Disease/Infection News

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Mosquitoes carrying St. Louis encephalitis and West Nile virus found in Harris County

For the first time since 2003, Harris County's Mosquito Control Division has found mosquitoes carrying St. Louis encephalitis in Houston.

8 Jun 2005

Hospital with superbug was given lowest infection-control rating last year

The NHS Trust Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which is presently at the centre of a superbug scandal, was given the lowest infection-control rating in a recent set of NHS performance indicators.

8 Jun 2005

Tuberculosis now a worldwide threat

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says that Tuberculosis (TB) is on the rise throughout the world and new cases among immigrant populations demands increased attention and funding.

7 Jun 2005

12 deaths creates new infection scare in UK hospitals

There have been some 300 cases of Clostridium difficile in 18 months at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Aylesbury, Bucks, a national centre for spinal injury, and it is thought that the infection was an "actual or probable" factor in 12 deaths in that time.

6 Jun 2005

MRSA study demonstrates need for frequent hand washing and environmental disinfection in health care settings

A major cause of hospital-acquired infections can persist for days and even weeks on environmental surfaces found in healthcare settings, including bed linens, computer keyboard covers and acrylic fingernails

6 Jun 2005

Researchers discover quick new way that mosquitoes can pass West Nile virus to each other

The new study challenges fundamental assumptions about the virus' transmission cycle and may help explain why it spread so rapidly across North America despite experts' predictions that it would progress more slowly or even die out.

6 Jun 2005

Vaccine against Ebola and Marburg successful in trial with monkeys

Scientists from Canada, the United States and France have developed the first vaccine to protect monkeys against Ebola and Marburg viruses.

6 Jun 2005

West Nile Virus - Ohio will spray mosquito breeding grounds

West Nile Virus (WNV), is proving to be more of a health worry than may have been initially thought especially in Lucas County - Ohio.

6 Jun 2005

Scientists develop vaccines against the Ebola and Marburg viruses

Scientists from the Public Health Agency of Canada - with assistance from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases - have developed vaccines against the Ebola and Marburg viruses that have been shown to be effective in non-human primates.

5 Jun 2005

UN warns of the losing battle in world AIDS fight

UN officials are saying that their goal of containing the AIDS pandemic by 2015 may now be unrealistic because the spread of the disease is outpacing the efforts of many countries to prevent it.

5 Jun 2005

Progress on HIV/AIDS significant but insufficient

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today shared his hope with a gathering of senior world officials at Headquarters that the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS would have heralded a response that matched the epidemic’s scale, yet progress had been “significant but insufficient”.

3 Jun 2005

Immunising against influenza

New Zealanders who were immunised against influenza last year are likely to have some protection against the current influenza viruses hitting schools around the country.

2 Jun 2005

Survey reveals more than half of all Americans have first-hand experience with serious infections

A national survey sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) to assess consumer awareness of serious infections found a majority of consumers (66 percent) have either heard or read about the problem of antibiotic resistance in treating serious infections.

2 Jun 2005

Genesis Bioventures signs agreement for control of Mad Cow diagnostic company

Further to a Letter of Intent previously reported, Genesis Bioventures today announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with Efoora Inc. and Prion Developmental Laboratories, Inc. to buy all of Efoora's majority interest shares owned or pledged in PDL thereby gaining controlling interest of PDL. A Form 8-K has been filed with the SEC in this regard. Prior to the Agreement, GBI had one-third equity interest in PDL.

1 Jun 2005

Study of MRSA bloodstream infections in children

The UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA) is to begin a study reviewing bloodstream infections in children caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

1 Jun 2005

African HIV subtypes identified in Minnesota

Public health researchers in Minnesota recently identified 83 persons infected with subtypes of HIV-1 that are not common in the United States, according to a report published in the June 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

31 May 2005

Indonesia vaccinates millions against polio

In an attempt to eradicate an outbreak of polio, Health officials in Indonesia will vaccinate millions of children this week. The vaccination programme is a massive response by the government to try to stamp Indonesia's first outbreak of polio in a decade.

31 May 2005