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High rate of trauma among women with HIV plays a role in the epidemic

Physical violence, sexual abuse and other forms of childhood and adult trauma are major factors fueling the epidemic of HIV/AIDS among American women. Scientists have known for years that traumatized women are at greater risk of becoming infected.

16 Mar 2012

FDA clears Alma Lasers' novel approach for treatment of nail fungus

For the 35 million people worldwide that suffer from Onychomycosis (nail fungus), a new, fast, effective approach to treatment is now available. Alma Lasers, Inc., a leader in laser, light, radiofrequency and ultrasound aesthetic and medical devices, is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest innovation for the Harmony(XL) multi-application, multi-technology platform, a novel approach for the treatment of nail fungus.

16 Mar 2012

Food borne ailments from imported products on the rise: CDC report

Food-borne illnesses caused by fish, spices, produce and other edibles imported from other countries seems to be on the rise – but the countries of origin may be varied, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC defines a food borne disease outbreak as two or more similar illnesses resulting from the same type of food.

15 Mar 2012

More women need regular checks for Chlamydia infection: CDC

According to new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not many young, sexually active women in the United States are getting screened for chlamydia.

15 Mar 2012

Imported food leading to more foodborne disease outbreaks

Foodborne disease outbreaks caused by imported food appeared to rise in 2009 and 2010, and nearly half of the outbreaks implicated foods imported from areas which previously had not been associated with outbreaks, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

15 Mar 2012

Linking HCV infected people with care is key to reducing related mortality and morbidity

Broader screening to identify people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) would likely be cost effective, according to a new report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

15 Mar 2012

Scientists discover direct biomarker of Chikungunya fever

Recent breakthroughs in Chikungunya research spearheaded by scientists at A*STAR's Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) have made great strides in the battle against the infectious disease.

15 Mar 2012

State legislatures consider bevy of Medicaid, health cost and health program legislation

State legislatures around America are considering laws to change their Medicaid programs and to address how patients can learn their doctor's malpractice history. They are also contemplating how to cut health care costs and adjusting prescription privileges for nurses.

15 Mar 2012

Cote d'Ivoire working to rebuild health care system under new presidential administration

"Ten months after the West African country of Cote d'Ivoire started to emerge from a presidential election crisis during which almost all hospitals and clinics had to shut down for a good six months because they had been vandalized, looted and occupied, the new government under President Alassane Ouattara is trying to make public health care a priority," including implementing "a new national health regulation, which came into effect on Mar. 1, that offers free health services to pregnant women, children under five years and people suffering from malaria," Inter Press Service reports.

15 Mar 2012

Study identifies 190 proteins crucial to the functions of key immune sensors

In a healthy immune system, invading pathogens trigger a cascade of alerts and responses to fight off the infection. Sensors called toll-like receptors, or TLRs, act as one of the first lines of defense. Two of these sensors, known as TLR7 and TLR9, specifically recognize and respond to microbial RNA and DNA, respectively. But what determines how these TLRs get where they need to be and sound the alarm for pathogen infection?

15 Mar 2012

First-ever compulsory license issuance in India could have implications for HIV medication

"On Monday, the Indian Patent Office effectively ended German drug maker Bayer's monopoly for its cancer drug Nexavar and issued its first-ever compulsory license allowing local generic maker Natco Pharma to make and sell the drug cheaply in India," Reuters reports.

15 Mar 2012

Six reasons why Obama's proposal to cut PEPFAR funding should be rejected by Congress

In this post in The Hill's "Congress Blog," Chris Collins, vice president and director of public policy for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, responds to a recently released analysis of adult mortality rates in African countries, which "found that between 2004 and 2008, in those nations where the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was most active, the odds of death were about 20 percent lower than in other countries in the region."

15 Mar 2012

Suspected case of polio under investigation in India, threatens country's eradication efforts

On Monday, "a girl admitted to a hospital in West Bengal with polio-like symptoms sparked worries that India's battle against polio may not be over yet," the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog reports, noting, "The suspected polio case ... comes just two weeks after the WHO removed India from the list of countries where polio is endemic."

15 Mar 2012

UMDNJ to receive TB biomarkers grant from Gates Foundation

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) announced today that Dr. David Alland, professor of medicine, chief of infectious diseases, and director of the Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Pathogens at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, will receive a tuberculosis (TB) biomarkers grant awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Grand Challenges in Global Health program, an initiative which seeks to overcome persistent bottlenecks in creating new tools that can radically improve health in the developing world.

15 Mar 2012

New study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship

Curbing unnecessary use of antibiotics is our best defense against the spread of drug-resistant infections. A new study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship: a potential cost savings of millions of dollars now wasted on therapies that don't help patients.

15 Mar 2012

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take medication every day

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take their medication every day, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The researchers found that patients were less likely to miss doses if they were sent weekly mobile phone text message reminders.

15 Mar 2012

New position paper outlines national approach to antimicrobial stewardship

As the supply of life-saving antibiotics becomes increasingly threatened, infectious diseases experts urge healthcare systems and policymakers to step up efforts to protect patients by preserving the effectiveness of available antibiotics through antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

15 Mar 2012

Fecal transplantation effective treatment for recurrent C. difficile infection

Fecal transplantation through colonoscopy is an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), according to a new study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

15 Mar 2012

One in four HIV patients have been sexually abused as a child

One in four HIV patients was found to have been sexually abused as a child, according to a two-year Duke University study of more than 600 HIV patients. Traumatic childhood experiences were also linked to worse health outcomes among these patients, who are aged 20 to 71.

15 Mar 2012

Largest-ever study of community-wide TB drug prevention did not improve TB control in South African mines

"After seven years of research, the world's largest study of preventative tuberculosis (TB) therapy has found that untargeted, community-wide distribution of TB prevention drugs did not improve TB control in South African gold mines," PlusNews reports.

15 Mar 2012

Disease/Infection News

High rate of trauma among women with HIV plays a role in the epidemic

FDA clears Alma Lasers' novel approach for treatment of nail fungus

Food borne ailments from imported products on the rise: CDC report

More women need regular checks for Chlamydia infection: CDC

Imported food leading to more foodborne disease outbreaks

Linking HCV infected people with care is key to reducing related mortality and morbidity

Scientists discover direct biomarker of Chikungunya fever

State legislatures consider bevy of Medicaid, health cost and health program legislation

Cote d'Ivoire working to rebuild health care system under new presidential administration

Study identifies 190 proteins crucial to the functions of key immune sensors

First-ever compulsory license issuance in India could have implications for HIV medication

Six reasons why Obama's proposal to cut PEPFAR funding should be rejected by Congress

Suspected case of polio under investigation in India, threatens country's eradication efforts

UMDNJ to receive TB biomarkers grant from Gates Foundation

New study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship

Mobile phones could play a valuable role in helping HIV patients to take medication every day

New position paper outlines national approach to antimicrobial stewardship

Fecal transplantation effective treatment for recurrent C. difficile infection

One in four HIV patients have been sexually abused as a child

Largest-ever study of community-wide TB drug prevention did not improve TB control in South African mines

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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