TB & Outbreaks Week articles from June 2009

TB & Outbreaks Week archives from June 2009

Studies from J. Steinmann and colleagues provide new data on aspergillosis.(Clinical report)
June 2, 2009... According to recent research from Essen, Germany, "J. Steinmann, J. Buer, P.-M. Rath, A. Paul, F. Saner. Invasive aspergillosis in two liver transplant recipients: diagnosis by SeptiFastTranspl Infect Dis 2009: 11: 175-178." "All rights...

Research data from M. Wijesinghe and colleagues update understanding of asthma.
June 2, 2009... "International time trends in asthma mortality have played an important sentinel role in the identification of two epidemics of asthma mortality in some countries in the 1960s and the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, little attention has been paid...

New bacterial meningitis study findings have been published by Y. Tokuda and colleagues.
June 2, 2009... " To derive and validate a clinical prediction model with high sensitivity for differentiating aseptic meningitis (AM) patients from bacterial meningitis (BM) patients. We developed the model using the derivation cohort in a community rural...

Study findings on clostridium are outlined in reports from University of Helsinki, Medical Department.
June 2, 2009... "Comparative genomic hybridization analysis of 32 Nordic group I Clostridium botulinum type B strains isolated from various sources revealed two homogeneous clusters, clusters BI and BII. The type B strains differed from reference strain ATCC...

Study data from Chang-Gung University, Medical Department update knowledge of dengue fever.
June 2, 2009... "In a retrospective Study, acute renal failure (ARF) was found in 10 (3.3%) among 304 hospitalized adults with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and 6 (60%) of the 10 patients with ARF died, whereas all 294 patients without ARF (controls)...

Study data from University of Delhi update understanding of asthma.
June 9, 2009... "States of Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and Chennai (capital of Tamil Nadu State), India. To assess the availability, price and affordability of beclomethasone and salbutamol inhalers in five Indian states using a standardised...

Study findings from G. Grassi et al broaden understanding of cardiovascular risk.
June 9, 2009... "Several lines of evidence show that metabolic syndrome represents an important therapeutic challenge for the forthcoming years," scientists writing in the journal Blood Pressure report (see also Cardiovascular Risk). "This is because of...

Data on cholera described by R.I. Joh et al.
June 9, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, "There are numerous examples of human pathogens which persist in environmental reservoirs while infectious outbreaks remain rare. In this manuscript, we...

New Corynebacterium study findings have been published by L. Botella and colleagues.
June 9, 2009... According to a study from Julich, Germany, "Genome sequence information suggests that B-12-dependent mutases are present in a number of bacteria, including members of the suborder Corynebacterineae like Mycobacterium tuberculosis and...

Research from A. Gupta and co-authors provides new data about dengue fever.
June 9, 2009... According to a study from Hyderabad, India, " To report the occurrence of uveitis in patients with prior history of dengue fever. A case series of patients with uveitis, presenting with ocular symptoms 3-5 months after contracting dengue fever...

Studies by E.E. Tutuncu and co-authors describe new findings in infectious diseases.
June 9, 2009... According to recent research from Ankara, Turkey, "Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral haemorrhagic disease, mostly transmitted by tick bites." "It is clear that ignorance of the necessary precautions results in nosocomial...

Study findings from Umea University provide new insights into infectious diseases.
June 9, 2009... According to a study from Umea, Sweden, "Infection with the cosmopolitan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is often associated with severe consequences and a high mortality rate in immunocompromized patients." "Non-specific symptoms make...

Study data from S.E. Hill and colleagues update understanding of tuberculosis and lung disease.
June 9, 2009... "Health facilities in The Gambia, West Africa. Oxygen treatment Is vital in pneumonia, the leading cause of death in children globally," scientists in Banjul, Gambia report (see also Tuberculosis and Lung Disease). "There are shortages of...

Data from K. Takumi et al provide new insights into vector-borne and zoonotic disease.
June 9, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Vector - Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, "The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus was detected for the first time in the Netherlands in the summer of 2005. Aedes albopictus is a competent...

Investigators at Hokkaido University zero in on vector-borne and zoonotic disease.
June 9, 2009... "A survey of Echinococcus multilocularis infections in pet dogs in Japan from 1997 to 2007 was conducted by testing for coproantigen reactivity, fecal taeniid eggs, and egg DNA. In Hokkaido, the only island where E. multilocularis is endemic in...

New vector-borne and zoonotic disease findings from M. Jimenezcoello and co-researchers published.
June 9, 2009... "Canine ehrlichiosis is a disease produced by the rickettsial organism Ehrlichia canis. Reported prevalence may vary greatly depending on the test and sampling method used," investigators in Merida, Mexico report (see also Vector-Borne and...

Recent findings from H.C. Scholz and co-authors highlight research in vector-borne and zoonotic disease.
June 9, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Vector - Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, "From the mandibular lymph nodes of wild red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) hunted in the region of Gmund, Lower Austria, two gram-negative, oxidase-and...

Scientists at California State University target vector-borne and zoonotic disease.
June 9, 2009... "Plague causes mass mortality of prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in shortgrass steppe. Although the pathogen, the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is spread within colonies by flea bites or contact between infected hosts, it is unclear how Y....

Inovio Biomedical Influenza DNA Vaccines Demonstrate Potential to Protect Against Newly Emerging Flu Strains with Pandemic Potential.
June 16, 2009... Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO), a leader in DNA vaccine discovery, development and delivery, announced preclinical data from two studies of influenza DNA vaccines designed using its SynCon™ technology. The data indicated...

The 454 Genome Sequencing System Detects a Novel Virus Responsible for South African Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak.
June 16, 2009... A study published online in PLoS Pathogens reports that researchers at Columbia University, the South African National Health Laboratory Services, the US Centers for Disease Control, and 454 Life Sciences have discovered a new virus that is...

Data on bacterial meningitis described by A.M. Assiri et al.
June 16, 2009... "To systematically assess the effect of the adjunctive administration of corticosteroids in the treatment of acute bacterial meningitis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching several databases for reports (published...

Studies from S. Depine and colleagues provide new data on chronic disease.
June 16, 2009... "The purpose of this article is to analyze the role of governments in relation to the burden of chronic diseases and the potential response within the framework of competing priorities that determine resource allocation. The following variables...

New dengue fever data have been reported by M.A. Johansson and co-authors.
June 16, 2009... "The four dengue viruses, the agents of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever in humans, are transmitted predominantly by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The abundance and the transmission potential of Ae. aegypti are influenced by temperature...

Research on emerging infectious diseases discussed by R. Bouchouicha and co-researchers.
June 16, 2009... "Multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis was performed on 178 Bartonella henselae isolates from 9 countries, 99 profiles were distributed into 2 groups," scientists in Maisons-Alfort, France report (see also Emerging Infectious...

Studies from I.A. Doherty et al in the area of sexually transmitted disease described.
June 16, 2009... "Concurrent partnerships accelerate dissemination of STIs. Most investigations of the features of concurrent partnerships have focused on higher risk subpopulations," scientists in the United States report (see also Sexually Transmitted...

'My Heritage, My Destiny': New Autobiography Tells the Story of a Latvian Immigrant's Quest for Personal Peace.
June 23, 2009... To a small child, the world is a simply amazing place viewed through innocent eyes. When the horrors of war shatter that innocence and simplicity, the effect can be quite profound. "My Heritage, My Destiny" (published by iUniverse) by Dr. Baiba...

Research reports on allergies from University of California provide new insights.
June 23, 2009... According to recent research published in the journal Medical Mycology, "Moulds are responsible for diseases in humans through the three pathogenetic mechanisms of infection, allergy, and toxicity. Fungal infection is especially a risk factor...

Data on aspergillosis discussed by J.P. Latge and colleagues.
June 23, 2009... According to a study from Paris, France, "Galactofuranose is a major carbohydrate in Aspergillus fumigatus." "It became famous in medical mycology as being part of the galactomannan which was shown 30 years ago to be the major antigen...

Data on aspergillosis reported by D. Haiduven and co-researchers.
June 23, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) with Apergillus pose a serious threat to those most severely immune suppressed patients. Outbreaks of nosocomial aspergillosis have occurred mainly among...

Findings from S. Willger and co-authors broaden understanding of aspergillosis.
June 23, 2009... "Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus commonly found in soil and compost piles. In immunocompromised patients it takes on a sinister form as a potentially lethal opportunistic human pathogen," scientists in the United States report...

Data on clinical infectious diseases discussed by E. Llata and colleagues.
June 23, 2009... According to a study from the United States, "Health care-associated infections are a major public health concern both in the United States and abroad, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. As a consequence of...

Studies from University of British Columbia have provided new data on clinical infectious diseases.(Report)
June 23, 2009... According to a study from Vancouver, Canada, "The Canadian province of British Columbia has experienced an ongoing heterosexual infectious syphilis epidemic since July 1997. In this study, we sought to characterize individuals who received a...

Research conducted at Erasmus University has provided new information about aspergillosis.
June 30, 2009... "At present, voriconazole (VOR) is the drug of first choice for treating invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). However, particularly in advanced stages of disease and in the severely immunocompromised host, the mortality remains substantial,"...

Studies in the area of behavior reported from University of London.
June 30, 2009... According to a study from Egham, the United Kingdom, "When a disease breaks out in a human population, changes in behavior in response to the outbreak can alter the progression of the infectious agent. In particular, people aware of a disease...

Researchers from University of New South Wales report on findings in chlamydia.
June 30, 2009... According to recent research from Sydney, Australia, "We investigated the likely impact of vaccines on the prevalence of and morbidity due to Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) infections in heterosexual populations. An individual-based...

Studies from Washington University, Medical Department describe new findings in diarrhea.
June 30, 2009... "Acute bloody diarrhea should be considered a medical emergency. Its causes are frequently serious or actionable or both and are usually identified," scientists in the United States report (see also Diarrhea). "However, acute bloody...

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University report on findings in epidemics.
June 30, 2009... "Immigration is an important population dynamic at work in the U.S., but we know little about its impact on American obesity. Built on nutrition transition and immigration theories, this paper provides explanations for immigrants' initial body...

New findings from D.M. Hamm and co-researchers in the area of infectious disease described.
June 30, 2009... "The effect of polyparasite infections on cytokine and chemokine responses as well as the effect of antiparasite treatment was studied in children without parasite infection (the G0 group), in children singly infected with Schistosoma...

New infectious disease data have been reported by scientists at Montana State University.(Report)
June 30, 2009... According to recent research from the United States, "Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is problematic both in hospitals and in the community. Currently, we have limited understanding of mechanisms of innate immune evasion used by S....