Tropical Disease News and Research

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Tropical diseases encompass all diseases that occur solely, or principally, in the tropics. In practice, the term is often taken to refer to infectious diseases that thrive in hot, humid conditions, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, African trypanosomiasis, and dengue.

New online tool can help detect and monitor dengue outbreaks

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Google.org have found web-based search data to be a viable source of information for early detection and monitoring of outbreaks of dengue, an emerging mosquito-borne virus found in tropical areas of the world.

1 Jun 2011

Scientists find increases in rain and temperature could signal deadly cholera outbreaks months before they strike

With recent deadly cholera outbreaks in Haiti and Cameroon providing the latest indication of a menacingly resurgent disease, scientists have discovered rain and temperature fluctuations in at-risk areas could predict epidemics months in advance, according to a new study published today in the June 2011 issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

1 Jun 2011

Local production of pharmaceuticals could improve access in developing countries, U.N. report says

A U.N. Conference on Trade and Development report issued last week suggested "[l]ocal production of pharmaceuticals in some poor African and Asian countries, such as Ethiopia, Uganda, and Bangladesh, has the potential to improve access to essential drugs for many of the one billion people who live in the world's least developed countries," BMJ News writes.

21 May 2011

Routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs less expensive than ITC to fight dengue

The first-known study comparing costs of routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs and insecticide-treated curtains reveals that the cost of RACP is substantially lower than that of ITC implementation for dengue control and prevention.

18 May 2011

Inovio first quarter total revenue increases to $3.1 million for 2011

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

11 May 2011

Study measures cost-effectiveness of trauma drug published in PLoS One

How much would you pay for an extra year of healthy life? The cost of filling up your car at the petrol pumps? Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have found that a year of life could be saved for around the price of filling up the tank of an average family car in the UK - which is a fitting comparison bearing in mind that most of the patients who will benefit from this cheap life-saving drug have been hit by cars.

4 May 2011

Recent releases in Global Health

African Nations Rightly Proceed With DDT Plans: "Environmental activists inside and outside UNEP love to hate DDT and will seemingly stop at nothing to ensure it is never produced or used. But there is a macabre irony in their anti-DDT campaigns. With all the technological advancement of the 21st century that now ensures the average person born today will live longer than at any time in human history, SADC will be producing a chemical first synthesized in the 1800s.

30 Apr 2011

Opinions: Empowering women, reducing global hunger; wars justified by humanitarianism; climate change, human health; budget cuts to foreign aid

In a perspective piece in The Globalist, Contributing Editor Cesar Chelala calls for more attention to be paid to the role of women in reducing hunger worldwide. "Giving women the same tools and resources as men, such as financial support, education and access to markets, could reduce the number of hungry people worldwide by up to 150 million, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization," he writes.

12 Apr 2011

Recent releases in Global Health

A Lancet Infectious Diseases editorial describes the growing public concerns over a global rise in antimicrobial resistance. "Bearing in mind that our objective is to contain antibiotic resistance rather than eradicate it, several policies could be adopted to help guarantee a future for antibiotics," the editorial states, adding, "We need reliable data to tackle antibiotic resistance.

2 Apr 2011

Opinions: Investing in science, technology; Indian public-private partnership for NTDs; U.S. global food security investments; Clinton's statements on PEPFAR; U.S. foreign aid; primary care

"Now is the time to support science and technology - especially in difficult economic times. It is the right thing to do, and it makes good economic sense," Alex Dehgan, science and technology adviser to the USAID administrator, and Kaitlin Christenson, coalition director for the Global Health Technologies Coalition, write in an opinion piece appearing on The Hill's "Congress Blog."

10 Mar 2011

Study results of NanoViricides anti-dengue drug candidates presented at NIH/NIAID sponsored conference

NanoViricides, Inc.announced today that Anil R. Diwan, PhD, President of the Company, gave a presentation on Friday, February 18th, that discussed the Company's anti-viral technology and more specifically, results from both in-vitro and in-vivo studies of its drug candidates against dengue virus infections that can potentially cause a fatal manifestation, viz. dengue hemorrhagic fever.

23 Feb 2011

Canada Scholar presents research on link between cities and water-related diseases at AAAS conference

Despite clean water and improved public services, water-related diseases continues to spread in cities around the world. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar Kate Mulligan presents her research on the connection between cities, water and health at the THINK CANADA Press Breakfast at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference Sunday.

21 Feb 2011

Recent releases in Global Health

Factors Contributing to Health Of Women Worldwide: The Kaiser Family Foundation features a narrated slide tutorial by epidemiologist Laurel Spielberg on the health issues facing women around the world. The tutorial touches on issues such as economic status and biological, social, and cultural factors that affect women's health, as well as access to health services such as family planning (2/17).

19 Feb 2011

Upcoming Bangladeshi mass cholera vaccine program might shed light on strategy effectiveness

TIME reports on an oral cholera vaccination program to kick off on Thursday in Bangladesh that researchers hope will determine how good of a "weapon" the mass vaccination strategy can be "against an old disease".

17 Feb 2011

Obama's 2012 budget proposal requests boost for GHI funding, slight core budget increases for State, USAID

President Barack Obama "released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2012 on Monday," the New York Times reports. The president's "fiscal 2012 budget allocates $47 billion for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which reflects only a 1 percent increase over 2010 levels for the core budget," National Journal writes.

16 Feb 2011

New study shows economic burden of dengue in Western Hemisphere is $2.1 billion per year

Dengue illness, the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, has expanded from its Southeast Asian origins and is resurgent in countries such as Argentina, Chile and the continental United States.

8 Feb 2011

ISU researchers study parasites that cause NTDs in humans

Richard Martin, DVM, PhD, a biomedical sciences professor at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, has devoted his 35-year career to studying nematode parasites. These parasites infect approximately one-quarter of the world population, producing debilitating symptoms that devastate the lives and economies of many of the world's underdeveloped and impoverished areas.

29 Jan 2011

Mass cholera vaccination early in outbreak could stem spread of disease, studies show

"The cholera bacterium has undergone important mutations in recent years, causing longer outbreaks of the disease with increased fatalities, researchers reported on Wednesday," Reuters reports. "In a package of papers published in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, they said mass vaccinations should be considered as a solution even after outbreaks have begun," the news service writes (Lyn, 1/26).

27 Jan 2011

Scientist receives grant for research on parasitic diseases through African biodiversity medicines

McGill University and McGill University scientist Dr. Timothy Geary received a $1-million grant today for landmark research into addressing parasitic diseases through medicines derived from African biodiversity.

25 Jan 2011

WHO Director-General opens executive board session with calls for reform

Kicking off a nine-day annual WHO executive board meeting Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called for the board to consider areas where the agency can redirect resources in a more targeted manner so as to achieve greater outcomes, Reuters reports.

19 Jan 2011

Tropical Disease News and Research

Further Reading

New online tool can help detect and monitor dengue outbreaks

Scientists find increases in rain and temperature could signal deadly cholera outbreaks months before they strike

Local production of pharmaceuticals could improve access in developing countries, U.N. report says

Routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs less expensive than ITC to fight dengue

Inovio first quarter total revenue increases to $3.1 million for 2011

Study measures cost-effectiveness of trauma drug published in PLoS One

Recent releases in Global Health

Opinions: Empowering women, reducing global hunger; wars justified by humanitarianism; climate change, human health; budget cuts to foreign aid

Recent releases in Global Health

Opinions: Investing in science, technology; Indian public-private partnership for NTDs; U.S. global food security investments; Clinton's statements on PEPFAR; U.S. foreign aid; primary care

Study results of NanoViricides anti-dengue drug candidates presented at NIH/NIAID sponsored conference

Canada Scholar presents research on link between cities and water-related diseases at AAAS conference

Recent releases in Global Health

Upcoming Bangladeshi mass cholera vaccine program might shed light on strategy effectiveness

Obama's 2012 budget proposal requests boost for GHI funding, slight core budget increases for State, USAID

New study shows economic burden of dengue in Western Hemisphere is $2.1 billion per year

ISU researchers study parasites that cause NTDs in humans

Mass cholera vaccination early in outbreak could stem spread of disease, studies show

Scientist receives grant for research on parasitic diseases through African biodiversity medicines

WHO Director-General opens executive board session with calls for reform

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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