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U.S. flu death predictions more fiction than fact

According to a Harvard University graduate student, U.S. data on influenza death may be more PR than science.

12 Dec 2005

Germany must take action against secondhand smoke

Tobacco smoke in enclosed spaces is not simply a nuisance: it is a threat to health with fatal consequences. This is the conclusion reached by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in its latest publication.

12 Dec 2005

Infections are a major cause of childhood cancer

Results from a new study of childhood cancer statistics provide further evidence that common infections affecting mother and baby could play a key role in triggering certain types of the disease.

12 Dec 2005

SPARC promotes heart muscle formation from stem cells

The protein SPARC plays a key role in the development of heart muscle in the embryo. An Austrian Science Fund FWF project has discovered this previously unknown role of SPARC.

12 Dec 2005

Finding how water channels - aquaporins - open and close may lead to new drugs

Living organisms are dependent on being able to adjust the water content in their cells. This is achieved by regulating the flow of water through the cell membrane.

12 Dec 2005

Botox - other applications

While botulinum toxin A, or BTXA, is widely known for its use in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, a review article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology explores the drug’s other successful applications.

12 Dec 2005

Hospitals a good place to catch bird flu

While U.S. officials continue to urge states and businesses to get ready for an outbreak of serious disease, issuing checklists of preparations, and Congress battles with funding a federal plan before the end of the year, a report has been released that declares that because most U.S. hospitals do not follow good hygiene practices

12 Dec 2005

Is the FDA too influenced by big pharma?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) historically sound reputation could be in jeopardy due to it's possibly too close relationship with the major pharmaceutical companies.

12 Dec 2005

Bird flu would cause serious recession in the U.S.

According to the latest estimates a bird flu pandemic could cost the U.S. economy between $500 billion and $675 billion, and cause a serious recession.

11 Dec 2005

White House tests bird flu drill as death toll reaches 70

White House staff have carried out a set of tests to assess its preparedness for what they warn is an inevitable bird flu pandemic.

11 Dec 2005

Update on the bird flu scenario

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that a 10-year-old girl in the southern Chinese province of Guangxi is the latest human victim of H5N1 avian influenza.

11 Dec 2005

Aussies get $185m injection to fight bird flu

Australians will be reassured by a government boost of $185 million to improve the country's ability to deal with major health emergencies.

11 Dec 2005

Bird flu in Asia - tourists not bothered!

Despite concern on the part of the tour industry, the spread of bird flu in Asia does not appear to be putting tourists off visiting the area.

11 Dec 2005

Hospital "super super bug" stronger than MRSA

According to reports eleven patients at a British hospital have acquired a superbug said to be stronger than MRSA.

11 Dec 2005

Nothing changes - health aid still fails for the poorest

A study by the World Bank into the impact of health programmes aimed at helping the poorest people in developing countries, warns they are more likely to benefit the wealthier groups in their society.

11 Dec 2005

When trouble occurs good samaritans can be relied on to help

How often does that happen - a person appears to be in trouble in a crowded place, but no-one goes to help.

11 Dec 2005

Cancer road map shows how cancer spreads

Scientists at Cornell University in New York have discovered how cancer spreads from a primary site to other places in the body.

11 Dec 2005

Dog gene map may help explain human diseases

U.S. scientists say a detailed analysis of the dog genome answers such questions as how dogs of a different breed still belong to the same species, and may also explain some aspects of human health and biology.

11 Dec 2005

Obese mothers put their kids at risk

According to a new study, children of mothers who are obese before pregnancy or who smoke during pregnancy, have a higher risk of becoming overweight at a very young age.

7 Dec 2005

WHO suspects bird flu may go undetected in China's villages

The World Health Organization (WHO) says there had been no reports of bird flu in the Chinese village where a 10-year-old girl has fallen ill with bird flu, and they are concerned that poultry outbreaks may be going undetected or unreported in China.

7 Dec 2005