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Corticosteroids decrease treatment failure among patients with community-acquired pneumonia

Among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia and high initial inflammatory response, the use of the corticosteroid methylprednisolone decreased treatment failure, compared with placebo, according to a study in the February 17 issue of JAMA.

18 Feb 2015

UNICEF and UNAIDS go ‘All In’ to end the AIDS epidemic among adolescents

AIDS has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally. Just one in four children and adolescents under the age of 15 have access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment. Deaths are declining in all age groups, except among 10–19 year olds.

17 Feb 2015

Fusobacterium necrophorum often causes severe sore throats in young adults

New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham suggests that Fusobacterium necrophorum more often causes severe sore throats in young adults than streptococcus — the cause of the much better known strep throat.

17 Feb 2015

Researchers describe new family of bacteria common in malaria mosquitoes

A new family of bacteria that are common in malaria mosquitoes has been described by researchers at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Uppsala University in Sweden, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany, and the Veterinärmedizinische Universität, Austria.

17 Feb 2015

Rutgers patient gets second chance at life following liver transplant

Mati Muñoz is 65 years old - filled with the enthusiastic energy that comes with a second chance at life. A decade ago, says Muñoz, who lives in Woodbridge Township, N.J., her liver was being destroyed by hepatitis C, a viral disease she believes she contracted as a girl in her native Cuba from a poorly sterilized needle used in a medical procedure.

17 Feb 2015

Breath test could detect Parkinson’s

The researchers, with funding from Parkinson’s UK and the British Council, will study around 200 people and see if just by looking at their breath they can determine which have Parkinson’s.

16 Feb 2015

Experts question value of current obesity treatments

Many people with obesity can lose weight for a few months, but 80%–95% regain their lost weight eventually. One explanation for this limited long-term success is that reducing caloric intake triggers several biological systems that drive us to eat high-calorie foods and gain weight.

16 Feb 2015

FOI Request by Bowel Cancer UK highlights big variation in tests for lynch syndrome

Bowel Cancer UK submitted the FOI request in November 2014 to every NHS trust in England, health board in Scotland and health and social care trust in Northern Ireland to establish the number of trusts/health boards which were implementing the testing for all bowel cancer patients under 50, as mandated by the Royal College of Pathologists. Lynch syndrome is responsible for around one in 12 cases of bowel cancer in people aged under 50.

16 Feb 2015

World class drug discovery team launches new company to tackle chronic respiratory disease

Respiratory diseases including cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe asthma represent a major unmet medical need and a significant health burden in both the developed and developing world.

16 Feb 2015

Discovery offers much needed information about how virulent insect-borne diseases cause infection

For decades, scientists have thought the bacteria that cause the bubonic plague hijack host cells at the site of a fleabite and are then taken to the lymph nodes, where the bacteria multiply and trigger severe disease. But UNC School of Medicine researchers discovered that this accepted theory is off base. The bacteria do not use host cells; they traffic to lymph nodes on their own and not in great numbers.

16 Feb 2015

KU Leuven researchers find aggressive form of HIV in Cuba

Engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners increases the risk of contracting multiple strains of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Once inside a host, these strains can recombine into a new variant of the virus. One such recombinant variant observed in patients in Cuba appears to be much more aggressive than other known forms of HIV.

16 Feb 2015

Researchers report first evidence of Seoul hantavirus in wild rats in the Netherlands

In a paper just published in the peer reviewed journal Infection, Ecology & Epidemiology, researchers report discovering the first evidence of Seoul hantavirus (SEOV) in the wild rat population in the Netherlands. The discovery comes on the heels of similar ones in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom in recent years, and has some researchers concerned about the potential spread of the virus to humans.

16 Feb 2015

Changes in moles and skin cancer: an interview with Dr Anjali Mahto, Consultant Dermatologist & British Skin Foundation Spokesperson

Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK and its incidence is continuing to increase since the mid-1970s. Cancer Research UK reports that its rates have increased more rapidly than any of the current ten most common cancers in males and females. Whilst some of this may be attributed to better surveillance and earlier detection, the real problem lies with sun-seeking behaviour and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

16 Feb 2015

Climate change causes emergence of more infectious diseases

The appearance of infectious diseases in new places and new hosts, such as West Nile virus and Ebola, is a predictable result of climate change, says a noted zoologist affiliated with the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

16 Feb 2015

Experience with Ebola outbreak highlights local responses to global health threats

Experience with the Ebola outbreak highlights local health departments' essential role in responding to global health threats posed by infectious diseases, according to a special article in the March/April issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.

16 Feb 2015

Consortium formed to develop program to improve health outcomes for Ebola patients

Scripps Translational Science Institute will lead a consortium of four partners to develop a program through which wearable, wireless health sensors, a wireless vital signs monitoring platform and advanced analytics technology will be tested in a new "precision medicine" approach designed to improve health outcomes for Ebola patients, increase the safety of health care workers and reduce risk of spreading the virus to others.

16 Feb 2015

Door-to-door campaing encourages people to get tested for hepatitis C and to get linked to care

In Philadelphia, as in many cities, neighborhoods with high rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) often also have limited access to screening and treatment. A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine shows that when expert advocates made a focused effort in a medically underserved area, they were able to help vulnerable patients leap each of the many hurdles that often keep people out of care.

15 Feb 2015

Study: Ebola transmission from deceased patients may be possible

To determine how long Ebola virus could remain infectious in a body after death, National Institutes of Health scientists sampled deceased Ebola-infected monkeys and discovered the virus remained viable for at least seven days. They also detected non-infectious viral RNA for up to 70 days post-mortem. The study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, suggests that Ebola transmission from deceased individuals may be possible for an extended period of time following death, underscoring the importance of using safe practices for handling corpses.

15 Feb 2015

New antibody shows promise in increasing survival for patients suffering from influenza, pneumonia

Scientists from NTU Singapore, the world's No. 1 young university, have developed an antibody which boosts the survival chances for patients suffering from influenza and pneumonia.

14 Feb 2015

Risk of ovarian cancer increased with even short-term HRT use

There has been much uncertainty regarding the risk of cancer associated with taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the menopause. An analysis of all available evidence published in The Lancet today shows that HRT, even when taken for only a few years, significantly increases the risk of developing the two most common types of ovarian cancer.

13 Feb 2015

Disease/Infection News

Corticosteroids decrease treatment failure among patients with community-acquired pneumonia

UNICEF and UNAIDS go ‘All In’ to end the AIDS epidemic among adolescents

Fusobacterium necrophorum often causes severe sore throats in young adults

Researchers describe new family of bacteria common in malaria mosquitoes

Rutgers patient gets second chance at life following liver transplant

Breath test could detect Parkinson’s

Experts question value of current obesity treatments

FOI Request by Bowel Cancer UK highlights big variation in tests for lynch syndrome

World class drug discovery team launches new company to tackle chronic respiratory disease

Discovery offers much needed information about how virulent insect-borne diseases cause infection

KU Leuven researchers find aggressive form of HIV in Cuba

Researchers report first evidence of Seoul hantavirus in wild rats in the Netherlands

Changes in moles and skin cancer: an interview with Dr Anjali Mahto, Consultant Dermatologist & British Skin Foundation Spokesperson

Climate change causes emergence of more infectious diseases

Experience with Ebola outbreak highlights local responses to global health threats

Consortium formed to develop program to improve health outcomes for Ebola patients

Door-to-door campaing encourages people to get tested for hepatitis C and to get linked to care

Study: Ebola transmission from deceased patients may be possible

New antibody shows promise in increasing survival for patients suffering from influenza, pneumonia

Risk of ovarian cancer increased with even short-term HRT use

Redefining control and consistency in anaerobic microbiome workflows

AI in Healthcare: How generative tools are transforming clinical practice

The future of automation: Machine learning–driven hepatocyte and organoid counting

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