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MSF responds to Lord O'Neill's recommendations on how to defeat drug resistance and superbugs

The O'Neill report confirms what MSF has long voiced. The pharmaceutical industry’s system for researching and developing medicines is not always delivering the drugs, vaccines and diagnostics needed. When they are developed, they are often unaffordable or not suitable for the people who need them most

19 May 2016

Overreaction to Zika virus threat could affect psychological well-being of U.S. citizens

Vector biologist Laura Harrington and chair of the Department of Entomology at Cornell University says overreaction to the threat of Zika virus in the continental U.S. could be harmful to citizens' psychological well-being, as well as the environment as it may lead to mass spraying of insecticides that may not be effective in controlling the mosquitos.

18 May 2016

Single sputum sample approach to TB diagnosis provides rapid, accurate results

A streamlined approach to tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis requiring a single sputum sample and providing rapid, accurate results to patients proved feasible in rural Uganda, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

18 May 2016

Hydrogel-based rapid detection system may help early detection of E. coli in drinking water

Tragedies like the E. coli outbreak in Ontario's Walkerton in May 2000 could be averted today with a new invention by researchers at York University that can detect the deadly contaminant in drinking water early.

18 May 2016

KU Leuven research sheds new light on cure for HIV

Scientists from KU Leuven, Belgium, present a new therapeutic approach that may make it possible for HIV patients to (temporarily) stop their medication. The findings shed a completely new light on the search for a cure for HIV.

18 May 2016

Researchers may be one step closer to curing HIV

18 May 2016

Scientists uncover whole new way of treating antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Australian scientists may have found a way to stop deadly bacteria from infecting patients. The discovery could lead to a whole new way of treating antibiotic-resistant "superbugs". The researchers have uncovered what may be an Achilles heel on the bacteria cell membrane that could act as a potential novel drug target.

17 May 2016

Experimental hepatitis C drug slows down development of Zika in mice

Virologists from KU Leuven, Belgium, have shown that an experimental antiviral drug against hepatitis C slows down the development of Zika in mice. The research team was led by Professor Johan Neyts from the Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy.

17 May 2016

WHO/PAHO statement on Zika virus and the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recognize that athletes and visitors are seeking more information on the risks of Zika and ways to prevent infection while attending the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games (5 August to 18 September 2016).

16 May 2016

Altered coagulation caused by HIV virus linked to increased risk of non-AIDS diseases

With more than 36.9 million people infected globally, HIV continues to be a major public health issue. Those living with the virus are at an increased risk for other non-AIDS diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and though it's not entirely clear why, this has been associated with inflammation and abnormal blood clotting.

13 May 2016

New optimised PCR tests for reliable diagnosis of Zika virus

DZIF scientists from the University of Bonn have shown that not all conventional Zika virus molecular diagnostic tests for are sufficiently reliable. They developed optimised assays and a control for quantifying viruses in blood and urine.

13 May 2016

Rotavirus vaccine program reduces hospitalization rates by more than 70% in Ontario

Hospitalization for rotavirus infections decreased by > 70% following the introduction of a vaccine program in Ontario, Canada, according to a study published May 11, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Sarah Wilson from Public Health Ontario and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Canada, and colleagues.

13 May 2016

Sexual abstinence, marital fidelity programs not effective in reducing HIV risk

The U.S. government has invested $1.4 billion in HIV prevention programs that promote sexual abstinence and marital fidelity, but there is no evidence that these programs have been effective at changing sexual behavior and reducing HIV risk, according to a new Stanford University School of Medicine study.

13 May 2016

Mosquito larvae carries Sindbis virus that can cause Ockelbo disease

After an outbreak of Ockelbo disease in northern Sweden in 2013, researchers at Umeå University were able to trace the virus to mosquitos in an area of Lövånger. In a new study, researchers have shown that mosquito larvae in the Västerbotten region also carry virus that can cause infectious disease. These include the Sindbis virus, which causes Ockelbo disease, which is associated with fever, rashes and prolonged joint pain.

13 May 2016

Potential vaccine that resembles sugar structures may help fight against gut bacterium C. difficile

A vaccine against one of the most dangerous hospital germs may soon be available. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and the Freie Universität Berlin have developed a substance that elicits an immune response against the gut bacterium Clostridium difficile.

13 May 2016

Drug-repositioning strategy could help combat Chikungunya virus

Since 2013, the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus has spread rapidly through South America and the Caribbean, and is now threatening Southern Europe and the southern US.

13 May 2016

Same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV patients may lead to better health outcomes

A clinical trial of same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV patients in South Africa led to a higher proportion of people starting treatment and to better health outcomes, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher.

12 May 2016

Novel rapid diagnostic test and shorter treatment with better outcomes may benefit MDR-TB patients

New WHO recommendations aim to speed up detection and improve treatment outcomes for multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) through use of a novel rapid diagnostic test and a shorter, cheaper treatment regimen.

12 May 2016

Scientists prove effectiveness of gene editing system in eliminating HIV from DNA of CD4+ T-cells

In 2014, a team of researchers in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University became the first to successfully eliminate the HIV-1 virus from cultured human cells.

12 May 2016

Mouse models of Zika virus infection in pregnancy provide basis to develop vaccines, treatments

Two mouse models of Zika virus infection in pregnancy have been developed by a team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In them, the virus migrated from the pregnant mouse's bloodstream into the placenta, where it multiplied, then spread into the fetal circulation and infected the brains of the developing pups.

12 May 2016

Disease/Infection News

MSF responds to Lord O'Neill's recommendations on how to defeat drug resistance and superbugs

Overreaction to Zika virus threat could affect psychological well-being of U.S. citizens

Single sputum sample approach to TB diagnosis provides rapid, accurate results

Hydrogel-based rapid detection system may help early detection of E. coli in drinking water

KU Leuven research sheds new light on cure for HIV

Researchers may be one step closer to curing HIV

Scientists uncover whole new way of treating antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Experimental hepatitis C drug slows down development of Zika in mice

WHO/PAHO statement on Zika virus and the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games

Altered coagulation caused by HIV virus linked to increased risk of non-AIDS diseases

New optimised PCR tests for reliable diagnosis of Zika virus

Rotavirus vaccine program reduces hospitalization rates by more than 70% in Ontario

Sexual abstinence, marital fidelity programs not effective in reducing HIV risk

Mosquito larvae carries Sindbis virus that can cause Ockelbo disease

Potential vaccine that resembles sugar structures may help fight against gut bacterium C. difficile

Drug-repositioning strategy could help combat Chikungunya virus

Same-day initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV patients may lead to better health outcomes

Novel rapid diagnostic test and shorter treatment with better outcomes may benefit MDR-TB patients

Scientists prove effectiveness of gene editing system in eliminating HIV from DNA of CD4+ T-cells

Mouse models of Zika virus infection in pregnancy provide basis to develop vaccines, treatments

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