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New HIS guidelines to minimize surgical infections in day centers, primary care

New guidelines from the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) aimed at minimising surgical infection in day centers and primary care are now published in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

31 Jan 2012

UNAIDS says Africa must rely less on foreign aid for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention programs

Speaking on Saturday at the African Union Summit, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe said huge advances in HIV treatment and prevention have been made over the past decade in Africa, "but these gains 'are not sustainable,' ... because they are heavily dependent on foreign aid," the Zimbabwean reports.

31 Jan 2012

GRANITE program to aid in development of new TB fighting methods

A Rutgers-Camden professor is using his expertise in computer science to aid in the development of new methods to fight tuberculosis.

31 Jan 2012

Experts to discuss controversial studies on avian flu virus at live event

On February 2 from 6pm to 8pm, the Emerging Infectious Diseases & Microbiology Discussion Group of the New York Academy of Sciences presents Dual Use Research: H5N1 Influenza Virus and Beyond, a discussion between scientists, publishers, and legal experts that will explore the myriad issues surrounding the impending publication of these two studies and measures that will need to be undertaken to ensure the security of future such research.

31 Jan 2012

Abbott, DNDi partner to research on new treatments for NTDs

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and Abbott have signed a four-year joint research and non-exclusive licensing agreement to undertake research on new treatments for several of the world's most neglected tropical diseases, including Chagas disease, helminth infections, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness.

31 Jan 2012

Cook Medical, Cardinal Health partner to distribute CVC procedural kits in North America

Cardinal Health and Cook Medical today announced a two-year, exclusive agreement for the North American distribution of Cook Medical central venous catheter (CVC) sets with Cardinal Health Presource customizable procedural kits ─ providing clinicians with advanced technology the flexibility of customization for their vascular access needs.

31 Jan 2012

Idaho Technology submits FilmArray Respiratory Panel for FDA 510(k) clearance

Technology, Inc. announced today that it has filed a submission with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for 510(k) clearance of five additional respiratory pathogens for its FilmArray Respiratory Panel, a user-friendly Multiplex PCR assay currently FDA cleared for 15 respiratory pathogens.

30 Jan 2012

Bird flu detected in Victoria spurs action

A bird flu outbreak has been detected at two Victorian farms and at least 10,000 ducks will have to be destroyed. The two farms are about 25km apart in an area north of Melbourne, but officials are keeping the exact location private.

30 Jan 2012

Reflecting on Africa's successes, challenges in fight against malaria

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia and the new chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece about Africa's efforts in the fight against malaria.

30 Jan 2012

New HIS guidelines to minimise surgical infection in day centres and primary care

New guidelines from the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) aimed at minimising surgical infection in day centres and primary care are now published in The Journal of Hospital Infection .

30 Jan 2012

Previewing inaugural Malaria Policy Advisory Committee

The Malaria Policy Advisory Committee, convened by the WHO Global Malaria Programme and composed of 15 malaria experts, will hold its first meeting January 31 through February 2 in Geneva, according to this article in Malaria Journal, which is a prelude to a series on the group's policy recommendations and supporting evidence that will be published following each biannual meeting.

30 Jan 2012

NSABB explanation of decision to recommend censoring of bird flu research expected soon

The NIH is expected on February 1 to release a statement explaining how the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) reached a decision late last year to recommend "that two scientific papers describing research that created strains of bird flu potentially transmissible in humans should be published only if key details are omitted," for fear "that terrorists or hostile nations could learn how to cause a pandemic," a New York Times editorial by Philip Boffey, Times science editorial writer, states.

30 Jan 2012

Leprosy pathogen exploits micro-RNAs to weaken immune response

A team of UCLA scientists has found that the pathogen that causes leprosy has a remarkable ability to avoid the human immune system by inhibiting the antimicrobial responses important to our defenses.

30 Jan 2012

Study investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade vaccines

Genetics has provided surprising insights into why vaccines used in both the UK and US to combat serious childhood infections can eventually fail. The study, published today in Nature Genetics, which investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade the vaccines, has implications for how future vaccines can be made more effective.

30 Jan 2012

Researchers describe malarial enzymes responsible for Vitamin B6 biosynthesis with atomic 3D structures

New research by scientists at the University of Southampton could lead to the design of more effective drugs to combat malaria.

30 Jan 2012

Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California hosts 2012 Annual Conference

The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) will host its 2012 Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, California. The top issues being addressed at the conference are a new Clean Water Act permit requirement that may result in mosquito control agencies being unable to provide the same level of protection from vector-borne diseases and the recent infestation of the Asian tiger mosquito in Southern California.

30 Jan 2012

International Roadmap for TB Research outlines priorities

In this post in the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog, guest blogger Christian Lienhardt, senior scientific adviser at the Stop TB Partnership and WHO, "discusses the International Roadmap for Tuberculosis (TB) Research, a framework outlining priority areas for investment in TB research."

30 Jan 2012

Global Health Frontline News examines clean cookstove efforts in Tanzania

Global Health Frontline News (GHFN) reports on efforts to produce and provide clean cookstoves to people in Tanzania.

30 Jan 2012

IGC researcher awarded ERC Advanced Grant for tissue damage study

There is more to fighting infection than just clearing the body of pathogens. As important as resisting infection, is limiting damage to the host's tissue caused, very frequently, by toxins produced by pathogens or by components of the host immune response that clears those pathogens.

30 Jan 2012

Ban calls on business leaders to increase investment in women's education, health at WEF

Speaking at an event organized by the Every Woman Every Child initiative on Thursday, "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [called on] business leaders attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, to increase their investment in women's education and health to ensure their well-being and encourage their participation in the world economy," the U.N. News Centre reports.

30 Jan 2012