Respiratory Disease
Asthma risk more in children born in autumnChildren who are born four months before the peak of cold and flu season have a greater risk of developing childhood asthma than children born at any other time of year, according to new research from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
COPD hospitalizations on the rise in USA joint report released by the American Lung Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota COPD Coalition shows that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is sending more Minnesotans to the hospital, and may be contributing to rising health care costs across in the state.
Increase in waist circumference increases mortality riskHaving a large waistline can almost double your risk of dying prematurely even if your body mass index is within the 'normal' range, revealed by researchers in a new study.
2 doses of flu vaccine needed against bird flu pandemicAn international study led by University of Leicester researchers has determined that vaccination will be the best way to protect people in the event of the next influenza pandemic – but that each person would need two doses.
Indoor pollution in homes in China causing respiratory diseasesIf current levels of smoking and biomass and coal fuel use in homes continues, between 2003 and 2033 there will be an estimated 65 million deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 18 million deaths from lung cancer in China, accounting for 19% and 5% of all deaths in that country during this period.
Childhood wheezing with rhinovirus can increase asthma riskInfants who experience viral respiratory illnesses with wheezing are known to be at increased risk for developing asthma later during childhood. It is not known, however, whether every type of respiratory virus that produces wheezing presents similar risk.
Boys grow out of childhood asthmaBoys may be more apt than girls to have childhood asthma, but, when compared to girls, they are also more likely to grow out of it in adolescence and have a decreased incidence of asthma in the post-pubertal years. This indicates that there may be a buried mechanism in asthma development, according to a prospective study that analyzed airway responsiveness (AR) in more than 1,000 children with mild to moderate asthma over a period of about nine years.
Lung health action plan needed to control air pollutionThe National Illness Cost of Air Pollution (ICAP) study, released by the Canadian Medical Association, is clear evidence that action is required on air pollution and that a national strategy for lung health is needed now more than ever.
Exercise may prevent Early Alzheimer's diseaseMild Alzheimer's disease patients with higher physical fitness had larger brains compared to mild Alzheimer's patients with lower physical fitness, according to a study published in the July 15, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Second hand smoke increases infectious diseases risk in infantsSecond hand smoke decreases immunity in infants and thereby raises risk of infectious diseases and early hospitalization even in the first year of life in infants, revealed by researchers in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control.
21% children not fully protected against vaccine-preventable diseasesThe U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) last week.
New bird flu vaccine may give long-term defenseA new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
VereFlu portable lab-on-chip for detection of bird fluFollowing the success of the evaluation trials conducted at the prestigious National University Hospital of Singapore, Veredus Laboratories and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) announced the commercial availability of VereFlu, a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need.
Protein Robo4 may reverse macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathyTwo major eye diseases and leading causes of blindness-age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy-can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a protein found in blood vessel cells, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and several other institutions have announced in a new study.
Avian influenza in West Bengal, no humans affectedIndian Department of Animal Husbandry has notified fresh poultry deaths in Jiaganj and Raghunathganj-II blocks of Murshidabad district of West Bengal on 9th_March, 2008 which has been confirmed as H5 infection of bird flu.
Bird flu resurfaced in West Bengal, IndiaBird flu virus has resurfaced in two blocks of West Bengal's Murshidabad district, prompting authorities to take up culling operations. Culling starts in Raghunathganj-ii and Jiaganj blocks of Murshidabad districts.
Bird flu awareness campaigns should continue in IndiaThe recent, worst-ever outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza in the Indian state of West Bengal seems to have been brought under control by the swift and comprehensive measures taken by the country's authorities, though continued vigilance was crucial, the United Nations agricultural agency said.
Influenza vaccination for children 6 months through 18 years of ageA panel of immunization experts voted to expand the recommended ages for annual influenza vaccination of children to include all children from 6 months through 18 years of age. The previous recommendation was for vaccination of children from 6 months to 59 months of age.
Bird flu could strike again in India, warns FAOIndia is to be commended for its successful efforts to control the recent worst-ever outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the state of West Bengal, FAO said today. The agency warned, however, that intensive surveillance should continue in high-risk areas as the possibility of new outbreaks remains high.
Drug resistant tuberculosis growing, says WHOMultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been recorded at the highest rates ever, according to a new report published today. The report presents findings from the largest survey to date on the scale of drug resistance in tuberculosis.
India suffering from smoking epidemicIndia is in the midst of a catastrophic epidemic of smoking deaths, which is expected to cause about one million (10 lakh) deaths a year during the 2010s – including one in five of all male deaths and one in 20 of all female deaths at ages 30-69.
Update on Avian Influenza in West Bengal, IndiaNo suspected human cases of Avian Influenza have been detected in any of the affected districts in West Bengal, in India. Number of affected districts (14 districts) remains the same. In these districts, 48 blocks and five municipalities are involved.
Researchers cracking the code of bird flu time bombResearchers at Griffith University Institute for Glycomics, Queensland led by Professor Mark von Itzstein have developed a technique to 'crack-the-code' of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus. It will enable influenza virus specialists and drug researchers to interrogate one of the virus' key surface proteins without risk of infection.
Bird flu samples negative from Uttar Pradesh, IndiaAs per the latest report received from the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, samples of poultry birds collected from Bareilly and Shahjahanpur of Uttar Pradesh, have tested negative. The samples were from the part of the consignment transported from West Bengal.
New bird flu outbreak at Karachi poultry farm, PakistanA new outbreak of the avian flu in Pakistan reported by the Pakistani authorities, and authorities took steps to cull a large number of birds at a poultry farm in the Karachi city, where 5,500 chickens died of the deadly disease earlier this week.
3 m birds culled in West Bengal, IndiaNearly 3 million birds culled in most of the 13 Bird flu affected districts of West Bengal, India. Animal Resources Development Minister Anisur Rahaman told PTI in Berhampore that 27 lakh birds had been culled and the remaining one lakh would be destroyed by today.
Bird flu in new areas in West Bengal, IndiaBird flu samples collected from the Panchla block of Howrah district, Suri-I, Mayureswar-I and Nanoor blocks of Birbhum district and Kalyani municipality of Nadia district have tested positive for Avian Influenza virus.
Culling of birds in West Bengal, India - updateUnseasonal rains hampered culling in Indian state West Bengal with the operations yet to begin in Purulia and Howrah districts where outbreak of avian influenza has been confirmed. Culling operations delayed by a few hours in Purulia due to bad weather.
Climate change a threat to human healthClimate change will have a huge impact on human health and bold environmental policy decisions are needed now to protect the world's population, according to the author of an article published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Delayed action led to bird flu spread in IndiaThe Indian Central Govt. hinted that the West Bengal government's delayed action contributed to the rapid spread of bird flu even as it allayed fears about the disease spreading to humans in the state.
Bird flu update - over 2.4 lakh birds culled in West Bengal, IndiaAs per latest information received, a total mortality of 1,13,796 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Burdwan & Bankura districts of West Bengal.
Bird flu situation improving, says Indian ministerBird flu situation in West Bengal, eastern India, had not worsened, instead it is showing signs of "overall improvement", said state Animal Resources Minister Anisur Rehman, "the state had set a target to cull 4,00,000 chickens within seven days of which 60,000-70,000 had already been culled".
Over 85,632 birds culled, bird flu in east IndiaAs per latest information received, a total mortality of 98,254 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 parganas, Burdwan and Bankura districts of West Bengal.
Prodesse's ProFlu+ Test for Respiratory Viruses receives FDA clearanceProdesse, Inc., the leader in multiplex real-time PCR for infectious disease, announced that it received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its ProFlu+™ Assay.
Thousands birds culled in West Bengal, IndiaAs per latest information received, a total mortality of 85006 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal.
Bird flu spreading in West Bengal, IndiaAs per latest information received, a total mortality of 61,075 poultry birds has been reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal, India.
Bird flu alert in West Bengal, IndiaDeath of poultry birds has been reported from parts of Birbhum and South Dinajpur districts of West Bengal, India.
New test to detect and identify 12 respiratory virusesThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new diagnostic test that detects 12 respiratory viruses, including strains of flu that have triggered epidemics.
Gene protects newborns from respiratory distress syndromeYale School of Medicine researchers have isolated a gene that helps protect newborns from the most common respiratory cause of infant death in the United States - respiratory distress syndrome.
Three more H5N1 bird flu deaths in EgyptTwo new deaths from H5N1 avian influenza in women from the Nile Delta reported by Egyptian officials, and a third death involving a 50-year-old woman whose infection was previously confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Quit Smoking – a Healthy Start to 2008The Australian Medical Association AMA is urging all smokers to put their health first in 2008 by making a New Year's resolution to quit smoking for good.
8 human cases of H5N1 avian influenza in Peshawar, PakistanThe Ministry of Health in Pakistan has informed WHO of 8 suspected human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection in the Peshawar area of the country. These cases were detected following a series of culling operations in response to outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry. One of the cases has now recovered and a further two suspected cases have since died.
Diesel exhaust fumes affect people with asthmaDiesel exhaust fumes on polluted streets have a measurable effect on people with asthma, according to the first study looking at exhausts and asthma in a real-life setting, published on 6 December in the New England Journal of Medicine.
India to share experience in controlling avian fluThe Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that India is committed to share the experience of control and containment of the outbreak of influenza in poultry. He was speaking at a three-day International Ministerial Conference on Avian and Pandemic Influenza, here.