Drug-resistant avian flu virus isolated
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A strain of H5N1 avian influenza virus resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu has been isolated from a patient in Vietnam, according to a brief communication to be published on October 20 in the journal Nature.
However, the Tamiflu-resistant virus remained sensitive to a second antiviral agent, Relenza, suggesting that this drug should be stockpiled along with Tamiflu to prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic.
Bird flu in Europe is “call to arms”
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The spread of the deadly bird flu virus to poultry in areas on the fringes of Europe has increased the chances of human cases and should serve as a “call to arms”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.
The United Nations agency urged tighter surveillance of both flocks and humans to detect quickly any further outbreaks after avian viruses were identified in Turkey and Romania.
Back exercises not the answer to low back pain
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Exercise may help ease lower back pain—just as long as the exercise is not specifically targeting the back, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of the nearly 700 patients with low back pain they followed for 18 months, those who walked and got other forms of “recreational” exercise had a lower risk of pain over time. In contrast, those who performed exercises specifically for their backs appeared to make matters worse.
Marijuana May Grow Neurons in the Brain
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Advocates for medical marijuana can take heart over the findings of two Canadian research teams.
A synthetic cannabinoid—similar to the compounds found in marijuana, but substantially stronger—causes the growth of new neurons and reduces anxiety and depression, investigators at the University of Saskatchewan here reported.
Surgeons lack training in palliative surgical options
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A survey of general surgeons suggests that the amount of education and training they receive in palliative care is limited, according to a study in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Previous studies have indicated that surgeons receive little training in palliative surgical intervention, the objective of which is to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life rather than cure disease or extend survival, according to background information in the article.
Turkey tests nine for bird flu, EU experts meet
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Turkish medical staff on Friday tested nine people for possible bird flu a day after European health officials confirmed what many had long feared—the arrival of the deadly H5N1 strain on Europe’s doorstep.
European Union experts held crisis talks on the spread of the bird flu to examine the risk that migratory birds might pose for the 25-nation bloc.
Mad cow disease may spread in urine: animal study
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The agent that causes mad cow disease, scrapie and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk may sometimes be spread through urine, Swiss researchers reported on Thursday.
They found that, under certain conditions in mice, the brain proteins known as prions that transmit the disease could be found in urine.
Deadly Asian bird flu reaches fringes of Europe
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A strain of bird flu that can be deadly for humans has spread from Asia to the fringes of Europe and countries should prepare for a potential pandemic, Europe’s health chief said on Thursday.
EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said a strain of the disease found in Turkey had been identified as the same virus that killed more than 60 people in Asia since 2003 and forced the slaughter of millions of birds.
Experts call for creating US bird flu czar
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The United States needs a top official, backed by authority and cash, to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic, experts said on Wednesday.
But the United States, and most other countries, are so badly behind in preparing for disease outbreaks in general that it will take years to catch up, they told a briefing of Congressional staffers.
After a heart attack, many continue to smoke
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Fewer than half of cigarette smokers quit after experiencing a first cardiac event, according to a survey of Europeans. One in five continue to light up despite personal advice from their doctor to stop smoking, the survey shows.
It is “unbelievable” that so many people continue to smoke after a life-threatening event for which smoking is a major risk factor, Dr. Wilma Scholte op Reimer said in a statement. She wonders whether they are “truly aware of the risk that they are taking.”
Infants admitted to ICU may later develop migraine
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Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at birth is associated with the development of migraine later on in childhood, according to investigators from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Previous studies have suggested that early painful or stressful events can sensitize an individual to later pain or stress, Dr. Anuradha Venkatasubramanian and Seetha B. Maneyapanda report in the medical journal Pediatrics.
Topiramate for migraine improves quality of life
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The anti-epileptic drug topiramate (Topamax) improves health-related quality of life when used to prevent migraine headache, according to a new study.
Topiramate has previously been shown to be an effective and generally well-tolerated migraine preventive, lead author Dr. Merle Diamond noted in an interview with Reuters Health. However, she pointed out that the question remains as to whether it improved “a patient’s ability to function at home, at work, (and) overall to accomplish what they need to.”
Hurricane Katrina Perspectives Detail Personal Drama and Public Tragedy
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Tales of heroes and hooligans will swirl through this storm-ravaged city for months and years to come, and the editors at the New England Journal of Medicine this week contributed seven compelling Hurricane Katrina stories.
Four of the seven are personal accounts of New Orleans physicians - three Ochsner Clinic physicians and an infectious disease specialist who was among the last evacuees from Charity Hospital.
Cardiovascular Fitness Gains Can Come Without Pain
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Side-stepping the “no pain, no gain” mantra, researchers here reported that the amount of exercise, not necessarily its intensity, can help improve cardiovascular fitness.
Duke investigators found that patients who walked at a brisk pace for about 12 miles a week matched the cardiovascular benefits for those who jogged that amount in a much shorter time.
Radical Surgery Best Option for Most Ovarian Cancer Patients
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In a retrospective study looking back at a decade of surgeries, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have determined that surgery to remove metastatic disease from the diaphragm, in conjunction with other procedures to remove the primary diseased tissue in ovarian cancer patients, significantly increases survival rates. Study results were published in Gynecologic Oncology online.
“Surgeons have long believed that removing as much diseased tissue as possible is important for survival of cancer patients,” said William Cliby, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mayo Clinic. “The choice of many surgeons to not resect diaphragm disease in ovarian cancer patients seemed counterintuitive, but it was based on the feeling that it might not improve survival. We sought to address this issue.”
