Group items tagged

new antibiotics to keep these diseases at bay.

Bacteria that live in harmony with animals are a promising source. "

bacteria carried by cone snails produce a chemical that is neuroactive,

latest deadly strain of flu, H7N9, is spreading in China -- 82 people in China had been infected with the new strain of flu virus as of April 26, and 17 had died.

result of an immune reaction mediated by a protein called Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

Currently, vaccines and antiviral medications are the two main approaches to preventing influenza

Doctors in the US have made medical history by effectively curing a child born with HIV, the first time such a case has been documented.

Dr Hannah Gay, who cared for the child at the University of Mississippi medical centre, told the Guardian the case amounted to the first "functional cure" of an HIV-infected child.

but it is likely that a tiny amount remains in their body.

In response to Pushpendra jain's comments... I am no longer amazed of anything in pediatrics. In 15 years of primary care suburban practice I have learned the following: I am an antibiotic nazi especially if i do not treat by telephone request, my medical expertise is compromised by my financial gains or relationships with pharmaceutical companies, my patients' parents do more "research" than I do--AKA reading a google searched internet account, I should be available at their whim and see them at a time convenient to their kid's soccer schedule as a walk-in service, and parents that think nothing of texting while driving their kids to said soccer game think that a 1 in 10,000-100,000 risk of a vaccination obviates its well documented scientific benefits. We are in a cycle where people no longer believe in science, but they'll be back when we see resurgences of diseases i haven't seen since medical school.

Dr. Segedy, I can assure you that your sentiments were shared by a majority of the attendees at the AAP conference. It seems as though we have gotten to a point where the element of surprise no longer exists; health care providers (for the most part) are numb to the fact that studies with ulterior motives (ie, Wakefield & vaccines/autism) and "celebrities" seem to have more of an impact on health care decisions than physicians who have dedicated their entire lives studying medicine. And when it comes to self diagnosing via Dr. Google, Offit specifically mentioned that a website like the "National Vaccine Information Center" (NCVIC.org) comes up on the first page of Google for a search for "vaccines" and yet the information on the website is extremely misleading and, in some cases, downright wrong. But that doesn't stop people from treating it as credible; after all, it's on the Internet so it must be true!

identified a weakness in at least one superbug that scientists may be able to medically exploit

discovered that two proteins already present in E. coli cells -- RbfA and KsgA -- need to be in balance with each other in order for ribosomes to function

RbfA does not exist in humans

carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE

"They're basically a triple threat."

they are resistant to virtually all antibiotics

If the report is confirmed, the child born in Mississippi would be only the second well-documented case of a cure in the world

Typically a newborn with an infected mother would be given one or two drugs as a prophylactic measure. But Dr. Gay said that based on her experience, she almost immediately used a three-drug regimen aimed at treatment, not prophylaxis, not even waiting for the test results confirming infection.

Virus levels rapidly declined with treatment and were undetectable by the time the baby was a month old. That remained the case until the baby was 18 months old, after which the mother stopped coming to the hospital and stopped giving the drugs.

Overuse and improper use of antibiotics over the years, both in the medical community and the livestock industry, has led to an increase in the number of bacteria that are drug-resistant.

At least 80 percent of antibiotics used annually in the U.S. are used routinely in livestock to promote growth.

Rogobo, you make a welcome and important point. But reality is that this topic seems to give rise to insult because it has high stakes (precious cargo on board! kids! death and disease). If you think it's hard to hear a message while people are shouting insults, what's it like being deaf because your mummy got rubella while pregnant? I would put it like this: Notion 1: A world without effective serious infection vaccine is uglier and less pleasant than the alternative (polio, anyone?).  Notion 2: At a population level, vaccines improve outcomes more than they harm them.  Notion 3: At a population level, improved outcomes and the prospect of eradication is dependent on high individual participation. Notion 4: At an individual level, there is some risk associated with vaccination. Notion 5: Healthy people not taking the risks of vaccination are: (a) free riding on those who are taking the risks; (b) reducing the prospect of eradication; (c) increasing the prospect of passing infection to those medically incapable of taking the risk Notion 6: Individual liberty and freedom to choose might sometimes be trumped by requirements of public welfare Happy to have any of those notions challenged and discussed