Infectious Diseases
World Health Organization Declares End to H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee and the WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, today declared an end to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. This declaration was based on strong indications that influenza, worldwide, is transitioning toward seasonal patterns of transmission. In the majority of countries, out-of-season 2009 H1N1 outbreaks... »
Herpes Prevalent in 16 Percent of Americans Aged 14-49
About 1 in 6 Americans (16.2 percent) between the ages of 14 and 49 is infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), according to a national health survey released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HSV-2 is a lifelong and incurable infection that can cause recurrent and painful genital sores.... »
Community-Acquired MRSA’s Increasing Prevalence in Pediatric Patients
Once considered a hospital anomaly, community-acquired infections with drug-resistant strains of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus now turn up regularly among children hospitalized in the intensive-care unit, according to research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. The Johns Hopkins Children’s team’s findings, to be published in the April issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases,... »
Pregnant Women Should Take Greater Care of Novel H1N1 (“Swine Flu”) Virus
A recent study indicates that pregnant women are more severely impacted by a new H1N1 flu virus and should seek immediate treatment with antivirals. Pregnant women infected with 2009 novel H1N1 had a higher rate of hospitalization and greater risk of death than the general population due to the H1N1 flu. The data collected and analyzed... »
Tuberculosis (TB) Drug Doses Too Low for Today’s Obese Populations, Says Study
The typical dose of a medication considered pivotal in treating tuberculosis effectively is much too low to account for modern-day physiques, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers said. The finding, reported online and in the August edition of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, is particularly important for those living in societies plagued by obesity, said Dr. Tawanda... »
Discovery May Help Prevent Rotavirus Epidemics
New Vaccines Shift the Course of Childhood Diarrhea-Causing Disease and Could Have Big Global Impact New vaccines have the potential to prevent or temper epidemics of the childhood diarrhea-causing disease rotavirus, protect the unvaccinated and raise the age at which the infection first appears in children, federal researchers reported in a study today. The findings were... »
Reduced Dosage for Pneumococcal Vaccine in Infants Effect, Says Study
Infants who received two or three primary doses of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) both had a decreased rate of carrying pneumococcal microorganisms that can cause pneumonia and other infections, compared to infants who were not vaccinated, according to a study in the July 8 issue of JAMA. »
Tuberculosis Vaccine Effectiveness Study
In a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, Saint Louis University’s Center for Vaccine Development is investigating whether the standard vaccine used in foreign countries against tuberculosis offers better protection as a shot, drink or combination of both. »
Nurse Researchers Help Fight Spread of Infectious Disease
Fighting infectious disease, the very heart of public health and the genesis of contemporary nursing, is about more than hand washing and immunizations. It’s about screening and early detection, identifying risk and protective factors, and educating clinicians, facilities and the public. But it all begins with research »
Discovery May Lead to Better Treatment for Mad Cow Disease and Prion Diseases
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have gained a major insight into how the rogue protein responsible for mad cow disease and related neurological illnesses destroys healthy brain tissue. "This advance sets the stage for future efforts to develop potential treatments for prion diseases or perhaps to prevent them from occurring." said Duane... »