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VIDAS TOXO IgG Avidity assay to test for recent Toxoplasma gondii infection receives FDA clearance

On May 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the first test to help determine whether a pregnant woman or a person with swollen lymph nodes testing positive for toxoplasmosis, sometimes known as cat scratch disease, developed the infection within the past four months.

20 May 2011

CSL welcomes historic pandemic agreement

CSL Biotherapies welcomed news overnight of a decision by the World Health Assembly to adopt the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework for the Sharing of Influenza Viruses and Access to Vaccines and Other Benefits. The Framework is the culmination of several years work by a dedicated working group of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and paves the way for greater global collaboration between public and private stakeholders in preparing the world for possible future influenza pandemics.

19 May 2011

AVAC calls on donors, policy makers to strengthen support for AIDS vaccine research

This year HIV Vaccine Awareness Day comes at the dawn of a true prevention revolution that could finally turn the tide of the AIDS epidemic. AIDS vaccine research is a critical part of that revolution and on this day AVAC calls on donors, policy makers and others to strengthen support for AIDS vaccine research.

19 May 2011

People living with HIV/AIDS in China face discrimination when accessing health care, report says

HIV-positive people living in China "are routinely being denied medical treatment in mainstream hospitals due to fear and ignorance about the disease," according to a study based on interviews with 103 people living with HIV/AIDS and 23 health care workers that was conducted by the International Labor Organization and China's National Center for STD and AIDS Prevention and Control, Reuters reports.

19 May 2011

IRIN examines high risk of TB infection among health workers in Kenya

IRIN examines tuberculosis among health care workers in Kenya, where "safety equipment - including protective masks and proper waste disposal facilities - are rarely available in rural centres, something health workers say must be addressed urgently."

19 May 2011

Humanized BLT mice help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission

The more than 2.7 million new HIV infections recorded per year leave little doubt that the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread globally. That's why there's the need for safe, inexpensive and effective drugs to successfully block HIV transmission.

19 May 2011

Global health partnership announces first-, second-line AIDS drugs price reductions in developing world

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, UNITAID, and the U.K.'s Department for International Development "said on Tuesday they had secured price reductions on key AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in poorer countries," Reuters reports.

19 May 2011

Abbott RealTime PCR assay for measuring HCV viral load receives FDA marketing approval

Abbott announced today that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its RealTime PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for measuring the viral load of hepatitis C (HCV), the leading cause of liver cancer in the United States.

19 May 2011

Serpin-2 molecule may be a perfect target for preventing mosquito's immunity

Mosquitoes are becoming more resistant to current pesticides. That's troubling to Kansas State University biologist Kristin Michel, as it means malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases will continue spreading. A recent grant from the National Institutes of Health may change all that.

18 May 2011

Probability of contamination during handshaking could be lower than is commonly perceived

Graduations are a celebration of achievement and growth, but could all the pomp and circumstance increase your risk of exposure to harmful bacteria? A team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the risk of acquiring pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through shaking hands at graduation ceremonies across Maryland.

18 May 2011

Face masks worn by TB patients could cut transmission rates to non-infected patients

Face masks worn by patients infected with tuberculosis (TB) may be able to significantly cut transmission rates to non-infected patients, according to a new study by researchers from the U.S. and South Africa. The study was conducted in a specialized airborne infections research facility in South Africa, which was designed to allow study of methods to control the spread of TB.

18 May 2011

Kool Smiles inaugurates new Takoma Park dental office

Kool Smiles, a leading dental health provider for children and adults, now has opened its doors to additional families in Maryland with a new office location in Takoma Park. Kool Smiles of Takoma Park officially opened on May 2 as the organization continues to expand access to quality dental care for families in underserved communities across the nation.

18 May 2011

Routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs less expensive than ITC to fight dengue

The first-known study comparing costs of routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs and insecticide-treated curtains reveals that the cost of RACP is substantially lower than that of ITC implementation for dengue control and prevention.

18 May 2011

Early rainy season brings cholera to Cameroon's capital

An early rainy season has caused cholera to sweep through Cameroon's capital Yaounde, "causing more than 250 deaths in two months alone, according to the government," AlertNet reports.

18 May 2011

WHO Director-General outlines vision for reform in World Health Assembly opening address

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Monday laid out her vision for reforming the international health agency in the opening address of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, saying she sees "a WHO that gives a bigger voice to the many partners working on health, but encourages them to speak with a coherent voice that responds, first and foremost, to the needs and priorities as defined by recipient countries," Intellectual Property Watch reports.

18 May 2011

Epstein-Barr virus might cause multiple sclerosis, study confirms

The Epstein-Barr (EVB) virus -belonging to the herpesviruses family, which also includes the herpes simplex virus and the cytomegalovirus- is one of the environmental factors that might cause multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting the central nervous system, which causes are unknown.

18 May 2011

TFAH warns about impact of CDC budget cuts on America's future health

The Trust for America's Health warns that cuts to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal public health programs puts America's future health at risk.

18 May 2011

Study finds three-month TB treatment regimen just as effective as standard longer course

"Health officials on Monday celebrated a faster treatment for people who have tuberculosis but aren't infectious, after investigators found a new combination of pills knocks out the disease in three months instead of nine," the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

18 May 2011

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

For the first time, researchers at McMaster University have conclusive evidence that bacteria residing in the gut influence brain chemistry and behaviour.

18 May 2011

New experimental vaccine prevents infection of horses with deadly Hendra virus

CSIRO scientists have shown that a new experimental vaccine helps to protect horses against the deadly Hendra virus. Dr Deborah Middleton from CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) will announce the successful progress to develop the vaccine at the Australian Veterinary Association conference in Adelaide today.

18 May 2011

Disease/Infection News

VIDAS TOXO IgG Avidity assay to test for recent Toxoplasma gondii infection receives FDA clearance

CSL welcomes historic pandemic agreement

AVAC calls on donors, policy makers to strengthen support for AIDS vaccine research

People living with HIV/AIDS in China face discrimination when accessing health care, report says

IRIN examines high risk of TB infection among health workers in Kenya

Humanized BLT mice help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission

Global health partnership announces first-, second-line AIDS drugs price reductions in developing world

Abbott RealTime PCR assay for measuring HCV viral load receives FDA marketing approval

Serpin-2 molecule may be a perfect target for preventing mosquito's immunity

Probability of contamination during handshaking could be lower than is commonly perceived

Face masks worn by TB patients could cut transmission rates to non-infected patients

Kool Smiles inaugurates new Takoma Park dental office

Routine Aedes aegypti mosquito control programs less expensive than ITC to fight dengue

Early rainy season brings cholera to Cameroon's capital

WHO Director-General outlines vision for reform in World Health Assembly opening address

Epstein-Barr virus might cause multiple sclerosis, study confirms

TFAH warns about impact of CDC budget cuts on America's future health

Study finds three-month TB treatment regimen just as effective as standard longer course

Gut bacteria influences brain chemistry and behaviour: Research

New experimental vaccine prevents infection of horses with deadly Hendra virus

How can super-resolution technology help study neurotransmission?

The Proteoform Puzzle: Unlocking the Next Frontier

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

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