Fever | Page 33 of 52 | SpiritIndia.com

Allergy :: Key enzyme involved in allergic disease identified

A research team has identified a key enzyme responsible for triggering a chain of events that results in allergic reaction, according to new study findings published this week in Nature Immunology. The work by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York sets the stage for development of new strategies and target therapies that control allergic disease – the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.

Hepatitis :: PEG-INTRON, peginterferon and REBETOL, ribavirin in Hepatitis C — Schering-Plough

Schering-Plough reported data from EPIC3, a large ongoing clinical study, showing that retreatment with PEG-INTRON(R) (peginterferon alfa-2b) and REBETOL(R) (ribavirin, USP) combination therapy can result in sustained virologic response(1) (SVR) in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed previous treatment with any alpha interferon-based combination therapy, including peginterferon regimens. In this study, 56 percent of patients who had undetectable virus (HCV-RNA) after 12 weeks went on to achieve SVR with a 48-week course of therapy. Of the first 1,354 patients retreated, approximately 38 percent had undetectable virus at week 12. Importantly, patients who did not have undetectable virus at 12 weeks had little chance of achieving SVR. Overall, 23 percent of patients achieved SVR.

Yellow Fever :: Yellow fever in Cote d’Ivoire

On 5 October 2006, the Ministry of Health reported 2 cases of yellow fever in the towns of Korhogo and Ouaragahio in C?te d’Ivoire. The cases, a 30-year-old man in Korhogo and a 16 year-old girl in Ouaragahio, are laboratory confirmed (IgM Elisa assay) by the Institut Pasteur, Abidjan, C?te d’Ivoire and by the regional reference laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal. To date, no fatalities have been reported.

Chikungunya :: Chikungunya in India – WHO update

From February 2006 to 10 October 2006, the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia has reported 151 districts in 8 states/provinces of India affected by chikungunya fever (see below). The affected states are Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Delhi. More than 1.25 million suspected cases have been reported from the country, which 752,245 were from Karnataka and 258,998 from Maharashtra provinces. In some areas reported attack rates have reached 45%.

Health :: New approach to treat neglected tropical diseases

World Health Organization (WHO) and a group of more than 25 partner organizations unveiled a new strategy to fight some of the most neglected tropical diseases that destroy the lives and health of poor people.

Health :: The common cold – no cure in sight

What’s the best treatment for a cold? Some say rest and lots of liquids, others say to feed a cold and starve a fever. But what if a person has a cold with a fever? Does medication help?

Dental Health :: Do not use a specific lot of Neutragel sodium fluoride gel due to mould contamination

Health Canada is advising consumers that certain bottles of Neutragel, a sodium fluoride gel, have been contaminated with mould. This anti-cavity dental product is commonly used by patients with weakened immune systems, patients with diabetes, dry mouth, undergoing chemotherapy, or for tooth decay caused by radiation. This sodium fluoride gel is administered in a dental office or at home.

Osteosarcoma :: IDM Pharma’s Junovan, mifamurtide in the treatment of osteosarcoma

IDM Pharma (NASDAQ:IDMI) announced today that the company has submitted an electronic New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Junovan(TM) (mifamurtide for injection), requesting approval for its use in the treatment of newly diagnosed resectable high grade osteosarcoma patients following surgical resection in combination with multiple agent chemotherapy.

Crohn’s Disease :: Promising results in tough-to-treat crohn’s disease patients

Abbott announced results from a study showing HUMIRA? (adalimumab) induced significantly higher rates of clinical remission compared to placebo in patients with moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease who lost response to, or were intolerant to, infliximab therapy. The data is being presented simultaneously at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) annual meeting in Las Vegas and the United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW) in Berlin.

Malaria :: Mozambique strategic plan against malaria

The Mozambican Health Ministry is seeking to ensure funding for its strategic plan for the fight against malaria, which requires 60 million US dollars a year from now up to 2009. Malaria (formerly called ague or marsh fever) is an infectious disease that is widespread in many tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is caused by protozoal parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The most serious forms of the disease are caused by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, but other related species can also infect humans.