AUDIO / VISUAL
Penn State Public Media
The Geospatial Revolution Project is an integrated public service media and outreach initiative about the world of digital mapping and how it is changing the way we think, behave, and interact. (See Episode 4: Chapter 3 - Tracking Disease)
Episode 6: Antibacterial therapy with bacteriophage: Reality or fiction? Vincent, Cliff, Michael and Elio review the use of bacteriophages to manage infections, and the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteriophages from urban sewage and river water.
Episode 130: Vincent, Alan, and Rich discuss growth in culture of newly identified rhinovirus C, vaccinia transmission among wrestlers and martial artists, and results of phase III clinical trial of boceprevir, a new inhibitor of hepatitis C virus replication.
CONFERENCES
ECCMID - ICC 2011 (European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases) May 7 – 10, Milan
News Release, 06 May 2011
RESEARCH
ScienceDaily Apr. 25, 2011
Analysis of mutations of the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) has revealed major genetic differences between the virus in its early phase of infection in Japan and in its peak phase.
Public Health, Apr 27 2011 (Summary)
The H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009 tested the capacities of countries to detect, assess, notify and report events as required by the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR). As detailed in the IHR, the World Health Organization drew on official reports from Member States as well as unofficial sources (e.g. media alerts) to quickly report and disseminate information about the appearance of the novel influenza virus.
PLoS One May 4, 2011
By virtue of sheer volume, content embedded in the Twitter stream may be useful for tracking or even forecasting behavior if it can be extracted in an efficient manner. In this study, we examine the use of information embedded in the Twitter stream to (1) track rapidly-evolving public sentiment with respect to H1N1 or swine flu, and (2) track and measure actual disease activity.
Eurosurveillance May 2011
At the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control, statistical models based on queries submitted to a Swedish medical website are used as a complement to the regular influenza surveillance. The models have previously been shown to perform well for seasonal influenza.
Medical news Today 03 May 2011
A study published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases shows that use of community-based voluntary counselling and testing (CBVCT) improves rates of initial and repeat HIV testing in remote communities compared with standard, clinic-based VCT (SVCT). The Article is by Professor Michael Sweat, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
A study published Online First in The Lancet Infectious Diseases shows that use of community-based voluntary counselling and testing (CBVCT) improves rates of initial and repeat HIV testing in remote communities compared with standard, clinic-based VCT (SVCT). The Article is by Professor Michael Sweat, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
MANITOBA
Province of Manitoba (News Release) May 5, 2011
Premier Greg Selinger today announced a new Science Education Action Plan that includes $25 million over five years for science classroom renewal, teacher training and new strategic partnerships to promote Manitoba’s science programming.
Winnipeg Free Press May 5, 2011
The province will build as many as 75 state-of-the-art high school science classrooms over the next five years.
CANADA
Ontario to offer more free vaccines for kids
CBC May 5, 2011
CBC May 5, 2011
Ontario children will soon get more free vaccines to protect against serious infectious diseases — and with fewer needles involved.
Global patient safety website offers alerts
Canadian Press May 4, 2011
Canadian Press May 4, 2011
A new website is now up and running aimed at providing the public and health-care providers with patient-safety information from around the world. The Improving Care Search Centre website which can be accessed by visiting www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca, was developed by the non-profit Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
INTERNATIONAL
ScienceBlogs May 5, 2011
It's official now. The U.S. is on track to accumulate more cases of measles than it has seen in a decade: The United States seems to be on track to have more measles cases than any year in more than a decade, with virtually all cases linked to other countries, including Europe where there's a big outbreak.
Reuters May 6, 2011
The Polish port city of Gdansk is famous for its shipyards. Hungary's fifth largest city, Pecs, is known for its ancient architecture and brewery. Neither is particularly renowned for medicine. Yet when AstraZeneca Plc tested its big new drug hope Brilinta on heart attack patients in a major clinical study, it was hospitals in these places that enrolled some of the highest number of patients anywhere in the world.
The Telegraph (UK) May 5, 2011
After decades of frustration, experts are calling for drastic shortcuts in the way we search for a disease-beating drug, says Michael Day.
Internal Medicine News Digital Network May 5, 2011
Vaccinating girls against human papillomavirus at age 11 or 12 years, as is currently recommended, appears to be most appropriate for preventing infection, but barriers persist, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.
Associated Press May 5, 2011
The United States seems to be on track to have more measles cases than any year in more than a decade, with virtually all cases linked to other countries, including Europe where there's a big outbreak.
CTV.ca May 4 2011
The Internet abounds with bogus pills and herbal supplements that claim to cure sexually transmitted infections like herpes, chlamydia and genital warts. Now, health officials in the U.S. are cracking down.
UNAIDS 4 May 2011
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has symbolically passed the baton to a new generation of young leaders focused on AIDS. The handover took place during an event held to inspire a transformation of the AIDS response which was convened by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on Robben Island in South Africa.
Aidsmap 03 May 2011
The HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir (a component of Kaletra) triggers cells infected with human papillomavirus to produce an antiviral protein, inducing death of the cancerous cells, researchers at the University of Manchester report in the journal Antiviral Therapy.
3 May 2011 SciDev.net
Health research partnerships do more for development than just tackling illness, argues AIDS vaccine R&D leader Seth Berkley. Seth Berkley is president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative based in New York, United States.
Council on Foreign Relations blog May 3, 2011
Over the next three years, this alliance, which includes the State Department, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, USAID, and Johnson & Johnson, will use mobile phones to improve the health of women and newborns in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa by providing women with access to important and timely health information, customized to their stage of pregnancy or the age of their baby.
