Disease/Infection News

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Nasty new cold virus claims lives across the U.S.

A nasty new version of the virus which causes the common cold is spreading across the United States.

15 Nov 2007

Christmas is coming and so is bird flu!

It is feared that tens of thousands of turkeys will be slaughtered across Britain in efforts to contain the spread of the deadly H5N1 bird flu.

15 Nov 2007

number of cases of most vaccine-preventable diseases is at an all-time low

A comparison of illness and death rates for 13 vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S., before and after use of the vaccine, indicates there have been significant decreases in the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths for each of the diseases examined, according to a study in the November 14 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Nov 2007

Bird flu in Britain prompts culling of Christmas poultry

An outbreak of bird flu on a farm in England has prompted the culling of 5,000 turkeys, 1,000 ducks and 500 geese.

14 Nov 2007

Hidden epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S.

Health experts in the United States say the country has achieved an all-time record for a sexually transmitted disease.

14 Nov 2007

Transplant organs infect patients with HIV and hep C

The cases of four transplant recipients in the U.S. who contracted HIV from a single high-risk organ donor is being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

13 Nov 2007

Deadly bird flu hits Britain

Officials in Britain have confirmed that the bird flu strain detected in turkeys on a farm in Norfolk is the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus

13 Nov 2007

Brazilian experience of AIDS cocktails

AIDS continues to be a staggering global public health problem. The World Health Organization estimates that two million people in developing countries receive treatment known as HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), more commonly known as “AIDS cocktails.”

13 Nov 2007

New genetic lineage of Ebola virus discovered in great apes

The Zaire species of Ebolavirus (ZEBOV) remains the most virulent of the various known species. It alone is responsible for 88% of human deaths from haemorrhagic fever recorded since Ebola's discovery in 1976.

13 Nov 2007

Most UK citizens susceptible to hep B infection

The failure of the UK to introduce universal hepatitis B immunisation means that most UK citizens are susceptible to infection, warns an infectious diseases expert in this week's BMJ.

13 Nov 2007

Early, routine testing for HIV is key to curbing the disease among teens

Half of all new HIV infections in the United States occur among 13 to 24 year olds, but adolescents rarely seek HIV testing. Now, new research from the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center suggests that early and widespread testing - both in schools and community centers - may be the key to effectively curbing the spread of HIV within this age group.

13 Nov 2007

H5 avian influenza found on Suffolk poultry farm

The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has confirmed avian influenza in turkeys on premises near Diss on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Preliminary tests were positive for the H5 strain.

13 Nov 2007

Chicken pox vaccination should be introduced for children in the UK

The only realistic way of preventing deaths and severe complications arising from chickenpox is to routinely vaccinate children against the disease, concludes research published ahead of print in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

13 Nov 2007

Microfluidics chips used to watch worm behavior

They wriggle and turn and explore new territory until they find something edible, and then they stay the course until the food disappears.

13 Nov 2007

Antivirals reduce deaths from flu in hospitalized patients

Adults with influenza infections serious enough to require hospitalization are much less likely to die from the disease if they are given antiviral medications, according to a new study published in the December 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

13 Nov 2007

Health officials to discuss links between commercial sex work, HIV transmission in Baltimore

Health officials from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Baltimore Health Department plan to hold the first in a series of meetings this month to discuss the links between commercial sex work and HIV transmission in an effort to curb the spread of the disease in the Baltimore area, the Baltimore Sun reports (Bor, Baltimore Sun, 11/9).

12 Nov 2007

Members of European Parliament launch Facebook campaign to reduce tax rate on condoms to curb HIV/AIDS in E.U.

Members of the European Parliament from the Socialist Group on Thursday in Brussels launched a campaign on the social networking Web site Facebook to cut tax rates on condoms in an effort to curb increasing HIV/AIDS rates in Europe, the Irish Examiner reports.

12 Nov 2007