Fever News and Research

RSS

FDA issues gastrointestinal illness alert regarding raw basil in Texas and Illinois

The FDA is issuing an alert to consumers that two outbreak clusters of a gastrointestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis may be associated with raw basil and mesculin/spring mix salad served in Texas and Illinois. The agency is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and other health authorities to determine the cause and scope of the problem.

21 May 2004

Watching for West Nile virus, dead bird and mosquito monitoring resumes

Warmer spring weather and the coming mosquito season has the Department of Health on the lookout for West Nile virus again, working with local health departments to identify mosquitoes, track dead birds and monitor any human illness across Washington. This season brings mosquito-breeding weather and the threat of mosquito-borne disease, including West Nile virus.

20 May 2004

FDA approves new drug for bone marrow disease

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Vidaza (azacitidine) injection, the first effective treatment for patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). The product was given Fast Track Status and a priority review.

19 May 2004

Study comparing the efficacy of REMICADE® to Azathioprine alone and in combination With REMICADE®

Centocor, Inc., and Schering-Plough Corporation announced today the initiation of the SONIC (Study of Immunomodulator Naive patients in Crohn's Disease) trial that will evaluate the efficacy of REMICADE® (infliximab) versus azathioprine, a conventional immunosuppressive agent, alone and versus the combination of both drugs for the treatment of patients with Crohn's disease.

18 May 2004

Study of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe, treatment-resistant lupus

The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms.

14 May 2004

West Nile virus found in Illinois mosquitoes

A dead crow and two pools of mosquitoes collected in DuPage County have been identified with West Nile virus, the first positive test results in Illinois this year for the mosquito-borne disease, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, today announced.

13 May 2004

Publication of epilepsy research

Bionomics Limited has announced today that research by its collaborators Women's and Children's Hospital, in conjunction with the University of Melbourne and a US group in Tennessee, has been published in the scientific journal, Human Molecular Genetics.

13 May 2004

WHO reports on dengue haemorrhagic fever in Indonesia

From January 1 to April 30 2004, a total of 58,301 cases of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and 658 deaths have been registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Health (see previous report ). The case-fatality rate of 1.1% is lower this year than in previous years.

12 May 2004

Australian researchers are working on a vaccine to prevent rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Australia, is working on a vaccine to prevent rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease are a secondary complication of a bacterial infection.

12 May 2004

Illinois spends $2.3 million to fight West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases

Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced the state has awarded grants to local health departments totaling $2.3 million as part of this year's efforts to detect and control mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus or other mosquito-borne diseases.

12 May 2004

All Black urges allergy sufferers to play it safe

All Black Kees Meeuws is fronting an Allergy New Zealand poster campaign urging allergy sufferers to play it safe and protect a life as part of Allergy Awareness Week, which kicks off May 10, 2004. The poster sports a bare-chested and tattooed Kees with his six-week-old daughter, Inéz (who is now three months old).

10 May 2004

Belarus to collaborate with GenoMed on West Nile virus encephalitis

GenoMed, Inc. has announced that the leading experts in West Nile virus encephalitis in Belarus will collaborate with the Company in treating cases of suspected West Nile virus encephalitis this summer. Belarus, formerly part of the USSR, is now a democratic country of 10.5 million people lying between Poland and Russia; its capital is Minsk.

7 May 2004

West Nile treatment showing 100% response rate among immunocompetent patients

GenoMed, Inc. has announced that it will be limiting its treatment for West Nile virus encephalitis to immunocompetent patients only, where it has posted a 100% success rate.

7 May 2004

Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin warned of Giant African Snails

School superintendents and principals, pet store operators and the public are being warned of the potential health risks associated with exposure to giant African snails (Achatina fulica) that have been discovered in Illinois and at least three other states, Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, state public health director, today announced.

6 May 2004

International research team have decoded the genetic blueprint of the tularemia (rabbit fever) bacterium

Two teams of researchers, one based in the United States and the other in Europe, have decoded the genetic blueprint of the tularemia (rabbit fever) bacterium, a highly infectious human and animal pathogen.

6 May 2004

Research into Chinese herbal medicine Qian Ceng Ta may help Alzheimer’s

Georgetown University Medical Center researchers today opened a new clinical trial designed to test if huperzine A, a natural product derived from a Chinese herb, can slow down or prevent cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

6 May 2004

West Nile Virus returns to United States for another season

The winter cold and flu season is barely over, and the new mosquito season won't really get rolling for a few more weeks, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) already is reporting the presence of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes, birds and other animals in nine states.

5 May 2004

First confirmed SARS patient given all clear

As reported by Xinhuanet, Beijing's first confirmed SARS patient has been discharged from hospital after being given the all clear.

4 May 2004

New license agreement for rotavirus diarrhea vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today a new license agreement aimed at helping to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths annually from rotavirus diarrhea in children living in developing countries.

4 May 2004