Communicable Disease News and Research

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Communicable Disease is a disease capable of being transmitted from an infected person or species to a susceptible host.

California’s AIDS funding cuts would be ‘catastrophic,’ says AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has criticized California state officials for planning draconian budget cuts that will jeopardize the public health by eliminating all funding for AIDS care and treatment from the state’s General Fund.

24 May 2009

Swine flu could come round again!

The Centres for Disease Protection and Control (CDC) says outbreaks of the new H1N1 swine flu continue to spread across the United States and the swine influenza virus is expected to spread to all 50 states and to cause many infections ranging from mild to severe.

11 May 2009

Swine flu now in 29 countries and continuing to spread

The latest update (# 24), from the World Health Organisation on influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) says as of the 10th May 2009, 29 countries have now officially reported cases of human infection.

11 May 2009

Dengue fever may be more of a worry to Australians than swine flu

For the last week or so much of the world's media has been gripped by the new influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) virus which has dominated the headlines everywhere.

6 May 2009

Researchers examine factors that contribute to children missing immunization visits

According to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, there are several factors that contribute to children missing immunization visits.

5 May 2009

Unique electronic strategy alerts physicians to latest clinical information on H1N1 flu

History was made at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, April 29, when more than 3,000 physicians in Indianapolis were sent a broadcast alert on swine flu (H1N1 virus) from the Marion County Health Department. The message was of critical importance to patient care; history was made in the way it was transmitted and received.

5 May 2009

World Bank HIV/AIDS programs less effective than its other health programs, report finds

World Bank programs aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, are less effective overall than World Bank programs aimed at addressing other health and development issues, according to a report released Thursday by the organization's Independent Evaluation Group, the New York Times reports.

5 May 2009

Australia's Dengue risk driven by human adaptation to climate change

'Drought-proofing' Australia's urban regions by installing large domestic water tanks may enable the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti to regain its foothold across the country and expand its range of possible infections, according to a new study published May 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

4 May 2009

Many adults feel that alcopops encourage underage drinking

Opening a tall cool beverage during the ball game or at a backyard cookout on a hot day is what families do.

6 Apr 2009

Complementary and alternative medicines can be safe, effective for kids

Today, more children than ever are being treated with complementary and alternative therapies.

6 Apr 2009

Texas needle-exchange bill deserves 'fair hearing' in State House, editorial says

The Texas Legislature should give a bill (S.B. 188) to establish a needle-exchange program a "fair hearing so that Texas can join the other 49 states in allowing the creation of programs that save lives and save taxpayer money," a San Antonio Express-News editorial says.

5 Apr 2009

Researchers examine medical effects of bed bugs and control and eradication strategies

A review of previously published articles indicates there is little evidence supporting an effective treatment of bites from bed bugs, that these insects do not appear to transmit disease, and control and eradication of bed bugs is challenging, according to an article in the April 1 issue of JAMA .

1 Apr 2009

AP/Google.com examines efforts to address drug-resistant tuberculosis in China, other countries

The AP/Google.com on Monday examined efforts to prevent and control the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis in China and other countries.

30 Mar 2009

Three biomarkers found for Chikungunya fever

Three specific biomarkers provide an accurate indication of the severity of Chikungunya fever (CHIKF), which is emerging as a threat in South-East Asia, the Pacific and Europe, according to research conducted in Singapore.

4 Mar 2009

Aboriginals in remote areas will feel the brunt of climate change

Australian researchers have warned that the impact of climate change on human health will be particularly felt by Indigenous people living in remote areas of the country and they say resources are needed now to deal with the problem.

6 Jan 2009

One-week course 'Nursing in Global Humanitarian Relief'

Throughout the world - in the impoverished slums of India, at refugee camps in Africa, or in the aftermath of floods and tsunamis - global humanitarian relief is in great demand.

5 Jan 2009

PNG struggling to come to terms with HIV/AIDS epidemic

While the rest of the world acknowledged World AIDS Day this week in a number of ways, Papua New Guinea (PNG) appears to be struggling to come to terms with the HIV/AIDS epidemic which threatens the population.

3 Dec 2008

Escalating inequality in cardiovascular health status between rich and poor

A new paper released by The George Institute for International Health is warning a cardiovascular disease based epidemic is gaining pace among many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), exemplified at its worst in the world's largest populated countries – China and India.

3 Dec 2008

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis - tick-borne disease found in China

It appears that for the first time human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), an emerging tick-borne infectious disease found in the U.S. and Europe, has been identified in China and apparently was transmitted from person to person, according to a study in the November 19 issue of JAMA.

18 Nov 2008

Performance-enhancing drug use by high school athletes

Stories about doping - using performance-enhancing drugs - among professional and Olympic athletes have been regular fodder for the news media in recent years, but what about the trend in use by younger, more vulnerable high school-aged athletes?

17 Nov 2008