(2024-02-24). The Largest Vaccine Study Ever Finds Huge Increased Risk of Serious Health Conditions, but Concludes Risks are "Small" and "Rare." expose-news.com
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] Calabria's partnership with Cuban doctors: challenges and solutions. thelancet.com Analogous to health-care systems in high-income countries, the Italian National Health System (Sistema Sanitario Nazionale) is grappling with its most severe crisis since its inception in 1978.1 A gradual increase in costs and the subsequent containment measures, combined with the decentralisation of the health-care system in the 2000s which essentially resulted in the creation of 20 distinct health-care systems (one for each region), has led to fragmentation and heterogeneous health-care provision— a problem that became starkly evident in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The INSPIRE study: RSV infection during infancy. thelancet.com The effect of respiratory viral infections (eg, respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infection, influenza, and COVID-19) in early life on the onset of childhood diseases (eg, asthma, mental health disorders, and childhood cancer) is of great concern globally. However, the challenges facing researchers, paediatricians, and policy makers are a short supply of evidence from well designed observational studies and inconsistent results in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). We were pleased to see that Christian Rosas-Salazar and colleagues1 used a combination of passive and active surveillance to better detect exposure…
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The INSPIRE study: RSV infection during infancy — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Nin-Chieh Hsu and Chia-Hao Hsu postulate that our study design of including births between June and December led to overestimation of the calculated proportion of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections during infancy.1 This assumption is incorrect for the following reasons: first, every child is exposed to the same number of RSV season months in the first 12 months of life regardless of birth month, so although the birth month would affect the age of infection, it is unlikely to affect the proportion of children infected with RSV during infancy.
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The INSPIRE study: RSV infection during infancy. thelancet.com The INSPIRE study by Christian Rosas-Salazar and colleagues1 examines the association between the absence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in infancy and the reduced risk of childhood asthma. To ensure exposure during the first RSV season, the study specifically recruited children born between June and December in 2012 and 2013.2 However, the identification of RSV infection in infants was based on two methods: purposeful sampling of nasal wash (38%) for suspected acute respiratory tract infection, or a blood serology test conducted at age 1 year (62%).
(2024-02-24). Dengue fever: A Mayo Clinic expert explains the mosquito-borne infection. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Recent outbreaks of dengue fever in Brazil have prompted public health officials to launch an immunization campaign targeting children ages 10 to 11. Dengue fever is a potentially life-threatening viral infection transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. "Four different subtypes of the virus can cause infections in humans," says Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist. "Wherever you have a significant number of mosquitoes and warm hot environments is where you see dengue transmission." Watch: Dr. Stacey…
(2024-02-23). Nigeria: 72 Killed in Lassa Fever Outbreak. telesurenglish.net Two health workers have been so far affected by the Lassa fever outbreak in the country, with the predominant age group of victims being 21 years and 30 years of age, the NCDC said in its report. | The "multimammate rat," very common in Nigeria in sub-Saharan Africa, is a carrier of the Lassa virus. Feb. 23, 2024.
(2024-02-24). Italy reports some 50 dengue cases during first two months of year. plenglish.com Rome, Feb 24 (Prensa Latina) Italy reported 48 dengue cases between January 1 and February 21, all of which were imported, leading to an increase in measures to fight the disease, it was learned recently. According to a press release on the specialized news website Quotidiano Sanitá, during a Senate hearing on Thursday, Italian Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci pointed out, 'We are attentive and doing everything necessary' to prevent an increase in the number of contagions, which totaled 362, with one death, in 2023.
(2024-02-24). World Report] German public health reforms draw ire. thelancet.com Removing responsibility for non-communicable diseases from the Robert Koch Institute has been criticised by public health experts. Ferry Biedermann reports.
(2024-02-24). Mayo Clinic Minute: What high triglycerides mean and why it matters to your heart. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org You may be familiar with high-density, or good cholesterol; low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol; and their connections to heart health. But what about triglycerides? Often that word gets skimmed over when talking about cholesterol levels. Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, says triglycerides provide the body with energy from food. High levels can indicate signs of other conditions, like diabetes or prediabetes, that can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Watch: The Mayo…
(2024-02-24). Types of encephalitis: A Mayo Clinic expert explains. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Editor's note: February 22 is World Encephalitis Day. Encephalitis is a disease referring to the inflammation or swelling of the brain. Broadly, it can happen because of infections, including viral infections, or the immune system acting up. That's why Dr. Sarosh Irani, a Mayo Clinic neurologist and researcher, says it's essential to recognize World Encephalitis Day. "A number of physicians, and certainly the public, are not aware of encephalitis as an entity. Yet, it is a medical emergency,…
(2024-02-24). Mayo Clinic Minute: Health disparities in gynecologic cancers. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Each year, thousands of women are diagnosed with gynecologic cancers in the U.S. While cervical, ovarian and uterine cancer affects all races, Black women are often diagnosed at later stages and are more likely to die from these diseases. Dr. Kristina Butler, a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncologist, discusses health disparities and prevention. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/qnJg1eEtcN0 Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 05) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo…
(2024-02-24). Newborns diagnosed with syphilis at alarming rates. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that looks at sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has some concerning news, especially when it comes to syphilis. While cases of other STIs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, have decreased or seen modest increases, syphilis has jumped 80% in the four years from 2018 to 2022. Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says syphilis is a bacterial infection that is primarily transmitted through sexual contact. But she says…
(2024-02-24). How specialized blood cells could transform treatments for inflammatory disease. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic researchers are studying whether specialized T cells taken from blood could harness the body's immune system to treat or someday cure complex inflammatory diseases. Researchers are probing whether a subset of T cells known as regulatory T cells, or Tregs, have the power to suppress out-of-control immune responses. If so, they want to know if this could offer a new therapeutic option for chronic inflammation that does not respond to standard treatment. William…
(2024-02-24). Spotlight on early detection of 3 heart diseases using ECG-AI. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — Too often, the first sign of cardiovascular disease may be a major event like a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest. Now, researchers and clinicians at Mayo Clinic are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to flag heart problems earlier, boosting the abilities of a diagnostic test that has been around for over a century — the electrocardiogram (ECG). Early detection of heart disease can make a significant difference in a patient's…
(2024-02-23). Gaza Strip: Warn of Desperate Situation, Food Shortage. telesurenglish.net On Friday, Save the Children said that families in Gaza are forced to scavenge for scraps of food left by rats and eat leaves to try to survive after nearly five months of war. | RELATED: | The 1.1 million children living in the territory now face death from starvation and disease because it is impossible to deliver aid safely, the non-governmental organization said in a statement. | The group quoted a humanitarian wor…
(2024-02-23). S. Sudan: World Charity Warns of Humanitarian Crisis, Transit Sites. telesurenglish.net On Friday, the international medical charity, Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF), called for urgent response in two of the busiest transit sites in South Sudan to prevent deadly disease outbreaks. | RELATED: | The MSF warned that a humanitarian crisis is mounting in Bulukat and Renk sites in Upper Nile State as thousands of people who escaped the conflict in Sudan are desperately short of essentials including clean wa…
(2024-02-24). Celebrating the gift of life: Cousins raise awareness for organ donation on National Donor Day. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Lisa Brown, 53, of Jacksonville, suffered from severe pelvis and back pain for years. She later learned that her bladder wasn't working due to follicular cystitis, a rare and non-specific inflammatory disease of the bladder, and inflammatory pseudotumor of the bladder. In 2017, her bladder was removed using robotic-assisted surgery and replaced with a "neobladder" that was attached to her ureters, which are the tubes that carry urine produced by the kidneys. Unfortunately, ongoing challenges…
(2024-02-24). UK Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim bigotry 'soars due to Gaza War'. newarab.com 
Anti-Muslim hate incidents in the UK more than tripled following the outbreak of the Tell MAMA That was the largest recorded number of cases in a four-month period, said a statement from the organisation, which was set up to monitor and rep…
(2024-02-24). Take heart murmurs seriously. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Eau Claire, Wis. — Detecting a heart murmur on your own can be tricky. A murmur is an extra heart sound that can be heard by a stethoscope. Sometimes, a murmur sounds like a humming sound, which can be faint or loud. It might be temporary or persistent. Heart murmurs may be present at birth or develop later in life during pregnancy, phases of rapid growth like adolescence, or from a fever or anemia. "The murmur may…
(2024-02-24). Obituary] Berish Strauch. thelancet.com Innovative plastic surgeon and microsurgical pioneer. He was born in New York, NY, USA, on Sept 19, 1933 and died of respiratory failure in Greenwich, CT, USA, on Dec 24, 2023 aged 90 years.