Month: July 2014

By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday launched an ambitious plan for rich countries to sharply reduce tuberculosis infections and serve as a model for harder-hit countries of Africa and Asia, where the disease still thrives. It is in these communities that industrialised countries including the United States could pilot approaches to a disease that is both preventable and curable that could then be transferred to poorer countries, Dr. Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO’s Global TB Programme, told a news briefing. “We are after, really, is finding what we call trailblazers or model countries that would embark in a resolute way on this campaign against tuberculosis, proving that it is indeed possible to get to elimination level,” Raviglione said. Of the 155,000 annual new cases of tuberculosis in the target countries, about 500 are multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB), caused by an extreme superbug form of the bacterium that does not respond to the most powerful first-line drugs.

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bone marrow transplants, which have already been used to cure sickle cell disease in children, may also hold promise for adults, according to a new study. Using a less toxic bone marrow transplantation technique, researchers brought 26 out of 30 adult patients to a point where a majority of their blood cells were healthy and they could drastically reduce their pain and other medications. “Many patients are not aware that there are curative options,” said Dr. John Tisdale. “When you’re a child, you can get a transplant and be reasonably well assured that the result will be good.

By Sruthi Gottipati NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Nearly 50 Indian nurses from the southern state of Kerala have been taken against their will from a hospital in the militant-controlled city of Tikrit in Iraq, India’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. At a briefing with reporters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin declined to say who had ordered the nurses to leave the hospital or where they were taken. “This is a situation where lives are at stake.” A senior aide to Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who spoke to the nurses on Thursday, told Reuters that militants had forced the nurses to vacate the hospital and board two buses. Most of the nurses are from the south Indian state of Kerala.

A few weeks ago we discussed the best bug sprays for protecting your skin this summer. After chatting with three different dermatologists the conclusion was made that it is extremely important to protect your skin from the annoying, blood sucking pests that we all know as mosquitoes. Click here to see All The Myths about Bug Repellent… Debunked Bug spray is a must, and protecting yourself from mosquitoes means protecting yourself from life threatening diseases such as West Nile Virus, and less serious yet still bothersome rashes and reactions. …

NEW YORK (AP) — Many millions of U.S. drivers are expected to hit the highways over the holiday weekend — and some of them may be nodding off behind the wheel.

GENEVA (AP) — Infection rates for the Middle East respiratory syndrome are slowing and scientists are working to stop the dangerous coronavirus from spreading further internationally, a top U.N. health official says.

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Nurses who often return to work with less than 11 hours between shifts are at higher risk of sleep problems and severe fatigue than others, according to a new study. Shift work disorder, a combination of difficulty sleeping and excessive sleepiness while awake, is known to affect night workers, but there’s been little research on people who rest less than 12 hours before returning to work for another shift at any time of day, researchers say. “For now, all we know is that quick returns represents a possible work related health risk, and that getting enough hours between work shifts should be an aim when scheduling work hours,” said the lead author of the new study, Dr. Elisabeth Flo of the University of Bergen in Norway. If quick returns impede sleep time and lead to sleep deprivation, they may be linked to the health issues typically associated with shift work, like increased accident risk, sleep disorders, cancer, metabolic disturbances, peptic ulcer disease and coronary heart disease, she told Reuters Health by email.

Despite its ominous title, the immune system primer "Why You Are Still Alive" takes a friendly tone in describing how an army of cells mobilizes when a rusty nail cuts your skin. "Isn't this complexity just awesome?" the narrator marvels. Kurzgesagt's animated basics won't make you an expert, but perhaps some of you will know a little more than you did before after watching. While you're at it, why not make a mini film festival out of immune system cartoons? Get out the popcorn and watch those antibodies go to work. h/t Laughing Squid

Got a much-needed vacation coming up? Maybe a long July 4th weekend? Your meditation practice is one of the easiest things to take with you! When your schedule doesn't allow for a full-blown mat practice, you can still quiet your mind.