Babies excrete vaccine-mercury quicker

Infants? bodies expel the thimerosal mercury much faster than once thought ? thereby leaving little chance for a progressive building up of the toxic metal. – February’s issue of Pediatrics offers another reason to rethink blaming the spike in autism diagnoses on thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative routinely used in several childhood vaccines until the late ?90s.

Researchers discover a pathway to turn off immune system

The research could lead to development of new drugs that turn off the immune system in patients with autoimmune diseases ? such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. – University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a new way to turn genes off in human T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight infections. Turning off genes, through a process known as mRNA decay, is important for regulating the body’s immune response after fighting infection.

Climate change a threat to human health

Climate change will have potentially devastating consequences for human health, outweighing global economic impacts, researchers calling for urgent action to protect the world’s population. – Climate change will have a huge impact on human health and bold environmental policy decisions are needed now to protect the world’s population, according to the author of an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Studies highlight MRSA evolution and resilience

A single strain of an evolving bacterium has been responsible for most of the community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections. – Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections are caused primarily by a single strain-USA300-of an evolving bacterium that has spread with “extraordinary transmissibility” throughout the United States during the past five years, according to a new study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists. CA-MRSA, an emerging public health concern, typically causes readily treatable soft-tissue infections such as boils, but also can lead to life-threatening conditions that are difficult to treat.

Prodesse’s ProFlu+ Test for Respiratory Viruses receives FDA clearance

Prodesse’s ProFlu+ Test for Respiratory Viruses receives FDA clearance for Marketing Real-Time Test, detects four viruses, including influenza; results available in about 3 hours. – Prodesse, Inc., the leader in multiplex real-time PCR for infectious disease, announced that it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its ProFlu+? Assay.

Climate change a rising risk to health

Climate change a rising risk to health

The effects of climate change on various aspects including natural resources, agricultural activity, population health, and social and economic development. – Climate change could have far-reaching negative impacts on the health of rural Australians, reported in a study co-authored by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) scientist. The report published in the Australian Journal of Rural Health.

New strategies work to put cancer on the firing line

Cancer cells are our own cells gone awry. That means our immune system doesn?t always see cancer as a horrific invader. – Dr. Yukai He wants to put cancer in the bull’s eye. “Cancer really comes from us,” the Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center immunologist says of the scary reality that cancer cells are our own cells gone awry. That means our immune system doesn’t always see cancer as a horrific invader.

Three more H5N1 bird flu deaths in Egypt

Egyptian officials announced two new deaths from H5N1 avian influenza in women from the Nile Delta, along with what appears to be a third death involving a 50-year-old woman. – Two new deaths from H5N1 avian influenza in women from the Nile Delta reported by Egyptian officials, and a third death involving a 50-year-old woman whose infection was previously confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

RGS13 protein may play role in suppressing allergic reactions

A protein in humans known as RGS13 suppresses allergic reactions, including the severe, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. – According to scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a protein in mice known as RGS13 suppresses allergic reactions, including the severe, life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

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