tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14030505696500808662024-02-20T09:33:58.706-08:00Health R&D TodayKeeping you posted of the worlds health research and developmentJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-36980934033871465492012-05-09T18:12:00.003-07:002012-05-09T18:12:22.923-07:00HEalth News Today<script src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/WorldNgayon?format=sigpro" type="text/javascript" ></script><noscript><p>Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/WorldNgayon"></a><br/>Powered by FeedBurner</p> </noscript>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-12369033588549492282011-09-20T02:10:00.000-07:002011-09-20T02:10:05.385-07:00'Foldit' Gamers Solve AIDS Puzzle that Baffled Scientists for DecadeHow amazing is this: U.S. gamers, playing a protetin-folding game called Foldit, have helped to unlock the structure of an AIDS-related enzyme the scientific community had been unable to for a decade. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/foldit-gamers-solve-aids-puzzle-that-baffled-scientists-for-decade/">more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-14712020529648775162011-09-20T02:08:00.000-07:002011-09-20T02:08:50.049-07:00Exercise benefits boys in anti-smoking programAdding exercise improved the results of a smoking cessation program among teen boys according to a CDC funded study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Teen girls in the program were more successful without the exercise, the study found.<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/exercise-benefits-boys-in-anti-smoking-program/">more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-91384221429189205912011-09-20T02:07:00.000-07:002011-09-20T02:07:07.147-07:00Electric current aids learningElectric current aids learning<br /><br />Electrically stimulating the brain can help to speed up the process of learning, scientists have shown.<br />Applying a small current to specific parts of the brain can increase its activity, making learning easier. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/electric-current-aids-learning/">more</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "ca-pub-1775527318780871";<br />/* Bigger content */<br />google_ad_slot = "4721875941";<br />google_ad_width = 336;<br />google_ad_height = 280;<br />//--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br />src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-11252175150557493642011-09-16T01:08:00.001-07:002011-09-16T01:08:29.255-07:00Plastic bottles could clean arsenic-contaminated waterChopped up plastic bottles covered in a common chemical may be a simple and inexpensive method for removing arsenic from drinking water.<br />http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br />A team of chemists at Monmouth University, United States, found that bits of plastic coated with cysteine, a common molecule found in foods, bind to arsenic.<br /><br />“Laboratory experiments have shown that the method has the potential to be very efficient and very cost effective,” Tsanangurayi Tongesayi, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the university told SciDev.Net.<br /><br />“The method uses plastics which are cheap and locally available,” he added. “[It] is eco-friendly because it involves recycling of plastic bottles [and] is also safe because the chemical ingredients used are not toxic.”<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/plastic-bottles-could-clean-arsenic-contaminated-water/"> Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-8206025998043257552011-09-16T01:07:00.001-07:002011-09-16T01:07:38.945-07:00Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating systemMicrosoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.<br /><br />Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.<br /><br />The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.<br /><br />Microsoft has been under pressure to come up with an answer to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms.<br /><br />Unveiling Windows 8 at the Build developers’ conference in California, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky declared: “We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience.” <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/microsoft-unveils-its-new-windows-8-operating-system/">Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-82989107419008559642011-09-16T01:06:00.001-07:002011-09-16T01:06:56.551-07:00Staying safe while using Facebook on mobile phonesConfiguring your Facebook settings from a laptop is confusing enough, but try monitoring your Facebook privacy and security setting on a mobile phone. It’s even more of a mess.<br /><br />There’s some help on the way, however. On Tuesday, the nonprofit group MobileActive published its list of tips for using mobile Facebook more safely.<br /><br />About one-third of Facebook’s 750 million active users worldwide access the service via mobile phones.<br /><br />MobileActive’s mobile Facebook guide is written with activists in mind (especially in light of the key role that Facebook played in many Arab Spring uprisings), but it’s useful for any Facebook user.<br /><br />Some Facebook-related mobile security risks have to do with how you use Facebook in general. Others relate to how your phone and its various mobile communication channels handle security when you’re using a Wi-Fi connection rather than your carrier’s data network.<br /><br />For instance, many people set their phone to use a Wi-Fi connection whenever possible, in order to curb their data usage, which can get expensive. If you use Wi-Fi on your phone, depending on how your mobile browser or Facebook app handles security, someone might snoop on your login credentials (“sidejacking”) and use them to impersonate you on Facebook. They could even lock you out of your own account. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/staying-safe-while-using-facebook-on-mobile-phones/">Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-1940251385899877642011-09-16T01:05:00.000-07:002011-09-16T01:06:11.415-07:00DOST explores GM mosquito applications against denguePart of its advocacy to find solutions against dengue, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) explores the possibility of using genetically-modified mosquito (GMM) to curb the population of dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.<br /><br />In a conference organized by the DOST, experts from the University of California and the Oxitec Technologies of the United Kingdom (UK) presented the aspects of genetically-engineered male mosquitoes to the scientists and biotechnology experts of DOST and other concerned agencies at the Hyatt Hotel last 12 September 2011.<br /><br />“Male mosquitoes were basically used because they don’t bite humans and they have significant role in the reproduction of mosquitoes,” said Dr. Anthony James, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifProfessor at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California. Through the “Release of Insects carrying a Dominant Lethal” (RIDL) technology, male mosquitoes are engineered to contain a gene that can be passed on to female mosquito by mating. The mating results to unviable female mosquito offspring.<br /><br />“The gene targets a certain muscle on a female mosquito that affects the development of wings – thus flightless female mosquitoes are produced.” The flightless female mosquito can’t seek host to take blood meal. Thus, it can’t spread the dengue virus,” said Dr. James. “This is also lethal for female mosquitoes because they are more likely to be eaten by predators. Continuous release of male mosquitoes in the wild will eventually cut-off the population of deadly mosquitoes,” added Dr. James. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/dost-explores-gm-mosquito-applications-against-dengue/">Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-10515244227790455012011-09-16T01:04:00.000-07:002011-09-16T01:05:10.521-07:00New camera shows blood flowA Swiss company has developed a camera which shows how blood is circulating through the skin in real-time.<br /><br />The camera is designed to help assess the extent and severity of burns.<br /><br />The device has been trialled by burn specialists and reconstructive surgeons at CHUV University Hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.<br /><br />Clinical data from the trial is being presented at the 14th European Burns Association Congress in the Hague on Wednesday.<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/new-camera-shows-blood-flow/">Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-60708001485824098572011-09-16T01:03:00.000-07:002011-09-16T01:04:18.345-07:00Emotion sensor catches out liarsUnited Kingdom – A sophisticated new camera system can detect lies just by watching our faces as we talk, experts say.<br /><br />The computerised system uses a simple video camera, a high-resolution thermal imaging sensor and a suite of algorithms.<br /><br />Researchers say the system could be a powerful aid to security services.<br /><br />It successfully discriminates between truth and lies in about two-thirds of cases, said lead researcher Professor Hassan Ugail from Bradford University. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/emotion-sensor-catches-out-liars/">Read more</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-64656593618104055882011-09-16T01:02:00.000-07:002011-09-16T01:03:22.158-07:00Planet with double sunset foundWASHINGTON — The existence of a world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars more than 30 years ago, is now scientific fact. NASA’s Kepler mission has made the first unambiguous detection of a circumbinary planet — a planet orbiting two stars — 200 light-years from Earth.<br /><br />Unlike Star Wars’ Tatooine, the planet is cold, gaseous and not thought to harbor life, but its discovery demonstrates the diversity of planets in our galaxy. Previous research has hinted at the existence of circumbinary planets, but clear confirmation proved elusive. Kepler detected such a planet, known as Kepler-16b, by observing transits, where the brightness of a parent star dims from the planet crossing in front of it. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/planet-with-double-sunset-found/">Read more...</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-33508864837885689622011-09-16T00:58:00.000-07:002011-09-16T00:59:31.006-07:00‘Microwave waste’ to get biofuelMicrowaving waste food products could be used to produce important chemicals and biofuels, new technology has shown.<br /><br />The methods would potentially allow food waste to be processed at home and on an industrial scale.<br /><br />The technology could provide a renewable source of carbon, as well as addressing the growing problem of global waste.<br /><br />Professor James Clark of the University of York unveiled these plans at the British Science Festival in Bradford.<br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "ca-pub-1775527318780871";<br />/* Bigger content */<br />google_ad_slot = "4721875941";<br />google_ad_width = 336;<br />google_ad_height = 280;<br />//-->http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br />src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script><br /><br /><br />Using highly focused microwaves, the scientists believe they can input any organic waste, and extract useful chemical compounds that can be harnessed in materials and biofuel applications.<br /><br />An international group of scientists have been working together to develop this technology, and they plan to build a demonstration facility in York later this year. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/microwave-waste-to-get-biofuel/">Read more...</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-7444771211310731302011-09-16T00:50:00.000-07:002011-09-16T00:57:36.692-07:00Dengue cases down this September, DOH<strong>Manila</strong> – The DOH reported 70,204 dengue cases for week ending September 10, 2011. This was over 24,000 cases less or 25.87% lower than for the same period last year. In addition, the number of cases in July and August (the peak months for dengue) was 52% lower than last year. A total of 396 deaths were reported for this year, which is lower than last year’s number of 620. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/dengue-cases-down-this-september-doh/">Read more...</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "ca-pub-1775527318780871";<br />/* Bigger content */<br />google_ad_slot = "4721875941";<br />google_ad_width = 336;<br />google_ad_height = 280;<br />//--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br />src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-57717774237602673532011-09-14T23:27:00.000-07:002011-09-14T23:27:19.963-07:00OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/03/ol-mosquito-trap-the-science-of-mosquito-control-and-dengue-prevention/">OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-44598008193651237982011-09-06T22:00:00.001-07:002011-09-06T22:00:55.631-07:00The quest for an unhackable codeEvery day the news hits of another company, website or long list of credit cards that's been hacked. But what if there was a foolproof technology to fend off cyberattackers by keeping secret information secret?
Would an unhackable encryption algorithm do the trick? <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/quest-unhackable-code/">Read more...</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-20406312009462779082011-09-06T21:57:00.000-07:002011-09-06T21:57:53.209-07:00Warning! Iranians hit in email hack attackUp to 300,000 Iranians may have had their Google email monitored using security certificates stolen from Dutch firm DigiNotar. The figure came from a report into the breach at DigiNotar which let attackers generate hundreds of fake certificates. <a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/warning-iranians-hit-email-hack-attack/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Read more</span></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/warning-iranians-hit-email-hack-attack/#.Tmb5NtvSQlY.blogger"></a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "ca-pub-1775527318780871";<br />/* Bigger content */<br />google_ad_slot = "4721875941";<br />google_ad_width = 336;<br />google_ad_height = 280;<br />//--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br />src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-22997081402267488152011-09-05T18:54:00.000-07:002011-09-05T18:58:26.392-07:00Risks of nanotechnology<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/risks-nanotechnology/#.TmV9BELXK9o.blogger"><b style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;"></b></a><br />
<blockquote>
<i><strong>Developing countries forging ahead with nanotechnology need
regulation and research into local risk patterns, say Alok Dhawan and
Vyom Sharma.</strong></i><strong> </strong></blockquote>
Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating tiny particles less than
100 nanometers in diameter, has found many applications in consumer
products, biomedical devices, drug delivery agents and the industrial
sector.<br />
In the consumer sector alone, more than 30 countries are
manufacturing some 1,300 nanotech-based products, including textiles,
food packaging, cosmetics, luggage, children’s toys, floor cleaners and
wound dressings. The number of such products has increased five-fold in
the last five years.<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/09/risks-nanotechnology/#.TmV9BELXK9o.blogger"><b style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">More</b></a><br />
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-1079067678780515342011-09-01T00:36:00.000-07:002011-09-01T00:36:53.822-07:00OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/03/03/ol-mosquito-trap-the-science-of-mosquito-control-and-dengue-prevention/">OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-2212666811261029682011-08-31T23:06:00.000-07:002011-08-31T23:06:48.955-07:00OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/2011/03/03/ol-mosquito-trap-the-science-of-mosquito-control-and-dengue-prevention/">OL Mosquito Trap: A simple science that works | Worldngayon.com</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-56001531506377252342011-08-30T19:31:00.000-07:002011-08-30T19:31:19.563-07:00Worldngayon.com | My ideas. My world<a href="http://www.worldngayon.com/#.Tl2c8UM46v0.blogger">Worldngayon.com | My ideas. My world</a>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-1406268964044166642011-08-17T18:50:00.000-07:002011-08-17T18:54:07.165-07:00Mosquitoes 'developing resistance to bed nets'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArhxAPjbM-EvOYu8rJd_yBnRxYArRJ-OhCHc9fyV8AKglUi3_xMlpJmJdmoLNPRpNrVXy7VKszXlUOXfEDnKoeT9Wl8fPqLym8Rz7D5FvFriCFVTk4X7JjGQUqcIhC_WmOi6sP1nd5mI/s1600/_54658277_z3410347-mosquito_feeding-spl.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArhxAPjbM-EvOYu8rJd_yBnRxYArRJ-OhCHc9fyV8AKglUi3_xMlpJmJdmoLNPRpNrVXy7VKszXlUOXfEDnKoeT9Wl8fPqLym8Rz7D5FvFriCFVTk4X7JjGQUqcIhC_WmOi6sP1nd5mI/s320/_54658277_z3410347-mosquito_feeding-spl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642008284413177522" border="0" /></a>Mosquitoes can rapidly develop resistance to bed nets treated with insecticide, a new study from Senegal suggests. <p>In recent years the nets have become a leading method of preventing malaria, especially in Africa. </p> <p>The researchers also suggest the nets reduced the immunity of older children and adults to malaria infection. </p> <p>But other experts say the study was too small to draw conclusions about the long term effectiveness of nets. </p> <p>In the war against malaria, the cheapest and most effective weapon to date has been the long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net. </p> <p>Over the last few years the nets have been widely distributed in Africa and elsewhere - the World Health Organization says that when properly deployed they can cut malaria rates by half.
<br /></p><p id="story_continues_2">In Senegal, around six million nets have been distributed over the last five years. In this study researchers looked at one small village in the country and tracked the incidence of malaria both before and after the introduction of nets in 2008. </p> <p>Within three weeks of their introduction the scientists found that the number of malaria attacks started to fall - incidence of the disease was found to be 13 times lower than before the nets were used. </p> <p>The researchers also collected specimens of <em>Anopheles gambiae</em>, the mosquito species responsible for transmitting malaria to humans in Africa. Between 2007 and 2010 the proportion of the insects with a genetic resistance to one type of pesticide rose from 8% to 48%. </p> <p>By 2010 the proportion of mosquitoes resistant to Deltamethrin, the chemical recommended by the World Health Organization for bed nets, was 37%. </p> <p>In the last four months of the study the researchers found that the incidence of malaria attacks returned to high levels. Among older children and adults the rate was even higher than before the introduction of the nets. </p> <p>The researchers argue that the initial effectiveness of the bed nets reduced the amount of immunity that people acquire through exposure to mosquito bites. Combined with a resurgence in resistant insects, there was a rapid rebound in infection rates.</p> <p>The scientists were led by Dr Jean-Francois Trape from the Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement in Dakar. The authors are worried that their study has implications beyond Senegal. </p> <p>"These findings are a great concern since they support the idea that insecticide resistance might not permit a substantial decrease in malaria morbidity in many parts of Africa," they write. </p> <p>But other experts in this field say that it is impossible to draw wider conclusions.</p> <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="cross-head">True trend?</span> <p>In a commentary, Dr Joseph Keating from Tulane University, New Orleans, US, acknowledges the concerns the study raises.</p> <p>"If indeed this is a real trend we are seeing in this part of Senegal then it has very important implications for future malaria prevention and control strategies." </p> <p>But he says there are a number of important provisos.</p> <p>"I would certainly advise extending the study a couple of more years which would be helpful in determining if this is a true trend or is it something specific to that particular area. </p> <p>"We need to be very careful when generalising these data to the larger continent of Africa as a whole; there is plenty of variation between communities and within communities."</p> <p>Dr Keating acknowledges there is a debate within the scientific community on the issue of acquired immunity, the level of resistance to the disease that people get through being bitten. </p> <p>"There is a huge discussion around acquired immunity. And how long does it take for an individual to lose this immunity once they are no longer exposed to parasite?</p> <p>"So if you give someone a net he would be less exposed to parasites and it is possible that their immunity would shift to become less - but I think over all the benefits of nets certainly outweigh this potential loss of acquired immunity." <span style="font-weight: bold;">(</span><span class="byline"><span class="byline-name"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matt McGrath/BBC News)</span>
<br /></span></span></p>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-46372435491986219862011-08-03T17:28:00.000-07:002011-08-03T17:32:38.107-07:00Scientists Find New Superbug Strain of Salmonella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDhdFCkuwISTd3rGfumsCzVygksNU-KQ1F93QGINHeiW20vuIeTHIaTBZhbkk-BNNuvPuG5YvuuC7OtqvALHFtiO2zZRSN6_IJkNCpfN4wdpGT7SJn1YQxFLTr0ERmHBbHH-MIXApSZQ/s1600/Salmonella_NIH_640.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDhdFCkuwISTd3rGfumsCzVygksNU-KQ1F93QGINHeiW20vuIeTHIaTBZhbkk-BNNuvPuG5YvuuC7OtqvALHFtiO2zZRSN6_IJkNCpfN4wdpGT7SJn1YQxFLTr0ERmHBbHH-MIXApSZQ/s320/Salmonella_NIH_640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636791497835296370" border="0" /></a><p style="font-size: 14px;">Scientists have identified an emerging "superbug" strain of <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health/diseases/salmonella.htm#r_src=ramp">salmonella</a> that is highly resistant to the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, often used for severe salmonella infections, and say they fear it may spread around the world.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">The strain, known as S. Kentucky, has spread internationally with almost 500 cases found in <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/france.htm#r_src=ramp">France</a>, <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/denmark.htm#r_src=ramp">Denmark</a>, England and Wales in the period between 2002 and 2008, according a study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.</p><div class="sect vert"><div class="ad qu" id="qu_story_2">French researchers who led the study also looked at data from North America and said reports of infection in <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/canada.htm#r_src=ramp">Canada</a> and contamination of imported foods in the <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/u.s.htm#r_src=ramp">United States</a> suggest the strain has also reached there.</div></div> <p style="font-size: 14px;">The study was published Wednesday as U.S. health officials reported a multi-state outbreak of another strain of antibiotic-resistant salmonella — called S. Heidelberg — which has so far made at least 76 people sick and killed one.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">Salmonella infection is a major public health problem worldwide. There are an estimated 1.7 million infections in North America each year and more than 1.6 million cases were reported between 1999 and 2008 in 27 European countries.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">Although most salmonella infections produce only mild gastroenteritis with stomach cramps, fever and <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/health/diseases/diarrhea.htm#r_src=ramp">diarrhea</a>, older people or those with weaker immune systems are particularly at risk of life-threatening infections.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">These cases are typically treated with drugs in a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, which includes the commonly-used medicine ciprofloxacin. Cipro was originally developed by Bayer and is now available as a generic.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">But as with many bacteria, multi-drug-resistant, or "superbug," strains of salmonella infection have developed as the bacteria has found new ways of outfoxing the drugs, and these can spread in food and from person to person.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">In the French-led study, Francois-Xavier Weill and Simon Le Hello from the Institut Pasteur looked at surveillance data from the European countries and the United States and found 489 reported cases of the superbug S.Kentucky strain. Case numbers rose every year from 3 cases in 2002 to 174 cases in 2008.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">They said the earliest infections seemed to have been picked up mainly in <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/egypt.htm#r_src=ramp">Egypt</a> between 2002 and 2005, but since 2006 the infections have also been acquired in various parts of <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/africa.htm#r_src=ramp">Africa</a> and the <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/middle-east.htm#r_src=ramp">Middle East</a>.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">"The absence of reported international travel in approximately 10 percent of the patients suggests that infections may have also occurred in Europe through consumption of contaminated imported foods or through secondary contaminations," they wrote.</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">As part of the study, multi drug-resistant S. Kentucky was also isolated from chickens and turkeys from <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/ethiopia.htm#r_src=ramp">Ethiopia</a>, <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/morocco.htm#r_src=ramp">Morocco</a>, and <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/nigeria.htm#r_src=ramp">Nigeria</a>, suggesting "poultry is an important agent for infection" the researchers said, adding the common use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in chicken and <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/turkey.htm#r_src=ramp">turkey</a> production in Nigeria and Morocco "may have contributed to this rapid spread."</p> <p style="font-size: 14px;">They said the study highlights the importance of public health surveillance in a global food system.<br />"We hope that this publication might stir awareness among national and international health, food and agricultural authorities so that they take the necessary measures to control and stop the dissemination of this strain before it spreads globally," the researchers said.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> (Fox News)</span><br /></p><div style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-7254803376822728622011-08-03T17:23:00.000-07:002011-08-03T17:27:54.697-07:00HIV infection rates mostly stable, increasing among young, gay black men<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1JK_UaLtWp_MJyPEz69GmmiOYMh3_gEd6iyVrDfjY4JrgwMVowLSdJAiupaK67ddQKUIgkdZJJBH-YQfb4bT8y47pfW6aQ0g_7qkIellnzJUD6CyvI6fvCePHAX5MAmTKceXcfoPUFM/s1600/t1larg.gaymen.ts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1JK_UaLtWp_MJyPEz69GmmiOYMh3_gEd6iyVrDfjY4JrgwMVowLSdJAiupaK67ddQKUIgkdZJJBH-YQfb4bT8y47pfW6aQ0g_7qkIellnzJUD6CyvI6fvCePHAX5MAmTKceXcfoPUFM/s320/t1larg.gaymen.ts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636790146188958930" border="0" /></a><div class="cnnBlogContentPost"><p class="cnn_first">The number of new HIV infections in the United States has remained steady, at around 50,000 cases a year over the past four years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The new data, published online Wednesday in the scientific journal <a href="http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017502." target="_blank">PLoS ONE</a>, show the largest increases were among bisexual men and men who have sex with men (MSM). Of that group, young, black men had what the agency called "alarming increases."</p> <p>"More than 30 years into the HIV epidemic, about 50,000 people in this country still become infected each year," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. "Not only do men who have sex with men continue to account for most new infections, young gay and bisexual men are the only group in which infections are increasing, and this increase is particularly concerning among young African American MSM."</p> <p><span id="more-26812"></span>The data look at the period between 2006 and 2009. It's the first time HIV incidence numbers were calculated using a lab test that distinguishes recent infections from existing infections. The CDC estimates that MSM make up 2% of the U.S. population but 61% of 2009's new infections. Young men between the ages of 13 and 29 who had sex with men had the highest new infection rate/increase - more than a quarter of all new cases. The agency says while young MSM of all ethnic backgrounds have been hit hard, young blacks were the only group to see significant increases over the four-year period. Infection rates among this population jumped 48% during that time.</p> <p>The reasons, according to the CDC, aren't clear. It says individual risk behaviors alone do not account for the increase. It says black MSM tend to have fewer sexual partners, are less likely to do IV drugs and are no more likely to have anal intercourse than other gay men. But the data suggests a number of possibilities for these trends - that young black MSM often don't know their HIV status, that the stigma of HIV and homosexuality in the black community can often impede the use of prevention services and that often there is limited access to health care services like testing and treatment in the black community.</p> <p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/25/aids.timeline/index.html">Timeline: HIV/AIDS at 30 </a></p> <p>"We are deeply concerned by the alarming rise in new HIV infections in young, black gay and bisexual men and the continued impact of HIV among young gay and bisexual men of all races," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. "We cannot allow the health of a new generation of gay men to be lost to a preventable disease. It's time to renew the focus on HIV among gay men and confront the homophobia and stigma that all too often accompany this disease."</p> <p>It's not just African Americans who are disproportionately affected. The data suggest that communities of color are shouldering a heavier burden. In 2009, blacks made up 14% of the population but accounted for 44% of all new infections. Their infection rate was almost 8 times that of whites. The rate among black men was the highest of any group - more than six times that of white men. The infection rate among black women was 15 times higher than white women. Hispanics make up about 16% of the population, and 20% of new HIV infections. Their rate of infection is about three times that of whites.</p> <p>Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, says the data are encouraging in that the number of new infections has significantly dropped from the peak seen in the mid-1980s, however there is still much work ahead. "We have plateaued at an unacceptably high level. Without intensified HIV prevention efforts, we are likely to face an era of rising infection rates and higher health care costs for a preventable condition that already affects more than 1 million people in this country."</p> <p>Phill Wilson, founder & chief executive officer of the Black AIDS Institute, whose mission is to stop the pandemic in black communities says we have the tools to end the epidemic, but prevention efforts have been stalled for some time.</p> <p>"What these numbers tell us is we are not going to be successful in driving down new infections until and unless we invest in those populations most at risk, and in America today those populations are black Americans, men who have sex with men of all races and especially young, black men who have sex with men," Wilson said. "It is outrageous that over the last three years reported in this data, since 2006-2009, we see a 48% increase in new cases among young black men who have sex with men age 13-29. We have to build the infrastructure and the capacity in these communities to respond to this epidemic in an appropriate manner."</p> <p>The agency says it's working on a number of interventions for hardest hit populations. Officials hope some of the latest new prevention strategies like <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/prep/" target="_blank">pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)</a> - exposing high risk populations to HIV drugs to prevent infection in both MSM, and heterosexual men and women - will have a strong impact on infection rates. In July, new data from <a href="http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/18/more-studies-show-prep-prevents-hiv-infection-2/">several studies found PrEP was safe </a>and effective in preventing infection in these populations. <span style="font-weight: bold;">(Saundra Young/CNN News)</span><br /></p><br /></div>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-30658370604137630192011-08-02T17:44:00.001-07:002011-08-02T17:48:01.268-07:00Tiny blood card offers easier tests for remote areas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjRO3-1jtK0gpyUo-7W95E_q306f8ZLj8u8e43TW18nSJE7uw3l4i3hQlewdjf37CJsJA0EARQPvKstukvnf7R998u-e_2mhzy9SmvuAS0wbnJrXOxoaaNMVQ3szxbTZRRKdnyR-nNBA/s1600/_54363498_54363489.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjRO3-1jtK0gpyUo-7W95E_q306f8ZLj8u8e43TW18nSJE7uw3l4i3hQlewdjf37CJsJA0EARQPvKstukvnf7R998u-e_2mhzy9SmvuAS0wbnJrXOxoaaNMVQ3szxbTZRRKdnyR-nNBA/s320/_54363498_54363489.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636424306396229858" border="0" /></a><p class="introduction">A cheap and portable blood test could provide a breakthrough for diagnosing infections in remote areas of the world, a scientific study says.</p> <p>The mChip is about the size of a credit card and can diagnose infections within minutes, according to a study in the journal Nature Medicine. </p> <p>Prototype tests for diseases such as HIV and syphilis in Rwanda showed almost 100% accuracy, it said.</p> <p>The US-developed device has a projected cost of $1 (60p).</p> <p>This would make it much cheaper than the lab-based tests currently used.</p> <p>The plastic chip contains 10 detection zones, and can test for multiple diseases with only a pinprick of blood.</p> <p>Results can be seen with the naked eye or with a low-cost detector.</p> <p>"The idea is to make a large class of diagnostic tests accessible to patients in any setting in the world, rather than forcing them to go to a clinic to draw blood and then wait days for their results," said Samuel Sia, a professor at New York's Columbia University who is a lead developer of the device.</p> <p>Hundreds of tests using a prototype of the device were carried out in Kigali, Rwanda. They showed 95% accuracy for HIV and 76% accuracy for syphilis, the study says. </p> <p>Researchers hope to use the mChip to help increase testing of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) in pregnant women, particularly in Africa.</p> <p>A version of the device has also been designed to test for prostate cancer. <span style="font-weight: bold;">(BBC News)</span><br /></p>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1403050569650080866.post-49552448709214244482011-07-31T21:47:00.001-07:002011-08-01T21:50:32.976-07:00WHO: Hepatitis toll 'in millions'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM2EAHQl0xJMqgohyphenhyphen-HMsrpsCE3s42nFoK51Rl9jmRUlFITSSQLYO2NKwI4EObkE9tqBjWx-LrbbCMeRyXC2FXLhKTejED_wCTlwGRhAPE0Uu9WaBn01yi7ZxpFeq2v6njK2aA2ont-k/s1600/_54298052_f0013042-automated_blood_sample_testing-spl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM2EAHQl0xJMqgohyphenhyphen-HMsrpsCE3s42nFoK51Rl9jmRUlFITSSQLYO2NKwI4EObkE9tqBjWx-LrbbCMeRyXC2FXLhKTejED_wCTlwGRhAPE0Uu9WaBn01yi7ZxpFeq2v6njK2aA2ont-k/s320/_54298052_f0013042-automated_blood_sample_testing-spl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635745341794930962" border="0" /></a>Medical experts are calling for global action to tackle the viruses that cause the liver disease hepatitis.<br /><br />The first worldwide estimates in drug users show 10 million have hepatitis C while 1.3 million have hepatitis B.<br /><br />Writing in the Lancet, experts say only a fraction of those who could benefit are receiving antiviral drugs.<br /><br />Only one in five infants around the world are vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth, they say.<br /><br />The figures, published in the Lancet, show about 67% of injecting drug users in the world have been exposed to hepatitis C, while around 10% have come into contact with hepatitis B.<br /><br />In the UK, around half of injecting drug users have been infected with the hepatitis C virus, while the rate for exposure to hepatitis B is 9% - the highest in western Europe.<br />The research was led by Prof Louisa Degenhardt of the Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia, and Paul Nelson from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales.<br /><br />They say: "The public-health response to blood-borne virus transmission in injecting drug users has mainly centred on HIV.<br /><br />"Maintenance and strengthening of the response to HIV in injecting drug users remains crucial, but the significance of viral hepatitis needs to receive greater attention than it does at present."<br /><br />Commenting on the study in the Lancet, Dr Joseph Amon, of Human Rights Watch, New York City, US, said: "This study provides us with a first step and powerful data to draw attention to the problem of viral hepatitis in people who use drugs.<br /><br />"The next step is to challenge governments to act, and hold them accountable for implementation of rights-respecting and evidence-based programmes."<br />Health risks<br /><br />Hepatitis is caused by five main viruses - A, B and C, and, more rarely D and E.<br /><br />Hepatitis B is the most common, and can be passed from mother to baby at birth or in early childhood as well as through contaminated injections or injected drug use.<br /><br />Hepatitis C is also spread through using unsterile needles and less commonly through unsafe sex or sharing razors or toothbrushes.<br /><br />The E virus, caught from infected water or food, is a common cause of outbreaks of the disease in developing countries, said the World Health Organization.<br /><br />Many of those carrying hepatitis are not aware they have it and can unknowingly transmit it to others. <span style="font-weight: bold;">(BBC News)</span>Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03140196628936652659noreply@blogger.com0