MedWorm: Infectious Diseases

Education program cuts antibiotic dispensing in primary care

MedWire News - Infectious Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:48:34 +0100

An educational program successfully reduced the rate of antibiotic dispensing in primary care, UK research published in the British Medical Journal shows. (Source: MedWire News - Infectious Diseases)

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e-HAP Direct: Dear Colleague Letter

CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:47:11 +0100

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). The theme for this observance day, “I Am My Brother/Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS!” holds much significance as we reflect on opportunities to bring an end to the spread of HIV in the United States. (Source: CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention)

'Untreatable' Gonorrhea Looms, CDC Warns

MedPage Today Infectious Disease — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:43:05 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- Gonorrhea is putting up increasing resistance to the last antibiotic class highly effective against it, the CDC has again warned. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)

Drugs Not Equal Against Bladder Infection (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Infectious Disease — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:56:08 +0100

(MedPage Today) -- For uncomplicated bladder infections, cefpodoxime (Vantin) may may not be a good antibiotic alternative to the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin, a randomized trial suggested. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)

International Program Highlight: Visits Highlight the Importance of CDC’s Influenza Activities in India

CDC Flu updates — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:57:00 +0100

In August 2011, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden visited India and saw firsthand CDC’s important work. Dr. Frieden returned with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius in January 2012 to learn more about CDC’s collaborations around influenza surveillance and research in India. (Source: CDC Flu updates)

UTIs -- Look at the Big PictureUTIs -- Look at the Big Picture

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:29:53 +0100

Bill Jarvis, MD, describes a new study on UTI surveillance and urges us to consider both ICU and non-ICU infections, as well as UTIs both related and not related to catheters. Medscape Infectious Diseases (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Uganda: Naton Makes New Aids Drug

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:15:37 +0100

[New Vision] Quality Chemicals, a Ugandanbased pharmaceutical company, will next month start producing a new anti-retroviral(ARV) drug, Tenofovir. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Zimbabwe: Majority Living With HIV/Aids Are in Unions - Report

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:27:21 +0100

[The Herald] THE majority of people living with HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe are in unions, a recent report compiled by stakeholders involved in HIV and Aids work has said. The report, which is the first of its kind to be conducted in the country, is meant to update Zimbabwe's evidence base for the formulation of the Zimbabwe National Aids Strategic Plan (ZNASP) 2011-2015, and to look back and learn from what has been achieved. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Angola: Students, Teachers Urged to Join Sensitisation on HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:55:28 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - Teachers and students were urged to join sensitisation and monitoring rogrammes on serious endemic diseases, such as hiv/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis, ANGOP has learnt. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Have You Heard, February 7, 2012: CDC Recommendations for Influenza Antiviral Medications Remain Unchanged

CDC Flu updates — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:57:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

Namibia: Longest HIV Survivor Rides Through Erongo

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:51:22 +0100

[Namibian] THE longest known survivor of HIV in the world, Andre van Zijl (62) of South Africa, visited the coast recently to speak to high school learners about HIV and abstinence. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Avian influenza – situation in Viet Nam - update

WHO Disease Outbreaks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced a confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. (Source: WHO Disease Outbreaks)

In Hospitals, Transmission Of Clostridium Difficile May Not Be Through Contact With Infected Patients

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Contrary to current convention by which infection with the organism Clostridium difficile is regarded as an infection that is acquired by contact with symptomatic patients known to be infected with C. difficile, these may account for only a minority of new cases of the infection. These findings are important as they indicate that C. difficile infection, which can be fatal especially in older people, may not be effectively controlled by current hospital infection strategies... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Electron-Beam Irradiation Reduces Virus-Related Health Risk In Lettuce, Spinach

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

A team of scientists studying the effects of electron-beam irradiation on iceberg lettuce and spinach has had its research published in the February issue of the leading microbiology journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, said the study's lead investigator. The study quantified the theoretical health-risk reduction from virus-related foodborne illness through the use of electron-beam irradiation. "The purpose of this study was twofold," said Dr. Suresh Pillai, director for the National Center for Electron Beam Research at Texas A&M University in College Station... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

New Insight Into 2011 E. coli Outbreaks In Europe Provided By Whole-Genome Sequencing

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Using whole-genome sequencing, a team led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the Broad Institute has traced the path of the E. coli outbreak that sickened thousands and killed over 50 people in Germany in summer 2011 and also caused a smaller outbreak in France. It is one of the first uses of genome sequencing to study the dynamics of a food-borne outbreak and provides further evidence that genomic tools can be used to investigate future outbreaks and provide greater insight into the emergence and spread of infectious diseases... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Zimbabwe: 10 Facts on Malaria

AllAfrica News: Malaria — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:34:05 +0100

[The Herald] About 3,3 billion people - half of the world's population - are at risk of malaria. Every year, this leads to about 250 million malaria cases and nearly one million deaths. People living in the poorest countries are the most vulnerable. (Source: AllAfrica News: Malaria)

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Anthrax Susceptibility Varies Between Individuals

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Susceptibility to anthrax toxin is a heritable genetic trait that may vary tremendously among individuals, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Among 234 people studied, the cells of three people were virtually insensitive to the toxin, while the cells of some people were hundreds of times more sensitive than those of others. The findings may have important implications for national security, as people known to be more resistant to anthrax exposure could be effective first-line responders in times of crises... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

The Latest Developments Of Specific-Spectrum, Anti-Staphyloccal Agents Using In-vitro, In-vivo And Human Clinical Data, 5-6 March 2012, London

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Now in its 14th year, Superbugs & Superdrugs is a well established antibacterial event that promises to be the perfect forum for networking and problem solving with senior industry executives from the pharmaceutical sector. The event will be held on the 5&6 of March at the Copthorne Tara Hotel, London and will be made up of case-study focused presentations, highlighting success stories and lessons to be learnt... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

A large, population-based study of age-related associations between vaginal pH and human papillomavirus infection

BMC Infectious Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

We examined vaginal pH and the risk of HPV infection, cytological abnormalities, and C. trachomatis infection. Methods: Our study included 9,165 women aged 18-97 at enrollment with a total of 28,915 visits (mean length of follow-up = 3.4 years). Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationship between vaginal pH and HPV infection (both overall and single versus multiple types) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), the cytomorphic manifestation of HPV infection. The relationship between enrollment vaginal pH and C. trachomatis infection was assessed by logistic regression. Results were stratified by age at visit. Results: Detection of HPV was positively associated with vaginal pH, mainly in women (Source: BMC Infectious Diseases)

Group B streptococcal carriage, serotype distribution and antibiotic susceptibilities in pregnant women at the time of delivery in a refugee population on the Thai - Myanmar border

BMC Infectious Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: GBS carriage is not uncommon in pregnant women living on the Thai-Myanmar border with a large range of serotypes represented. (Source: BMC Infectious Diseases)

Is a single dose of meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine sufficient for protection? Experience from the Netherlands

BMC Infectious Diseases — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

DiscussionSince 2001, the MenC conjugate vaccine has been implemented in the Netherlands by offering a single dose to all children aged 14 months. Prior to the introduction of the vaccine into the national immunisation programme, a catch-up vaccination campaign was initiated in which a single dose of the MenC conjugate vaccine was offered to all children aged from 14 months up to and including 18 years. Since then, there has been no report of any case of MenC disease among immunocompetent vaccinees. Administration of a single dose of MenC conjugate vaccine after infancy could be beneficial considering the already complex immunisation schedules with large numbers of vaccinations in the first year of life. The present paper deals with the advantages and critical aspects of a single dose of t...

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Human Plasmodium knowlesi infection in Ranong province, southwestern border of Thailand

Malaria Journal — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Plasmodium knowlesi infection in humans along the southwestern border of Thailand, including interesting discussion on the possible changes in epidemiology. (Source: Malaria Journal)

The magnitude and trend of artemether-lumefantrine stock-outs at public health facilities in Kenya

Malaria Journal — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

A paper which helps to understand how supply is organized from central to peripheral level, and how this might affect the supply of peripheral units. (Source: Malaria Journal)

High IFN-gamma and TNF production by peripheral NK cells of Colombian patients with different clinical presentation of Plasmodium falciparum

Malaria Journal — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The paper adds to our knowledge of field-based, clinically oriented, NK cell subsets and cytokine production related to malarial innate immunity. (Source: Malaria Journal)

Big Drop in Americans’ Blood Level of Trans Fats, CDC Says

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

New findings focus on whites but studies on other groups underway (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

RCT: Fidaxomicin versus vancomycin for Clostridium difficile infection

NeLM - News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases Area: News This double-blind, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial compared the efficacy and safety of oral fidaxomicin and oral vancomycin for the treatment of patients with Clostridium difficile (C difficile) infection in 45 sites across Europe, Canada, and the USA. Eligible patients, aged 16 years or older with acute, toxin-positive C difficile infection were randomised to fidaxomicin (n=270; 200 mg every 12 h) or vancomycin (n=265; 125 mg every 6 h) for 10 days. Non-inferiority was prespecified with a margin of 10%. Modified intention-to-treat (mITT) and per-protocol populations were analysed. The primary endpoint was clinical cure, defined as resolution of diarrhoea (three or fewer unformed bowel movements per da...

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Women's HIV Disclosure to Family and Friends

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:00:54 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

Imported Human Rabies -- New Jersey, 2011Imported Human Rabies -- New Jersey, 2011

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

What are some of the signs that clinicians should look for when they suspect a case of rabies in a patient? This new report explains. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Closing schools during pandemic effective

Health News - UPI.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:40:31 +0100

HAMILTON, Ontario, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Closing schools is effective in slowing the spread of infectious disease and should be considered during pandemic outbreaks, researchers in Canada suggest. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

New Meningitis Vaccine Works in Infants: Study

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0100

If licensed, it would protect babies from a strain of bacterium that can cause serious disease (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

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Cefpodoxime No Match for Ciprofloxacin in Acute CystitisCefpodoxime No Match for Ciprofloxacin in Acute Cystitis

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:00:41 +0100

Cefpodoxime for 3 days failed to measure up to 3 days of ciprofloxacin in treating women with acute cystitis in a randomized controlled trial. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

National Influenza Vaccination Disparities Partnership, February Newsletter, PDF

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:34:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

Terrence Higgins Trust launches free course to help gay men get the most out of sex

Terrence Higgins Trust — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:49:31 +0100

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is launching two free sexual health workshops for gay and bisexual men in the West Midlands during March. The workshops, called ‘Curious Cupid’ and ‘Sex Toy Story’, aim to fill any gaps in knowledge that men might have when it comes to safer sex and sexual health. Both sessions are free, confidential and will take place at Terrence Higgins Trust’s centre in Coventry. ‘Curious Cupid’ will be held on Thursday 15 March from 6.45pm - 9pm and ‘Sex Toy Story’ on Thursday 29 March from 6.45pm - 9pm. Both sessions will be followed by a chance for men to socialise and receive further information and advice on Terrence Higgins Trust’s services and support. Sex education in schools and colleges is not consistent, and few cou...

Substantial Multiclass Transmitted Drug Resistance and Drug-Relevant Polymorphisms Among Treatment-Naïve Behaviorally HIV-Infected Youth

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:19 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

Flu Warning Signs That Need Medical Care Right Away (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

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Flu: Medicine Safety and Children (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:25:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

How to Know if You Have the Flu: Flu Symptoms (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:24:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

Misconceptions about Flu and the Flu Vaccine (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0100

Dr. Joe Bresee addresses questions and misconceptions about the flu and the flu vaccine. (Source: CDC Flu updates)

Flu Vaccine Information for Pregnant Women and Children (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:19:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

Drug Shortages for Infectious Diseases Are IncreasingDrug Shortages for Infectious Diseases Are Increasing

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:12:28 +0100

A new study shows a rising number of drugs for infectious diseases that are in short supply, with serious consequences. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Answers to Common Questions about the Flu Vaccine (streaming video)

CDC Flu updates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:12:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

Southern Africa: New President for HIV Clinicians Society

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:30:01 +0100

[Health-e] The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society has appointed a new President, Dr Francesca Conradie. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Congo-Kinshasa: Future Bleak for Aids Patients

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:13 +0100

[RNW Africa] Kinshasa - According to an alarming report published by nongovernmental organisation Doctors Without Borders (DWB), 85% of AIDS patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) do not have access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Human Dirofilaria repens Infection in Romania: A Case Report

Journal of Nanomaterials — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:50:03 +0100

We present one of the few known cases of human dirofilariasis caused by D. repens in Romania. The patient developed unusual and severe clinical manifestations that mimicked pathological conditions like cellulitis or deep venous thrombosis. (Source: Journal of Nanomaterials)

Angola: Parents Urged to Fight Against Polio

AllAfrica News: Polio — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:42:44 +0100

[ANGOP] Kwanhama - Parents were urged on Tuesday in Kwanhama district, southern Cunene province, to take their children to vaccination posts, so as to fight poliomyelitis. (Source: AllAfrica News: Polio)

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Nigeria: Bauchi to Reduce Malaria Deaths By 50 Percent By 2013

AllAfrica News: Malaria — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:34:50 +0100

[Daily Trust] Bauchi - The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis/Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA) has pledged to curtail the incidence of malaria and reduce deaths caused by the illness by 50 per cent in the state by the year 2013. (Source: AllAfrica News: Malaria)

Nigeria: Malaria, Bigger Killer Than Envisaged - Study

AllAfrica News: Malaria — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:26:42 +0100

[Vanguard] EVEN though it is already established as one of the world's leading killer disorders, the global death toll from malaria is much higher than envisaged, new data has revealed. A study funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation found that in 2010, malaria grossed a total of 1.2 million deaths worldwide, almost twice other estimates. (Source: AllAfrica News: Malaria)

Uganda: Soaring in Business Despite HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:17:42 +0100

[EA Business] Kampala - HIV positive women feel frustrated only because they lack the right counselors. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

As A Control Measure During Pandemic Outbreaks, School Closures Should Be Considered

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Closing elementary and secondary schools can help slow the spread of infectious disease and should be considered as a control measure during pandemic outbreaks, according to a McMaster University led study. Using high-quality data about the incidence of influenza infections in Alberta during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, the researchers show that when schools closed for the summer, the transmission of infection from person to person was sharply reduced... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Africa: Continent Needs U.S. $4 Billion to Bridge Global Fund Shortfall

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:20:34 +0100

[East African] Africa requires at least $12 billion for its HIV/Aids response in the next three years to stem the scourge, although this financial injection is threatened as donors hold back due to mismanagement of funds. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Zimbabwe: Clinic Card Crucial to Health

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:13:34 +0100

[The Herald] A Zambian nurse told her brothers on the night she died to return a 21-year-old boy that she had stolen from a mother in Zimbabwe at birth. The mother from Chiweshe was reunited with her son after two decades because she had failed to travel with her clinic card to Harare. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Insomnia

MedicineNet Hepatitis C General — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Title: InsomniaCategory: Diseases and ConditionsCreated: 6/6/2005Last Editorial Review: 2/7/2012 (Source: MedicineNet Hepatitis C General)

Angola: Education Ministry Concerned About HIV/Aids Spread

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50:59 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - Angolan Education minister, Mpinda Simão, said Monday that the relentless HIV/AIDS spread is becoming a serious problem to his sector, leading to its insertion into educative reform. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Angola: Education Ministry Points Out Plans for Combat HIV/Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:32:10 +0100

[ANGOP] Luanda - The national director for social actions of Education Ministry, Domingos Torres Júnior mentioned the training of teachers and students next three years, as one of the goals of study and strategic plan of the sector in fighting HIV/AIDS. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Human cerebral malaria and Plasmodium falciparum genotypes in Malawi

Malaria Journal — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

An interesting study confirming that the parasite genetic complexity is lower in cerebral malaria than in patients with non-complicated malaria. In their study, the authors found that cerebral malaria patients harbour a parasite population dominated by a single variant identical throughout the blood and organs. (Source: Malaria Journal)

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Transmission of Clostridium difficile in hospitals may not be through contact with infected patients

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(Public Library of Science) Contrary to current convention by which infection with the organism Clostridium difficile is regarded as an infection that is acquired by contact with symptomatic patients known to be infected with C. difficile, these may account for only a minority of new cases of the infection. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

Pneumonia wonder drug: Zinc saves lives

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(BioMed Central) Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, are the most common cause of death in children under the age of five. In a study looking at children given standard antibiotic therapy, new research published in BioMed Central's open-access journal BMC Medicine shows how zinc supplements drastically improved children's chances of surviving the infection. The increase in survival due to zinc (on top of antibiotics) was even greater for HIV-infected children. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

Ghana: Number of People Living With HIV to Increase

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:20:24 +0100

[Public Agenda] Despite the ongoing extensive anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns, the total number of people living with HIV in Ghana is projected to increase to 317,872 by 2015 from 272,780 in 2010, states the Ghana AIDS Commission in its National HIV& AIDS Strategic Plan 2011-2015. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Vulnerability to Anthrax Varies Widely: Study

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:00 +0100

It suggests that genes might make some people safer in bioterrorism attack (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Multidrug-Resistant TB Cases Increasing Worldwide Multidrug-Resistant TB Cases Increasing Worldwide

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:12:37 +0100

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis rates are as high as 65.1% in one Eastern European country, and extensively drug-resistant disease have topped 10% in former Soviet Union countries and South Africa. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Africa: Why Are World Leaders Turning Their Backs On the Continent?

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:58:19 +0100

[OSI] The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is the most important and effective financial facility addressing AIDS. It has saved and prolonged millions of lives. Yet at this precise moment when the global community should be doing all it can to support the Fund, it is under the most serious assault it has endured in its ten-year history. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

US Central-Line Infections to Be Disclosed Online US Central-Line Infections to Be Disclosed Online

Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:36:22 +0100

The Department of Health and Human Services has reported the incidence of hospital-associated infections for the first time. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines)

Doomsday flu decision time: The story so far

New Scientist - Bird Flu — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:50:21 +0100

Bird flu research is on hold after the creation of dangerous viruses in the lab, and important studies will be only partly published. What's going on? (Source: New Scientist - Bird Flu)

Variant H3N2 Influenza Virus: What You Should KnowVariant H3N2 Influenza Virus: What You Should Know

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:53:04 +0100

Find out when you should be considering infection with this novel influenza virus in your patients. CDC Expert Commentary (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

e-HAP Direct: Dear Colleague Letter

CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0100

After multiple discussions and considerations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has elected to postpone the next HPLS until 2013. HPLS is an important meeting for HIV prevention in the United States. We appreciate your leadership and support for HPLS and your ongoing commitment to ending the HIV epidemic. (Source: CDC HIV/AIDS Prevention)

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Am J Trop Med Hyg; +67 new citations

Am J Trop Med Hyg — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:54:02 +0100

67 new pubmed citations were retrieved for your search. Click on the search hyperlink below to display the complete search results: Am J Trop Med Hyg These pubmed results were generated on 2012/02/06PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine, includes over 15 million citations for biomedical articles back to the 1950's. These citations are from MEDLINE and additional life science journals. PubMed includes links to many sites providing full text articles and other related resources. (Source: Am J Trop Med Hyg)

Three-Dimensional Solution Structure of Bottromycin A(2): A Potent Antibiotic Active against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci.

Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:06:02 +0100

Authors: Gouda H, Kobayashi Y, Yamada T, Ideguchi T, Sugawara A, Hirose T, Omura S, Sunazuka T, Hirono S Abstract The three-dimensional (3D) structure of bottromycin A(2), a natural anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and anti-vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) agent consisting of seven amino acids, has been investigated through NMR spectroscopy. On the basis of 57 experimental constraints, a total of 34 converged structures were obtained. The average pairwise atomic root mean square difference is 0.74±0.59 Å for all heavy atoms. The resulting structure indicates an interesting feature in that the three C-terminal residues of bottromycin A(2) fold back on the 12-membered cyclic skeleton made by the four N-terminal residues. Thus, MePro(2) and Thia-β-Ala-O...

Terrence Higgins Trust brings free STI testing to Student Pride in Brighton

Terrence Higgins Trust — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:05:38 +0100

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is to offer free testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at this year’s Student Pride on Saturday 25th February, in a bid to promote good sexual health among attending students.From 1.00pm – 5.00pm, Terrence Higgins Trust will have a base at the Brighton Dome, where staff and volunteers will offer tests for the STIs chlamydia and gonorrhoea to those aged from 16-24. Testing is free, simple and confidential - men are asked to give a urine sample and women either a urine sample or self-administered swab. Samples are then sent off to the lab, with the results available in one week. The charity will also provide students with free condoms, and information and advice on sexual health.In the UK, young people between the ages of ...

Uganda: Blind Faith - a Herbalist Promised Her a Cure From the Virus and She Believed

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:56:29 +0100

[Monitor] Because in our country, and on our continent, HIV has pervaded the most intimate moments in peoples' relationships, it has burrowed itself deep into the very soul of our most unmentionable of taboos- sex. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Tanzania: Organisation Determined to Defeat Aids

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:48:01 +0100

[Citizen] Arusha - About 40,000 residents of Arusha City would benefit from a sensitisation programme against HIV/Aids to be implemented by a non-governmental organisation, ARV Esupat. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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How Bacteria Come Back From The Dead

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Salmonella remains a serious cause of food poisoning in the UK and throughout the EU, in part due to its ability to thrive and quickly adapt to the different environments in which it can grow. New research involving a team of IFR scientists, funded by BBSRC, has taken the first detailed look at what Salmonella does when it enters a new environment, which could provide clues to finding new ways of reducing transmission through the food chain and preventing human illness. Bacteria can multiply rapidly, potentially doubling every 20 minutes in ideal conditions... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Mozambique: Malaria Twice As Deadly As Feared

AllAfrica News: Malaria — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:10:30 +0100

[AIM] London - A study published on Friday in the British medical journal "The Lancet" has found that malaria kills almost twice as many people as formerly believed. (Source: AllAfrica News: Malaria)

Anti-malarial drugs: how effective are they against Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes?

Malaria Journal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: There is a need to identify new compounds with activity against late stage gametocytes and the information provided by this in vitro assay is a valuable first step, which can guide future clinical studies. (Source: Malaria Journal)

Why bad immunity genes survive

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Utah) University of Utah biologists found new evidence why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs - even though some of those genes make us susceptible to infections and to autoimmune diseases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

School closures slow spread of pH1N1

EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(McMaster University) Using high-quality data about the incidence of influenza infections in Alberta during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, the researchers show that when schools closed for the summer, the transmission of infection from person to person was sharply reduced. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)

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Virulence Strategies of the Dominant USA300 Lineage of Community Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA‐MRSA)

FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractMethicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to worldwide health. Historically, MRSA clones have strictly been associated with hospital settings and most hospital‐associated MRSA (HA‐MRSA) disease resulted from a limited number of virulent clones. Recently, MRSA has spread into the community causing disease in otherwise healthy people with no discernible contact with healthcare environments. These community‐associated (CA‐MRSA) are phylogenetically distinct from traditional HA‐MRSA clones and CA‐MRSA strains seem to exhibit hyper virulence and more efficient host:host transmission. Consequently, CA‐MRSA clones belonging to the USA300 lineage have become dominant sources of MRSA infections in North America. The rise of this successful USA...

Domestic cats, and wild bobcats and pumas, living in same area have same diseases

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(National Science Foundation) The joint National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases Program funded the study. Scientists at Colorado State University and other institutions conducted the research. It provides evidence that domestic cats and wild cats that share the same outdoor areas in urban environments also can share diseases such as Bartonellosis and Toxoplasmosis. Both can be spread from cats to people. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

Researchers examine consequences of non-intervention for infectious disease in African great apes

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of California - Santa Barbara) Infectious disease has joined poaching and habitat loss as a major threat to the survival of African great apes as they have become restricted to ever-smaller populations. Despite the work of dedicated conservationists, efforts to save our closest living relatives from ecological extinction are largely failing, and new scientific approaches are necessary to analyze major threats and find innovative solutions. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Novel Challenge Announced to Track Influenza CasesNovel Challenge Announced to Track Influenza Cases

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

This new report outlines an innovative online way for public health officials to track influenza and other infectious diseases. The Nation's Health (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Risk Factors for Nonreceipt of Newborn Hepatitis B VaccineRisk Factors for Nonreceipt of Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine

Medscape Today Headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

Which newborns are not receiving the hepatitis B vaccine? The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal® (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Suspect H5N1 Cluster In Soc Trang Vietnam

Recombinomics — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:43:08 +0100

The commentary discusses a suspect H5N1 cluster in Soc Trang Vietnam (02/02/12 21:45) (Source: Recombinomics)

Limited Enteral Intake of No Value in Acute Lung Injury (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Infectious Disease — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:13:05 +0100

HOUSTON (MedPage Today) -- Caloric restriction failed to improve outcomes in ventilator-dependent patients with acute lung injury, results of an NIH-sponsored, multicenter trial showed. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)

Complete deficiency of the sixth complement component (C6Q0), susceptibility to Neisseria meningitidis infections and analysis of the frequencies of C6Q0 gene defects in South Africans.

Clinical and Developmental Immunology — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:25:58 +0100

Authors: Orren A, Owen EP, Henderson HE, van der Merwe L, Leisegang F, Stassen C, Potter PC Abstract Complete complement component 6 deficiency (C6Q0) is a co-dominant genetic disease presenting as increased susceptibility to invasive Neisseria meningitidis infections. Affected individuals have two affected alleles which can be homozygous or compound heterozygous for the particular gene defects they carry. This disorder has been diagnosed relatively frequently in Western Cape South Africans. Affected patients are prescribed penicillin prophylaxis. In 2004 we commenced a clinical follow-up study of 46 patients. Of these, 43 had family age-matched C6 sufficient controls. Participants were classified as either (i) well, or (ii) having a serious illness (SI) or died (D). An SI was a lo...

Orange Rinds May Help Rid Cows of E. Coli

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Name : Todd Callaway [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Peeling Away Microbes

Scientific American Topic - Medical Technology — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Name : Todd Callaway [More] (Source: Scientific American Topic - Medical Technology)

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Best Treatment For TB Patients Could Be Determined By 'Goldilocks' Gene

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

'Tuberculosis patients may receive treatments in the future according to what version they have of a single 'Goldilocks' gene, says an international research team from Oxford University, King's College London, Vietnam and the USA. This is one of the first examples in infectious disease of where an individual's genetic profile can determine which drug will work best for them - the idea of personalised medicine that is gradually becoming familiar in cancer medicine... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

200 Years Of Infectious Diseases

Health News from Medical News Today — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

Unpredictable, ever-changing and with potentially far-reaching effects on the fates of nations, infectious diseases are compelling actors in the drama of human history, note scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. In an essay marking 200 years of publication of the New England Journal of Medicine, NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and coauthor David M. Morens, M.D... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Map Shows Where in U.S. to Beware of Lyme Disease

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Northeast and parts of the Midwest are hotbeds of the tick-borne disease (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Peter Seeberger: we can treat malaria for less

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:05:11 +0100

Artemisinin is the most effective malaria treatment yet discovered. Peter Seeberger has found a way to to make it from the waste products of its current manufactureArtemisinin, a drug extracted from the sweet wormwood plant, is the most effective treatment for malaria ever discovered. Every year, millions of doses of artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) are donated to Africa and Asia, greatly reducing the worldwide burden of the parasitical disease. But extracting artemisinin is expensive and because it takes time to cultivate the plant there are often bottlenecks in supply.But Peter H Seeberger, the director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, has just announced that he and colleague François Lévesque have discovered a simple and cost-effectiv...

US Vaccination Coverage Remained Low in 2010US Vaccination Coverage Remained Low in 2010

Medscape Today Headlines — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:25:48 +0100

Vaccination coverage for adults in the United States in 2010 fell far below Healthy People 2020 aims and need to be increased substantially to lower the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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Measles Cases Decreasing Worldwide, but Challenges Remain Measles Cases Decreasing Worldwide, but Challenges Remain

Medscape Today Headlines — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:19:25 +0100

A decade-long decline in measles cases reversed in 2010, with 40% of countries not meeting the annual incidence target of fewer than 5 cases per million population. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

[Correspondence] Treatment of Helicobacter pylori in Latin America

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In their multisite study, Robert Greenberg and colleagues attempted to identify a reliably effective treatment for Helicobacter pylori for use in Latin America. Each study site used locally available drugs and the regimens all contained clarithromycin or clarithromycin–metronidazole, despite the unacceptably low success of triple therapies elsewhere and a high expected prevalence of metronidazole resistance. The success of treatments for infectious diseases is mainly related to the absence of antimicrobial resistance and is predictable if one knows the pattern of resistance and the effect of resistance on the regimens tested. (Source: LANCET)

[Comment] Behavioural problems from perinatal and neonatal insults

LANCET — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The nature, scale, and interactions of behavioural disorders after neonatal and perinatal insults, including preterm birth and infectious diseases, are not well understood. In The Lancet, Michael Mwaniki and colleagues present a broad systematic review of the type and probability of development of a range of neurodevelopmental sequelae, in which they have included 153 research studies and 22 161 liveborn children. The authors report a very high overall prevalence of at least one deficit in any domain (median risk 39·4%, IQR 20·0–54·8%). (Source: LANCET)

Lay Health Workers and HIV Care in Rural Lesotho: A Report from the Field

AIDS Patient Care and STDs — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:02:23 +0100

AIDS Patient Care and STDs , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Patient Care and STDs)

Activating Transcription Factor 4 (ATF4) Promotes HIV Type 1 Activation

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:01:37 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

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The Power of Film as Storyteller: Oscar Nominee “The Help”

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:34:12 +0100

Oscar nominee The Help tackles racism and sexism and views motherhood, daughterhood and friendship along the lines of authenticity.read more (Source: Psychology Today Relationships Center)

Officials Warn of Possible Rabies in Rhode IslandOfficials Warn of Possible Rabies in Rhode Island

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:25:33 +0100

A crowd of onlookers in downtown Providence may have been exposed to rabies last month by a bat that a man was carrying in a box, health officials said on Thursday. Reuters Health Information (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Epidural Plus Fever in Mom May Raise Risks for Baby

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0100

Study found as mother's temperature rose, problems were more likely at birth (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Liberia: No Time for Complacency in HIV Fight

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:42:28 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Monrovia - Smartly seated behind his computer, crunching out numbers and making calls to colleagues, Anthony*, a 38-year-old father of three, is amongst those looking to check the spread of HIV in Liberia. He received confirmation of his own positive status after testing in 2007. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

CDC Expert Commentaries on Medscape: It's Not Too Late to Vaccinate! with Joseph Bresee, MD

CDC Flu updates — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:53:00 +0100

(Source: CDC Flu updates)

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Norovirus Top Cause of Hospital Infection Outbreaks, Says Study

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0100

Gastrointestinal bug causes vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

Highest-ever levels of multi-drug-resistant TB revealed | Sarah Boseley

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:50:00 +0100

This study ought to give further impetus to the drive to find them.TB is an area that I know the IHME will be addressing before long, as part of its project, which has taken five years of work so far, to get the best possible handle on global mortality rates from all causes. They have tackled maternal mortality – their study showed it was lower than thought at a third of a million rather than half a million a year – and given us the first global data on breast and cervical cancer. Since their director Christopher Murray has been studying TB for 30 years, expect some interesting data from that quarter at some point.The WHO report is not (necessarily) about deaths, but they are up against the same problems as IHME – the absence of good data or, in some countries, any data.But a lot of ...

The Measurement of Condom Use in Four Countries in East and Southern Africa

AIDS and Behavior — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:12:23 +0100

Abstract Measurement of condom use is important to assess progress in increasing use. Since 2003, the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and AIDS Indicator Surveys (AIS) have included new measures of self-reported condom use. We use data from Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia to compare measures of condom use accounting for type of sexual partner. Condom use at last sex ranged from 20% in Tanzania to 57% in Namibia for men, and from 12% in Tanzania to 41% in Namibia for women. Reported condom use was lower in response to questions about condom use every time with last partner (from 13 to 47% for men and from 8 to 33% for women). Condom use was highest among people with two or more partners in the last year and lowest with marital partners. Overall, the prevalence ...

Norovirus Top Cause of Hospital Infection Outbreaks, Says Study

MedlinePlus Health News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0100

Gastrointestinal bug causes vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Health Facilities, Infection Control, Infectious Diseases (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Malaria’s Global Death Toll Much Higher Than Thought

The Doctors Lounge - Infections — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0100

Study estimates 1.2 million die each year, nearly double previous estimates (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Infections)

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MRSA becoming more common in the community

Nursing Times Breaking News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:48:00 +0100

Cases of MRSA in the UK are becoming more common outside of hospitals, experts have said. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

Vaccine development: Man vs MRSA

Nature — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:26:31 +0100

Nature 482, 7383 (2012). http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/482023a Author: Maryn McKenna For decades, Robert Daum has studied the havoc wreaked by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Now he thinks he can stop it for good. (Source: Nature)

Yellow fever in Ghana

WHO Disease Outbreaks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

On 20 December 2011, the Ministry of Health of Ghana notified WHO of a yellow fever (YF) outbreak occurring in 3 districts; Builsa and Kassena-Nankana-West in the Upper East Region and Kitampo-South in the Brong Ahafo Region located in the mid-western part of the country. (Source: WHO Disease Outbreaks)

Yellow fever in Cameroon

WHO Disease Outbreaks — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

In December 2011, the Ministry of Health of Cameroon notified WHO of a yellow fever outbreak in the North Region of the country. (Source: WHO Disease Outbreaks)

Stem Cells Could Drive Hepatitis Research Forward

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Hepatitis C, an infectious disease that can cause inflammation and organ failure, has different effects on different people. But no one is sure why some people are very susceptible to the infection, while others are resistant. Scientists believe that if they could study liver cells from different people in the lab, they could determine how genetic differences produce these varying responses. However, liver cells are difficult to obtain and notoriously difficult to grow in a lab dish because they tend to lose their normal structure and function when removed from the body... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Averting Drug Resistance

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0100

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is growing exponentially, contributing to an estimated 99,000 deaths from hospital-associated infections in the U.S. annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One reason that this is happening is that drug resistant proteins are transporting "good" antibiotics, or inhibitors, out of the cells, leaving them to mutate. In a paper recently published in the journal Nature, Professor of Biochemistry Dorothee Kern and collaborators including former postdoctoral student Katherine A... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Areas Of Highest Human Risk For Lyme Disease In Eastern United States Detailed On New Map

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:00 +0100

A new map pinpoints well-defined areas of the Eastern United States where humans have the highest risk of contracting Lyme disease, one of the most rapidly emerging infectious diseases in North America, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As part of the most extensive Lyme-related field study ever undertaken, researchers found high infection risk confined mainly to the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest and low risk in the South. The results were published in the February issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics of Haemophilus influenzae isolated from community-acquired respiratory tract infection patients in Shanghai City, China

Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:22:05 +0100

In this study we investigated 37 H. influenzae strains isolated from patients with community-acquired respiratory tract infections (CARTI) in Shanghai city between Dec 2008 and Apr 2009. H. influenzae clinical isolates were identified, and β-lactamase production tests were conducted and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were measured. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was introduced as an effective fingerprinting method. Two isolates (5.4%) were verified as serotype b strains, and 30 strains (81.1%) were nontypeable H. influenzae. Furthermore, 10 (27.0%) were β-lactamase-producing ampicillin-resistance (BLPAR) (TEM-1 type) strains, 11 (29.8%) were low-β-lactamase-nonproducing ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae (Low-BLNAR) strains, and the rest were β-lactamase-negative...

Should urologists care for the pharyngeal infection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis when we treat male urethritis?

Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:22:04 +0100

Abstract Detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) or Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) from the pharynx of women or men is not uncommon. However, there is no recommendation how urologists should care for the pharyngeal infection of men with urethritis in Japan. The aim of this study is to clarify the prevalence of NG or CT infection in the pharynx of men and to show a recommendation for urologists. The Japanese reports about the detection of NG or CT from the pharynx or the oral cavity of men in Japan are reviewed in the literature from 1990 to 2011. The prevalence of NG or CT in the pharynx was 4% or 6% in men who attended clinics, and 20% or 6% in men who were positive for NG or CT from genital specimens, respectively. Single 1-g dose ceftriaxone was recommended to treat pharynge...

Improving test properties for neonatal cystic fibrosis screening in the Netherlands before the nationwide start by May 1st 2011

Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:20:33 +0100

Abstract When new technical possibilities arise in health care, often attunement is needed between different actors from the perspectives of research, health care providers, patients, ethics and policy. For cystic fibrosis (CF) such a process of attunement in the Netherlands started in a committee of the Health Council on neonatal screening in 2005. In the balancing of pros and cons according to Wilson and Jungner criteria, the advantages for the CF patient were considered clear, even though CF remains a severe health problem with treatment. Nevertheless, screening was not started then, mainly since the specificity of the tests available at that time was considered too low. Many healthy infants would have been referred for sweat testing and much uncertainty would arise in ...

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cholestyramine, Questran, Questran Light

MedicineNet HIV General — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Title: cholestyramine, Questran, Questran LightCategory: MedicationsCreated: 7/26/1999 10:41:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 (Source: MedicineNet HIV General)

Malaria's Global Death Toll Much Higher Than Thought

MedicineNet Hepatitis C General — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Malaria's Global Death Toll Much Higher Than ThoughtCategory: Health NewsCreated: 2/3/2012 10:05:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 2/3/2012 (Source: MedicineNet Hepatitis C General)

Fighting malaria with one hand tied back

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:29:00 +0100

Malaria does not just kill babies and children under five – it kills adults too, in nearly as large proportionsDecades of assumptions about the lethality of malaria have been overturned by the publication of a paper in the Lancet from an academic institute in Seattle which says the disease kills twice as many as everybody thought. Even more extraordinary – it would seem that conventional wisdom about the disease has been wrong all this time.It does not just kill babies and children under five — it kills adults too, in nearly as large proportions.The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation has astounded the global health community by claiming it has been fighting malaria apparently with one hand behind its back. The death toll has come down since 2004, thanks to huge efforts to get...

SeraCare Launches Five New Infectious Disease Panels Including First...

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:24:02 +0100

SeraCare Life Sciences announced it has launched new infectious disease panels for HIV, HBV, HAV and CMV markers, and a first-of-its-kind performance panel for parvovirus B19, most commonly associated...(PRWeb January 30, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9142297.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

Endothelial glycocalyx dysfunction in disease: albuminuria and increased microvascular permeability

The Journal of Pathology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:33:05 +0100

AbstractAppreciation of the glomerular microcirculation as a specialized microcirculatory bed, rather than as an entirely separate entity, affords important insights into both glomerular and systemic microvascular pathophysiology. In this review we compare regulation of permeability in systemic and glomerular microcirculations, focusing particularly on the role of the endothelial glycocalyx, and consider the implications for disease processes. The luminal surface of vascular endothelium throughout the body is covered with endothelial glycocalyx, comprising surface‐anchored proteoglycans, supplemented with adsorbed soluble proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans and plasma constituents. In both continuous and fenestrated microvessels, this endothelial glycocalyx provides resistance to the trans...

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Establishing a web-based integrated surveillance system for early detection of infectious disease epidemic in rural China: a field experimental study

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making - Latest articles — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

DiscussionAlthough syndromic surveillance system has mostly established in developed areas, there are opportunities and advantages of developing it in rural China. The project will contribute to knowledge, experience and evidence on the establishment of an integrated surveillance system, which aims to provide early warning of disease epidemics in developing countries. (Source: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making - Latest articles)

infoSIDA Mobile Site Features a New Domain Name

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The infoSIDA mobile site now has a new domain name (http://m.infosida.nih.gov/)! The new name mirrors the distinct Web address created for infoSIDA (http://infosida.nih.gov/) as part of the recent AIDSinfo and infoSIDA redesign efforts. The infoSIDA mobile site offers the same Spanish-language features that are available on infoSIDA. Features include educational materials, webpages on annual HIV/AIDS awareness days, a clinical trials search tool, and links to HIV-related health topics. (Source: AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS))

Join AIDSinfo in Observing National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

February 7, 2012, marks the 12th annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a day that serves to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. According to the 2009 HIV Surveillance Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. In the 40 states with confidential name-based HIV reporting, African Americans accounted for 52% of all diagnoses of HIV infection in 2009 and for 44% of people living with AIDS in 2008. For information and resources about HIV/AIDS and African Americans, visit the AIDSinfo webpage highlighting National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [en español]. (Source: AIDSinfo At-a-Glance: Offering Information on HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention, and Research, A Ser...

NIAID Issues Requests for Applications for HIV/AIDS Clinical Research Networks

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

NIAID has issued five new requests for applications (RFAs) to establish leadership groups for clinical research networks focused on distinct areas of HIV/AIDS research. Specifically, the leadership groups will have overall responsibility for developing, implementing, and adapting clinical research agendas to address NIAID's HIV/AIDS scientific priorities in the following areas: HIV/AIDS and HIV-associated Infections in Pediatric and Maternal Populations Integrated Strategies to Prevent HIV Infection Microbicides to Prevent HIV Infection Therapeutics for HIV/AIDS and HIV-associated Infections in Adults Vaccines to Prevent HIV Infection Applications will be accepted until September 28, 2012. For more information, visit the Restructuring the NIAID Clinical Trials Networks webpage....

Cytoadherence and virulence - the case of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria

Malaria Journal — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Another twist in the tale of cytoadherence ? Is in vitro cytoadherence really a marker of virulence, even in case of parasites, such as P. knowlesi or P. vivax, which are not normally sequestered ? (Source: Malaria Journal)

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Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E Virus infection in rural and urban populations, Tunisia

Clinical Microbiology and Infection — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors of HEV infection in Tunisian adult general population, either in blood donors (n=687) or in patients hospitalised for acute hepatitis (n=202). The mode of transmission differed between these two populations: contact with animals and living in rural habitat were the main risk factors of being in contact with HEV in asymptomatic blood donors, while HEV was contracted through contaminated water in symptomatic cases. HEV seroprevalence in adult blood donors in Tunisia was relatively low (5.4%) and increased with age.© 2012 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2012 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Source: Clinical Microbiology and Infection)

Conference focuses on vaccines for chronic diseases

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

(University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston) At a symposium sponsored by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and scheduled for Feb. 7-9, an international group of researchers will discuss development of vaccines for addiction, cancer, chronic infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil): Objectives and Design

American Journal of Epidemiology — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In this report, the authors delineate the study’s objectives, principal methodological features, and timeline. At baseline, ELSA-Brasil enrolled 15,105 civil servants from 5 universities and 1 research institute. The baseline examination (2008–2010) included detailed interviews, clinical and anthropometric examinations, an oral glucose tolerance test, overnight urine collection, a 12-lead resting electrocardiogram, measurement of carotid intima-media thickness, echocardiography, measurement of pulse wave velocity, hepatic ultrasonography, retinal fundus photography, and an analysis of heart rate variability. Long-term biologic sample storage will allow investigation of biomarkers that may predict cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Annual telephone surveillance, initiated in ...

Kenya: Patients Demand More Funds for Aids Drugs

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:41:23 +0100

[Nation] People living with HIV/Aids and rights activists have protested against lack of funding and a government policy they say is intent on stripping the disease of its special status. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Kenya: 'He Gave Me HIV, Then I Sought Revenge on Womanisers'

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:39:28 +0100

[Nation] Because in our country, and on our continent, HIV has pervaded the most intimate moments in peoples' relationships, it has burrowed itself deep into the very soul of our most unmentionable of taboos -- sex. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Comparison of Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza A InfectionsComparison of Pandemic and Seasonal Influenza A Infections

Medscape Today Headlines — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:00:00 +0100

This study compares the clinical and epidemiological features. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

More with Maryn: McKenna on Antibiotic Resistance

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:10:08 +0100

Journalist and author Maryn McKenna talks about antibiotic resistance in agriculture and human health, MRSA, and a brief return to the subject of fecal transplants. [More] (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

Malaria kills twice as many people as previously thought, research finds

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0100

Malaria kills 1.2 million people every year, a finding that has implications for global efforts to eliminate the diseaseMalaria kills twice as many people every year as formerly believed, taking 1.2 million lives and causing the deaths not only of babies but also older children and adults, according to research that overturns decades of assumptions about one of the world's most lethal diseases.The findings from the research, published on Friday, which has reanalysed 30 years of data on the disease using new techniques, will force a rethink of the huge global effort that has been under way to eliminate malaria. That ambition now looks highly unlikely by the UN target date of 2015.It also raises urgent questions about the future of the troubled Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria, whic...

Environmental M. ulcerans linked to incidence of Buruli ulcer in Benin

MedWire News - Infectious Diseases — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0100

Research carried out in Benin in West Africa shows that environmental Mycobacterium ulcerans predicts prevalence of Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing skin disease common in subtropical countries. (Source: MedWire News - Infectious Diseases)

Could an Infection Cause Tourette's-Like Symptoms in Teenage Girls?

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:05:00 +0100

Over the weekend Erin Brockovich made the news yet again as she and her nonprofit team descended on the village of Le Roy, N.Y., determined to test for environmental toxins that might be giving the town's teenagers symptoms of Tourette's syndrome. She has reportedly been stonewalled thus far by local officials, who have already ruled out toxins as the cause of last October's sudden outbreak of tics and involuntary movements in 12 girls who attend Le Roy Junior–Senior High School. An environmental testing company surveyed the air and water and found nothing amiss, and a local neurologist concluded upon examining the girls that they had "conversion disorder," a catchall moniker for physical symptoms that originate in the mind because of stress, trauma or even mass...

MedWorm Sponsor Message: Please support the Doctors In Chains campaign for the medics tortured and sentenced for up to 15 years in Bahrain. #FreeDoctors

H3N2v Matched In Iowa Swine

Recombinomics — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:50:16 +0100

The commentary discusses an H3N2v match in Iowa swine. (01/31/12 16:45) (Source: Recombinomics)

NSABB Comments On H5N1 Transmission Censorship

Recombinomics — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:50:16 +0100

The commentary discusses NSABB comments on H5N1 transmission censorship. (01/31/12 23:00) (Source: Recombinomics)

2012 Guizhou H5N1 Recombination and RBD Changes

Recombinomics — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:50:16 +0100

The commentary discusses 2012 Guizhou H5N1 RBD changes and recombination (02/02/12 21:45) (Source: Recombinomics)

Pulmonary TB linked to EGFR mutations in lung cancer

MedWire News - Infectious Diseases — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:48:04 +0100

A history of pulmonary tuberculosis is associated with a higher incidence of mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung, researchers report in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. (Source: MedWire News - Infectious Diseases)

Room for manoeuvre when prescribing statins to dyslipidaemic patients on antiretroviral therapy

HIV Medicine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:45:47 +0100

(Source: HIV Medicine)

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Low free testosterone in HIV‐infected men is not associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease

HIV Medicine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:44:50 +0100

ConclusionsCompared with HIV‐uninfected men, HIV‐infected men had lower FT, as well as more prevalent carotid lesions. In both groups, FT was not associated with CAC presence, log carotid IMT, or carotid lesion presence, suggesting that FT does not influence subclinical CVD in this population of men with and at risk for HIV infection. (Source: HIV Medicine)

Africa: Empowering Women to Fight HIV

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:10:51 +0100

[allAfrica.com] What makes a young African doctor decide to devote her career to helping women fight HIV? Dr. Sengeziwe Sibeko is a 37-year-old medical researcher with a degree in obstetrics and gynecology from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in South Africa, an MSc in epidemiology from Columbia University in the United States, and is about to take up a fellowship to study for her PhD at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse interviewed Dr. Sibeko at the (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Africa: Back to the Lab

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:54:52 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Professor Salim Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa (Caprisa) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Columbia University in the United States, spoke to AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse about the unexpected halt of a study into tenofovir vaginal gel. This followed a finding that the microbicide failed to prevent HIV transmission, in contrast to the positive result in a previous study conducted by his Caprisa team. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

Abortion Had No Role in Planned Parenthood Move, Komen Group Says

MedPage Today Infectious Disease — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:43:06 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, facing a hail of criticism for cutting off funding of breast exams at Planned Parenthood, has denied that abortion played a role in its decision. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)

Africa: No Changing Mindset on Contraception 'Overnight'

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:41:32 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim is an infectious diseases epidemiologist and associate scientific director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (Caprisa). AllAfrica's Julie Frederikse spoke to the 51-year-old and asked her about the challenges facing her team as they search for effective ways to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)

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Phylogenetic Analysis of the Latvian HIV-1 Epidemic

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:50 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

High Prevalence of Transmitted Antiretroviral Drug Resistance Among Newly HIV Type 1 Diagnosed Adults in Mombasa, Kenya

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:43 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

APOBEC3-Mediated Editing in HIV Type 1 from Pediatric Patients and Its Association with APOBEC3G/CUL5 Polymorphisms and Vif Variability

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:34:40 +0100

AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses , Vol. 0, No. 0. (Source: AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses)

Africa: No Time to 'Give Up' on HIV-Fighting Gel

AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:32:57 +0100

[allAfrica.com] Durban, South Africa - Africans tracking the worldwide HIV epidemic have not found much to celebrate since Aids began ravaging the continent 30 years ago, but researchers are optimistic that they are learning as much from their failures as their successes. (Source: AllAfrica News: HIV-Aids and STDs)