archive

September 6, 2012 Testing everyone for HIV and then giving them early treatment could theoretically eliminate the epidemic in South Africa. A mathematical model of this "test and treat" strategy suggest that it might be more expensive and take significantly longer than previously predicted.

Summary

September 5, 2012 A vaginal ring that releases a drug against HIV shows promise in an animal study as a way to prevent infections. The results bolster hopes that an ongoing clinical trial of a similar ring in people will prove to be successful.

Summary

September 4, 2012 The results comes from Zanzibar, an island state of Kenya, where half the people in six rural and urban areas received two doses of oral cholera vaccine. The vaccinations led to fewer bacteria circulating, lowering the infection risks even for those who weren't vaccinated.

Summary

August 31, 2012 A team of doctors and scientists, known as disease detectives, fly around the world on a moments notice to investigate mystery illnesses or contain outbreaks. These Sherlock Holmes of medicine chatted on Twitter about what it's like to be a disease detective and how you snag the gig.

Summary

August 30, 2012 A study examining the effectiveness of second line drugs for tuberculosis finds that extensively drug-resistant TB is spreading at an alarmingly high rate around the world. Its widespread prevalence in South Africa is forcing doctors to change the way they treat this emerging epidemic.

Summary

August 24, 2012 More than 100,000 people have fled to refugee camps in South Sudan to escape fighting in Sudan and find food. Heavy rains have depleted supplies and raised mortality rates above emergency levels. The United Nations has launched emergency airdrops of food to help the refugees.

Summary

August 17, 2012 After a successful project to vaccinate Haitians against cholera, the World Health Organization is calling for the establishment of a global stockpile of the vaccine to respond to outbreaks like the one that struck Haiti.

Summary

August 16, 2012 While smoking in the U.S. has dropped a lot in the past decade, a global survey of smoking finds that nearly 50 percent of men in developing countries use tobacco. Without a reduction in smoking rates, future health costs could be large.

Summary

August 10, 2012 The Gates Foundation has granted engineers more than $3 million to develop cheap, high-tech toilets that don't need water or electricity. To test these supercommodes, the foundation has purchased 50 pounds of soybean paste that resembles human waste.

Summary

August 1, 2012 Challenging the view that rabies is always fatal, scientists have discoverd a group of Peruvians who show signs of surviving rabies from vampire bats, despite never being vaccinated for the virus. The findings suggest that some people may become resistant to rabies after they're exposed to it over time.

Summary

July 31, 2012 Since the World Health Organization reported an Ebola outbreak in Uganda on Saturday, the number of cases has risen to 36 from 20. The cases remain limited to a small area in western Uganda. An international team is on the scene to identify the source and contain the outbreak.

Summary

July 30, 2012 At least 20 people have been infected with the deadly Ebola virus in rural Uganda. The number of infections is expected to rise, as more patients are admitted to hospitals. An international team has been dispatched to the region to contain the outbreak.

Summary

July 27, 2012 The International AIDS Conference isn't only about medical research. People from around the world met at its Global Village to share their experiences with the AIDS epidemic through music, art and dance. This year's highlights included a condom campaign and lube tasting booth.

Summary

July 19, 2012 HIV is like a jack-in-the-box. When the viruses bump into particular cells in the immune system, the viruses' shells pop open and their genes enter the cells. Experimental therapies for HIV could stop the virus from getting in.

Summary