Disease/Infection News

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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

Access to, use of sanitation systems cuts odds of worm infection in half, study review shows

When sanitation systems are available and used, the odds of contracting one of a group of diseases, known as soil-transmitted helminths (STH), is cut in half, according to a systemic review and meta-analysis published this week in PLoS Medicine, Examiner.com reports (Herriman, 1/25).

30 Jan 2012

Nanotechnology firm to develop test for handheld biosensors to detect deadly pathogens

A new company formed around Michigan State University nanotechnology promises to move speedy detection of deadly pathogens and toxins from the laboratory directly to the field.

30 Jan 2012

Two initiatives launched at WEF with aim of ending new HIV infections among children by 2015

"Two groundbreaking initiatives, aimed at realistically achieving the once-unthinkable goal of ending new HIV infections among children by the end of 2015, were launched simultaneously at the World Economic Forum's Annual Conference in Davos" on Friday, according to a Business Leadership Council press release.

30 Jan 2012

Researchers study new strategies to treat patients with influenza

Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, University of Georgia researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

30 Jan 2012

Addressing TB prevention, treatment among migrant populations

In this post on USAID's "IMPACTblog," Christina Lau, USAID health officer for Central Asia, discusses tackling tuberculosis in migrant populations, writing, "Most migrants are unable to access the health care system because they are undocumented laborers, who lack proper identification documents required for health care treatment, and who fear deportation if their documentation status becomes known."

30 Jan 2012

HPV transmission via oral sex practices suggests research

A new study suggested that an estimated 7% of American teens and adults carry the human papillomavirus in their mouths. This may help health experts finally understand why rates of mouth and throat cancer have been climbing for nearly 25 years. The evidence additionally makes it clear that oral sex practices play a key role in transmission.

29 Jan 2012

DNA sequencing for difficult diagnoses of mitochondrial diseases may hit clinics soon

Identifying complete DNA sequences could identify difficult-to-diagnose diseases in humans. This concept is being used for the first time in a clinic. MitoExome sequencing uses new technologies known as next-generation sequencing (NGS) to decode all of the genes associated with mitochondria. Mitochondria are a capsule shaped organelle present within the cell. It is the powerhouse of the cell and its genes are inherited completely from the mother.

29 Jan 2012

Prevalence of oral HPV infection more common among men: Study

Oral HPV infection is more common among men than women, explaining why men are more prone than women to develop an HPV related head and neck cancer, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM.

27 Jan 2012

Disease/Infection News

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

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

Previewing inaugural Malaria Policy Advisory Committee

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

Leprosy pathogen exploits micro-RNAs to weaken immune response

Study investigates how bacteria change their disguise to evade vaccines

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

Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California hosts 2012 Annual Conference

International Roadmap for TB Research outlines priorities

Global Health Frontline News examines clean cookstove efforts in Tanzania

IGC researcher awarded ERC Advanced Grant for tissue damage study

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

Access to, use of sanitation systems cuts odds of worm infection in half, study review shows

Nanotechnology firm to develop test for handheld biosensors to detect deadly pathogens

Two initiatives launched at WEF with aim of ending new HIV infections among children by 2015

Researchers study new strategies to treat patients with influenza

Addressing TB prevention, treatment among migrant populations

HPV transmission via oral sex practices suggests research

DNA sequencing for difficult diagnoses of mitochondrial diseases may hit clinics soon

Prevalence of oral HPV infection more common among men: Study

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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