Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Infectious Disease for June 2009. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Swine Flu May Be More Severe in Younger Populations
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- Apparently, healthy young and middle-aged people may be especially susceptible to the swine flu pandemic, according to two studies published online June 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Some Asian Nations Need to Do More to Combat Measles
MONDAY, June 29 (HealthDay News) -- China and Japan must do more to combat measles if the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region is to meet its target of regional measles elimination by 2012, according to an article published in the June 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Many Teens, Adults Not Aware They Have HIV
FRIDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- A high proportion of HIV patients receive an AIDS diagnosis quickly because their HIV was caught late, and many HIV-infected teens and young adults are undiagnosed, according to two studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention in Atlanta, published in the CDC's June 26 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Drug Combination Found Effective for Sleeping Sickness
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- In the treatment of sleeping sickness, nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy is as effective as eflornithine monotherapy, has a better safety profile, and is suitable for first-line use in control programs in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study published online June 25 in The Lancet.
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Flu Vaccine Underutilized in Adults With Asthma
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- Influenza vaccination coverage among adults with asthma 18 to 64 years of age falls short of national objectives, according to research to be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Math Model May Lead to Better Tuberculosis Treatment
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Manipulating the "switching time" when the immune system activates its most powerful cells against airborne pathogens may lead to more effective treatments for tuberculosis, according to a study published online June 22 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Americans Paying for More of Their Health Care Costs
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Out-of-pocket costs are rising for Americans with health care coverage, including premiums, deductibles and copayments, according to a new June 23 report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Cough Varies Widely
WEDNESDAY, June 24 (HealthDay News) -- Antibiotic prescribing patterns for acute cough vary widely, with no discernable difference in patients' recovery, according to a study published online on June 23 in BMJ.
Dog, Cat Bites Can Expose Victim to Many Pathogens
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Bites from pets are a common source of injury, and clinicians should be familiar with pathogens found in animal bites and the steps in managing these injuries, according to a review published in the July issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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Sexual Activity Down Among Teens in Finland in Since 2000
TUESDAY, June 23 (HealthDay News) -- Sexual activity among adolescents and the abortion rate in Finland have dropped since 2000, according to a study in the July Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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President Signs Tobacco Law, Acts on Medicare Coverage
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- President Barack Obama moved on two health care fronts today, signing new legislation to regulate tobacco industry marketing and announcing an agreement with the nation's pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Americans on Medicare who find themselves in the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap.
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
Pharmaceutical Discounts for Seniors
Reinforced Infection Control Needed to Combat H1N1
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Infection control messages aimed at health care workers should be reinforced in an effort to reduce the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, according to a study published in the June 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Glove Perforation Raises Odds of Surgical Site Infection
THURSDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical glove perforation significantly increases the risk of surgical site infection in procedures where surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis is not applied, according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of Surgery.
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Individual Mandate for Health Insurance Affordable and Fair
WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Reforming the health insurance market so that all individuals are required to obtain at least a minimum amount of health insurance would eliminate the problem of adverse selection that the current system enables insurers to avoid, according to a perspective published online June 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Rhinosinusitis May Be Fairly Common in Toxic Shock
WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Rhinosinusitis may be a relatively common primary cause of toxic shock syndrome in children, according to research published in the June Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.
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Polymyxin B Hemoperfusion Beneficial in Sepsis
TUESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with severe sepsis or septic shock, an antibiotic-based "hemoperfusion" device to remove toxic products of bacteria from the blood, in addition to conventional treatment may reduce the risk of death, according to a study published in the June 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Sweeping Medical Reforms Lack Medical Liability Element
MONDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Three approaches to medical reform currently under discussion in the United States all have pros and cons, and questions remain over whether or not the reform package should include changes to the medical liability system, according to an article published online June 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Bill Giving FDA Authority Over Tobacco on Way to President
FRIDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- Legislation giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory control over tobacco products is headed to the White House for President Obama's signature, as health organizations continue to applaud the action.
AMA Press Release
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Novartis Produces First Batch of Swine Flu Vaccine
FRIDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the H1NI swine flu virus a worldwide pandemic, the European drug maker, Novartis International AG, announced that it had produced the first 10 liters of swine flu vaccine.
WHO Statement
Novartis Press Release
Senate Approves Bill Giving FDA Authority Over Tobacco
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Senate has passed a measure that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) broad authority over the advertising, sale, and manufacture of tobacco products, an action that is being applauded by the American Medical Association, among others.
AMA Press Release
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WHO Declares H1N1 Influenza Pandemic
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an influenza pandemic -- the first since 1968 -- because of the rapid spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus, according to health officials. But U.S. health officials caution that the severity of the virus has not changed; the declaration simply means the virus is more widespread.
Higher Donor Risk Index Linked to Liver Graft Failure
THURSDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- The donor risk index appears to have a particularly adverse effect on outcomes in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), but liver grafts with steatosis don't seem to worsen three-year survival in patients with this infection, according to the results of two studies published in the June issue of Liver Transplantation.
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Synthetic Interferon May Be Useful for Hep C Retreatment
MONDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Daily treatment with consensus interferon (CIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) may be beneficial in patients with hepatitis C who failed with other treatment, according to research published in the June issue of Hepatology.
Human-Rights Treaties Do Not Improve Health Outcomes
FRIDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- A country's ratification of a United Nations' human-rights treaty does not necessarily mean improved health for its citizens, according to an article published in the June 6 issue of The Lancet.
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Eye Bacteria Getting More Resistant to Older Antibiotics
THURSDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Conjunctival bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to earlier generation fluoroquinolone antibiotics, and eye surgeons should switch to newer antibiotics to prevent dangerous post-surgical infections, according to a study in the June issue of Ophthalmology.
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Drug Targets Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- When combined with standard tuberculosis treatment, a new drug is effective against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, according to a study in the June 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. In a related study in the same issue, overseas tuberculosis screening and follow-up after arrival is effective in identifying tuberculosis among immigrants and refugees bound for the United States.
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Many U.K. Trained Doctors Stay in National Health Service
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of domestic medical students in Britain work in the National Health Service (NHS) after graduation, as do the majority of doctors from overseas who go to the country for training, with men and women choosing similar career paths, according to a study published online June 3 in BMJ.
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Rotavirus Vaccine Studied in Nicaraguan Children
WEDNESDAY, June 3 (HealthDay News) -- The pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) is effective in preventing severe rotavirus diarrhea in Nicaraguan children, though to a lesser extent compared with previous trials conducted in developed countries, according to a study in the June 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Effective in Some Women
TUESDAY, June 2 (HealthDay News) -- The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers women aged 24 to 45 years, with no current infection, 90.5 percent protection against disease associated with HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18, according to a study published online on June 2 in The Lancet.
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