Meningitis News and Research

Latest Meningitis News and Research

Child care may affect entire community's risks of infection

Any parent knows how quickly a cold or a cough can spread between children who play together. However, child care may also affect an entire community's carriage of potentially dangerous bacteria known as Streptococcus pneumoniae, according to an article in the April 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

28 Mar 2005

Vaccine against pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease shows promise

A vaccine against pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease, a severe form of bacterial infection, can substantially reduce hospital admissions and improve the survival of children in developing countries, concludes a trial published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

28 Mar 2005

Miami baby possibly USA's 1st case of West Nile virus

West Nile Virus is a flavivirus commonly found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East and is related to the St. Louis encephalitis virus found in the United States. Preliminary tests suggest a 14-month-old baby hospitalized in Miami may be the nation's first case of West Nile virus this year.

22 Mar 2005

African genome research given impetus

Millions of victims in Africa, die each year from preventable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria and researchers say only a relatively small proportion of money is spent on developing vaccines, much more is spent on drugs aimed at tackling diseases more prevalent among rich, Western consumers.

21 Mar 2005

Invasive pneumonia and antibiotic resistance decreased after childhood streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine introduced

The problem of increasing antibiotic resistance in cases of Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis, was dramatically reversed following the licensing and use of a new conjugate vaccine for young children in February 2000, according to research conducted at Emory University, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Georgia Division of Public Health.

21 Mar 2005

Autism and MMR, no link found

Fears that the triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella could cause autism were first raised in 1998 by a gastroenterologist, Andrew Wakefield, his research has been largely discredited. and any lingering doubt of a link between autism and MMR has been completely dispelled by a new study that found withdrawing the vaccine did nothing to slow the rise in children diagnosed with the condition.

3 Mar 2005

Health risks increase in Guyana with leptospirosis

Leptospirosis has become a health concern in Guyana, as the number of cases continues to rise and 43 people were being treated for suspected cases of the bacterial disease, which is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals.

8 Feb 2005

Bacterial spread all down to chance: some strains 'just the luckyones'

Scientists have discovered that factors such as human immunity and drug resistance are less important to the success of bacterial spread than previously thought.

3 Feb 2005

Scientists are a step closer to developing drug targets to treat fungal meningitis

Scientists are a step closer to developing drug targets to treat fungal meningitis -- the infection linked to at least three deaths on Vancouver Island -- thanks to the sequencing of two Cryptococcus genomes by an international team that included researchers at the University of British Columbia and the BC Cancer Agency's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver.

17 Jan 2005

FDA licenses Sanofi pasteur vaccine for protection against meningococcal disease

Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed Menactra (Meningococcal [Groups A, C, Y and W-135] Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine) for protection against meningococcal disease in adolescents and adults aged 11-55 years.

17 Jan 2005

Pilgrimage to Mecca comes with a few medical risks

The Hajj or Haj is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (or, "Makkah") and is the fifth of the "Five Pillars of Islam". Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. Later this month about three million Muslims will gather for this major pilgrimage. But two doctors in this week's BMJ warn that the Hajj carries considerable health risks if the pilgrim is unprepared.

13 Jan 2005

For uncomplicated colds antibiotics are not necessary

If a runny nose and congested chest have you thinking of antibiotics, think again.

3 Jan 2005

Gene therapy effective in helping children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

A UK study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET provides further evidence that gene therapy can be effective in creating a functional immune system for infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

20 Dec 2004

Key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease

Virginia Commonwealth University scientists have made a key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease, a finding that could lead to a vaccine against the tick-borne illness that affects thousands of people each year.

16 Dec 2004

Molecular Achilles heel in the organism that causes pneumonia

Scientists have found a “molecular Achilles heel” in the organism that causes pneumonia, providing a target for the development of a new class of antibiotics that could eventually eradicate the disease.

13 Dec 2004

Early infection in low-birth-weight infants linked with poor neurodevelopmental

Extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants who have an infection during their hospitalization following birth are more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes than those infants who do not have an infection, according to a study in the November 17 issue of JAMA.

17 Nov 2004

Study of infection prevention therapy for premature babies

Whether donated human antibodies can protect premature babies from a common and potentially dangerous bacterial infection is under study at the Medical College of Georgia Children’s Medical Center.

4 Nov 2004

Three additional human cases of West Nile virus in Mississippi

Today the Mississippi Department of Health confirmed three additional human cases of West Nile virus - one in Clay County, one in DeSoto County, and one in Grenada County residents. Health officials also report one additional death that occurred in a previously reported human case from Hinds County.

25 Oct 2004

New method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia

Research at Michigan State University found that a new test that provides a new, quicker method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia in newborns is effective more than 90 percent of the time.

22 Oct 2004

Bactericidal (bacteria-killing) versus bacteriostatic (bacteria-inhibiting) drugs for treating infections

When treating an infection, physicians may face a choice between using a bactericidal (bacteria-killing) drug, a bacteriostatic (bacteria-inhibiting) drug or a combination of the two.

21 Oct 2004

Meningitis News and Research

Latest Meningitis News and Research

Child care may affect entire community's risks of infection

Vaccine against pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease shows promise

Miami baby possibly USA's 1st case of West Nile virus

African genome research given impetus

Invasive pneumonia and antibiotic resistance decreased after childhood streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine introduced

Autism and MMR, no link found

Health risks increase in Guyana with leptospirosis

Bacterial spread all down to chance: some strains 'just the luckyones'

Scientists are a step closer to developing drug targets to treat fungal meningitis

FDA licenses Sanofi pasteur vaccine for protection against meningococcal disease

Pilgrimage to Mecca comes with a few medical risks

For uncomplicated colds antibiotics are not necessary

Gene therapy effective in helping children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)

Key advance in understanding the proteins and mechanisms involved in the spread of Lyme Disease

Molecular Achilles heel in the organism that causes pneumonia

Early infection in low-birth-weight infants linked with poor neurodevelopmental

Study of infection prevention therapy for premature babies

Three additional human cases of West Nile virus in Mississippi

New method for determining the presence of a type of strep that can cause fatal meningitis or pneumonia

Bactericidal (bacteria-killing) versus bacteriostatic (bacteria-inhibiting) drugs for treating infections

Forensics and toxicology - Industry Focus eBook eBook

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

Meningitis News and Research

Latest Meningitis News and Research

Forensics and toxicology - Industry Focus eBook eBook

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

Scaling 3D biology: Automation, imaging, and the future of high-throughput research

How does norepinephrine influence anxiety-related behaviours?

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