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Diseases and vaccines - Other diseases

March 1-7, 2004

►March 3, 2004 - Old Diseases Fall Off Public Health Radar; Complacency Allows Malaria, TB To Flourish - USA Today via www.intelihealth.com - "Microbial killers such as drug-resistant malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and syphilis continue to ravage the world. Health experts say they know how to prevent and treat these diseases, but first they need to overcome a different kind of public health enemy: complacency...Public attention in the past two years has focused on new diseases, such as SARS, and new threats, such as bioterrorism, but scientists here at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases say the lack of attention to older diseases is allowing them to flourish."

►March 4, 2004 - Cigarette Smoking Increases Lupus Risk - Risk of Autoimmune Disease Higher Among Smokers - WebMD Medical News

 ►March 2004 - Effect of Zinc Salts on Respiratory Syncytial Virus Replication - journal article (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy) - "The results of this study suggest that zinc mediates antiviral activity on RSV by altering the ability of the cell to support RSV replication."

 ►February 28, 2004 - Rampant virus caused 2002 stomach bug - New norovirus variant to blame for outbreak. - journal article (Nature)

 ►March 3, 2004 - Estrogen Linked to Stroke, Dementia Risk (requries registration or subscription) - AP via The New York Times

►March 3, 2004 - Groups Urging No Antibiotics for Earaches - AP via The Herald-Sun - "Parents of cranky children with ear infections be warned: Antibiotics may no longer be what the doctor orders. Two leading medical groups are expected to recommend this spring that doctors stop treating most ear infections in children with antibiotics, federal health officials said Tuesday...The move contradicts years of pediatric practice and is expected to disappoint weary parents of whimpering, infected toddlers...About half of all antibiotics prescribed to preschool children are for treating ear infections. Health officials believe if they can reduce child antibiotic use for such infections, they can stop the rise of antibiotic-resistant germs created by overuse of the drugs...'It will mark a dramatic change in appropriate antibiotic use,' said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the meningitis and special pathogens branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." 

►March 1, 2004 - CDC Searches for Cause to Mystery Deaths - AP via Yahoo! - "In a project resembling something out of the X Files, federal health officials say the causes of a quarter of the deaths that have stumped coroners in recent years appear to be from ordinary, treatable conditions."

 ►March 1, 2004 - Chronic Fatigue, Irritable Bowel Mistaken For Celiac Disease - Celiac Disease Often Considered Child's Ailment - www.wbalchannel.com

 ►February 29, 2004 - Trapped In A World Of Hurt - 50 Million Americans Have Chronic Pain, And So Far Doctors Can't Offer Much Relief (requires registration) - The Hartford Courant via www.ctnow.com

 ►February 29, 2004 - Tragedy saves twin, motivates his parents - The Modesto Bee - "RSV is something most of us can shrug off as a common cold: a shot of Nyquil, a box of Kleenex and a few nights of discomfort...Many babies get it, too, from shopping carts and from being around others with colds. But for infants in the high-risk category, it can be deadly. For them, RSV can have the same impact as double-pneumonia would on an adult."

 ►February 27, 2004 - Drugs limit deadly side effects of graft-versus-host disease - Could make bone marrow transplants an option for more cancer patients - University of Michigan Health System via www.eurekalert.org 

►February 29, 2004 - Most `stomach flu' avoidable - In case you haven't been listening, wash those germy hands! - AP via Akron Beacon Journal via www.ohio.com

February 23-29, 2004

►February 26, 2004 - Disease experts: Study may bring sickle cell breakthrough - AP via USA Today

►February 27, 2004 - Diet of TV junk-food ads tied to obesity in children - The Globe and Mail

►February 26, 2004 - New Norovirus Behind Stomach Bug Outbreak - HealthDay via Yahoo!

►February 25, 2004 - Seeking a mechanical solution to nation's number-one children's illness - Biomedical engineers at Lehigh University and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh probe causes of eustachian tube dysfunction in hopes of finding new treatments for ear infections -  Lehigh University via www.eurekalert.org

►February 25, 2004 - UCL study questions basis for treatment of diseases including cancer and arthritis - University College London via www.eurekalert.org 

►February 28, 2004 - Weighing in when junior tips the scales - Children today are not just getting fatter, they're getting fatter faster than previous generations. As Alanna Mitchell reports, there are ways a parent can deal successfully with this troubling trend - The Globe and Mail

►February 28, 2004 - Oregon Hispanics susceptible to tapeworm infection - AP via www.katu.com

►February 27, 2004 - Bill could save lives of deer - If killed, six would be tested for chronic wasting disease - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via www.jsonline.com

 ►February 26, 2004 - Oh, Deer - Is chronic wasting disease the new mad cow? - http://slate.msn.com

►February 26, 2004 - Doubt cast on free radical theory - Scientists have questioned a widely accepted theory for a cause of diseases such as cancer and arthritis. - BBC

►February 26, 2004 - Mom's Smoking Tied to Adult Children's Lung Disease - Reuters Health via Yahoo!

►February 26, 2004 - Naturopathy: Fibroids Caused by Hormonal Imbalances - The New Straits Times via Healthy News

►February 25, 2004 - High blood pressure in the lungs a major risk for death in adults with sickle cell disease - NIH/National Institutes of Health via www.eurekalert.org 

►February 22, 2004 - Chronic wasting disease is 'the big question' - The Oregonian via www.oregonlive.com

►February 24, 2004 - Childhood obesity accelerating, study finds - Clothing manufacturers adjust by offering baggier styles and elasticized waists - The Globe and Mail

►February 18, 2004 - Exposure To Low-Level Magnetic Fields Causes DNA Damage In Rat Brain Cells, Researchers Find - University of Washington via biocompare

►February 23, 2004 - Antibiotics may not be necessary when treating children with a simple skin abscess - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas via www.eurekalert.org

►February 22, 2004 - Procedure douses fire of acid reflux disease - Troy State University via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

February 16-22, 2004

►February 15, 2004 - Practice Guidelines - AAP Releases Policy Statement on the Prevention of RSV Infections - journal article (American Family Physician)

►February 19, 2004 - Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Cystic Fibrosis - Reuters via Yahoo!

►February 11, 2004 - Induction of lupus autoantibodies by adjuvants - BioMedNet - "The ability to induce lupus autoantibodies is shared by several hydrocarbons and is not unique to pristane. It correlates with stimulation of the production of IL-12 and other cytokines, suggesting a relationship with a hydrocarbon's adjuvanticity. The potential to induce autoimmunity may complicate the use of oil adjuvants in human and veterinary vaccines."

Comment:  Lupus has been reported as a vaccine-associated reaction at least 137 times to VAERS and has been reported in the medical literature as well. (The list of articles in the literature includes only systemic lupus erythematosus, i.e., SLE)

►February 16, 2004 - More patients with liver disease competing for fewer organs - Alcohol: A National Excuse - The Scotsman

►February 18, 2004 - FDA to review S.D. firm's lupus drug - The San-Diego Union Tribune via SignsOnSanDiego.com

►February 19, 2004 - After Bird Flu, Dengue (requires registration) - editorial - The Jakarta Post - "Doctors' confirmation on Tuesday of suspicions a new, previously unknown sub-variant of the dengue virus is responsible for a virulent outbreak accross the country adds to the graveness of a situation already rated "extraordinary" by the government. This is all the more so because the Asian bird flu has yet to be brought fully under control...What led the government -- in this case, the Ministry of Health -- to issue the "extraordinary situation" rating was the dengue death rate, which by mid-month reached more than 1 percent of the number of patients treated. Dengue cases during the past few weeks were more than twice the number recorded over the same period last year."

Comment: Are people becoming less capable of fighting off these illnesses?  If so, why is that?

►February 2004 - Safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of a live, quadrivalent human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine in healthy infants -  journal article (Journal of Pediatrics) 

Comment:  I wonder about the advisability of using bovine derived vaccine.

►February 2004 - High Rate of Transfer of Staphylococcus aureus from Parental Skin to Infant Gut Flora - journal article (Journal of Clinical Microbiology)

►February 17, 2004 - Gum Disease Linked to Heart Disease & Stroke; You Need More than an Apple a Day Stay Healthy; 30,000 Plus Dentists Converge on Chicago - Chicago Dental Society via U.S. Newswire

►February 17, 2004 - 91 Die in Indonesia Dengue Fever Outbreak - AP via The Herald-Sun 

►February 17, 2004 - Low Antibody Levels Tied to Virus in Elderly - Reuters Heath via Yahoo! - "Frail elderly individuals with low antibody levels to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are at heightened risk for severe RSV disease, new research suggests. An RSV vaccine might therefore benefit the elderly population."

►February 17, 2004 - A Critical Piece of the CF Puzzle - Newsday - "More than 50 years after cystic fibrosis was first identified as a disease, Harvard scientists have found a key puzzle piece - an imbalance of fatty acids - that may lead someday to a novel treatment for the lethal disease...Dr. Steven Freedman, an associate professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, discovered cystic fibrosis patients have much higher levels of arachidonic acid and depletions of docosahexaenoic acid. AA and DHA at normal levels keep cell membranes healthy. The study appeared recently in the New England Journal of Medicine."

►February 17, 2004 - Obstructive pulmonary disease is on rise, No. 4 cause of death - The New York Times via Mercury News - "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive, irreversible decline in lung function that afflicts 35 million Americans, gradually robbing them of the ability to take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from their blood. Nearly half the people who have the disease do not yet know it. Although the disorder cannot be cured, if it is diagnosed early enough and properly treated, deterioration in lung function can be slowed...The disease can be detected with a simple, non-invasive breathing test."

►February 16, 2004 - A new protective protein against Parkinson's disease - Cell Press via www.eurekalert.org 

►February 17, 2004 - Chronic fatigue's cause, cure remain mystery to science - North America Syndicate via The Arizona Republic

February 9-15, 2004

►February 12, 2004 - Human proof that Cod Liver Oil really can slow the onset of osteoarthritis - Experts reveal 'Granny's remedy' could hold key to cutting waiting lists, saving the NHS millions - Cardiff University via www.eurekalert.org 

 ►February 12, 2004 - Targeting hard-to-kill fungal infections - Society of Nuclear Medicine via www.eurekalert.org

►February 2004 - The Child With Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura: Is Pharmacotherapy or Watchful Waiting the Best Initial Management?: A Panel Discussion From the 2002 Meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - journal article (Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology) 

Comment:  Click here to see the 70 "thrombocytopenic" reactions reported to VAERS.  Note also that a relationship between the MMR vaccine and thrombocytopenic purpura has been reported in the medical literature.

January 26 - February 8, 2004 (2 weeks combined due to illness)

►February 5, 2004 - New MS research shows remarkable findings - McGill University via www.eurekalert.org - ""'We have identified a key enzyme that triggers MS-like disease in an animal model,' says MUHC neuroscientist and Professor of Medicine at McGill University, Dr. Sam David. 'We also show that blocking this enzyme has a remarkable effect in preventing disease and relapses.'"

►February 4, 2004 - Cystic fibrosis gene linked to fatty acid defects - Findings could lead to new treatment for life-threatening genetic disease - Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center via www.eurekalert.org

►January 2004 - When is drug treatment not necessary in epilepsy? Factors that should influence the decision to prescribe - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine via http://i-medreview.subportal.com

►February 6, 2004 - Dramatic Results Against Stroke - Test Shows Device Can Arrest Damage by Removing Blood Clots From Victims - (requires registration) - Washington Post

►January 29, 2004 - Research: Uterine Bacteria May Cause Cerebral Palsy - Chicago-Area Doctor Conducts Study Of Pregnant Women - Internet Broadcasting Systems via www.nbc5.com

►February 3, 2004 - Experts: Ricin Not As Dangerous As Anthrax - Ricin Not On 'A-List' Of Bioterrorism Threats - www.thelouisvillechannel.com

►February 3, 2004 - Scientists work on strategies to defeat ricin - Antidotes and vaccines for the poison could be on their way - MSNBC

►February 4, 2004 - Homocysteine Level Eyed in Stroke Study - AP via The Herald-Sun

►February 2, 2004 - Gene Test Could Predict Multiple Sclerosis Development - www.betterhumans.com 

►January 28, 2004 - Some Migraines Linked to Brain Disease - Reuters via The New York Times - "Researchers have identified brain lesions in some victims of migraines, a finding that could indicate that those severe headaches can be a symptom of progressive brain-damaging disease, a new study says...The research, which has possible implications for treatment, involved 295 Dutch adults 30 to 60 years old, some of whom had migraines along with vision problems while the others had migraines without any such problems. They were compared with 140 similar people who were migraine-free."

January 19-25, 2004

►January 22, 2004 - Multiple sclerosis not as progressive or disabling as once thought - Mayo Clinic via www.eurekalert.org

►January 2004 - Down syndrome and epilepsy: a nutritional connection? - journal article (Med Hypotheses)

►January 19, 2004 - Simple sugar eases Huntington's disease in mice - Discovery provides taste of a possible route for human drug development. - nature science update

January 12-18, 2004

►January 12, 2004 - Taking vitamin D supplements lowers risk of multiple sclerosis - American Academy of Neurology via www.eurekalert.org

►January 13, 2004 - Scientists restore crucial myelin in brains of mice - University of Rochester Medical Center via www.eurekalert.org - "Scientists for the first time have restored a crucial substance known as myelin in a widespread area of an animal's brain, opening the door toward new ways to improve treatment of an assortment of "demyelinating" diseases as well as the side effects of such common conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease."

►January 12, 2004 - Possible Relief For Fibromyalgia Sufferers - Study Shows Mystery Of Disease Lies In Brain, Not Muscles - www.cbs2chicago.com - "'We have found out that in patients with fibromyalgia, norepinephrine and serotonin are reduced in these patients,' Dr. Cutler said...And that reduction -- in theory -- makes the body more sensitive to pain. That's why Dr. Cutler is investigating a drug that raises the levels of both neurotransmitters, hoping it can help those with the disease."

►January 11, 2004 - Researchers prevent spread of flesh-eating virus - www.israel21c.org

January 5-11, 2004

►January 5, 2004 - Leprosy exists in Canada but doctors often fail to spot it, study warns - Canadian Press

December 29, 2003 - January 4, 2004

►December 27, 2003 - New weapon against asthma - Scientists have identified a new class of drug which could dramatically boost the weaponry against asthma - BBC

►December 29, 2003 - Kids' Acting Out May Signal Asthma Onset - Reuters via Yahoo!

►January 2, 2004 - Virus Seen in Muscle from Chronic Fatigue Patients - Journal of Medical Virology via Reuters Health - "A persistent enterovirus infection in muscles may be to blame for some cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (sometimes called fibromyalgia) and others with chronic inflammatory muscle disease, a French team reports...They detected genetic material (specifically RNA) from enteroviruses in 20 percent of muscle biopsies from patients with chronic inflammatory muscle diseases and 13 percent of patients with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome, but not from healthy volunteers...The findings favor a persistent infection involving defective viral replication as a cause of these conditions."

►December 28, 2003 - Pot belly 'is alarm call for GP tests' - The Observer, UK via The Guardian, UK

 

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