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Bird Flu :: New field-deployable biosensor detects avian influenza virus in minutes instead of days

Quick identification of avian influenza infection in poultry is critical to controlling outbreaks, but current detection methods can require several days to produce results. A new biosensor developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute can detect avian influenza in just minutes. In addition to being a rapid test, the biosensor is economical, field-deployable, sensitive to different viral strains and requires no labels or reagents.

West Nile Virus :: Fourth West Nile death and 13 additional human cases in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 14 additional human cases of West Nile virus including a Gallatin County woman in her 80’s who died on September_12. The woman is reported to have become ill in early September.

Aging :: Staying sharp in Washington, D.C.

Brain health of aging African Americans and Hispanics will be the focusof a Staying Sharp session on October 6 at the Lincoln Theatre inWashington, DC. Part of a highly recognized series, the program willexplore ongoing research into the treatment of depression and strokeprevention in minority populations.

GI Diet :: Glycemic index values are variable, report researchers

In work investigating the reproducibility of glycemic index values, researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (USDA HNRCA) have reported that multiple glycemic index value determinations (measure of the rate of glucose absorption into the bloodstream) using a simple test food, white bread, resulted in a relatively high level of inter-individual (among different individuals), and intra-individual (within the same individual) variability.

Smallpox :: New molecular clock from LLNL and CDC indicates smallpox evolved earlier than believed

Smallpox is older than thought, according to results of a new technique reported in the Sept. 24 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Centers for Disease Control.

Psychology :: Why quitting may be good for you

Are there times when it is better to simply give up? Psychologists have been exploring this question, and more specifically a possible link between tenacity and both physical and mental health.

Healthcare :: $22 million gift from Alfred Taubman launches new biomedical research institute

A new and extraordinary $22 million gift to the University of Michigan Health System is making possible a new and extraordinary institute — one with a mission of supporting fundamental research to advance the understanding of the causes, treatment and prevention of a broad range of human diseases.

Cholera :: Cholera in Iraq – update 2

Since late August 2007, an outbreak of cholera has spread to 25 districts of Northern Iraq and 4 districts in Southern Iraq and across the centre of the country. It is estimated that more than 30 000 people have fallen ill with acute watery diarrhoea, among which 2 116 were identified as positive for Vibrio cholerae. The case fatality rate is 0.52% and has remained low throughout the outbreak, although it continues to spread across Iraq and dissemination to as yet unaffected areas remains highly possible.

Ebola :: Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the support of international partners, is continuing field investigations to determine the extent of the outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in the Province of Kasai Occidental. Active surveillance is under way to investigate recent deaths in the affected communities, to identify other suspected cases and to follow-up on all contacts. Case numbers associated with the outbreak continue to rise and the situation has become further complicated by concomitant reports of cases of typhoid and Shigella dysenteriae type 1.

Liver :: Mixing large doses of both acetaminophen painkiller and caffeine may increase risk of liver damage

Consuming large amounts of caffeine while taking acetaminophen, one of the most widely used painkillers in the United States, could potentially cause liver damage, according to a preliminary laboratory study reported in the Oct. 15 print issue of ACS’ Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal.