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EPA selects Precision Antibody to develop monoclonal antibodies for 'Crypto' intestinal parasite

Precision Antibody™ announced today its selection by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop monoclonal antibodies to two species of Cryptosporidium, an intestinal parasite that has emerged over the past 20 years as one of the most common causes of waterborne illness in the United States.

24 Aug 2010

Children affected by Katrina still face emotional problems, study finds

USA Today: "Five years later, Hurricane Katrina continues to wreak havoc in the lives of thousands of children who suffer from serious emotional disturbances, often compounded by a lack of stable housing, a study reports today.

24 Aug 2010

Pfizer's Prevenar 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine receives WHO prequalification

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted prequalification to Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed])for active immunization of infants and children from 6 weeks through five years of age against invasive disease, pneumonia and otitis media caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F and 23F) contained in the vaccine.

24 Aug 2010

San Antonio City Council passes new comprehensive smoke-free ordinance

Workers in the second-largest city in Texas can now breathe easier. On August 19, the San Antonio City Council announced that the city's workplaces will now be free of secondhand smoke and risks that come along with it.

23 Aug 2010

JAFRA donates more than $100,000 to help SOS Children's Villages in Vietnam

JAFRA Cosmetics International, Inc., a leader in direct-sales, today announced it has donated a portion of product sales, totaling more than $100,000, to help SOS Children's Villages construct a new village in Vietnam. The donation is part of a larger gift to the SOS Children's Villages that was made by JAFRA parent company, the Vorwerk Group, a family-owned business based in Germany.

23 Aug 2010

Flu vaccine to be available at local pharmacies, doctor's offices

Flu vaccine will soon be available at local pharmacies and doctor's offices, and government officials are urging everyone over 6 months of age to receive it. This year's vaccine protects against H1N1 and two other strains of seasonal flu.

23 Aug 2010

Study finds occurrence of low BMD in inflammatory bowel disease patients

A thesis from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) is the first in Scandinavia to study the occurrence of low bone mineral density in children and teenagers with inflammatory bowel disease. Half of the patients in the study showed signs of low bone mineral density.

23 Aug 2010

Study finds post Katrina period increases mental health issues among children

Key findings documented in American Medical Association's Journal of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 60% of children - as many as 20,000 - displaced by Katrina either have serious emotional disorders, behavioral issues and/or are experiencing significant housing instability.One-third of children are reported to have been diagnosed with at least one mental health problem, but fewer than 50% of parents were able to access needed professional services.Children post-Katrina are 4.5 times more likely to have serious emotional disturbance than children not affected by the disaster

23 Aug 2010

Children's Wish Foundation to grant new wishes for children diagnosed with life-threatening illness

The first word Timur ever uttered was "cat". For all of his 8 years, Timur has been fascinated by animals and dinosaurs; he loves to watch Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. So when he was told he could have his most heartfelt wish thanks to The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, animals were certain to be an important part of it.

23 Aug 2010

Sledding-related injuries may result in traumatic brain injury: Study

A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that from 1997-2007, an estimated 229,023 children and adolescents younger than 19 years were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for sledding-related injuries, an average of more than 20,000 cases each year.

23 Aug 2010

New diagnostic tool proves cost-effective in identifying rare genetic disorders

Mutations in a single gene can cause several types of developmental brain abnormalities that experts have traditionally considered different disorders. With support from the National Institutes of Health, researchers found those mutations through whole exome sequencing - a new gene scanning technology that cuts the cost and time of searching for rare mutations.

23 Aug 2010

Hepatitis E vaccine successful in clinical trial: Study

In a Clinical trial in China, a vaccine has been found to protect against Hepatitis E. Hepatitis E virus, usually spread via contaminated food and faeces usually runs its course before the patient recovers. However it can cause severe illness in elderly people and has a mortality rate of 1 to 3 percent. It can also kill 5 to 25 percent of affected pregnant women and those who survive can suffer high rates of miscarriage. Around a third of the world's population have been infected by the virus say researchers.

22 Aug 2010

Back seat drivers right to feel uneasy

A new study has found that adults travelling in the back seat of newer cars are less safe than their fellow front seat passengers.

22 Aug 2010

Sebelius turns political tables on GOP governors on Medicaid; Program's expansion will help homeless

Kaiser Health News: "Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius this week sent a letter to all of America's governors telling them that if they want to continue receiving the enhanced Medicaid funds that Congress approved last week that they have to ask for the money. ... The higher matching rate was originally slated to expire at the end of 2010, but lawmakers interrupted their August recess to approve an extension of enhanced funds, albeit at a lower rate, through June 2011.

21 Aug 2010

U.S. Census Bureau features 'Immunization' on Profile America

Profile America — Saturday, August 21st. Many people die each year in the U.S. from diseases that could have been prevented by immunization. Many more experience pain, suffering and disability. That's why this is National Immunization Awareness Month — calling attention to the importance of people of all ages to get their shots.

21 Aug 2010

Interim Haiti Recovery Commission approves 29 rehabilitation projects for Haiti worth $1.6B

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), led by Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and former President Bill Clinton, recently announced more than $1.6 billion in projects to rebuild Haiti, "including a $200 million plan to create 50,000 new jobs in agriculture," Reuters reports.

21 Aug 2010

Donors announce new pledges for Pakistan flood relief

The U.S. and other donor nations "significantly upped their pledges" of aid for the flooding in Pakistan during a U.N. General Assembly meeting on Thursday, in which the U.N. "appeared to [meet] its target of $460 million in immediate aid for flood-stricken Pakistan," the Associated Press reports.

21 Aug 2010

Democrats move away from health cost pitch, focus on changing senior minds

Democrats are "dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care legislation, abandoning claims that it will reduce costs and deficit, and instead stressing a promise to 'improve it,'" Politico reports. "The messaging shift was circulated this afternoon on a conference call and PowerPoint presentation organized by FamiliesUSA — one of the central groups in the push for the initial legislation. The call was led by a staffer for the Herndon Alliance, which includes leading labor groups and other health care allies.

21 Aug 2010

UNT Board of Regents approves new M.D. degree program at UNTHSC

The University of North Texas System Board of Regents today voted to approve a proposal to develop a new M.D. degree program at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC). The M.D. program will be an independent fifth school in addition to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, and School of Health Professions.

21 Aug 2010

Early year-round sports specialization contributes to rise of overuse injuries

Bobby Boyle engages in serious year-round sports training and has had his share of minor muscle injuries. When the 12-year-old athlete felt tightness in the back of his thigh while sprinting at track practice, he and his parents thought he pulled a hamstring and assumed it would heal with limited exercise time.

21 Aug 2010