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Ten million Africans treated by international disease treatment

A disease treatment programme started three years ago by Imperial College London has now treated over ten million African children and adults for schistosomiasis and intestinal worm infections in six sub-Saharan countries.

6 Jul 2005

Evidence suggests that antibiotic use in agriculture has contributed to antibiotic resistance in the pathogenic bacteria of humans

Doctors have become increasingly concerned by the problem of "super-bugs" - bacteria that have become resistant to standard antibiotics.

6 Jul 2005

The bird flu situation in many Asian countries remains critical

The bird flu situation in many Asian countries remains critical and requires more attention by affected countries and the international community, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.

6 Jul 2005

Plan designed to reduce the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza

International animal and human health experts today unveiled a multi-point plan designed to reduce the risk of the H5N1 avian influenza virus spreading from poultry to humans, and appealed to the international community to come forward with funds to make it work and help stave off the risk of an influenza pandemic.

6 Jul 2005

Mass vaccination of poultry needed to prevent bird flu pandemic

At the start of a three-day UN conference in Kuala Lumpur on the bird flu virus, health and animal experts have called for mass vaccination of poultry to prevent bird flu from becoming a human pandemic

4 Jul 2005

Another death takes Vietnam's bird flu toll to 39

The death of a 73-year-old Vietnamese from bird flu, has taken the country's death toll from the epidemic to 39.

30 Jun 2005

Changes in economy and healthcare accompany Poland’s accession to the European Union

The European Union (EU) is in a state of flux following the recent accession of several Central and Eastern European countries. Their membership has further complicated the already complex economic, social and cultural dynamics at work within the EU.

28 Jun 2005

While USDA confirms second mad cow case officials defend safeguards

Consumer groups in the U.S. are demanding more comprehensive testing of beef after the government yesterday confirmed the second case of mad cow disease.

26 Jun 2005

Textiles with permanent antibacterial properties

Antimicrobial agents are not new to the marketplace. Our stores are filled with antibacterial soaps and gels, and in a post-9/11 world, wearable protection from biological agents is in increasing demand. So far, antimicrobial textile production has used coatings that can wash away over time, reducing the useful life of protective clothing.

21 Jun 2005

Fifty polio cases and one bird flu case reported in Indonesia

Indonesia's health minister has announced that 50 polio cases have been diagnosed in the country since the disease re-emerged there last month.

20 Jun 2005

U.S. agriculture officials anxiously await mad cow results

After a series of conflicting test results in the U.S., last week a sample of brain matter from a cow suspected of having been infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, was delivered to a British government-run veterinary laboratory in Weybridge, Surrey.

20 Jun 2005

Melbourne researchers take head lice treatment to the world

A new Victorian biotechnology company, Hatchtech, announced at BIO 2005 that its technology is the first in the world to kill 100% of head lice eggs. International clinical trials are expected to begin within a year and the product may be on market shelves within three years.

19 Jun 2005

First human case of bird flu found in Indonesia

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the first human case of bird flu has been diagnosed in Indonesia.

16 Jun 2005

USDA still not coming clean on reasons for new mad cow tests

The U.S. Agriculture Department's inspector general is still not coming clean on why new tests were ordered unexpectedly on brain tissue from a cow declared free of mad cow disease seven months ago.

16 Jun 2005

Information given about animal welfare on food labels is confusing

Information given about animal welfare on food labels is confusing because it varies widely between countries and between different certification bodies, research at Cardiff University has found.

14 Jun 2005

Reasons for delay in re-testing for mad cow disease still causes concern

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), it now appears that the animal suspected of having mad cow disease was born before the implementation of the 1997 feed ban that prohibits cattle remains in animal feed.

14 Jun 2005

Second possible case of mad cow in the U.S.

A second possible case of mad cow disease is making cattle producers in the United States fear for their livelihood as it could mean that U.S. beef could be again shunned by other countries.

13 Jun 2005

Mad cow disease found in animal in the U.S.

In disturbing news this week, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said a U.S. animal has tested positive for mad cow disease.

12 Jun 2005

Australia aims to combat zoonotic diseases

Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bruce Billson, announced this week in Jakarta, a further $6 million to help combat avian influenza in the region through increased sharing of Australian expertise and support for World Health Organisation detection and response capabilities.

9 Jun 2005

Nitrogen oxides emitted by soil could play a substantially larger role in seasonal air pollution

Nitrogen oxides produced by huge fires and fossil fuel combustion are a major component of air pollution. They are the primary ingredients in ground-level ozone, a pollutant harmful to human health and vegetation.

6 Jun 2005