Infectious Diseases News and Research

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News outlets examines health impact of disasters in Indonesia, Samoa, Philippines

In Indonesia, "[r]escue workers called off the search Monday for life under the rubble left by a massive earthquake, focusing instead on bringing aid to survivors," the Agence France-Presse reports. "The United Nations has said at least 1,100 people were killed in the disaster, but estimates of the final toll range up to 5,000. The official toll stood at 650 dead and 672 missing, according to the health ministry," the news service writes (Belford, 10/5).

6 Oct 2009

AVI BioPharma receives $11.5M DTRA fund to develop AVI-7012 for treating Junin virus infection

AVI BioPharma, Inc. a developer of RNA-based drugs, announced today that it has received expanded contract funding of approximately $11.5 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI) to support development of the Investigational New Drug (IND) data package for its candidate drug, AVI-7012, to treat Junin virus infection.

5 Oct 2009

Misuse of aspirin might have caused high death rate during 1918-1919 influenza pandemic

The devastation of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is well known, but a new article suggests a surprising factor in the high death toll: the misuse of aspirin. Appearing in the November 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online now, the article sounds a cautionary note as present day concerns about the novel H1N1 virus run high.

3 Oct 2009

Surgical masks appear as effective as N95 respirators against influenza: Study

A McMaster University study has found that surgical masks appear to be as good as N95 respirators in protecting health-care workers against influenza.

3 Oct 2009

JBAIDS approved by the military for H1N1 virus detection tests

Idaho Technology’s Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS) has been approved by the military to run tests for the H1N1 virus. Deployed across the globe, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, by all four branches of the military, the JBAIDS instrument will be used to test military personnel and their families for Influenza A, swine flu A and H1 swine flu in less than an hour.

3 Oct 2009

Vaccinate children with H1N1 flu vaccine to control swine flu: UAB

The optimal way to control swine flu, the new H1N1 virus that emerged as a global threat in 2009, is to vaccinate children with the planned H1N1 flu vaccine, says the co-director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

3 Oct 2009

Interim results of Sanofi Pasteur's Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine clinical trials announced

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today an interim analysis of data from clinical trials of the U.S. licensed Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine in adults 18 years through 64 years of age and over the age of 65 years.

3 Oct 2009

Researchers screen decades-old frozen infant stool samples to detect norovirus

A search through decades-old frozen infant stool samples has yielded rich dividends for scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

3 Oct 2009

CNN, TIME examine increasing antibiotic resistance

CNN examines a recent report by researchers that warns of increasing antibiotic resistance and appeals for governments to take action to develop new antibiotics to avert a health crisis.

3 Oct 2009

Advanced Liquid Logic awarded an NIAID contract to develop a rapid HIV diagnostic device

Advanced Liquid Logic announced today that it has received a large, four-year contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, for the development of a rapid, point-of-care, diagnostic device for the detection of HIV in low resource settings.

3 Oct 2009

Diamedix files a 510(k) premarket submission with the FDA for its Mago4S assay system

IVAX Diagnostics, Inc. announced today that its U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Florida, Diamedix Corporation, has filed a 510(k) premarket submission with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for its next -generation fully automated Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (“ELISA”) system for autoimmune and infectious disease testing, named the Mago®4S.

1 Oct 2009

Novartis Oncology, Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline and Veridex honored with 2009 Prix Galien Award

The Prix Galien USA committee celebrated members of the science and biotechnology industries last night for the development and discovery of drugs and technologies that improve the human condition.

1 Oct 2009

Danya International bags contract to operate NPIN for CDC

Danya International, Inc., a communications, research, and technology firm, has been awarded a contract to continue its performance in operating the National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NPIN provides the latest information, resources, and technology focused on preventing HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and tuberculosis.

1 Oct 2009

The RMC foundation develops videos for schools on how to tackle swine flu

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the H1N1 swine flu could be severe enough to cause major staffing shortages and other workplace disruptions, the supply of vaccines to prevent the disease is taking longer to produce than originally forecast.

1 Oct 2009

Stanford Hospital invests $3 million in technology for safe patient handling

Swaddled in a cushy green hammock, the patient began her ascent off the bed. While one nurse regulated the speed of the lifting device, two of his colleagues guided the patient toward a bedside chair. Within seconds, she was securely lowered onto a cushion, and ready to begin rehabilitation exercises.

1 Oct 2009

Biology and geography scientists explain the spread of HIV-1 epidemic in Africa

Scientists studying biology and geography may seem worlds apart, but together they have answered a question that has defied explanation about the spread of the HIV-1 epidemic in Africa.

1 Oct 2009

Good hand hygiene can eliminate bacterial contamination in computer devices

Although hospital computer equipment can act as a reservoir for pathogenic organisms, including MRSA, researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Infectious Diseases found that bacterial contamination rates from computer equipment were low, possibly as the result of good hand hygiene.

1 Oct 2009

TheraDoc's patient safety surveillance system helps hospitals manage their H1N1 responses effectively

As the battle against the H1N1 influenza outbreak continues, hospitals are on the front lines, charged with identifying, treating, monitoring, and reporting flu cases—as well as preventing their spread to other patients and hospital personnel. To facilitate this arduous task, a growing number of U.S. hospitals are using a patient safety surveillance system developed by TheraDoc that helps them more effectively coordinate their responses to this serious public health threat.

30 Sep 2009

Emergent BioSolutions receives NIAID funding support for dmPA7909 anthrax vaccine candidate

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today that it was awarded a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, to further the development of one of Emergent’s advanced anthrax vaccine candidates known as dmPA7909.

30 Sep 2009

Prism 3.0 Electronic Data Capture solution launched by Nextrials

Nextrials, Inc. (www.nextrials.com), a leader in clinical research software and services, today announced a significant upgrade for its flagship electronic data capture and clinical trial management platform, Prism™.

30 Sep 2009

Infectious Diseases News and Research

News outlets examines health impact of disasters in Indonesia, Samoa, Philippines

AVI BioPharma receives $11.5M DTRA fund to develop AVI-7012 for treating Junin virus infection

Misuse of aspirin might have caused high death rate during 1918-1919 influenza pandemic

Surgical masks appear as effective as N95 respirators against influenza: Study

JBAIDS approved by the military for H1N1 virus detection tests

Vaccinate children with H1N1 flu vaccine to control swine flu: UAB

Interim results of Sanofi Pasteur's Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine clinical trials announced

Researchers screen decades-old frozen infant stool samples to detect norovirus

CNN, TIME examine increasing antibiotic resistance

Advanced Liquid Logic awarded an NIAID contract to develop a rapid HIV diagnostic device

Diamedix files a 510(k) premarket submission with the FDA for its Mago4S assay system

Novartis Oncology, Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline and Veridex honored with 2009 Prix Galien Award

Danya International bags contract to operate NPIN for CDC

The RMC foundation develops videos for schools on how to tackle swine flu

Stanford Hospital invests $3 million in technology for safe patient handling

Biology and geography scientists explain the spread of HIV-1 epidemic in Africa

Good hand hygiene can eliminate bacterial contamination in computer devices

TheraDoc's patient safety surveillance system helps hospitals manage their H1N1 responses effectively

Emergent BioSolutions receives NIAID funding support for dmPA7909 anthrax vaccine candidate

Prism 3.0 Electronic Data Capture solution launched by Nextrials

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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