Gastroenteritis News and Research

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Gastroenteritis (also known as gastro, gastric flu, and stomach flu) refers to inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, involving both the stomach and the small intestine and resulting in acute diarrhea. The inflammation is caused most often by infection with certain viruses, less often by bacteria or their toxins, parasites, or adverse reaction to something in the diet or medication.

Scientists discover that copper alloys shut down highly infectious norovirus

Scientists from the University of Southampton have discovered that copper and copper alloys rapidly destroy norovirus - the highly-infectious sickness bug.

12 Sep 2013

Infant rotavirus vaccination reduced severe gastroenteritis among U.S. children

"Implementation of infant rotavirus vaccination in 2006 has substantially reduced the burden of severe gastroenteritis among U.S. children younger than 5 years," write Paul A. Gastanaduy, M.D., M.P.H., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues. "Whether indirect protection (due to reduced transmission of rotavirus) extends to adults remains unclear."

28 Aug 2013

Risk of infectious gastroenteritis and IBD relapse increases during heat wave periods

Swiss researchers report an increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) relapse in patients during heat wave periods. The study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology also found an increase of infectious gastroenteritis during heat waves, with the strongest impact following a 7 day lag time after the heat wave.

14 Aug 2013

Scientist receives 1.3M grant to study how beneficial bacteria protect against deadly infection

A Norwich Research Park scientist has received -1.3 million in funding from the Wellcome Trust to investigate how beneficial bacteria protect against deadly infection in early life.

8 Aug 2013

HHS Inspector General raises concerns about Medicare policy on observation care

The report also finds that policies on admitting patients or keeping them under observation -- a distinction that can have dramatic financial impact on the patients -- varies substantially among hospitals.

31 Jul 2013

NIAID researchers discover monoclonal antibody can neutralize human norovirus

Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) provide the first proof of concept data showing that a monoclonal antibody can neutralize human norovirus. This research, which could one day lead to effective therapies against the virus, was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.

25 Jul 2013

Researchers develop PEDV rapid diagnostic test

Mere months after porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was first confirmed in the United States swine population, University of Minnesota researchers have developed a PEDV rapid diagnostic test.

24 Jul 2013

Animal model of human norovirus lays groundwork for developing antiviral drug treatment

An animal model of the human norovirus created at the University of Michigan Health System lays the groundwork for understanding the biology of the pesky virus and developing antiviral drug treatment.

23 Jul 2013

Researchers identify new cellular source for disease-fighting protein

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report the identification of a new cellular source for an important disease-fighting protein used in the body's earliest response to infection.

11 Jul 2013

Pfizer's Prevenar 13 receives European approval to include adults for prevention of invasive disease

Pfizer Inc. announced today the company's pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Prevenar 13 (pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]), received European approval for an expanded indication to include adults aged 18 to 49 years for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease caused by vaccine-type Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae).

10 Jul 2013

Medicago produces Rotavirus VLP vaccine candidate using plant-based manufacturing platform

Medicago Inc. (TSX: MDG; OTCQX: MDCGF), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today announced the successful production of a Rotavirus VLP vaccine candidate comprising all four structural antigens of rotavirus (VP2, VP4, VP6 and VP7) using Medicago's plant-based manufacturing platform.

20 Jun 2013

Vaccine given to newborns 60% effective against rotavirus in Ghana

Mayo Clinic and other researchers have shown that a vaccine given to newborns is at least 60 percent effective against rotavirus in Ghana. Rotavirus causes fever, vomiting and diarrhea, which in infants can cause severe dehydration.

18 Jun 2013

Highly-infectious sickness bug can be killed by copper and copper alloys

New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper and copper alloys will rapidly destroy norovirus - the highly-infectious sickness bug. The virus can be contracted from contaminated food or water, person-to-person contact, and contact with contaminated surfaces, meaning surfaces made from copper could effectively shut down one avenue of infection.

28 May 2013

India's DBT, Bharat Biotech announce positive Phase III clinical trial results of rotavirus vaccine

The Government of India's Department of Biotechnology and Bharat Biotech announced positive results from a Phase III clinical trial of a rotavirus vaccine developed and manufactured in India.

14 May 2013

FDA approves Novartis' Ilaris for treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Novartis announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Ilaris (canakinumab) for the treatment of active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in patients aged 2 years and older.

10 May 2013

Pfizer reports that Prevenar 13 Phase 3 study meets all primary, secondary objectives

Pfizer Inc. presented today the results from a Phase 3 study investigating immunogenicity, tolerability and safety of Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]) in adults 18 to 49 years of age.

From Pfizer, Inc. 29 Apr 2013

Luminex's MAGPIX instrument gets FDA approval

Luminex Corporation today announced it has received U.S. FDA clearance of its MAGPIX instrument, with its xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel.

From Luminex 16 Apr 2013

Researchers test protease inhibitors with potential for prevention, treatment of norovirus infection

A Kansas State University-led team is researching ways to stop the spread of norovirus, a contagious stomach illness that infects one in 15 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

25 Mar 2013

Results from Pfizer’s Prevnar 13 Phase 3 study on HIV

Pfizer Inc. presented today the results from a Phase 3 study demonstrating the immunogenicity, tolerability and safety of Prevnar 13 (Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine Diphtheria CRM197 Protein)in adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

5 Mar 2013

GP consultations: an interview with Associate Professor Helena Britt, University of Sydney

Well it hasn’t varied at all over the last 15 years, which I find pretty amazing because we’ve been through a lot of changes in general practice. Yet, the average length of consultation, as measured from a start to finish time, in a sample of 40,000 consultations in Australia in a year, shows that the average is 15 minutes and the median is 13 minutes.

4 Mar 2013