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University of Washington team develops electrically spun cloth to prevent pregnancy, HIV

The only way to protect against HIV and unintended pregnancy today is the condom. It's an effective technology, but not appropriate or popular in all situations.

1 Dec 2012

The Lancet issues special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses

Today, the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, has issued a special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses (human diseases that originate in or are shared with animals).

1 Dec 2012

Financial Times publishes special report on global AIDS response

The Financial Times on Friday published a special report titled, "FT Health: Combating AIDS 2012."

1 Dec 2012

New strains of HIV spreading in India, scientists warn

"While India has drastically reduced the spread of HIV over the past decade, new strains of the virus that cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are troubling medical scientists in this country," Inter Press Service reports (Devraj, 11/29).

1 Dec 2012

Loss of either T-bet or Eomes protein reduces immune system's ability to fight viral infection

When you get an acute infection, such as influenza, the body generally responds with a coordinated response of immune-cell proliferation and attack that rapidly clears the pathogen. Then, their mission done, the immune system stands down, leaving a population of sentinel memory cells to rapidly redeploy the immune system in the event of reinfection.

1 Dec 2012

Scientists can produce new proteins by following certain rules

By following certain rules, scientists can prepare architectural plans for building ideal protein molecules not found in the real world. Based on these computer renditions, previously non-existent proteins can be produced from scratch in the lab. The principles to make this happen appear this month in Nature magazine.

1 Dec 2012

Current hospital cleaning protocol may be inadequate to rid MDR A. baumannii

Current hospital cleaning protocol may be inadequate to rid patient rooms of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii, according to a study in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

1 Dec 2012

Researchers study antimicrobial peptides in fish gills to find solution for blocking human infections

Living in an environment teaming with bacteria and fungi, fish have evolved powerful defenses against waterborne pathogens, including antimicrobial peptides located in their gills. Undergraduate researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are studying the biology and the mechanics of one of those peptides with the hope they can use that knowledge to create engineered surfaces that kill bacteria responsible for foodborne illnesses and hospital-acquired infections.

1 Dec 2012

Tissue damage, disease severity in C. diff. infection associated with disruption of PPARγ pathway

Researchers in the Nutritional Immunology and Molecular Medicine Laboratory at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute have discovered how a common diarrhea-causing bacterium sends the body's natural defenses into overdrive, actually intensifying illness while fighting infection.

1 Dec 2012

Use resources efficiently to end AIDS epidemic

"[O]ne thing I've learned from working on HIV/AIDS my entire political career -- we are far better united than divided," Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) writes in a Politico opinion piece, noting examples of bipartisan legislation that "help to slow the rate of infections and reduce the number of deaths from AIDS."

1 Dec 2012

Traveling med tech indicted on new charges related to hepatitis C outbreak

The technician was indicated Wednesday in New Hampshire on 14 new charges. The outbreak involved more than 30 patients in New Hampshire while people in a number of other states were exposed.

1 Dec 2012

Study of hospital-acquired infection yields potential therapeutic target

30 Nov 2012

Broad range of human activities affects spread of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, experts say

West Nile virus, Lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of "vector-borne zoonotic diseases," caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks.

30 Nov 2012

Respiratory physical therapy before cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications

Patients who practice respiratory physical therapy exercises before elective cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications later, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.

30 Nov 2012

IPS examines PEPFAR guidance on family planning in light of new AIDS blueprint

Noting the U.S. government on Thursday "unveiled a major new strategy for pushing towards achieving an 'AIDS-free generation,'" Inter Press Service writes, "The far-reaching new blueprint for what's known as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is being widely lauded, yet little attention has been given to a document, published in October, that stipulates how new PEPFAR funding can be used."

30 Nov 2012

European health officials warn Greece to address increasing number of HIV cases

Officials with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Greece must act to combat a rising number of HIV cases within high-risk populations, including drug users, or face increased health care costs in the future, Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be eliminated through collective alliances

"The global economic crisis has caused many to reassess, refocus and redirect financial priorities," and "as a result, vital international aid to combat global health issues like HIV/AIDS is threatened," Rhonda Zygocki, executive vice president of policy and planning at Chevron Corporation, and Frank Beadle de Palomo, CEO of mothers2mothers International, write in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

30 Nov 2012

U.S. must continue to lead in HIV/AIDS investments but everyone needs to increase efforts

The "Blueprint for an AIDS-free Generation," released on Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "shows that upfront investments to support the rapid scale-up of lifesaving AIDS treatment will yield significant savings -- of both lives and dollars -- in the near future," Archbishop Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, writes in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

30 Nov 2012

More widespread HIV treatment helped South Africa increase life expectancy, researchers say

With the average life expectancy for South Africans at 60 years old, the country "has achieved a 'stunning' increase in life expectancy in the last three years due to a government push to roll out antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to people with HIV/AIDS," according to a study published in the Lancet on Thursday, Reuters reports.

30 Nov 2012

President Obama releases statement, signs presidential proclamation commemorating World AIDS Day

The White House on Thursday released a statement by President Barack Obama commemorating World AIDS Day, observed annually on December 1.

30 Nov 2012

Disease/Infection News

University of Washington team develops electrically spun cloth to prevent pregnancy, HIV

The Lancet issues special series of articles focused on emerging zoonoses

Financial Times publishes special report on global AIDS response

New strains of HIV spreading in India, scientists warn

Loss of either T-bet or Eomes protein reduces immune system's ability to fight viral infection

Scientists can produce new proteins by following certain rules

Current hospital cleaning protocol may be inadequate to rid MDR A. baumannii

Researchers study antimicrobial peptides in fish gills to find solution for blocking human infections

Tissue damage, disease severity in C. diff. infection associated with disruption of PPARγ pathway

Use resources efficiently to end AIDS epidemic

Traveling med tech indicted on new charges related to hepatitis C outbreak

Study of hospital-acquired infection yields potential therapeutic target

Broad range of human activities affects spread of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, experts say

Respiratory physical therapy before cardiac surgery may reduce serious pulmonary complications

IPS examines PEPFAR guidance on family planning in light of new AIDS blueprint

European health officials warn Greece to address increasing number of HIV cases

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be eliminated through collective alliances

U.S. must continue to lead in HIV/AIDS investments but everyone needs to increase efforts

More widespread HIV treatment helped South Africa increase life expectancy, researchers say

President Obama releases statement, signs presidential proclamation commemorating World AIDS Day

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