MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'infectious diseases'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:58:34 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5169703&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F26%2Fkibdelomycin_a_new_antibiotic_in_a_way.php We're going to need new antibiotics. Everyone knows this, and it's not like no one's been trying to do anything about it, either, but. . .we're still going to need more of them than we have. I'm not predicting that we're going to go all the way back to a world where young, healthy people with access to the best medical care die because they decided to play tennis without their socks on, but we're certainly in danger of a much nastier world than we have. So I'm always interested to hear of new antibiotic discovery programs, and Merck is out with an interesting paper on theirs. They've been digging through the natural products, which have been the fount from which almost all antibiotics have sprung, and they have a new one called kibdelomycin to report. This one was dug out from an organism... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5169703 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:32:17 +0100 5169703 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159799&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fdracos_new_antivirals_against_pretty_much_everything.php I've been meaning to write about this paper from the RIder group at MIT's Lincoln Labs, which shows some very interesting approaches to killing off a wide variety of viruses. They've dubbed these new agents DRACOs, for Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligimerizers, which is certainly one of those acronyms with a lot packed into it. So now to unpacking it. The first key point is the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) part. For a long time, that was thought to be a form that isn't wasn't found in human cells (as opposed to single-stranded stuff). We now know that short dsRNAs (up to twenty-odd base pairs) are part of human biology, but viruses produce much longer strands of it during their replication process - or, more accurately, they hijack human cellular machinery to produce it. (Viruses... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159799 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:44:07 +0100 5159799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103338&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fresearch-finds-success-in-small-cheap-and-strong-test-for-hiv-and-syphilis%2F2011.08.06 Researchers from Columbia University have developed a “lab on a chip” HIV and syphilis test, and are now reporting the first results from tests in the field conducted in Rwanda. The mChip, as it is called, is the size of a credit card and replicates all steps of an ELISA test, at a lower total material cost and within 20 minutes. After application of a blood sample, the chip is inserted into a $100 battery-powered handheld analyzer. It needs only 1 μl of unprocessed whole blood and does not require any user interpretation of the signal, providing a clear-cut yes or no result. Right now, HIV testing in developing countries either relies on expensive laboratory testing taking a long time, or uses cheaper methods based on lateral flow, which, although very rapid, do not provide very reli... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103338 Sat, 06 Aug 2011 18:00:08 +0100 5103338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096251&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F08%2Fhandwashing-in-elementary-schools.html This study showed that after pupils clean their hands with alcohol tissues three times a day that absence fears him and school from risk recovery and gastrointestinal infections decreased significantly. The cost of procedure is far less than the cost of absenteeism both to the schools and parents. It should read replicated the US and if reproducible made a policy. American Journal of Infection Control:  Volume 39, Issue 6, August 2011, Pages 450-455 (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096251 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:35:17 +0100 5096251 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086170&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-report-outlines-problem-of-hospital-acquired-infections%2F2011.08.01 The World Health Organization’s new patient safety envoy will take on health care acquired infections in his new role, he announced last week. Liam Donaldson, England’s former Chief Medical Officer, pointed out in his first report as envoy that patient safety incidents occur in 4% to 16% of all hospitalized patients, and that hospital-acquired infections affect hundreds of millions of patients globally. A WHO report outlined the problem. High-income countries had pooled health care acquired infection rates of 7.6%. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimated that 4.1 million Europeans incur 4.5 million health care acquired infections annually. In the U.S. the incidence rate was 4.5% in 2002, or 9.3 infections per 1,000 patient-days and 1.7 million affected ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086170 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5086170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086114&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fsunday-news-round-up-attack-kitty-edition%2F I haven’t done one of these in a while, having been distracted by the heat, the carless situation, dad’s cancer, mom’s hip replacement re-replacement, work, leveling my first character in Warcraft (now a level 71 undead frost mage – I don’t want to duel you!), and life in general. Tonight, though, I’m at my parents’ house (sitting with mom after said re-replacement), in a town with <30 thousand people that gets really, truly dark at night, World of Warcraft won't run on this computer, and I think I've reached the end of the internet. Might as well do something. The FDA has issued a warning not to use emergency contraception labeled as Evital. The agency says, These products may be counterfeit versions of the “morning after pill” ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086114 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 04:40:55 +0100 5086114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008236&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Fcdc-fears-rising-treatment-resistant-gonorrhea.html According to to the CDC: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major cause of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, and it can facilitate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission (1). Emergence of gonococcal resistance to penicillin and tetracycline occurred during the 1970s and became widespread during the early 1980s. More recently, resistance to fluoroquinolones developed. Now Gonorrhea may be losing its susceptibility to cephalosporins, the only available antibiotic class remaining to treat the sexually transmitted infection, the CDC is warning. Comment: when I started medical school in 1947 the medical profession had just started using penicillin to treat gonorrhea and syphilis and mistakenly thought STIs were beaten. Just as with the use of contrace... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008236 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:27:38 +0100 5008236 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992725&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F07%2Flet-science-inform-policy.html An editorial in Science today, written by Dr, Anthony Fauci, discusses the value of preventive antiretroviral therapy for non-infected homosexual couples, the value of condoms for males and females and the value of circumcision to prevent the spread of H IV infection. Despite such evidence the City of San Francisco seeks to outlaw circumcision. As State Health Commissioner in the late 1980s I had to help out state legislature avoid testing premarital couples for HIV infection, Luckily the testimony of the scientists on the HIV Advisory committee was accepted by the legislators (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992725 Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:53:45 +0100 4992725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976193&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F27%2Fthe_evolution_of_resistance_are_we_doing_it_wrong.php Here's a paper in PNAS that says that we're probably treating infectious disease the wrong way - and perhaps cancer as well. The authors go over the currently accepted doctrines: multiple-mechanism therapies, when possible, and restricted use to patients who really need antibiotics. But there's a third assumption that they say is causing trouble: A third practice thought to be an effective resistant management strategy is the use of drugs to clear all target pathogens from a patient as fast as possible. We hereafter refer to this practice as “radical pathogen cure.” For a wide variety of infectious diseases, recommended drug doses, interdose intervals, and treatment durations (which together constitute “patient treatment regimens”) are designed to achieve complete pathogen elimina... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976193 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:56:39 +0100 4976193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911807&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F07%2Fmurine_viruses_and_chronic_fatigue_does_the_story_continue.php Well, one day after writing an obit for the XMRV story comes this abstract from Retrovirology. The authors, from Cornell and SUNY-Buffalo, say that they've detected other murine retrovirus transcripts from CFS patients (but not in most controls), and that these are more similar to those reported in last year's Lo and Alter paper in PNAS than they are to XMRV itself. So perhaps the story continues, and what a mess it is at this point. I continue to think that the XMRV hypothesis itself is in serious trouble, but murine retroviruses as a class are still worth following up on. This is tough work, though, because of the twin problems of detection and contamination, and it's going to be easy for people to fool themselves. Meanwhile, Retraction Watch has more on Science's "Expression of Concer... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911807 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:06:52 +0100 4911807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902449&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F06%2Fis-our-obsession-with-cleanliness-wiping-out-our-immune-system.html Prof Fazekas de St Groth from the Centenary Institute claims that the discovery of a small but absolutely essential subset of T cells within the immune system has been vital. Regulatory T cells or Tregs control unwanted immune responses, such as allergies and autoimmune diseases. Tregs are distributed throughout the body, particularly at points where we are likely to encounter disease-causing microbes. The most important site is the gastrointestinal tract (the GIT) where up to 90% of our immune cells are located. This ties in neatly with the hygiene hypothesis because it explains how an infectious event early in life colonization of the gut with bowel flora) can produce a life-long effect on the immune system. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902449 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:08:15 +0100 4902449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893338&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F02%2Fscience-asks-to-retract-the-xmrv-cfs-paper-it-should-never-have-accepted-in-the-first-place%2F Wow! Breaking! As reported in WSJ earlier this week [1], editors of the journal Science asked Mikovits and her co-authors to voluntary retract their 2009 Science paper [2]. In this paper Mikovits and colleagues of the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) and the Cleveland Clinic, reported the presence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893338 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:34:34 +0100 4893338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872123&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fpolio-eradication.html A short excellent brand new Video on progress from epidemiologist, Bruce Aylward,   http://www.ted.com/talks/bruce_aylward_how_we_ll_stop_polio.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-05-24&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872123 Thu, 26 May 2011 14:19:23 +0100 4872123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4847980&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fcdc-identifies-10-public-health-achievements-of-first-decade.html The 10 domestic public health achievements are published in today's issue of CDC's MMWR. “Americans are living longer, healthier, and more productive lives than ever before thanks in part to extraordinary achievements in public health over the past decade," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. The United States has saved billions of dollars in healthcare costs as a result of these achievements. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4847980 Fri, 20 May 2011 15:52:41 +0100 4847980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841522&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fseniors-std-rates-up.html The Los Angeles Times reports, "Aging baby boomers are once again busting stereotypes, setting records and breaking rules," with the number of cases of syphilis and chlamydia among those 55 and older reported to the CDC increasing 43 percent between 2005 to 2009, and, "in the Sunbelt where retirees have formed large communities, the rise was even more dramatic." In response, "Medicare is considering providing coverage for STD screenings for seniors." The trend is attributed to longer, healthier lives as well as medications such as Viagra that make more sex possible. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841522 Tue, 17 May 2011 15:06:59 +0100 4841522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841523&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fweekly-doses-of-antibiotic-cocktail-may-cure-latent-tb-in-three-months.html Treating "latent tuberculosis normally requires nine months of daily pill-taking," a much shorter "course of medication...works just as well," according to findings presented at the American Thoracic Society meeting. The study compared the typical "daily dose of the drug isoniazid for nine months" with a once-weekly regimen that included taking a higher dose of isoniazid combined with rifapentineor for three months. Over three years, among approximately 8,000 volunteers, there were "seven cases of active TB among those taking the short course and 15 among those taking the traditional one. ... 'This is the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of latent TB since the 1960s,'" said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention in a... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841523 Tue, 17 May 2011 15:00:47 +0100 4841523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828934&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fearly-treatment-with-antiretroviral-therapy-prevents-hiv-transmission.html A UNC-led research study showed the study, which spans nine countries, involved more than 1,700 couples, in which one partner was HIV-positive and the other was not. Each couple was randomly assigned to one of two study groups. In the first group, the partner with HIV began receiving antiretroviral drugs as soon as they enrolled in the study; in the second group, the infected partner started antiretroviral treatment once their CD4+ count — a key measure of immune system health — fell to between 200 and 250 cells/mm3.  However, data gathered so far clearly revealed the benefits of early treatment, prompting health officials to release the results now. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828934 Sat, 14 May 2011 14:44:07 +0100 4828934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4821137&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F13%2Fprocess_chemistry_makes_the_headlines.php Not a common occurrence, that. But this Wall Street Journal article goes into details on some efforts to improve the synthetic route to Viread (tenofovir) (or, to be more specific, TDF, the prodrug form of it, which is how it's dosed). This is being funded by former president Bill Clinton's health care foundation: The chasm between the need for the drugs and the available funding has spurred wide-ranging efforts to bring down the cost of antiretrovirals, from persuading drug makers to share patents of antiretrovirals to conducting trials using lower doses of existing drugs. Beginning in 2005, the Clinton team saw a possible path in the laboratory to lowering the price of the drugs. Mr. Clinton's foundation had brokered discounts on first-line AIDS drugs, many of which were older and used... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4821137 Fri, 13 May 2011 11:14:18 +0100 4821137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813208&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2F2011-tennessee-womens-health-report-card-highlights%2F Today marked the release of the 2011 Tennessee Women’s Health Report Card, a publication which provides a snapshot of the health status of women in our state, and the disparities they experience. It’s a handy resource for anyone interested in making a case – or understanding the need – for improved health services and community programs, and includes statistics that clearly illustrate some of the challenges we face. Among them: 18.4% of us – or almost 1 in 5 – smoked while we were pregnant. The rate is highest (21.4%) among white women, and lower among African American (10.3%) and Hispanic (2.4%) women. African American women experience tremendous disparities in their infant mortality rate, with 16 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to 6 for... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813208 Wed, 11 May 2011 00:48:20 +0100 4813208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803005&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F08%2Fsunday-news-round-up-car-freecarless-edition%2F This post is late because I was busy taking the bus to get here.* I wrote several times in 2008 about the case of Juana Villegas, an immigrant in Nashville who was arrested as the result of a traffic stop and ultimately ended up shackled to a hospital bed during labor, separated from her newborn for two days without seeing him, and denied a breast pump or cream for lactating women. This past week, a federal judge ruled in her favor that the shackling during labor and after delivery violated her civil rights. I have a full post up at Our Bodies Our Blog on this topic. I also have a full post up at the OBOS blog on the Skin Deep database, which provides info on the safety and ingredients of skin care and cosmetic products. I spent the last few days at the IHA Health Literacy conference. I... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803005 Sun, 08 May 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4803005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794873&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fappendicitis-is-surgery-the-best-option.html This article does not show a great difference betwen the two methods (despite statistic analaysis) of treating appendicitis. There is more peritonitis with the medical alternative. There may be limitations with the drug use due to resistance by the infectious organisms. More research is needed, including the surgical methgods used. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794873 Fri, 06 May 2011 15:50:36 +0100 4794873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789287&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F05%2Fhiv-drug-could-prevent-cervical-cancer.html A widely used HIV drug lopinavir selectively kills HPV-infected, non-cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells relatively unaffected,” said Dr Ian Hampson, from Manchester’s School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences. “This is a very significant finding as these cells are not cancer cells but are the closest thing to being like the cells found in a pre-cancerous HPV infection of the cervix. In addition we were also able to show that lopinavir kills these HPV-infected cells by re-activating a well-known antiviral system that is suppressed by HPV.” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789287 Thu, 05 May 2011 14:55:40 +0100 4789287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704690&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F04%2Fworld-health-day-2011-combat-drug-resistance.html When the first antibiotics were introduced in the 1940s, they were considered the miracles of modern medicine. Widespread infections that killed many millions of people every year could now be cured. The human condition took a turn for the better and life expectancy increased significantly. But resistance to these drugs is growing and is jeopardizing the gains made so far, as Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO explains: The world is on the brink of losing these miracle cures. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens has accelerated. More and more essential medicines are failing. The arsenal is shrinking. The speed with which these drugs are being lost far outpaces the development of replacement drugs (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704690 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:29:01 +0100 4704690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676727&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F03%2Fsunday-news-round-up-sunny-day-edition-2%2F The New England Journal of Medicine published a freely available Clinical Practice article, “Care of Transsexual Persons.” It covers hormones, surgery, and adolescents. Note that it does use the problematic gender identity “disorder” language as included in the DSM and it also promotes the standard psychological counseling hoops that transgender persons must jump through prior to obtaining treatment – Julia Serano‘s “Whipping Girl” provides a good primer on why those hoops can be problematic. It might be worth checking out what kinds of materials health care providers are seeing regarding these topics, including how they’re problematic. Relatedly, there’s a possibility that “gender identity disorder” will be renamed &... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676727 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 23:04:37 +0100 4676727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570548&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2F5-avoidable-air-travel-health-risks%2F2011.03.10 For those of you planning air travel to your next medical conference (and ACP Internist isn’t too shameless to plug Internal Medicine 2011 — we hope to see you there), TIME reports that there are five health risks that are rare yet have recently happened. Tips on avoiding these maladies include: – E. Coli and MRSA on the tray table. Microbiologists found these two everywhere when they swabbed down flights. Bring your own disinfecting wipes. – Bedbugs in the seat. British Airways fumigated two planes after a passenger posted pictures online about her experience. Wrap clothes in plastic and wash them. – Sick seatmates. Everyone has experienced (or been) this person. Wash your hands. – Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Tennis star Serena Williams experienced a p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570548 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4570548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4565904&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpreventing-hospital-acquired-infections-patients-must-be-safety-partners%2F2011.03.09 This is a guest post by Dr. Julia Hallisy. Serious infections are becoming more prevalent and more virulent both in our hospitals and in our communities. The numbers are staggering: 1.7 million people will suffer from a hospital-acquired infections each year and almost 100,000 will die as a result. When our late daughter, Kate, was diagnosed with an aggressive eye cancer in 1989 at five months of age, our life became consumed by doctor visits, MRI scans, radiation treatments, chemotherapy — and fear. My husband and I assumed that our fight was against the ravages of cancer, but almost eight years later we faced another life-threatening challenge we never counted on — a hospital-acquired infection. In 1997, Kate was infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRS... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4565904 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:00:43 +0100 4565904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532208&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-garments-and-bacterial-contamination%2F2011.03.01 Bacterial contamination of physicians’ newly laundered uniforms occurs within three hours of putting them on, making them no more or less dirty than the traditional white coats, researchers reported. Researchers sought to compare bacterial and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination of physicians’ white coats to freshly laundered short-sleeved uniforms, and to determine the rate at which bacterial contamination happens. They reported results in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. ACP Internist‘s blog recently took up the debate as well. The issue has cropped up over the years, assessing not only the cleanliness but the professionalism inherent in the white lab coat. Researchers conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled trial among 100 residents and h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532208 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4532208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4518260&cid=t_90824_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2F2011%2F02%2F25%2Fmeasles-outbreak-in-turkey%2F An ongoing outbreak in Istanbul reminds us that measles rates in Turkey have decreased significantly only during the past five years, in parallel with achievement of >90 vaccination coverage in the country (WHO estimates) [1,2] In the attached graph, measles rates (green line) are contrasted with vaccination coverage estimates. References: 1. Berger SA. Infectious Diseases of Turkey, 2011. 420 pp. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/country/infectious-diseases-of-turkey/ 2. Berger SA. Measles: Global Status, 2011. 386 pp. Gideon e-books, http://www.gideononline.com/ebooks/disease/measles-global-status/ (Source: GIDEON blog) GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4518260 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:37:44 +0100 4518260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411662&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FKTP5HC5JeyA%2F Thanks to the recent midterm elections and this week’s State of the Union address, health care and health care reform has made its way into the headlines more often over the past few months. But one topic we haven’t seen covered very often is the frequency of health care-associated infections (or HAIs), which are any infection that patients develop at a hospital or other patient care facility that they didn’t have prior to treatment, like ventilator-related pneumonia and surgery site infections. We were shocked to learn that HAIs are one of the top ten causes of death in the U.S., with an estimated two million patients being affected by an HAI every year. But one company, Kimberly-Clark Health Care, which manufactures tubes and other sterile products used in hospitals, is... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411662 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:33:47 +0100 4411662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331217&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F11%2Fxmrv_its_ugly_but_thats_science.php How's the XMRV / chronic fatigue syndrome connection holding up? Not real well. Science has a roundup of the latest news in the area, and none of it looks encouraging. There are four studies that have come out in the journal Retrovirology that strongly suggest that earlier positive test results for the virus in CFS samples are just artifacts. For one thing, when you look closely, it turns out that the sequences from cell-cultured XMRV samples are quite a bit more diverse than the ones taken from widely separated patients at different times. And that's just not right for an infectious agent; it's the opposite of what you should see. A number of supposedly XMRV-specific primers that have been used in such assays also appear to amplify other murine viral sequences as well, and samples that s... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331217 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:29:56 +0100 4331217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322529&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2011%2F01%2Fbritish-medical-journal-declares-mmr-study-an-elaborate-fraud----autism-claims-likened-to-piltdown-m.html (January 6, 2011) -- The British Medical Journal has declared the 1998 Lancet paper that implied a link between the MMR vaccine and autism "an elaborate fraud." Comment: It is unfortunate than a number of major journals still print articles with very poor research data and later have to retract the article. What is even worse is the cost to national health programs around the world that then have to prove to the populations they serve that immunizations work and do not have these unanticipated side effects. I know that when I was Commissioner of health for Virginia we had to perform a number of studies that took away from services to the general population because legislators wanted to know that the activist statements were all crap it were not correct. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322529 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:16:34 +0100 4322529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272260&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F19%2Fsunday-news-round-up-4%2F First things first: the Senate voted on Saturday to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Hurray! The roll call vote for all of the Senators is here, reflecting the 65 votes for repeal and 35 votes against. The votes for repeal came almost exclusively from Democrats, with just eight Republicans voting yes. My own Senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, were unsurprisingly among the Republicans who voted against repeal; I’m disappointed in them for voting their party and their prejudice to be on the wrong side of history, the wrong side of human rights and dignity. The repeal will not become active for at least 60 days; HRC has a Pathway to Final Repeal document [PDF] that explains the necessary next steps, and warns service members about the interim: The Human Rights Campaign i... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272260 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:00:59 +0100 4272260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265792&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F12%2F1-in-6-get-sick-from-foodborne-illnesses-each-year.html About 48 million people (1 in 6 Americans) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die each year from foodborne diseases, according new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures are the most accurate to date due to better data and methods used. The data are published Wednesday in two articles in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. CDC's FoodNet surveillance system data, which tracks trends among common foodborne pathogens, has documented a decrease of 20 percent in illnesses from key pathogens during the past 10 years. However, these FoodNet pathogens make up only a small proportion of the illnesses included in the new estimates. Comment: few people realize this, to illnesses caused teach your by foodborne disease. The new estimates are based on... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265792 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:45:24 +0100 4265792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258798&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F13%2Fsunday-monday-news-round-up-way-overdue-edition%2F Some items that have caught my interest recently – I haven’t done one of these in a long time because of work and life and other ponderings about the best current use of the blog, but here are some news items, issues, and commentary of potential interest to readers, on women’s health, feminism, and miscellaneous topics: The CDC provides Consider Cholera: Information for U.S. Healthcare Professionals for clinicians who are asked to be on the lookout for U.S. cases, with info on diagnosis, treatment, and reporting. Aunt B has an excellent commentary in Self-Avowed Feminist, Gail Kerr, Has some Opinions about Emily Evans on the message sent when one female newspaper columnist attempts to trash a female councilperson using language like “shrill” and “class k... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258798 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 01:12:21 +0100 4258798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237913&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F12%2Fhead-lice-shrivel-with-chemical-free-warm-air-device.html ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2010) — Four years after the ‘LouseBuster’ prototype made headlines when research showed the chemical-free, warm-air device wiped out head lice on children, a new study reveals that a revamped, government-cleared model is highly effective. Comment: the new machine approved by the FDA is expensive at $2000+ but might be useful in schools, primary-care practices and local health departments. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237913 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:58:59 +0100 4237913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225171&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2Fcommentary-on-the-princeton-abortion-conference-new-u-s-sti-data-and-more%2F Over at Our Bodies Our Blog, I have compiled some commentary from the recent “common ground” abortion conference at Princeton, including my own annoyance at William Saletan’s proposal to achieve common ground by having women simply surrender some more of their access to abortion. I also have links to info on SisterSong’s upcoming “Let’s Talk About Sex” conference (with a focus on women of color and reproductive justice), pointers to the Center for Reproductive Rights’s renewed efforts to expand access to emergency contraception, and a bit about new data on U.S. sexually transmitted infections from the CDC. Short version: yay, data!, but women and infants are two separate things. Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Contracep... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225171 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:20:13 +0100 4225171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225616&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F12%2F02%2Fhiv_therapies_a_thankyou.php A rare op-ed note of appreciation for the drug industry: who would have predicted, 20 years ago, that the viral disease for which we have the widest range of effective therapies would be HIV? (Source: In the Pipeline) In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225616 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:33:04 +0100 4225616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197096&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fstudy-finds-daily-pill-lowers-risk-of-hiv-infection.html         On its front page, the New York Times (11/24, A1, McNeil) reports, "In the study, published Tuesday by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the men taking Truvada, a common combination of two antiretroviral drugs, were 44 percent less likely to get infected with the virus that causes AIDS than an equal number taking a placebo." The "results are the best news in the AIDS field in years, even better than this summer's revelation that a vaginal microbicide protected 39 percent of all the women testing it and 54 percent of those who used it faithfully." Comment: the biggest problem with access to this drug is a several thousand dollar cost per your which will put it outside the means of many of those infected with HIV. It is unf... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197096 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:44:36 +0100 4197096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197098&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F11%2Fgonorrhea-rate-in-2009-hits-lowest-level-since-1941.html USA Today reports, "One of the nation's most common forms of sexually transmitted diseases has fallen to its lowest level ever recorded, but there's still improvement needed," according to data released on Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the "annual report card on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) found that the gonorrhea rate in 2009 -- the most recent year for which figures are available -- was at its lowest level since 1941." the rates for chlamydia and syphilis continue to rise, syphilis infection rates among women, however, declined. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197098 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:43:21 +0100 4197098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168865&cid=t_90824_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2F2010%2F11%2F15%2Febooks-review-in-clinical-infectious-diseases%2F GIDEON ebooks series review by Dr. Mary Wilson, Associate Professor of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health has appeared in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (CID 2010; 51(10):1227–1228). Some excerpts: [GIDEON] has now developed the GIDEON e-books system. This massive database, 411 books with 95,000 pages, presents material in 2 formats, by country and by infectious disease. Data are culled from papers published in journals, textbooks, Health Ministry publications, and materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. … The advantages of the system are many. It is an extraordinary database. It assembles a vast amount of material and makes it available in a consistent format. (Source: GIDEON blog) GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168865 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 18:00:11 +0100 4168865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118991&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fimmunizations.html While looking at my daily science progress  lists today I cannot help but be struck by the recommendations for whooping cough boosters for seniors, and meningitis boosters for adolescents. As we learn more about immunity and the value of immunizations the issue has become so complex that is as it is essential that all health facilities become fully computerized with databases that trigger notices to the doctors and nurses when an immunization is due, as well as for preventive and appropriate screening services, and the ability to ensure that when multiple drugs are given one does not interfere with another. It is unfortunate that our profession that collects and uses so much data has almost totally failed to keep up with technology that enhances data management. (Source: Dr. Buttery's... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118991 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:21:09 +0100 4118991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4097991&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Fpertussis-claims-10th-victim-in-california.html  CNN (reports that pertussis "has claimed the 10th victim in California, in what health officials are calling the worst outbreak in 60 years." Notably, "all of the deaths occurred in infants under the age of three months, says Michael Sicilia, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health." Sicilia also noted that "California Health Department epidemiologists estimate 50 percent of the children who have gotten sick were infected by their parents or caregivers." For that reason, it is important for all people who have close contact with infants to get vaccinated against pertussis. Ollison Patti, a spokeswoman for the CDC, emphasized that the pertussis vaccine "does not protect you for life," so people must remember to get booster shots. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4097991 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:25:17 +0100 4097991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036672&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F10%2Feffectiveness-of-condoms-in-thailand-on-ted.html Well worth watching. Why can’t we be as effective in the USA http://www.ted.com/talks/mechai_viravaidya_how_mr_condom_made_thailand_a_better_place.html   (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036672 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:57:33 +0100 4036672 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3961796&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F12%2Fwhen-flu-shots-go-wrong%2F I want to be very clear about this: I get flu shots. I think flu shots (and other vaccines) are a good thing. I will get them every year, especially as long as I work at a medical center. I really appreciate getting them for free, and the effort that goes into making that happen. I do not want my experience to in any way discourage anyone else from getting a flu shot, because what I experienced was completely unusual and probably the result of a new person having a bad day. I was not substantially harmed in any way, and got a good story to tell in the process. In the same manner, I have documented my blood drive mishaps here before, and I continue to donate blood and to encourage others to do so. Clear enough? With that out of the way, I got my annual flu shot last Tuesday. After register... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3961796 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:14:28 +0100 3961796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914924&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F30%2Fdoes-the-nhifda-paper-confirm-xmrv-in-cfs-well-ditch-the-mr-and-scratch-the-x-and-youve-got-mlv%2F The long awaited paper that would ‘solve’ the controversies about the presence of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related virus (XMRV) in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was finally published in PNAS last week [1]. The study, a joint effort of the NIH and the FDA, was withheld, on request of the authors [2], because it contradicted [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914924 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:32:21 +0100 3914924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899623&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F24%2Fxmrv_or_umpteen_other_viruses_or_what.php The long-delayed PNAS paper on the chronic fatigue/XMRV results has finally come out. It's not going to stop the arguing. From what I can see, this team didn't find "canonical" XMRV in the samples from CFS patients. But what they did find was a whole slew of similar-looking traces of murine leukemia viruses (MLVs). (The samples do not appear to have been contaminated, which is the first thing you'd wonder about). So now we're back to more head-scratching. Is XMRV a culprit at all, or is it some other related MLV? Or is it, instead, several of them at the same time? How many people without symptoms show the same MLV signs anyway? And so on. It's clear that this story is nowhere near over. It's only barely starting. . . Here's the PNAS commentary on the article, which adds some clarity. ... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899623 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:43:24 +0100 3899623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845122&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Ftattooing-may-be-the-rage.html But, researchers from the University of British Columbia reviewed and analyzed 124 studies from 30 countries, including Canada, Iran, Italy, Brazil and the United States, and found the incidence of hepatitis C after tattooing is directly linked with the number of tattoos an individual receives. The findings are published in the current issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Other risks of tattooing identified by the study include allergic reactions, HIV, hepatitis B, bacterial or fungal infections, and other risks associated with tattoo removal. Comment: Public health experts have been aware of this problem for years and while trying to publicize it have found that and the establishment individuals like to express their views with multiple tattoos. Unfortunately this cr... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845122 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:01:14 +0100 3845122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816428&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F08%2Fthe-boston-herald-reports-that-since-massachusetts-passed-its-sweeping-healthcare-overhaul-in-2006-t.html From today’s WSJ: The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are investigating an alarming rise in several different types of tick-borne infections including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and erlichiosis. Not only are more diseases being spread by ticks, but more species of ticks are transmitting disease, including some, like brown dog ticks, not previously considered a danger to humans. The blood-sucking parasites are the leading carriers of disease in the U.S. and second only to mosquitoes worldwide. Comment: this presentation includes an excellent set of instructions for keeping ticks at bay. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816428 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:26:52 +0100 3816428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816748&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F08%2F03%2Fknow_how_to_make_praziquantel_tell_the_world.php One of the people I met this past weekend was Matt Todd, chemistry professor at the University of Sydney. We talked about a project his lab is working on, and I wanted to help call attention to it. They're working on praziquantel, also known as PZQ or Biltricide, which is used to cure schistosomiasis in the tropics. It's on the WHO's list of essential medicines for this reason. But PZQ is used now as a racemate, and this is one of those cases where everyone would be better off with a single enantiomer - not least, because the active enantiomer is significantly easier for patients to stand than the racemic mixture. Problem is, there's no cheap enantioselective synthesis or resolution. So what Todd's group has done is crowdsourced the problem. Here's the page to start with, where they lay ... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816748 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:49:17 +0100 3816748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784280&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Favian-influenza-human.html In today’s ProMED-mail is a report from the INSTITUT DE VEILLE SANITAIRE reporting on 500 cases of influenza A(H5N1) over 6+years.  This is hardly and epidemic with less than one case per 10,000,000 per year!  It is high time that the WHO and its partners revise the criteria for an epidemic and that politicians stopped using rare diseases as opportunities to throw money at them for self aggrandizement (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784280 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:58:18 +0100 3784280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784281&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Fearly-haart-during-tb-treatment-boosts-survival-rate-in-people-co-infected-with-hiv-and-tb.html From Science Daily: A clinical trial in Cambodia has found it possible to prolong the survival of untreated HIV-infected adults with very weak immune systems and newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) by starting anti-HIV therapy two weeks after beginning TB treatment, rather than waiting eight weeks, as has been standard for more detail see The CAMELIA Clinical Trial (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/QA/Pages/CAMELIAqa.aspx). (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784281 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:56:10 +0100 3784281 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772249&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F07%2Fhiv-vaccines-can-induce-hiv-antibodies-in-trial-participants-which-may-cause-a-false-positive-hiv-te.html During trials of preventive HIV vaccines, trial participants may develop HIV-related antibody responses that could lead to a positive HIV test by routine antibody detection methods (called vaccine-induced seropositivity/reactivity [VISP]), and the potential for false-positive test results and an incorrect HIV diagnosis, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on HIV/AIDS. Comment: This finding at the  Vienna Symposium on AIDS should remind us how careful one has to be not to introduce false positives into testing. No one wants to be told they have a deadly disease when they do not. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772249 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:17:27 +0100 3772249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733287&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F07%2Fxmrv_and_chronic_fatigue_you_thought_you_were_confused_before.php Time to revisit the chronic fatigue/XMRV controversy, because it's become even crazier. To catch up, there was a 2009 report in Science that this little-known virus correlated strongly with patients showing the clinical syndrome. Criticism was immediate, with several technical comments and rebuttals coming out in the journal. Then researchers from the UK and Holland strongly challenged the original paper's data and said that they could not reproduce anything like it. Recently I (and a lot of other people who write about science) received an e-mail claiming that a paper was about to come out from a group at the NIH that confirmed the first report. I let that one go by, since I thought I'd wait for, you know, the actual paper (for one thing, that would let me be sure that there really was o... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733287 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:27:15 +0100 3733287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706697&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fkaiser-study-finds-safer-way-to-use-mmrv-vaccine-in-toddlers.html A new study of 459,000 children nationwide, led by Kaiser Permanente's Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, discovered a disturbing side effect from the quadruple-hit vaccination: It doubles the risk of febrile seizures in children between ages 1 and 2. The study is published today in the journal Pediatrics. Comment: the attempt to reduce the total number of vaccine shots by combining more vaccines seems a credible approach in theory but in practice may not work out, As more vaccines are recommended the schedule becomes even more confusing and contributes to part of the problem of inadequate immunization rates. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706697 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:34:34 +0100 3706697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671732&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F06%2Fnonprofit-to-begin-testing-vaginal-ring-with-anti-hiv-drug.html The Washington Post (6/15) reported, "The first test of a long-acting vaginal ring loaded with an HIV-preventing drug has begun enrolling women in southern Africa," and "with no prospects for an AIDS vaccine in the next decade or longer, the AIDS community has high hopes for 'microbicides,' the general term for substances that kill viruses or bacteria on contact." This "new study is the 15th undertaken by the International Partnership for Microbicides, a nonprofit group in Silver Spring that has helped lead the search for a discreet, woman-controlled means of protection." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671732 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:40 +0100 3671732 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549550&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F10%2Funlovely_polyphenols.php Here's a new paper from the folks at the Burnham Institute and UCSD on a new target for vaccinia virus. They're going after a virulence factor (N1L) through computational screening, which is a challenge, since this is a protein-protein interaction. They pulled out a number of structures, which have some modest activity in cell infection assays. In addition, they showed through calorimetry that the compounds do appear to be affecting the target protein, specifically its equilibrium between monomeric and oligomeric forms. But the structures of their best hits. . .well, here's the table. You can ignore compounds 6 and 8; they show up as cytotoxic. But the whole list is pretty ghastly, at least to my eyes. These sorts of highly aromatic polyphenol structures have two long traditions in medic... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549550 Mon, 10 May 2010 15:20:47 +0100 3549550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3524087&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F02%2Fsunday-news-round-up-early-morning-tornado-siren-edition%2F Yikes – here in Nashville we’ve had some intense weather this weekend. I mean, it’s not every day that a portable classroom floats down the interstate. First, check out all of the great posts that were part of Blogging Against Disablism Day. Or maybe do that last, because you will be there for a while. I haven’t read them all, but one post I particularly liked was on the scrutiny of people who need painkilling medications. Info on the Children’s/Infants’ Tylenol, C/I Motrin, and children’s Zyrtec and Benadryl is online at http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com SB 529, the “OB/GYN Criminalization and Racial Discrimination Act” in Georgia (on race and abortion), was killed in committee. SisterSong has a press release [PDF] and Jodi Jacobson... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3524087 Sun, 02 May 2010 12:56:19 +0100 3524087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522654&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F05%2Fcombination-antibiotics-effective-against-chlamydia-induced-arthritis.html A federal multicenter clinical trial, led by the University of South Florida College of Medicine reported in the May 2010 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism, lends hope that eradication of this persistent infection is attainable and a possible cure exists. In the latest double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial, 42 patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups -- rifampin plus doxycycline, rifampin plus azithromycin, or placebo. All the patients tested positive for Chlamydia trachomatis or Chlamydia pneumoniae. They received combination antibiotics or placebo for six months and were followed for three months post-treatment. Comment. While an appropriate topic for research the number of participants is small. At the same time more information is published about th... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522654 Sat, 01 May 2010 14:59:54 +0100 3522654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508205&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F04%2Fseroprevalence-of-herpes-simplex-virus-type-2-among-persons-aged-14--49-years-----united-states-2005.html The results indicated that HSV-2 seroprevalence was 16.2% overall, not statistically different from the seroprevalence in 1999--2004. Seroprevalence was highest among women (20.9%) and non-Hispanic blacks (39.2%). Of those infected with HSV-2, 81.1% had not received a diagnosis. Clinicians, health departments, health-care organizations, and community groups should promote measures that prevent HSV-2 transmission, including minimizing the number of sex partners, avoiding concurrent sexual partnerships, and using condoms consistently and correctly. Patients with known HSV-2 infection should be tested for HIV. Comment: Far too few primary care providers ask patients about their sexual health and fewer offer screening or discuss symptoms.  Part of the problem is insurance only paying for ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508205 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:02:13 +0100 3508205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508124&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F27%2Fthree-studies-now-refute-the-presence-of-xmrv-in-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs%2F .“Removing the doubt is part of the cure” (RedLabs) Two months ago I wrote about two contradictory studies on the presence of the novel XMRV retrovirus in blood of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The first study, published in autumn last year by investigators of the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) in the USA [1], [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508124 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:45:46 +0100 3508124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456879&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F09%2Fdundees_nmt_inhibitors_for_sleeping_sickness_an_update.php I've had some follow-up with the people at Dundee who reported those compounds for sleeping sickness recently. As mentioned, one of the key points in making these a viable therapy will be brain penetration, since trypanosomes in the central nervous system are a hallmark of the most serious phase of the disease. The group has a patent application out (WO2010026365), and you can see from it that they've been addressing this problem. Their Table 5 has blood and brain concentrations after dosing in mice, and there's a compound on it (DDD73490) with a brain/blood ratio of 6. That one, as the med-chem audience will have no trouble believing, has an N-methyl on the sulfonamide - getting NH sulfonamides into the brain is often a losing battle. And there are a number of other compounds on the list... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456879 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:08:41 +0100 3456879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3454176&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F09%2Fdundees_nmt_inhibitors_for_sleeping_sickeness_an_update.php I've had some follow-up with the people at Dundee who reported those compounds for sleeping sickness recently. As mentioned, one of the key points in making these a viable therapy will be brain penetration, since trypanosomes in the central nervous system are a hallmark of the most serious phase of the disease. The group has a patent application out (WO2010026365), and you can see from it that they've been addressing this problem. Their Table 5 has blood and brain concentrations after dosing in mice, and there's a compound on it (DDD73490) with a brain/blood ratio of 6. That one, as the med-chem audience will have no trouble believing, has an N-methyl on the sulfonamide - getting NH sulfonamides into the brain is often a losing battle. And there are a number of other compounds on the list... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3454176 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:08:41 +0100 3454176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429435&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F04%2F01%2Fgood_news_versus_sleeping_sickness.php Nature has a very encouraging paper out today on some potential treatments for trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). The mechanism is protein N-myristoylation (catalyzed by an enzyme abbreviated as NMT) which is a process that's important for membrane targeting and trafficking. NMT has been shown to be essential for trypanosome survival by siRNA experiments, so it's a pretty well-validated target. And now there's some chemical evidence for that idea. This groups screened a compound library, found some micromolar-level hits, and optimized these through good old-fashioned medicinal chemistry down to nanomolar-level compounds. The compounds aren't that bad - they're all pyrazole sulfonamides, a bit bulky and aromatic, but everyone who's done med-chem has seen a lot uglier compounds than these... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429435 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:34:53 +0100 3429435 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395158&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F03%2Ftechnology-based-hand-hygiene-monitoring-improves-compliance-at-duke-hospital.html A real-time monitoring process improved hand hygiene compliance at Duke University Hospital, bringing its compliance rates to more than 90 percent -- far above the national average of 40 percent. “Proper hand hygiene is a key component in providing patient care and preventing infections, but unfortunately it has not been a high priority historically,” said. “Nationally, the average for hand hygiene compliance is an abysmal 40 percent.” Comment: While this progress is laudable the study does not show any evidence that hospital infection rates have been lowered. Measuring process is not as valuable as measuring outcome. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395158 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:34:26 +0100 3395158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3362403&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F03%2Fpeace-through-vaccine-diplomacy.html In today’s journal Science, is an excellent Editorial on “Peace through Diplomacy” which  discusses the upcoming visit to Indonesia by President Obama and hopefully agreement on a Joint Vaccine Programs. The same editorial also reminds us that vaccine programs cut across battlegrounds as the Taliban working with the USA and WHO to eliminate poliomyelitis in  Afghanistan. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3362403 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:52:29 +0100 3362403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3400562&cid=t_90824_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2F2010%2F03%2F07%2Fvaccination-coverage-in-haiti%2F Although vaccination coverage for major infectious diseases in Haiti was below that of other countries in the region, recent WHO estimates had shown some improvement in recent years. Most recent data are summarized in the following chart: Also check out GIDEON’s free ebook: Infectious Diseases of Haiti (Source: GIDEON blog) GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3400562 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:42:49 +0100 3400562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322375&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F03%2Fturtle-salmonella.html In this same issue of the MMWR we read about another multistate outbreak of salmonella traced to turtles. The incident case was detected in Philadelphia and a CDC multistate follow up identified 135 cases of S. Typhimurium among children with a median age of 7 years.  It is difficult Despite numerous warnings to the public to stop these periodic outbreaks among children with pet reptiles, particularly turtles. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322375 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:13:08 +0100 3322375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322376&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F03%2Fcdc-recommends-annual-flu-immunization.html In a press release issued on Feb 24  the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP),  expanded the recommendation for annual influenza vaccination to include all people aged 6 months and older. The expanded recommendation is to take effect in the 2010 - 2011 influenza season. The new recommendation seeks to remove barriers to influenza immunization and signals the importance of preventing influenza across the entire population. The content of the Vaccine for he fall of 2010 has been modified in view of recent pandemics and sufficient doses of vaccine will be available for everyone. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322376 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:08:33 +0100 3322376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3318352&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F28%2Fweekly-news-round-up-17%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog, I posted about a couple of calls for support of midwifery-related legislation – in Mississippi and at the Federal level, and on ACNM’s new statement in support of making nitrous oxide available for pain relief in labor, while C has an update on healthcare reform. Other items of interest: At the workplace, a new OB emergency team is being launched, and it includes an attending CNM. At RHRC, Robin Marty talks about Angie Jackson’s tweetin of her abortion. Angie herself writes more about her experience at Angie the Anti-Theist. My response is basically to adapt what I said about Trunk tweeting her miscarriage: But you know what? Her tweet, and her motives for publishing it, are not the issue – the responses she reports receiving are. The comments ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3318352 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:35:25 +0100 3318352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311917&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Fa_friday_book_recommendation.php This isn't exactly med-chem, but its focus probably overlaps with the interests of a number of readers around here. I recently came across a copy of A Field Guide to Bacteria and enjoyed it very much. I don't think there's another book quite like it available: it describes where you're likely to find different varieties of bacteria (from hot springs to your fridge), how they behave in a natural environment (as opposed to a culture dish) and how to identify them by field marks, if possible. It's not written for microbiologists, but it can provide a different perspective even if you work in the field (since many people that do focus on pathogens - really a very small subset of bacteria, when you get down to it). I'm already inspired to set up some Winogradsky columns with my kids, perhaps w... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311917 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:29:14 +0100 3311917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311699&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Fcdcs-acip-recommends-universal-annual-influenza-vaccination.html A panel of immunization experts voted today (February 24, 2010) to expand the recommendation for annual influenza vaccination to include all people aged 6 months and older. The expanded recommendation is to take effect in the 2010 - 2011 influenza season. The new recommendation seeks to remove barriers to influenza immunization and signals the importance of preventing influenza across the entire population. More influenza vaccine doses will be required to vaccinate all adults. However, based on current projections, more licensed types and brands of seasonal influenza vaccines will be available in the 2010-11 influenza season than has ever been available before. Historically, uptake of seasonal influenza vaccine has been less than half of the number of persons with a specific recommendation... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311699 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:04:08 +0100 3311699 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287758&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Finfluenza-vaccines-poor-evidence-for-effectiveness-in-elderly.html Once again another study shows evidence for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines in the over 65s is poor, despite the fact that vaccination has been recommended for the prevention of influenza in older people for the past 40 years. These are the conclusions of a new Cochrane Systematic Review. "As the evidence on effectiveness in the elderly is so scarce at the moment, we should be looking at other strategies to complement vaccinations. Some of these are very simple things like personal hygiene, and adequate food and water," says Jefferson. "Meanwhile, we need to undertake a high quality, publicly funded trial that runs over several seasons to try to resolve some of the uncertainties we're currently facing." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287758 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:18:34 +0100 3287758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276069&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F16%2Fxmrv_and_chronic_fatigue_syndrome_more_negative_data.php The wrangling over this issue has been fierce, and now it's even more so. Here's another paper from the UK, just coming out today, that has found no association between patients diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and xenotropic (Source: In the Pipeline) In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276069 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:53:21 +0100 3276069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272882&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F15%2Ffinally-a-viral-cause-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-or-not-how-results-can-vary-and-depend-on-multiple-factors%2F Last week @F1000 (on Twitter) alerted me to an interesting discussion at F1000 on  a paper in Science, that linked Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to a newly discovered human virus XRMV [1]. This finding was recently disputed by another study in PLOS [2], that couldn’t reproduce the results.  This was highlighted in an excellent post by [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272882 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:23:02 +0100 3272882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272877&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F14%2Fweekly-news-round-up-oral-herpes-edition%2F How’s that for an intro this week? I’ve mentioned my cold sore affliction here previously; I swear I either get them more often and worse than most people, or everybody else is just staying home for a week at a time. I’ll be spending the next week feeling self-conscious due to a huge cold sore front and center on my top lip. Here’s some info on the little buggers: MedlinePlus: Herpes labialis American Social Health Association: Oral Herpes Scarleteen: Hopping Mad About Herpes (includes a nice section on dealing with feelings of “gross”ness. Related to the previous post, Pam Merritt writes at RHRC on Women of Color and the Anti-Choice Focus on Eugenics. The whole post is well worth a read. Hilary at Mom’s Tinfoil Hat is talking about reproductive... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272877 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:38:53 +0100 3272877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269700&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Fsingle-dose-of-drug-cures-visceral-leishmaniasis.html From the Kaiser Foundation today we learn that a study has shown that a single infusion of Gilead Sciences' drug AmBisome, known generically as iposomal amphotericin B, cured nearly all patients with visceral leishmaniasis, or kala-azar, a parasitic infection, Reuters reports. Spread by the sand fly and affecting 500,000 people a year, visceral leishmaniasis is found in Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, but is concentrated in India, according to the news service.  Comment: We tend to forget that there are many vector borne diseases outside trh US that need treating and preventing.. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269700 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:59:07 +0100 3269700 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254469&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Fsafety-of-h1n1-shots.html One in every 10,000 Californians who contracted H1N1 died, statistics from the State Department of Health show.  Out of 13 million Californians who were vaccinated for H1N1, three people died. In one case, the patient already had the flu and a streptococcus infection when vaccinated. One was a cardiac patient whose death the coroner ruled was related to pre-existing heart problems. And the final case is still being reviewed by health officials.  Comment: Yet the anti immunization activists continue to get Media space, despite study after study showing how much safer immunizations are than the diseases they control. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254469 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:45:12 +0100 3254469 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248546&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F02%2Fnew-malaria-vaccine-is-safe-and-protective-in-children.html From the Maryland University Center for vaccine development ( with cooperation with several other major research groups we learn that a study on effectiveness of a new vaccine against Falciparum Malaria, the most common and most dangerous strains,  appears to be successful in stimulating antibody protection as great or greater than that of adults who have survived many years of exposure to become resistant to malaria.  While this is good news for the millions of children who would otherwise die from malaria each year the international community must ensure that agricultural productivity in increased in developing countries so that further generations of children no longer killed by malaria do not survive just to die from starvation. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248546 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:11:40 +0100 3248546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3223304&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2010%2F01%2Fthe-swine-flu-backlash.html In the Lancet today is a valuable article on ”swine flu backlash” [Volume 375, Issue 9712, 30 Jan, 2010, Page 367] where the author considers whether the recent pandemic is the weakest on record, and how much the pharmaceutical industry and power politics caused needless waste of medical resources, engendering unnecessary fear. The author also asks “how was it that a new virus turned out on closer inspection not to be so new after all? Epidemiologists  knew it was likely to be mild almost from the beginning, but we feared that because it was ‘new’ it would spread widely and kill a lot of people by virtue of the sheer numbers infected. Comment:  It is always easy to second guess recent events, but science was overwhelmed again by politics as it was fo... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3223304 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:58:02 +0100 3223304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167058&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F13%2Farchives-of-neurology-2009-vol-67-no-1%2F contents page Fade Fave: Infectious Burden and Risk of Stroke: The Northern Manhattan Study Fade Skinny: Considers the association between a composite measure of serological test results for common infections (Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus 1 and 2) and stroke risk in a prospective cohort study. It shows a quantitative weighted index of infectious burden was associated with risk of first stroke in this cohort but this requires further research to confirm these findings. (NHS Athens is required to access this article online) Posted in Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals Tagged: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Infectious Diseases, Neurology, Stroke (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167058 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:04:40 +0100 3167058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104978&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F18%2Foverproduction-of-th1-and-th17-cytokines-may-be-the-clue-to-why-some-h1n1-patients-get-very-ill%2F The present H1N1 influenza virus (nvH1N1, nv=new variant) behaves very differently from other influenza strains. The majority of nvH1N1 infections are mild and self-limiting in nature, but a small percentage of the patients require hospitalization and sometimes emergency care. Unlike the seasonal flu virus, the people who seem to suffer serious complications from this [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104978 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:15:30 +0100 3104978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092651&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F16%2Fnot-one-rct-on-swine-flu-or-h1n1-outrageous%2F Last week doctorblogs (Annabel Bentley) tweeted: “Outrageous- there isn’t ONE randomised trial on swine flu or #H1N1“ Annabel referred to an article at Trust the Evidence, the excellent blog of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) in Oxford, UK. In the article “Is swine flu the most over-published and over-hyped disease ever?” Carl Heneghan first showed [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092651 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:46:49 +0100 3092651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084798&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F12%2Foseltamivir-the-flu-is-it-better-than-a-placebo.html This drug has been distributed throughout the USA and many other countries in the belief that ii made a difference to H1Ni  flu.  This week’s BMJ has several articles and editorials suggesting this may be  a false hope costing $millions and that the drug may be no better than a  placebo.  The Editorials raise the question of allowing data that support drug studies to be  kept private by the drug companies, and whether all such studies should be fully available to the Academic Community to analyze them.  Read the journal, both the articles and editorials to draw your own conclusions.  Have we been ripped off again by Big Pharma? (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084798 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:32:43 +0100 3084798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3083051&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F12%2F26-deaths-for-every-100000-cases-of-swine-flu-say-experts.html Mortality from pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza in England: public health surveillance study.  New data, published today on bmj.com, reveal that there were 26 deaths out of every 100,000 cases of swine flu in England (a fatality rate of 0.026%.  The research, which was carried out by Sir Liam Donaldson’s research team, reveals that two thirds of the patients who died (66.7%) from swine flu would now be eligible for vaccination. The authors say that this demonstrates the importance of getting high risk groups vaccinated. While the over 65’s had less chance of contracting swine flu, the study reveals that this group were more likely to die from the disease if they developed it. The authors argue that perhaps older people were less likely to become infected with swine flu ... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3083051 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:43:31 +0100 3083051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012339&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F20%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-cdc-reverses-hpv-vaccine-requirement-for-immigration%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog this week, I cover the CDC’s new vaccination criteria for U.S. immigration, which removed HPV and zoster (chicken pox) from the required vaccines. I also have a bit about why the HPV vaccine requirement was problematic, links to previous related posts, and links to organizations for women of color that issued a statement applauding the change. Meanwhile, C’s post on the new mammogram recommendations has useful explanation of the change and a lively comments section. Posted in Access, Rights, & Choice, Boobs, Cancer, Ethics, Global Issues, Government, HPV, Infectious Diseases (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012339 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:10:37 +0100 3012339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981099&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F11%2Fho-finds-hivaids-leading-cause-of-death-among-women-worldwide.html The World Health Organization has discovered that the "AIDS virus is the leading cause of death and disease among women between the ages of 15 and 44." Indeed, "women enjoy a biological advantage because they tend to live six to eight years longer than men," WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan pointed out. "But in many parts of the world they suffer serious disadvantages because of poverty [and] poorer access to healthcare:. The 91-page report by the organization "lays out the hurdles women face in getting the healthcare they need at various stages of life."  The report said that "accidental injuries take a toll on girls and younger women," while "chronic diseases account for almost half of the deaths among older women." Dr. Chan noted, however, that the "obstacles that stand in the way of be... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981099 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:43:19 +0100 2981099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2973883&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F08%2Fweekly-news-round-up-118%2F Christine has a post at Our Bodies Our Blog about the passage of the health reform legislation last night. She notes As I watched Democrats congratulate themselves, it was difficult to feel celebratory. Passage of the Stupak amendment — which bars a government-run insurance plan from offering abortion *and* prohibits women who receive government insurance subsidies from purchasing private plans that include abortion coverage — sucked a lot of the energy out of the room. She has a number of posts on health care reform and especially the Stupak amendment from yesterday, with links to a number of additional resources and roll call vote results, so I won’t try to duplicate all of that info here – I’m still trying to catch up on and absorb all of the intricacies. See Our B... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2973883 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:44:46 +0100 2973883 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2963045&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F11%2F04%2Fkroger-also-needs-to-unlock-the-condoms%2F In the past year or so, I’ve seen a lot of effort toward convincing pharmacy/retail chain CVS to “unlock the condoms.” The argument is that, when these stores lock up the condoms in a special case, it creates barriers to access and gets in the way of people acting responsibly. Yes, ideally we’re all comfortable asking for help with access to condoms and store staff are professional and helpful and don’t tell our mamas in our small towns about it, but we don’t live in an ideal world. Cure CVS and Amplify have examples of the campaigns directed at CVS, which Feministing and others have also written about. Well, it’s definitely not just CVS. I had occasion recently to notice that my Kroger (grocery store) pharmacy was closed, and they keep all the c... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2963045 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:34:05 +0100 2963045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924787&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F25%2Fhow-a-flu-virus-invades-your-body-an-animation%2F I’ve seen “viral invasion, replication and spread” more elaborately and scientifically explained, but nothing comes near a clear visual and audible presentation of what happens on a micro-scale. Here is a video on a Flu Attack that stirs the imagination. And one thing or another, those kind of videos get really viral on Twitter and blogs as [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924787 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:42:55 +0100 2924787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924761&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F25%2Fweekly-news-round-up-1025%2F I’m biased, of course, but there’s lots of good stuff at Our Bodies Our Blog (as usual!), including a guest piece from OBOS intern Meg Young on sex education and the UU program on the topic, Our Whole Lives. Order your free 2010 women’s health calendar (in English or Spanish) from the National Women’s Health Information Center. Amie at RH Reality Check has a piece on preexisting condition exclusions women sometimes face from health insurance companies. Arts4Choice uses photographs and sound “to show Canadians that women who have had abortions are their mothers, sisters, neighbours and friends.” The online exhibit reminds us that these women don’t look like the monsters they’re sometimes portrayed as. MedlinePlus has added some Pet Health i... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924761 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:42:43 +0100 2924761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924229&cid=t_90824_10_f&fid=35345&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GIDEONonline.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F25%2Fmajor-outbreaks-of-leptospirosis%2F In view of a massive ongoing outbreak in Manila, the following chronology of published large outbreaks (>50 cases) of leptospirosis was abstracted from Gideon. Outbreaks known to be associated with heavy rains or flooding are denoted by * A number of additional outbreaks have been associated with floods, but without specific mention of case numbers. Thus, a major outbreak in Krasnodar (Russia) in 1997 followed local flooding; as did epidemics in China during 1962 to 1963, 1966, 1973 to 1974 and 1984. The Epidemiology module in Gideon currently contains details of 8,910 Infectious Diseases outbreaks (Primary references are available on requrest) Year Cases (fatal) Location Details 1931 126 Portugal ascribed to entry of rat urine into drinking fountain 1933 to 1934 86 Chile the firs... GIDEON blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924229 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:45:11 +0100 2924229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2908538&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F20%2Fnytimes-highlights-pregnant-womans-swine-flu-ordeal%2F Today’s New York Times has a piece profiling what one 27-year-old woman went through when she contracted H1N1 (swine) flu while pregnant. While her case is not going to be representative of how all people will get sick if they contract the flu (pregnant women, for example, are considered to be higher risk), it’s a strong reminder of how serious the infection can be in some people. For more information, the CDC has resources about H1N1 flu for pregnant women, on topics such as the use of antiviral medications, vaccination, advice for pregnant women in health/child care and education, and general Q&A. Posted in Infectious Diseases, Pregnancy (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2908538 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:07:15 +0100 2908538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2898882&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F16%2Fh1n1-flu-vaccines-available-in-tennessee%2F Nashville residents may have seen the news elsewhere – the Metro Public Health Department is offering the H1N1 FluMist vaccine to the general public after ordering almost 5,000 doses and having plenty left over after low uptake from healthcare providers (the intended audience for the vaccine). Vaccines are free at the Lentz Health Center, 311 23rd Ave. North, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m, Monday through Friday, as long as supplies last. Note that this is the nasal spray vaccine, which is a live, attenuated version, so it is only intended for healthy, non-pregnant people ages 2-49 years. Here’s the CDC’s information sheet [PDF] on the nasal spray vaccine. Across the state, the TN Dept of Health has a “flu shot locator” online listing upcoming opportunities to receive the H... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2898882 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:38:19 +0100 2898882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2894520&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F10%2Fvaccinating-boys-against-human-papillomavirus-hpv-not-cost-effective.html In a new study, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that if vaccine coverage and efficacy are high in girls, a universal recommendation to vaccinate young boys is unlikely to provide comparatively good value for resources, compared with vaccinating girls only. The study was reported in the BMJ  October 9.. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2894520 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:10:47 +0100 2894520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886726&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F13%2Fchronic_fatigue_retroviruses_to_blame_or_not.php Chronic fatigue syndrome has long been controversial and mysterious. Is the mystery clearing up, or getting deeper? There have been diagnoses of something like CFS for a long time, under a lot of different names. The common sign is persistent fatigue with no obvious physical cause, often accompanied by joint pain, disrupted sleep, and other symptoms. It's more common in women than in men - but then, so are a lot of autoimmune disorders, which has made some sort of immune syndrome a popular explanation. All sorts of contradictory data have been generated around that idea, but nothing convincing has emerged. There's a preprint in Science from teams at the National Cancer Institute, the Cleveland Clinic, and Whittemore Peterson Institute that's attracting a lot of interest. It presents evide... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886726 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:24:51 +0100 2886726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2881155&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F11%2Fweekly-news-round-up-1011%2F The National Advocates for Pregnant Women reports that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit issued a decision in a case of an incarcerate woman who was shackled to the bed during labor, finding the practice “cruel and unusual” and thus unconstitutional. “Our Bodies, Ourselves” has been translated and adapted into a number of languages and cultures over the years; Christine writes about progress on Hebrew and Arabic versions. Nikki has H1N1 resources for children. RH Reality Check reports on the Limited-Service Pregnancy Centers Disclaimer Bill proposed in Baltimore to ensure that women visiting a Baltimore “crisis pregnancy center” are informed that they will not receive comprehensive birth control or abortion services or referrals... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2881155 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:08:49 +0100 2881155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851969&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FPiFMx9Tdeck%2F Countries all over the world are taking serious steps to stop the swine flu pandemic. China began its mass vaccination last week. And by October 5, the United States will distribute the first wave of swine flu vaccines, good for 6 million to million people. But the swiftness of government health agencies and the World Health Organization to address this issue is evidence about how rapid the H1N1 influenza virus has spread. It bears repeating that we need to take precautions in protecting ourselves and our families against the H1N1. What symptoms do you look for in swine flu? The symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular season flu, so report to your doctor if you have any symptoms. You will not know just from the symptoms what kind of flu you have. I know it can seem very confusing wit... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851969 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:54:05 +0100 2851969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842704&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FPiFMx9Tdeck%2F Countries all over the world are taking serious steps to stop the swine flu pandemic. China began its mass vaccination last week. And by October 5, the United States will distribute the first wave of swine flu vaccines, good for 6 million to million people. But the swiftness of government health agencies and the World Health Organization to address this issue is evidence about how rapid the H1N1 influenza virus has spread. It bears repeating that we need to take precautions in protecting ourselves and our families against the H1N1. What symptoms do you look for in swine flu? The symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular season flu, so report to your doctor if you have any symptoms. You will not know just from the symptoms what kind of flu you have. I know it can seem very confusing w... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842704 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:54:05 +0100 2842704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834388&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FBy_CVnLcEg0%2F The CDC has just announced that the first wave of swine flu vaccines will be available as early as October 5, a full month earlier than first reported. The supply will be good for 6 million to 7 million people, but the government expects about 250 million doses will be available over time. Of course, first priority goes to the most vulnerable, including healthcare workers, children, young adults and pregnant women. But don’t forget that you should still get a separate vaccine for the seasonal influenza. Neither one is going to protect you from the other virus. Now of the groups that the CDC highly recommends to get protection from the seasonal influenza virus, young adults were added on the list to get the swine flu shot. Don’t find this so strange. Even though this age group general... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834388 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:51:36 +0100 2834388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824344&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FrErGt51pNKM%2F With 1.3 billion people inside its borders, China seeks to curtail what could be a massive infection of the H1N1 virus later this winter by a mass immunization campaign this week. About 39,000 residents in Beijing had been inoculated with A/H1N1 flu vaccine by Tuesday afternoon, with 14 cases of adverse reaction, an epidemic control expert said here Wednesday. The number of inoculated residents may be small compared to the total population, but China is gaining praise for being the first country to issue such a campaign, and acting as fast as it did. The Sinovac H1N1 vaccine was approved only on September 3rd, and already 40,000 residents have been vaccinated by this Tuesday afternoon. China has also gained reputation as having the most vigilant response against the swine flu pandemic.... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824344 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:48:39 +0100 2824344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2824019&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F09%2Fnew-rabies-vaccine-may-require-only-a-single-shot-not-six.html ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2009) — A person, usually a child, dies of rabies every 20 minutes. However, only one inoculation may be all it takes for rabies vaccination, according to new research published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers at the Jefferson Vaccine Center. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2824019 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:04:53 +0100 2824019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820156&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F21%2Ffree-flu-information-for-doctors-nurses-and-patients%2F From EBSCO Publishing, on its free Influenza Evidence-Based Information Portal with content for doctors, nurses, and the general public: Due to Pandemic H1N1 Influenza (formerly known as Swine Flu) and concerns about the 2009/2010 flu season, the EBSCO Publishing Medical and Nursing editors of DynaMed™, Nursing Reference Center™ (NRC) and Patient Education Reference Center™ (PERC) have made key influenza information from these resources freely available to health care providers worldwide. The editorial teams will monitor the research and update these resources continuously throughout the upcoming flu season. The portal includes clinical summary information for providers on both H1N1 (swine) flu and “normal” seasonal flu, as well as patient hand-outs on both types of flu i... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820156 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:27:35 +0100 2820156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814434&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F09%2Fwhat-mexico-taught-the-world.html An excellent paper in JAMA [JAMA. 2009;302(11):1221-1222. ] this week shows how a country can respond to a new virus H1N1) and that all of us can learn how effective methods can be used to maximize participation by everyone in the country. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814434 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:23:42 +0100 2814434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814436&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F09%2Ftoo-much-hype.html In an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (9/17), Jim Fortenberry, MD, pediatrician-in-chief at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, discusses how, "time after time, parents are bringing children with flu symptoms to the emergency" department "when it's not an emergency." Dr. Fortenberry points out that even though the H1N1 "flu is a new strain, at present it is acting just like a mild-to-moderate case of the flu with the same type of outcomes as seasonal influenza." Therefore, he suggests that "parents take away that H1N1 label and name, and think of this as the flu." COMMENT: Overkill by the medical politicians overloads the system, time after time.  We saw the same behavior with swine flu in 1976 when the White House insisted everyone be vaccinated, yet evidence for severe outco... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814436 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:18:35 +0100 2814436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807795&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXmpN4NVCu0U%2F Finally, we will have protection against the spreading H1N1 influenza! The Foods and Drug Administration just approved four vaccines against the swine flu virus and it looks like the vaccines will be available in a little over a month. Swine Flu H1N1 Vaccine Soon Available Clinical trials proved that the vaccines are safe and only one shot is needed to gain immunity against the virus, and that’s really great news. Most vaccines work best when, and after the booster shot is given so this means that the swine flu vaccine works more quickly than other flu vaccines. So remember, if you’re one of the following people that are in higher priority to be immunized, ask your doctor or pediatrician about its availability. I already told my doctors to call us as soon they have the vaccine so I can... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807795 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:16:01 +0100 2807795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803936&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F09%2Fresearch-indicates-h1n1-may-still-be-contagious-after-fever-ends.html The AP reports that researchers with the Institute of Public Health in Quebec are reporting that the end of a patient's coughing "is probably a better sign of when a swine flu patient is no longer contagious," noting that the CDC "has been telling people to stay home from work and school and avoid contact with others until a day after their fever breaks. The new research suggests they may need to be careful for longer -- especially at home where the risk of spreading the germ is highest. Swine flu also appears to be contagious longer than ordinary seasonal flu, several experts said." (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803936 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:57:58 +0100 2803936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796677&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FMqic5OSjAPw%2F MRSA is short for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that is resistant to certain types of antibiotics, including methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Most infections occur in the hospitals or health care setting where people’s immune systems are naturally weaker (called healthcare-associated or HA-MRSA). Another type of MRSA can infect healthy people in the community (called community-associated or CA-MRSA), and this bacteria causes a serious form of pneumonia and skin infections. But this breaking news is rather surprising – researchers combing the beaches along the state of Washington found MRSA in the sand at the shoreline! The type of Staph found in 10 public beaches were similar to those acquired from hospitals, but there are no local hospita... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796677 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:24:25 +0100 2796677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2789141&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FImknFN6vSe0%2F Now that our children are back to school, it’s a natural concern for parents to ask how we can protect our children against the swine flu epidemic and the seasonal winter flu! When is the swine flu vaccine available? Should we get two shots – one for each flu virus? Should I just keep my child home this year? Infectious disease experts from Seattle Children’s Hospital posted this YouTube video to answer the many questions we parents have about the H1N1 influenza virus and its vaccine. Related to this, a preliminary study found that a single standard dose is sufficient to produce an immune response and another study found that protection occurs in 8-10 days after vaccination. The video is great resource and worth watching. I think most of your questions would be answered by this PSA... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2789141 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:59:34 +0100 2789141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2781983&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=38272&url=http%3A%2F%2Flaikaspoetnik.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F09%2Fpeter-palese-on-h1n1influenza-porcine-and-otherwise%2F more about “MicrobeWorld – Peter Palese on H1N1/I…“, posted with vodpod Seen on MicrobeWorld, posted by Chris Condayan: a video in which Peter Palese, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Mt. Sinai, explains H1N1/swine flu, the natural herd immunity that all humans share against it, and the reasons why [...] (Source: Laika's MedLibLog) Laika's MedLibLog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2781983 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:30:27 +0100 2781983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734059&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Fresearcher-questions-federal-guidelines-for-seasonal-and-swine-flu-vaccines.html New research published by Yale School of Public Health has found that more people are likely to avoid illness if vaccines are given out first to those most likely to transmit viruses, rather than to those at highest risk for complications. This research differs from current vaccination recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The Yale study appears in the August 20 issue of the journal Science online at the Science Express website, http://www.sciencemag.org/sciencexpress . (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734059 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:04:54 +0100 2734059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719721&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Ftobacco-plants-yield-the-first-vaccine-for-the-dreaded-cruise-ship-virus.html Scientists have used a new production technology to develop a vaccine for norovirus, the unpleasant package of diarrhea and vomiting that has destroyed the costly holidays of thousands of cruise ship vacationers.  Norovirus is the second most common viral infection in the U.S. after the flu, “can spread like wildfire through passenger liners, schools, offices and military bases.” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719721 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:38:13 +0100 2719721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2719724&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Fpush-to-expand-coverage-highlights-shortage-of-primary-care-doctors.html Scientists have used a new production technology to develop a vaccine for norovirus, the unpleasant package of diarrhea and vomiting that has destroyed the costly holidays of thousands of cruise ship vacationers.  Norovirus is the second most common viral infection in the U.S. after the flu, “can spread like wildfire through passenger liners, schools, offices and military bases.” (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2719724 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:24:31 +0100 2719724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2703803&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F15%2Fglobal-health-e-learning-center-provides-online-public-health-education%2F The Global Health e-Learning Center “developed by the USAID Bureau of Global Health is a response to repeated requests from field staff for access to technical public health information.” Although intended for these public health workers, the e-Learning Center is freely accessible online for anyone who completes a short registration process. Registered users can then work through a number (currently 31) of online courses in a self-directed manner – each includes an estimate of the time needed for completion, course objectives, quizzes for self-assessment of knowledge, final exams, and certificates for successful completion. Available courses cover a number of women’s health-related topics such as family planning 101 and family planning counseling, hormonal methods ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2703803 Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:56:48 +0100 2703803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685203&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Fdutch-public-health-body-says-swine-flu-is-same-as-ordinary-flu.html The decision to stop the standard treatment of flu patients with Tamiflu was due to its side effects, according to Professor Jaap van Dissel of the Leiden University Medical Centre. Giving Tamiflu to 200 otherwise healthy flu patients will only protect 1 patient from complications, but meanwhile 20 to 30 people will experience serious side effects. Comment: This looks like a science based decision rather than the political one made in the U.S.A. Also the Europeans are not so easily stampeded into mass action. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685203 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:52:38 +0100 2685203 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678802&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FYb3TdyGz7yU%2F This is common with most infections, but especially scary when it comes to the flu. You may have already passed the virus to someone even before you showed signs that you were sick. Case in point – the swine flu: the range of transmission is one day before showing symptoms up to seven days after getting sick.  Until your fever spiked you will have no idea that you’re sick with the flu, or any infection for that matter. But scientists from Duke University say that may all change in the future. Geoffrey Ginsburg and his colleagues have developed an experimental genetic test that can detect infections before symptoms appear. Now that’s a landmark discovery don’t you think? You can just go to your doctor’s office and get yourself tested and find out if you are before you show ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678802 Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:35:00 +0100 2678802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678648&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Feffective-vaccine-for-malaria-possible.html Scientists in Singapore, the Netherlands and France report that they have developed a novel immunization method that will induce fast and effective protection in humans against the life-threatening malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which infects 350 to 500 million people world-wide and kills over one million people each year. [Protection against a Malaria Challenge by Sporozoite Inoculation. The New England Journal of Medicine, 361;5, July 30, 2009] Comment. While I hope this vaccine proves better than previous ones we must also wonder how the countries that use the vaccine will deal with the famine that may result from the increased population. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678648 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:13:13 +0100 2678648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678649&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F08%2Fwho-flu-count.html I note that the WHO Today is giving daily counts of H1N1 flu deaths WORLDWIDE, currently in the hundreds!  However they give no data for comparison of death and disability during regular flu seasons which are in the hundreds of thousands if not millions.  Neither do they compare these with the millions of deaths each year from heart disease, cancer and stroke, which are often amenable to actions by individuals.     (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678649 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:11:22 +0100 2678649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660662&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F31%2Fswine-flu-vaccine-priorities-from-the-cdc%2F The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met this week to discuss which groups should receive the H1N1 swine flu vaccine when it becomes available if there is not enough for everyone. The groups prioritized to receive the vaccine first/if there is limited supply are: Pregnant women Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel All people from 6 months through 24 years of age Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza. The CDC’s website provides a rationale for each of these selections. The groups combined apparently total approximately 159 million people in the United States, according to this CDC ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660662 Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:50:51 +0100 2660662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657836&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fe4emjbTgm8E%2F Children, pregnant women get first jab of swine flu vaccine Don’t be deceived. Even though swine flu is no longer page one news doesn’t mean the threat is over. In fact, health experts believe the world is just in the early stages of this pandemic, and numbers of infections are expected to rise once children go back to school in September. And that’s why government agencies and pharmaceuticals are scrambling to produce vaccines against the H1N1 virus in time for fall. Based on information about how swine flu behaves, the Advisory Commission on Immunization Practices recommended the following should be the first in line for swine flu shots this fall: pregnant women children ages 6 years and older health care workers young adults And the number of people in this group are roughly 160... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657836 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:56:00 +0100 2657836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653646&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F29%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-pregnant-women-and-swine-flu%2F Yesterday at Our Bodies Our Blog, I posted about confusing media reports and advice for pregnant women regarding precautions they should take to prevent infection with H1N1 swine flu, and how unrealistic that advice is for many women. Posted in Infectious Diseases, Pregnancy (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653646 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:07:50 +0100 2653646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645477&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FP2hsoIJcAXk%2F Public health officials have always recommended that pregnant women should avoid exposure to the influenza virus because of complications of infection, including spontaneous abortion, pre-term labor and fetal defects. And that goes for any type of flu virus, be it the seasonal type or the pandemic H1N1 swine flu. Unfortunately, very few percentage of pregnant women get vaccinated and very few OB/GYN doctors recommend the vaccine. Unborn child at risk for swine flu complications. But recent studies may take that warning to another level if results were to prove true for humans. Neuroscientists found that the H1N1 changes the genes that control brain growth and development in the unborn child, and some of those genes are tied to the development of the hippocampus, a component of the brain i... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645477 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:22:00 +0100 2645477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2630148&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F07%2Fh1n1-influenza-pandemic-modeling-for-public-health-action.html Mathematical modeling can help inform public health policy in outbreaks such as the H1N1 pandemic, write members of the Pandemic Influenza Outbreak Research Modeling Team in Canada. Mathematical models have shown that small seasonal variations in transmission of the influenza virus can drive large annual surges in the disease. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2630148 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:03:52 +0100 2630148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2611124&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FY1vjWbXit88%2F A disturbing OpEdNews.com article led me to find out if there was truth to the claim that swine flu vaccination causes a paralyzing muscular disorder. In 1976, concerns about a global pandemic swine flu led the U.S. government on a national vaccination program. After an increasing number of vaccinated persons developed a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the government stopped the program. Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder where the body’s immune system attack the nervous system, causing a wide range of symptoms that range from mild tingling sensation to complete paralysis. In most cases the patient completely recovers but there is no known cure for the syndrome. The exact cause of the the syndrome is unknown, but the most common trigger is bact... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2611124 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:16:24 +0100 2611124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605993&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F07%2Fspecial-flu-report-in-johns-hopkins-public-health-magazine.html The new H1N1 influenza virus that emerged in Mexico in April 2009 ignited outbreaks as far away as the U.K. and Japan. Though H1N1 was neither as virulent nor as lethal as first suspected, the quick-mutating influenza virus should never be underestimated. Three Bloomberg School experts share their thoughts on what might happen, and what should happen, this summer.http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2009/summer/features/special_flu_report/ (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605993 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:30:07 +0100 2605993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2594414&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F12%2Fweekly-news-round-up-12%2F Go get sucked down a blog rabbithole with all of the “pit to distress” posts of late, on obstetric providers who allegedly push pitocin on laboring women in an attempt to make the fetus “prove” itself – by coming out vaginally or forcing a c-section for fetal distress. Start with Unnecesarean, Keyboard Revolutionary, and NursingBirth. Those starting points also include links to various other posts on the topic. Relatedly, RealityRounds has written a guide for nurses to refusing physician orders. PhD in Parenting is talking about drinking while breastfeeding. Abortion Pill Study Suggests Way to Limit Infection – from the New York Times, on reducing infection associated with medical abortion by avoiding the off-label vaginal administration and providing a... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2594414 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:42:50 +0100 2594414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553187&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FekCXdg_7bG8%2F The 27,000 Americans confirmed to have the swine flu is just the tip of the iceberg, the CDC revealed this weekend. Instead, more than one million Americans have already been infected with the A (H1N1) influenza virus, or swine flu. And it’s not letting up just yet. One million Americans infected with (H1N1) swine flu virus. “The novel H1N1 influenza is continuing to spread here in the United States and around the globe.  What we’re seeing is varying by region in the United States and in different countries.  The key point is that this new infectious disease is not going away.  In the U.S., we’re still experiencing a steady increase in the number of reported cases. (CDC) Of the reported 27,717 lab-defined cases, 127 have died. Most of those who have gotten sick were peo... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553187 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:34:12 +0100 2553187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512403&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FQ5pVMnMpo1o%2F This totally sounds like an urban legend and should really be considered as such. But, it is newsworthy. According to a quote through the Examiner, Russian scientists secretly warned Prime Minister Putin about a “critical link” between the H1N1 Influenza virus and genetically modified amylopectin potatoes which are sold in Western countries as french fries. The report goes on to say that the genetically changed protease enzyme in the potatoes is so stored in the host cells (that’s us, humans who eat the fries) that our cells’ contact with an H1N1 virus creates an explosion in the viral envelope. The protein causes an acidic environment for the virus that explodes its envelope and releases the H1N1 RNA and core proteins into the host cell. Majority of cases of H1N1 infections hav... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512403 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:00:00 +0100 2512403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523029&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F06%2Fus-officials-suggest-swine-flu.html The New York Times reports, "Contrary to the popular assumption that the new swine flu pandemic arose on factory farms in Mexico, federal agriculture officials now believe that it most likely emerged in pigs in Asia, but then traveled to North America in a human." However, "they emphasized that there was no way to prove their theory and only sketchy data underpinning it." Officials note the lack of evidence that the virus "has ever circulated in North American pigs, while there is tantalizing evidence that a closely related 'sister virus' has circulated in Asia." Dr. Amy L. Vincent, a swine flu specialist at the Department of Agriculture, said, "The most likely scenario is that it came over in the mammalian species that moves most freely around the world," people. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Pu... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523029 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:45:31 +0100 2523029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512035&cid=t_90824_123_f&fid=37052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2FLTJTjiNqeR4%26amp%3Bhl%3Den%26amp%3Bfs%3D1%26amp%3B The new 2008-2009 edition of the famous little yellow pocket book is out for the PDA and iPhone from Skyscape. Written by the chief editor of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal and in collaboration with the AAP’s Red Book Committee this reference is certainly an authority when it comes to antibiotics in clinical and community based pediatrics. See this iPhone video review: See this Windows Mobile video review: Most of the contents are presented in table format and unfortunately the Skyscape interface [as well as most other developers] does not really fit those tables into the small PDA screen and so we’d have to scroll side to side to see the whole table which makes navigation rather unpleasant. In addition, the lack of landscape mode of Skyscape titles [as of the time ... The Pediatric PDA Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512035 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:34:25 +0100 2512035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512036&cid=t_90824_123_f&fid=37052&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fv%2FG3Rr7JT4LEQ%26%23038%3Bhl%3Den%26%23038%3Bfs%3D1%26%23038%3Bcolor1%3D0x3a3a3a%26%23038%3Bcolor2%3D0x999999 The American Academy of Pediatrics has just released the latest 28th edition of the most trusted infectious disease reference, The Red Book 2009. Concomitantly, it was released from Unbound Medicine for the mobile platforms. For iPhone/iPod Touch version play this video; And this time with landscape support; For the Windows Mobile version play this video; Unbound Medicine’s Red Book is also compatible with all other platforms including Palm (but not Palm Pre), Blackberry, and even Android. The AAP book store is offering the same Unbound Medicine Red Book and interestingly at a higher price for non-members! Skyscape’s and other developers versions will be available in the near future as per the AAP. Although not as rich as the AAP’s Red Book online, the UM’s web v... The Pediatric PDA Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512036 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:14:14 +0100 2512036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523036&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F06%2Ffarmed-fish-may-pose-risk-for.html University of Louisville neurologist Robert P. Friedland, M.D., questions the safety of eating farmed fish in today's Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, adding a new worry to concerns about the nation's food supply. Friedland and his co-authors suggest farmed fish could transmit Creutzfeldt Jakob disease--commonly known as mad cow disease--if they are fed byproducts rendered from cows. The scientists urge government regulators to ban feeding cow meat or bone meal to fish until the safety of this common practice can be confirmed. Comment: This position is unsupported by any studies and seems to be published only to gain notoriety (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523036 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:41:06 +0100 2523036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473890&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fiz7BsoGHRsU%2F In this ultra-modern, health-conscious world, one would not have thought this to happen. But the World Health Organization has just declared a swine flu pandemic has begun. WHO declares Swine Flu Global Pandemic, 11 June 2009. Image: Newscom Although the WHO declared the danger as “moderate severity”, the agency stressed that the threat of the H1N1 virus needs to be taken seriously, as “the virus is now unstoppable.” The A(H1N1) virus is a combination of three viruses – human, swine and avian, and that made it particularly dangerous to humans as there is no immunity, nor vaccine (to date), to this strain. UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES As of June11, there are 28,774 people infected by the A(H1N1), and 144 have died. Most of those infected rapidly recovered, and did not need medical treat... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473890 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:11:05 +0100 2473890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2523041&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F06%2Fswine-flu-may-be-scary-but-250.html Time for a reality check. Just as with the Iraqi war the news media keep pouncing n every death, rather than putting them in perspective, as is done in the piece from the NY Daily News. (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2523041 Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:05:23 +0100 2523041 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452989&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FakXnbRXNA3g%2F Last year, a company predicted that a H1N1 flu epidemic would occur within 6 to 12 months. A year later, that warning has come to pass, as the world records over 17,000 cases of H1N1 influenza in 64 countries, by June 1. And the U.S. has become the country worst-hit by the swine flu epidemic, with over 10,000 confirmed cases appearing in all of the 50 states. Mexico reported about 5,000 cases, which is only half of what the U.S. has! (See this list for total H1N1 cases worldwide) But after a month of near-panic, the fear has all but subsided. And yet, the WHO kept the pandemic alert at Level 5 since it was first raised a month ago, indicating that a pandemic is still imminent. And now the race for a H1N1 vaccine is accelerating, especially since fall (in the U.S.) is only 4 months away. ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452989 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:11:23 +0100 2452989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452546&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F06%2Fquicker_cheaper_sars_virus_det.html ScienceDaily (June 1, 2009) -- Members of a USC-led research team say they've made a big improvement in a new breed of electronic detectors for viruses and other biological materials -- one that may be a valuable addition to the battle against epidemics. It consists of a piece of synthetic antibody attached to a nanowire that's attached to an electrical base, immersed in liquid. If the protein the antibody binds to is present in the liquid, it will bind to these antibodies, immediately creating a sharply measurable jump in current through the nanowire. The result, according to the paper, is a device that can detect its target molecules with a sensitivity as great as the best alternative modes, do so more rapidly and without use of chemical reagents. It is also potentially considerably chea... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452546 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:06:21 +0100 2452546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441458&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F05%2Fnew_contraceptive_device_is_de.html Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have published results showing that a new contraceptive device may also effectively block the transmission of the HIV virus. Findings show that the device prevents infection by the HIV virus in laboratory testing. The promising results are published in the most recent issue of the journal AIDS. The new device is a vaginal ring that releases multiple types of non-hormonal agents and microbicides, which would prevent conception as well as sexually transmitted HIV infection. Worldwide, there are about 5 million new infections and 3 million deaths per year due to HIV/AIDS. If proven successful in future clinical trials, the new device could empower women to effectively and conveniently protect themselves from unintended pregnancy and sexually tran... Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441458 Sun, 24 May 2009 16:05:11 +0100 2441458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405298&cid=t_90824_107_f&fid=38268&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hippokranet.eu%2F%3Fp%3D208 “The Lancet’s H1N1 Resource Centre is the result of a collaborative effort by the editors of 52 Elsevier-published journals and 9 learned societies who have agreed to make freely available on this site any relevant content.” Lancet H1N1 Flu Resource Center (Source: blog.hippokranet.eu) blog.hippokranet.eu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405298 Wed, 13 May 2009 12:51:10 +0100 2405298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2404979&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F10%2Fweekly-news-round-up-9%2F Questions are the Answer – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has put together an online guide for patients to questions to ask of healthcare providers. Includes a checklist. I love checklists. On the Rachel Maddow show the other week, a clip in which an infectious disease expert rates various reactions to swine flu on a scale from “prudent” to “hysterical,” and another in which Matthew Shepard’s mom offers a clear explanation of the difference between hate crimes and other crimes. Judy Shepard was on the show in part to react to North Carolina Representative Virginia Foxx’s (erroneous and evil) claim that the idea that Shepard was murdered because he was gay “a hoax.” Shelby Knox writes about funding for abstinence-only s... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2404979 Sun, 10 May 2009 15:28:28 +0100 2404979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398756&cid=t_90824_107_f&fid=38268&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hippokranet.eu%2F%3Fp%3D200 The NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine) has established a H1N1 Influenza Center. The Center presents original research, news, updates and summaries from Journal Watch. Visit the NEJM H1N1 Influenza Center for Health Professionals (Source: blog.hippokranet.eu) blog.hippokranet.eu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398756 Sun, 10 May 2009 07:33:29 +0100 2398756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510886&cid=t_90824_107_f&fid=38268&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hippokranet.eu%2F%3Fp%3D200 The NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine) has established a H1N1 Influenza Center. The Center presents original research, news, updates and summaries from Journal Watch. Visit the NEJM H1N1 Influenza Center for Health Professionals (Source: blog.hippokranet.eu) blog.hippokranet.eu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510886 Sun, 10 May 2009 07:32:21 +0100 2510886 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2399208&cid=t_90824_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F05%2F08%2Faltermune_real_stuff_or_not.php Kary Mullis is an outlier among Nobel Prize winners. Attendees some of his invited talks in the years after his award will know what I’m talking about. These were famously random affairs, with the audience never knowing quite what to expect when the next slide came up on the screen. And his own book, Dancing Naked in the Mind Field, will give you about as much flakiness as you can stand. But although he's been way off base about a lot of things, he may not be that way about everything. I notice (h/t Biotechniques) that he gave a lecture recently at San Jose State, and instead of hearing about the discovery of PCR, the students got an update on Mullis’s company Altermune, whose website website is intertwined with Mullis's own. The site is worth a look. Mullis has a vigorous writing sty... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2399208 Fri, 08 May 2009 12:10:11 +0100 2399208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389810&cid=t_90824_99_f&fid=35342&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.vcu.edu%2Fcbuttery%2F2009%2F05%2Fpredominant_risk_factors_for_f.html ScienceDaily (May 4, 2009) -- Increased sexual activity and alcohol consumption were associated with an increased risk of developing urinary tract infections (UTIs), and college-aged women experiencing urinary frequency or urgency should seek medical care to treat what may be their first urinary tract infection (UTI), according to new research presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association. [Symptoms and risk factors associated with first UTI in college-aged women: a prospective cohort study. The Journal of Urology, 2009; 181 (4): 142] (Source: Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG) Dr. Buttery's Public Health BLOG blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389810 Tue, 05 May 2009 17:12:32 +0100 2389810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380697&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F29%2Fswine-flu-resources%2F First, I should acknowledge that the links below are largely culled from the list my colleagues and I have been collecting here over the past couple of days, so I didn’t personally find each one, and I’m simply reposting a selection here directly for dissemination purposes. See the link above or visit the CDC site directly if you’d like the links to additional guidances for clinicians and laboratory personnel. All that said, here are some useful links to swine flu information on the web. Let me know in the comments if you need help finding more information, especially from the resources for clinicians, labs, and genetics/researchers that I’ve largely omitted below. U.S. Federal Agencies: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) human swine influenza informa... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380697 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:02:06 +0100 2380697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380698&cid=t_90824_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F29%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-swine-flu-vs-midwives-sick-leave%2F Today at Our Bodies Our Blog, I have a post on how MomsRising and The Big Push for Midwives are using the swine flu situation to raise issues of home birth, midwifery, and paid sick leave. Also, Christine is covering the approval of Kathleen Sebelius at HHS. Completely unrelatedly, it’s now officially boob sweat season here in the Southeast. Ick. Posted in Access, Rights, & Choice, Birth, Government, Infectious Diseases (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380698 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:37:56 +0100 2380698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375901&cid=t_90824_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FXvVCC-S-JlQ%2Fstop-that-bug.html Colleague and WBP supporter Art Caplan explains that the 1918 offers some lessons for us today and that all of us have a responsibility to keep swine flu from spreading:When faced with the threat of disease, the impulse of most Americans is to think about medical technology and miracle drugs. These are not likely to be much help in the battle against swine flu — but the history books might. As history has proven, the best way to halt a deadly virus is to keep infected people away from others. In 1918, an influenza pandemic caused by a strain of flu similar to the one identified in Mexico killed more people than died in all of World War I. Up to 50 million people died worldwide. The greatest number of deaths occurred among young adults between the ages of 15 and 35.At the time, young Amer... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375901 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:08:06 +0100 2375901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376536&cid=t_90824_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FqB5wL0J3SXQ%2F The new swine flu virus that broke out in Mexico is unique and potentially dangerous in one way. It is a virus that has a combination of gene segments from human, bird and swine viruses, and can potentially become infectious in humans that have no immunity to the new strain. Influenza viruses can change its make-up in one of two ways: Antigenic drift is a series of mutations that cause the virus to gradually evolve over time. Antigenic shift is an abrupt change in the surface antigen proteins that suddenly creates a new subtype of the virus. In the history of influenza outbreaks, antigenic shift is the cause behind pandemics in 1918 (Spanish Flu), 1957 (Asian Flu) and 1968 (Hongkong Flu) because the populations have not developed antibody protection against the virus. What’s especially u... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376536 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:07:02 +0100 2376536