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Polio: Myanmar plans vaccination campaign after confirming first new case in three years; India fights disease in rural areas

UNICEF said that Myanmar is planning a mass polio vaccination campaign of children under age five after the country confirmed its first case of the disease in three years, Agence France-Presse reports.

24 Feb 2011

Mass polio vaccination campaigns in Burma and Sudan

After a seven-month-old baby was diagnosed with polio, Myanmar is planning a mass polio vaccination said the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF revealed that just one case is enough to trigger an “emergency response”, and health officials promptly vaccinated 10,000 children in the Mandalay region, central Myanmar, after the illness was first suspected in December 2010.

23 Feb 2011

Finally! A vaccine against Dengue

Scientists from Thailand have successfully produced the world’s first dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine and will allow the private sector improve it for the effective treatment of patients. The Thailand Ministry of Science and Technology has introduced the world’s first live attenuated dengue hemorrhagic fever vaccine.

23 Feb 2011

Study results of NanoViricides anti-dengue drug candidates presented at NIH/NIAID sponsored conference

NanoViricides, Inc.announced today that Anil R. Diwan, PhD, President of the Company, gave a presentation on Friday, February 18th, that discussed the Company's anti-viral technology and more specifically, results from both in-vitro and in-vivo studies of its drug candidates against dengue virus infections that can potentially cause a fatal manifestation, viz. dengue hemorrhagic fever.

23 Feb 2011

Pharmacelsus participates in FLUCURE project to develop novel therapeutics against influenza

Pharmacelsus GmbH announces its participation in the 4 year multi-national research cooperation project "FLUCURE" supported by the European Union with the goal of developing novel, small molecule based therapeutics for respiratory diseases caused by influenza viruses.

23 Feb 2011

Antiepileptic drugs could make HIV drugs less effective

A Michigan State University researcher is looking to uncover the risks of treating seizures in HIV-positive patients, providing much-needed data on possible interactions between antiepileptic drugs and antiretroviral medicines that potentially could make HIV drugs less effective or the disease itself drug resistant.

23 Feb 2011

Haiti's cholera outbreak has plateaued, death rate remains high in rural regions, U.N. says

The U.N. on Friday said Haiti's cholera outbreak appears to be waning overall, but high death rates from the virus in rural regions of the country remain a concern, the Associated Press reports. According to figures released by the Haitian government, 231,070 cholera cases and 4,549 deaths from the disease have been reported since the outbreak first emerged in October.

23 Feb 2011

Biochemist receives STAC grant to find treatment for C. albicans infection in premature infants

A $200,000 grant from the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council is helping a Bryant University biochemist find a treatment for a fungal infection that is often lethal to premature infants.

23 Feb 2011

New DNA technology to study cystic fibrosis 'superbug' during infection

The bacterium, called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is the most common cause of persistent and fatal lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Scientists at Liverpool identified a particularly virulent strain of the bacteria that is transmissible between patients. The Liverpool Epidemic Strain (LES), referred to as a cystic fibrosis 'superbug', can cause aggressive infection and results in progressive lung decline.

23 Feb 2011

Tifacogin administration shows no treatment benefit in patients with severe CAP

Use of the blood clot-inhibiting medication tifacogin does not appear to improve outcomes of patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia, according to a study conducted by researchers from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The drug had shown some potential benefit in the sCAP subgroup of an earlier trial involving sepsis patients.

23 Feb 2011

New nanoparticle can help develop vaccines against HIV, malaria

MIT engineers have designed a new type of nanoparticle that could safely and effectively deliver vaccines for diseases such as HIV and malaria.

23 Feb 2011

'Day on Deadly Killers'

Experts from Europe, the US and Asia will present their research results and discuss how new therapeutical approaches against infectious diseases may look like.

22 Feb 2011

Researcher finds antibiotic in Eastern Red Cedar tree effective against MRSA

Most people would never suspect that a "trash tree," one with little economic value and often removed by farmers due to its ability to destroy farmland, could be the key to fighting a deadly bacterium. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found an antibiotic in the Eastern Red Cedar tree that is effective against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a "superbug" that is resistant to most medications.

22 Feb 2011

Novartis FLUAD seasonal flu vaccine for older adults receives Health Canada approval

Health Canada has approved FLUAD, a Novartis seasonal flu vaccine for adults 65 years and older. Canadian seniors are the hardest hit of all age groups by seasonal influenza and account for 90 per cent of influenza deaths and 70 per cent of hospitalizations.

22 Feb 2011

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

A fatal and severe form of mosquito borne viral brain infection has been detected in the Riverina Murray region of New South Wales. Murray Valley encephalitis has affected sentinel chicken flocks in the northern Victorian towns of Mildura, Robinvale, Kerang and Barmah as well in the New South Wales town of Tooleybuc, near Swan Hill. The virus has not been diagnosed in a Victorian for 37 years said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie. He said although the virus had not been detected in a human, Victorians living along the Murray River should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

22 Feb 2011

Old folk remedy revived: How Tansy may be a treatment for herpes

For centuries tansy has been used as a folk remedy, but now scientists from Britain and Spain believe the plant may have medical benefits after all, as a treatment for herpes. The team’s findings, published in Phytotherapy Research, are the result of joint work between two teams to established scientific evidence for traditional medicines.

22 Feb 2011

Why are Chlamydia and HPV major public health problems?

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Europe. Rates in sexually active young people are commonly between 5% and 10%. The number of diagnosed cases is increasing in many European countries, in part due to increased testing and the use of more sensitive tests.

22 Feb 2011

Vical extends relationship with U.S. NMRC for emerging disease vaccine platform

Vical Incorporated announced today that the company has extended its relationship with the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center to develop its platform technology for the rapid development and production of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases.

22 Feb 2011

FDA approves OraSure's rapid antibody test to detect HCV

OraSure Technologies, Inc. announced today that its OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test has now been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in detecting HCV antibodies with a fingerstick whole blood sample.

22 Feb 2011

Scientists believe plant extracts may have medical benefits to treat herpes

For centuries tansy has been used as a folk remedy, but now scientists from Britain and Spain believe the plant may have medical benefits after all, as a treatment for herpes. The team's findings, published in Phytotherapy Research, are the result of joint work between two teams to established scientific evidence for traditional medicines.

22 Feb 2011