows Inuit children are tall as U.S. counterparts, but are also heavier

eBook: Advancing infectious disease vaccine development eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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