Month: February 2015

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — The head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response on Thursday hailed Liberia’s success in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus, but warned against complacency now that the number of cases has dropped.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Contaminated medical instruments are suspected in a "superbug" outbreak at a Los Angeles hospital that has infected at least seven patients, two of whom died. More than 170 others may have been exposed to the antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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By Alex Whiting LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – It is a little known disease but it could make medical history if scientists’ predictions are correct: yaws could completely disappear by 2020, given the right resources. Guinea worm is nearly there, and polio too could be added to the list. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged developing countries to invest more in tackling so-called neglected tropical diseases such as yaws, saying more investment would alleviate human misery and free people trapped in poverty. When the WHO launched mass treatment campaigns with penicillin vaccines, the number of cases plummeted by 95 percent by the end of the 1960s, according to David Mabey, an expert in yaws and professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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By Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) – Effectively monitoring people exposed to Ebola requires more than just checking symptoms. A quarantine plan also needs to help people keep up with work and school and pay for essentials like housing and food, a U.S. report concludes. To understand the challenges encountered by ordinary citizens exposed to Ebola, a team led by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed concerns raised by people monitored as part of an Ebola cluster in Dallas last year. “If yet-to-be-identified contacts notice that those who come forward as Ebola contacts are shunned from society and quarantined in their homes, with no way to provide for themselves and their families, they will be less likely to come forward,” said lead study author Dr. Charnetta Smith, a CDC epidemic intelligence service officer.
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If getting back in shape includes weight loss, then having a friendly … When healthy food comes to mind, a picture of a boring plate often pops up for …
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By Li-mei Hoang LONDON (Reuters) – Sitting on a plush sofa in a cheery room in a modern apartment block set in the leafy surroundings of a former British military academy, 72-year-old Gloria Lafferty is looking forward to a traditional British meal of fish and chips with her family. The scene is far removed from the care home horror stories that have played out in the British media over recent years, for Colebrook House is an assisted-living scheme that its operator holds up as an example of what the private sector can contribute to a national health service creaking under the strain of an ageing population and limited funds. "It's different here, lots of smashing carers," Lafferty said of the scheme that support services company Mears Group runs on behalf of local government and a housing association. The provision of care for those who can no longer look after themselves but do not need hospital treatment is one of the biggest problems facing Britain's state-funded National Health Service (NHS).

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