Foot and Mouth Disease :: Foot and mouth disease outbreak
A Durham University expert has commented on the outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a farm in Surrey.
Infectious Diseases
HPV :: Dermatologists can help patients decide if new vaccines to prevent HPV and Herpes Zoster are right for them
For more than 200 years, vaccines have played an important role in the prevention of infectious diseases. In the United States, measles, mumps and rubella are now rare diseases thanks to vaccines. Now, two vaccines recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ? the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and the herpes zoster vaccine ? are proving effective in protecting people from serious or potentially life-threatening diseases.
Tuberculosis :: Medical residents score poorly in diagnosing and managing tuberculosis
When quizzed about their knowledge in diagnosing tuberculosis and deciding on the best treatment, medical residents in Baltimore and Philadelphia get almost half the answers wrong, according to a survey by TB disease experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.
Tuberculosis :: Medical residents unclear about TB guidelines
US medical residents are not proficient at diagnosing and managing tuberculosis, according to a report published in the online open access journal, BMC Infectious Diseases.
Common Cold :: Zinc lozenges an ineffective treatment for colds
Despite 20 years of research, the benefits of zinc lozenges as a therapy for the common cold have not been proven. A new study, published in the Sept. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online, reviews the 14 placebo-controlled studies from the past two decades and finds significant fault with 10 of the studies.
Influenza :: Travel restrictions could be key to containing a pandemic
Even a delay of a few days or a week would give health authorities crucial time to prepare responses such as distributing anti-viral drugs and emergency resources, researchers say.
HIV :: Genetic blood test helps to personalise HIV medicine
A major breakthrough in HIV research by Murdoch?s Professor Simon Mallal has opened up a new era in personalised medicine. Professor Mallal spoke at the International AIDS Society bi-annual conference on 25 July.
Influenza :: Detecting transmissibility of avian influenza virus in human households
Recent outbreaks of emerging diseases such as SARS and H5N1 avian influenza have underlined the fact that animal pathogens may acquire the ability to spread efficiently in humans ? but as yet have not. Monitoring the transmissibility of pathogens from animals in humans is therefore key for early detection of epidemic spread, and for effective control.
HIV :: Treating HIV infected infants early helps them live longer
Hundreds of thousands of babies around the world are born each year with HIV–more than half a million in 2006 alone. Caring for these children is complicated by the fact that their immune systems are not fully developed in the first year of life, which makes them especially susceptible to rapid HIV disease progression and death.
HIV :: Studies affirm need for influenza and measles vaccinations in HIV-infected patients
Two new studies emphasize the importance of delivering measles and influenza vaccines to HIV-infected individuals. Both studies are published in the August 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.