Meningitis News and Research

Latest Meningitis News and Research

Schoolies warned that after-effects of drinking or drug-taking could disguise the start of meningococcal disease

Following reports that an 18-year-old student celebrating 'schoolies' week on Queensland's Gold Coast has been hospitalised with meningococcal disease, health officials have warned schoolies that the after-effects of drinking or drug-taking could disguise the onset of the disease.

26 Nov 2008

Australian scientists discover a way to stop meningitis

Australian scientists have discovered a bacteria which could stop meningitis - the scientists at the University of Western Australia believe their discovery will help researchers understand how the meningitis bacteria infects cells and could lead to the prevention of infections such as meningitis.

25 Nov 2008

Scientists discover new cause of fatal brain injury from acute viral meningitis

In a November 16 advance, online publication of the journal Nature, the researchers say their discovery revamps common beliefs about how such potentially lethal infections may be ravaging the brain and suggests the possibility of new treatments.

17 Nov 2008

U.S. 'super bugs' invading several Colombian cities

Two clones of highly antibiotic-resistant organism strains, which previously had only been identified in the United States, are now causing serious sickness and death in several Colombian cities including the capital Bogota, say researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

12 Nov 2008

10 symptoms that should never be ignored

Not every ache and pain merits a quick trip to the doctor -- but some do.

6 Nov 2008

Most adults not up to date on their vaccinations

Most adults are not up to date on their vaccinations, says a new report from Harvard Medical School.

5 Nov 2008

Memory function varies after damage to key area of the brain

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered dramatic differences in the memory performance of patients with damage to the hippocampus, an area of the human brain key to memory.

23 Oct 2008

Google.org helps identify future disease hot spots

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, has announced grants of more than $14 million to support partners working in Southeast Asia and Africa to prevent the next pandemic.

21 Oct 2008

Better TB vaccine in the pipeline

Scientists in the U.S. believe they have a vaccine in the pipeline that offers better protection from tuberculosis (TB).

20 Oct 2008

Hand, foot and mouth disease in China kills 3 children and sickens over 100 others

In the latest health scare in China three children have died from hand, foot and mouth disease and another 110 are sick - this is China's second outbreak of the virus this year in young children.

20 Oct 2008

Mumps making a comeback in Australia

Experts are concerned that mumps, once a thing of the past, may be making a comeback in Australia and they are blaming it on the absence of proper vaccinations during childhood.

20 Oct 2008

FDA approves new labeling for psoriasis drug Raptiva

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced labeling changes, including a Boxed Warning, to highlight the risks of life-threatening infections, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), with the use of Raptiva (efalizumab). The labeling changes are based on the FDA's post-market surveillance.

19 Oct 2008

Steroids aid recovery from pneumonia, UT Southwestern researchers say

Adding corticosteroids to traditional antimicrobial therapy might help people with pneumonia recover more quickly than with antibiotics alone, UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists have found.

14 Oct 2008

Simple blood test could help detect serious bacterial infections in babies

A simple blood test may help detect serious bacterial infections (SBIs) like urinary tract infections and blood stream infections in young infants who come to the emergency department (ED) with fevers that have no clear cause.

6 Oct 2008

Coles contaminated chicken recalled in four states

The discovery that packs of pre-sliced chicken sold by the supermarket chain Coles were contaminated with listeria, has prompted a recall of the product from stores in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland and Coles Online.

23 Sep 2008

New marker for raised intracranial pressure

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of the thickness of the optic nerve sheath are a good marker for raised intracranial pressure (ICP).

10 Sep 2008

Catching the blood cell bus gives fatal yeast infection a clean getaway

Yeast fungus cells that kill thousands of AIDS patients every year escape detection by our bodies' defences by hiding inside our own defence cells, and hitch a ride through our systems before attacking and spreading, scientists heard today (Tuesday 9 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's 163rd meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin.

8 Sep 2008