Disease/Infection News

RSS

IPS interviews head of Cuban research team working to develop dengue vaccine

Inter Press Service interviews Maria Guadalupe Guzman, head of the Pedro Kouri Institute (IPK) Department of Virology and director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for the Study of Dengue and its Vector, who is leading of a team of Cuban researchers working to develop a vaccine against dengue.

17 Nov 2011

TNF inhibitors may minimally increase risk of serious infections

Biologic drugs have revolutionized treatment of autoimmune diseases during the past decade despite belief there is an increased risk for serious infections from using them. But new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics reveals that a class of biologics called tumor necrosis factor antagonists, or TNF inhibitors, may only minimally increase risk compared to more traditional therapies.

17 Nov 2011

Cholera outbreak hits Kenya's largest refugee camp

"Cholera has broken out in the world's largest refugee camp in Kenya, home to nearly 500,000 Somali refugees, the United Nations said on Tuesday," Reuters reports.

17 Nov 2011

WSU researchers to study novel antibiotic that may treat VRE infection

The bacteria Enterococcus can cause infections that typically target the digestive tract or bowel; if the bacteria spread, an abdominal abscess or urinary infection could result. Enterococcus also can invade the bloodstream, leading to meningitis, pneumonia or endocarditis - an infection of the heart valve.

17 Nov 2011

Malawi government addressing drug, medical supply shortages in wake of aid withdrawals

As international donors "remain reluctant to release aid meant for the health sector" in Malawi "amid allegations of pilfering and corruption in the procurement of drugs," "patients seeking medical treatment at government-run medical facilities are unable to access medication such as antiretrovirals (ARVs), anti-malarial drugs and even painkillers," Inter Press Service reports, adding, "Health facilities are also experiencing a shortage of medical equipment such as gloves, and malaria and HIV/AIDS testing kits."

17 Nov 2011

Austerity measures in Europe may cause rise in drug-related HIV infections, report says

"Austerity measures brought in to tackle Europe's economic crisis may cause a rise in drug-related HIV infections as stretched health services struggle to cope, the E.U.'s narcotics agency said on Tuesday," Reuters reports.

17 Nov 2011

New collaboration enables information sharing to aid in development of TB drug candidates

In this post in the Global Health Technologies Coalition's "Breakthroughs" blog, Heather Ignatius, senior policy manager for the TB Alliance, writes that while "the most recent WHO TB Control report noted that rates of tuberculosis (TB) declined this past year for the first time in decades, ... TB remains one of the most devastating global health crises today, with ripple effects that extend beyond health to cripple prosperity and development of regions overwhelmed by the disease."

17 Nov 2011

The story of E. coli

It has been the cause of infamous international foodborne disease outbreaks and yet it is the most studied bacterium in science, an essential part of the human digestive tract, and a backbone of the biotech industry.

16 Nov 2011

Study detects contrasting patterns of malaria drug resistance in humans, mosquitoes

A study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and their Zambian colleagues detected contrasting patterns of drug resistance in malaria-causing parasites taken from both humans and mosquitoes in rural Zambia.

16 Nov 2011

First clinical trial of dapivirine-maraviroc ring to treat HIV in women

In the first clinical trial of a vaginal ring combining two antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, researchers from the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) are collaborating with the International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) to evaluate whether the ring is safe for use in women.

16 Nov 2011

High school health classes fail to endorse safe sex habits

High school health classes fail to help students refuse sexual advances or endorse safe sex habits when teachers focus primarily on testing knowledge, a new study reveals.

16 Nov 2011

NIAID's ACTG and TB Alliance partner to complete moxifloxacin Phase III trial

The TB Alliance announces the launch of a collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' (NIAID) AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) to conduct and help complete a Phase III clinical trial testing potentially faster-acting tuberculosis (TB) treatments.

16 Nov 2011

Poor communities, not just poor countries, affected by NTDs

In this Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases "End the Neglect" blog post, Alanna Shaikh, an expert in health consulting and writer for U.N. Dispatch, examines the burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the developed world, highlighting findings from an article published in PLoS in July looking at Europe's NTD burden.

16 Nov 2011

PEPFAR's commitment to eliminating gender-based violence

In anticipation of the Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, a campaign which starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, Daniela Ligiero, senior adviser for gender at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator, reports on PEPFAR's commitment to address gender-based violence in this post in the Department of State's "DipNote" blog.

16 Nov 2011

Health of millions of children in East Asia, Pacific at risk due to climate change, UNICEF report says

"Climate change is expected to worsen the plight of millions of children in East Asia and the Pacific who already lack food and clean water and are vulnerable to disease, ... UNICEF said Monday ... in its report 'Children's vulnerabilities to climate change and disaster impacts in East Asia and the Pacific,'" AlertNet reports.

16 Nov 2011

Study: Pneumonia the most common serious infection post-heart surgery

Pneumonia - not a deep incision surgical site infection - is the most common serious infection after heart surgery, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

16 Nov 2011

Researchers to begin drug development projects for rare and neglected diseases

Researchers will begin drug development projects for rare and neglected diseases that include potential treatments for a musculoskeletal disorder, a cognitive dysfunction disorder, a virus that affects the central nervous system of newborns, a parasitic worm infection, a form of muscular dystrophy and a rare lung disease.

16 Nov 2011

IAVI policy brief examines HIV vaccine funding

A new policy brief from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) "summarizes data on HIV vaccine R&D funding trends originally published by the HIV Vaccines and Microbicides Resource Tracking Working Group in 2011," according to the IAVI website.

16 Nov 2011

Mayo Clinic receives $1.25M CDC grant for HIV eCurriculum project

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded Mayo Clinic a $1.25 million grant to develop online medical education in Ethiopia.

16 Nov 2011

Some public health experts raise concerns over plans to immunize Haitians against cholera, AP reports

The Associated Press/Washington Times reports on a pilot project plan by Partners In Health (PIH) and GHESKIO to vaccinate Haitians against cholera, which "has set off a debate among some public health experts who question the wisdom of the program that will inoculate only one percent of the population and could deplete the world's stock of available cholera vaccine, potentially putting people at risk in other vulnerable places."

16 Nov 2011