National Infant Immunization Week Reminds Parents of the Importance of Immunizations and Encourages them to Look to their Child?s Doctor for Information. – The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) last week.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) vaccine Rotarix for use in infants. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Rotarix, the second oral U.S. licensed vaccine for the prevention of rotavirus, an infection that causes gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea) in infants and children. Rotarix is a liquid and given in a two-dose series to infants from 6 to 24 weeks of age.
Expansion of a monocyte subset in HIV patients could serve as a biomarker for progression of the disease. – An increase in the CD163+/CD16+ monocyte subset could be a biomarker for the progression of HIV disease, according to researchers at Temple University, reported in the March issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses.
STMicroelectronics and Veredus Laboratories Launch Market?s First Lab-on-Chip for Rapid Molecular Flu Detection at Point of Need – Following the success of the evaluation trials conducted at the prestigious National University Hospital of Singapore, Veredus Laboratories and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) announced the commercial availability of VereFlu, a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need.
New Zealand AIDS Foundation is welcoming the reduction in overall numbers of new HIV diagnoses in 2007, in particular that diagnoses among gay and bisexual men have remained equivalent to 2006 levels. – The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is welcoming the reduction in overall numbers of new HIV diagnoses in 2007, in particular that diagnoses among gay and bisexual men have remained equivalent to 2006 levels.
Methicillin-resistant S aureus?positive surgical site infection is an increasingly problematic issue in all surgical fields. In the future, MRSA-positive infections will be more prevalent and will require well-developed screening, prevention, and treatment strategies. – About one-half percent of patients undergoing facelift surgery at one outpatient surgical center between 2001 and 2007 developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a report in the March/April issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Two major eye diseases and leading causes of blindness?age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy?can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a protein found in blood vessel cells. – Two major eye diseases and leading causes of blindness-age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy-can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a protein found in blood vessel cells, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and several other institutions have announced in a new study.
A US study found that one in four teenage girls aged 14 to 19 has a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Nearly half the African-Americans in the study were infected by one of the diseases. – A US study found that one in four teenage girls aged 14 to 19 has a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Nearly half the African-Americans in the study were infected by one of the diseases. The survey, part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, did not ask about syphilis or gonorrhea, so it is likely the STD rates are actually higher.
HIV/AIDS implementers from around the world will gather in Kampala, Uganda, from June 3-7 for the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers? Meeting. – HIV/AIDS implementers from around the world will gather in Kampala, Uganda, from June 3-7 for the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting. Recognizing the rapid expansion of HIV/AIDS programs worldwide, the focus of this year’s meeting is building the capacity of local prevention, treatment, and care programs; enhancing quality; and promoting coordination among partners.
Fresh poultry bird flu reported in Jiaganj and Raghunathganj-II blocks of Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India. – Indian Department of Animal Husbandry has notified fresh poultry deaths in Jiaganj and Raghunathganj-II blocks of Murshidabad district of West Bengal on 9th_March, 2008 which has been confirmed as H5 infection of bird flu.
A universal, rapid MRSA admission screening strategy did not reduce nosocomial MRSA infection in a surgical department with endemic MRSA prevalence but relatively low rates of MRSA infection. – New findings do not support the recommendation for universal screening on hospital admission for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections in surgical patients, according to a study in the March 12 issue of JAMA.
Bird flu virus has resurfaced in two blocks of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, prompting authorities to take up culling operations. – Bird flu virus has resurfaced in two blocks of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, prompting authorities to take up culling operations. Culling starts in Raghunathganj-ii and Jiaganj blocks of Murshidabad districts.
