A newly described virus is not a cause of Kawasaki disease, according to an article by a group of researchers in Denver, Colorado. Their article appears in the December 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Malaria Research Institute have developed a new test for detecting the malaria parasite in human urine and saliva. Although not a diagnostic test for determining treatment, the method could potentially reduce the need for blood sampling in epidemiological studies where large-scale malaria screening is required.
A powerful analysis from this month’s Vaccine highlights the huge gap between current vaccination coverage across Europe and the recommendations endorsed by the European U nion. Currently, only one-third of all high-risk populations are receiving seasonal influenza vaccine in Europe, resulting in avoidable morbidity, hospitalizations and mortality.
On 16 November 2006 the Department of Health contacted Strategic Health Authorities in England to remind them of their obligation to provide the disease modifying drugs for MS to people who meet the prescription criteria.
News tips from the 2006 annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, Nov. 14 to 19, San Diego.
For patients on hemodialysis, the use of dialysis filters coated with vitamin E may provide a simple new approach to the common problem of anemia, reports a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 39th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego.
Protection for patients and the public is at the heart of the Mental Health Bill, which was published by Health Minister Rosie Winterton and Home Office minister Gerry Sutcliffe. The Bill will introduce supervised treatment in the community to ensure that patients comply with treatment when they are discharged from hospital and enable action to be taken to prevent relapse. This will benefit patients and improve public safety.
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has set out guidelines on when to give intensive care to extremely premature babies. Advice for parents and doctors is provided, on a week-by-week basis, for treating babies born before 22 weeks up to those born after 25 weeks.
The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed the year’s second leptospirosis case, involving a 35-year-old man who travelled to Macau before he developed symptoms.
The Centre for Health Protection has confirmed a local case of meningococcal infection involving a nine-month-old baby girl, bringing the year’s total to five, all imported.