Agricultural workers at increased risk for infection with animal flu viruses
...herefore, be considered in developing flu pandemic surveillance plans and antiviral and immunization strategies, according to the study's co-investigator, Gregory C. Gray, M.D., director of the University of Iowa Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. "If migratory birds introduce the H5N1 bird flu virus into s...Hopkins study shows 30-day soft contact lenses pose very small risk of vision loss
... lenses and therefore the FDA mandated post-market surveillance studies for these new lenses, which the current study satisfies. Other researchers who participated in the study include James M. Tielsch, Ph.D., professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Joanne Katz, Sc.D., professor in the J...Threat of avian influenza pandemic grows, but people can take precautions
...arly identification of cases and efficient ongoing surveillance for new cases. Sufficient stockpiles of antivirals, with the capacity for rapid delivery of antivirals to the target groups. Rapid institution and enforcement of quarantine measures and a high level of compliance with these measures among the tar...Wide-spread use of intranasal flu vaccine does not show unexpected serious risks
...dications and support the need for continued close surveillance for asthma exacerbations following use of this vaccine. The finding of a high proportion of vaccine administration errors and the reports of use among persons for whom this vaccine was not indicated underscore the need for the clinician to follow the...Risk of second cancer after breast cancer
...e may be additional explanations such as increased surveillance and general cancer susceptibility," the authors note. The study found an almost 6-fold increase in the risk of cancer in connective tissue of the thorax and upper limbs, which suggests that radiation therapy, which has been used to treat breast cance...Mayo Clinic discovers two key players in cancer prevention and how they work
...Deursen, Ph.D., who led the research team. "It's a surveillance mechanism involving the two proteins Rae1-Nup98 that makes sure that in every cell division the proper number of chromosomes occur." Dr. van Deursen says the findings help set the stage for the development of a new generation of cancer treatments tha...White women with skin cancer history more likely to develop melanoma
...etection of melanoma," said Rosenberg. "This skin surveillance imperative may serve to be lifesaving in predisposed women," said Rosenberg. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common -- yet largely undocumented -- form of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.3 m...Harry Potter protects children from injury
...36 and 37. At no other point during the three year surveillance period was attendance that low. MetOffice data obtained for each of the weekends suggested no confounding effect of weather conditions. "We observed a significant fall in the numbers of attendees to the emergency department on the weekends that the t...National statistics for 18 major birth defects released
...demonstrates the importance of state birth defects surveillance programs and also the need for more research to identify the causes of many birth defects,'' said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. Understanding the prevalence of birth defects, which are the leading cause of infant mortality i...Avian flu transmission to humans may be higher than thought
...ws conducted in FilaBavi, a Vietnamese demographic surveillance site in Bavi district, northwest Vietnam, with confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry, subtype H5N1. The researchers included 45,478 randomly selected people in the district to answer screening questions about exp...Sequence-based early warning system for the detection of MRSA outbreaks in hospitals
... sensitive at identifying outbreaks than classical surveillance techniques. The combination of medical informatics and molecular laboratory techniques could help clinicians prevent limited clusters of MRSA expanding into large-scale outbreaks. The rising global incidence of MRSA outbreaks in hospitals is a majo...Measurement of urinary protein can help detect recurrent bladder cancer
...d number of primary tumors. Consequently, rigorous surveillance is advocated. A combination of methods is used to monitor patients at risk of recurrent bladder cancer because no single procedure is 100 percent sensitive. Cystoscopy (visual examination of the bladder with a medical instrument) is a standard appro...Early release article from Annals of Internal Medicine
...rescribing this drug pending further postmarketing surveillance data." Patients in two of the three cases reported some use of alcohol, although no prior liver damage had been noted. Authors say that the relationship between telithromycin and alcohol use "warrants further study." Carolinas Medical Center, an ac...Tufts University receives federal grant to address occupational risks among immigrants
...clude an annual assessment driven by public health surveillance data as well as by detailed interviews with community-based providers to identify and characterize the immigrant worker population and the work-related environmental exposure risk to workers. The assessments will represent a joint effort by Tufts fac...Malaria early-warning system shows promise in tackling epidemics
... on population vulnerability, rainfall, and health surveillance to predict and detect unusual changes in the seasonal pattern of disease. The risk of an epidemic in Botswana increases dramatically shortly after a season of good rainfall. Systems developed by the DEMETER project ( http://www.ecmwf.int/research/dem...Call not to use certain type of anti-viral drugs for influenza a virus for 2006 flu season
...hese drugs have been increasing globally and rapid surveillance for the emergence and spread of resistant viruses ..."Our results highlight the importance of continued surveillance for the emergence and transmission of influenza viruses resistant to antiviral drugs. They serve as...Scientists develop malaria forecasting tool to predict disease risk
...l on population vulnerability, rainfall and health surveillance data and then used forthcoming season forecasts for rainfall to predict unusual changes in the seasonal pattern of disease in Botswana. The team based their study on Botswana as its climate makes it susceptible to malaria epidemics. Dr Morse said:...Studies report findings on colorectal cancer screening methods and survival rates
...ks of developing colorectal cancer and implement a surveillance program to monitor their disease, if necessary. The earlier the stage of the disease when it is diagnosed, the better the prognosis or survival outcome, say study authors. Self-Propelling, Self-Navigating Mini-Endoscope May be Effective for CRC Sc...Doubts raised about illegal drug use surveys
...serious doubts about the nation's illegal drug use surveillance programs. Scientists, policy makers, and the media depend on surveys to identify the extent of drug use nationwide. The study documented how drug use surveys may not accurately reflect changes in drug use, but be more related to how willing a respo......e likelihood that cancer will be detected." Biopsy surveillance in the esophagus removes tissue at random, he said. Acid reflux can lead to changes in the esophageal lining as the organ attempts to adapt to acids normally limited to the stomach, a condition called Barrett's esophagus, he explained. The condition...