http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/AIDS-HIV-Epidemiology-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 24 May 2013 07:40:19 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/aids-cure-may-be-possible-for-some-say-scientists-119351-1.htm Top AIDS scientists have said a cure for AIDS might not work for all people but might be able to cure some patients. The experts have high hopes for a treatment that will be given at an early stage of infection -- most likely a cocktail that includes an immunity booster and a virus killer. But they said people with a long-running, untreated infection and a compromised immune system may never benefit from an envisioned "functional cure" -- which means a person retains traces of the virus but no symptoms....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/aids-cure-may-be-possible-for-some-say-scientists-119351-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/imphal-observes-international-aids-candle-light-memorial-day-and-generates-awareness-119227-1.htm In memory of AIDS victims, Imphal observed the 30th International AIDS Candle Light Memorial Day. This special day is observed across the globe, on the third Sunday of the month of May since many years. The objective of the movement is to mobilize public opinion and generate awareness in the world. It is about time that barriers of stigma and discrimination against those infected with HIV, are broken down by all. A similar effort was organised in Imphal by 16 civil societies jointly ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/imphal-observes-international-aids-candle-light-memorial-day-and-generates-awareness-119227-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-smartphone-app-aids-in-patients-preparation-for-colonoscopy-119191-1.htm A new study presented at the Digestive Disease Week in Florida suggests that using a smartphone application can significantly improve patients' preparation for a colonoscopy. The preparation process, which begins days in advance of the procedure, includes dietary restrictions and requires specific bowel preparation medication to be taken at strict intervals. The better the preparation, the easier it is for doctors to see cancer and precancerous polyps in the colon. The study, which was conducted ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-smartphone-app-aids-in-patients-preparation-for-colonoscopy-119191-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/latest-setback-sheds-light-on-gap-for-hiv-vaccine-efforts-119152-1.htm The failure of the most recent efficacy trial for HIV vaccine has delivered yet another setback to 26 years of efforts. With the next attempts expected to be years away, top researchers now say there is a "void" or a "gap" in current clinical trial efforts to test whether a vaccine may be safe and effective in people. A kind of ongoing autopsy of the last four major bids to make an HIV vaccine has informed the field as to what does not work, with the latest casualty being a trial called ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/latest-setback-sheds-light-on-gap-for-hiv-vaccine-efforts-119152-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/novel-laser-system-comes-to-the-aid-of-surgeons-to-drill-through-skull-119070-1.htm Surgeons may need to relieve pressure on the brain by drilling burr holes through the skull using a trephine in the case of brain injuries and strokes. Performing burr hole craniotomies still happens to be a manual cranking operation, which is quite injury prone and can even cause meningitis. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institutes for Photonic Microsystems, Laser Technology, and Integrated Circuits have come out with a novel laser system that can be a safer option. The surgeon can use this new system ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/novel-laser-system-comes-to-the-aid-of-surgeons-to-drill-through-skull-119070-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/russia-lacks-a-strategy-to-combat-aids-119050-1.htm Due to the lack of any government strategy to fight AIDS in Russia, the number of deaths due to this disease is rapidly increasing, a senior healthcare official noted. "We have no national strategy to fight against AIDS," the director of the Russian Federal Agency against AIDS, Vadim Pokrovsky, told a news conference. The rate of new HIV infections grew 12 percent in 2012 -- 69,849 new cases against 62,384 new cases in 2011, according to the government figures. The number of deaths caused ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/russia-lacks-a-strategy-to-combat-aids-119050-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/over-180000-teenagers-living-with-hiv-in-nigeria-says-unicef-118932-1.htm The United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) said that more than 180,000 teenagers are living with HIV in Nigeria. The figure was released during a national dialogue on adolescents living with HIV in Nigeria to bring relief to the young patients. The dialogue was organized by the Positive Action for Treatment Access (PATA) in collaboration with UNICEF and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), a non-governmental organization working to ensure that every individual has access to equitable health services....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/over-180000-teenagers-living-with-hiv-in-nigeria-says-unicef-118932-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/venom-immunotherapy-to-the-aid-of-insect-stings-118920-1.htm While enjoying in the outdoors, there is a fear of being stung by insects and this can be a scary experience. Many people who have experienced insect bites go on to develop a local reaction at the place where they have been stung. This could cause them to experience swelling, redness, pain and itching. For some, the reaction can be severe which can last up to a week. Statistics have shown that nearly one in every 150 insect stings in children and one in 300 in adults has caused even life threatening situations....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/venom-immunotherapy-to-the-aid-of-insect-stings-118920-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/natural-remedies-to-the-aid-of-skin-problems-118743-1.htm Rose water and aloe vera may offer some natural remedies to get rid of skin related problems. Navin Sharma, head of research and Development at Cholayil Private Limited shares some useful tips that can help in attaining a "healthy" skin. Pearl pack: It improves the skin texture, balances moisture and makes the skin glow. It helps reduce dark marks, pimples and acne. It can be used both in form of paste and powder. Pearl helps in minimising the large pores on the skin and therefore reduces redness....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/natural-remedies-to-the-aid-of-skin-problems-118743-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cambodia-can-end-hiv-infections-by-2020-who-118698-1.htm Cambodia is on track to successfully reverse HIV epidemic and may eliminate new infections by 2020, says the World Health Organization. The Southeast Asian nation has reduced its HIV prevalence rate from a 1998 peak of 1.7 percent among people aged 15-49 to 0.7 percent in 2012 across the whole population, the WHO said in a joint statement with the Cambodian health ministry. "Cambodia is moving towards an AIDS-free generation and is one of the few countries globally to have successfully ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cambodia-can-end-hiv-infections-by-2020-who-118698-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-tool-in-hiv-vaccine-fight-developed-118647-1.htm A new test to identify antibodies capable of fighting most strains of HIV has been developed by US researchers. A report published in the journal Science on Thursday said that scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had studied HIV-infected individuals whose blood had shown "powerful neutralization" qualities of the virus. The new tool allowed scientists to precisely determine the broadly neutralizing antibodies in a given sample by analyzing the neutralized HIV strains....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-tool-in-hiv-vaccine-fight-developed-118647-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/thailand-hiv-vaccine-study-sheds-more-light-on-limit-protection-provided-by-hiv-vaccines-118624-1.htm The ongoing HIV vaccine trial currently being conducted in Thailand is shedding more light on how immune responses were triggered and why the vaccine is not effective in more people. In a study appearing May 6, 2013, in the journal iProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/i, an international team of researchers led by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute describe a previously unknown interaction between antibodies that worked to block the vaccine's protective powers. The vaccine ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/thailand-hiv-vaccine-study-sheds-more-light-on-limit-protection-provided-by-hiv-vaccines-118624-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/feuding-antibodies-blocked-high-profile-hiv-vaccine-trial-118526-1.htm A high-profile HIV vaccine trial that was shown to work in just under a third of patients may have been hindered by feuding antibodies, says US researchers. The vaccine trial, known as RV144, involved more than 16,000 HIV negative volunteers in Thailand and used two investigational vaccines in combination. When its results were first published in 2009, experts hailed its 31 percent protection rate as a pioneering achievement, even though it fell short of hopes by providing only a partial shield against HIV....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/feuding-antibodies-blocked-high-profile-hiv-vaccine-trial-118526-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sex-superbug-could-be-deadlier-than-aids-118442-1.htm A new and aggressive sexually transmitted superbug could prove deadly than AIDS, say doctors. According to reports, the antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea HO41 was found in Japan two years ago in a 31-year-old female sex worker. Alan Christianson, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, recently told CNBC that the superbug might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run, as the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly, Fox News reported. He said that getting ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sex-superbug-could-be-deadlier-than-aids-118442-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/less-used-regimen-for-treating-children-in-africa-with-hiv-is-more-effective-finds-study-118383-1.htm Researchers conducted the first large-scale comparison of first-line treatments for HIV-positive children, finding that initial treatment with efavirenz was more effective than nevirapine in suppressing the virus in children ages 3 to 16. The researchers are from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, along with colleagues at the Botswana-Baylor Children's Clinical Centre of Excellence. However, the less effective nevirapine ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/less-used-regimen-for-treating-children-in-africa-with-hiv-is-more-effective-finds-study-118383-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-less-used-drug-better-for-children-with-hiv-118377-1.htm According to a study, the antiretroviral drug efavirenz is more effective at treating children infected with HIV than the more commonly used and cheaper nevirapine. The study is being billed as the first large-scale comparison of first-line treatments for HIV-positive children, and could have an impact on care in poor parts of the world, where most of them live. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the findings show initial treatment with efavirenz was more effective ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-less-used-drug-better-for-children-with-hiv-118377-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/synthetic-agents-weaken-hiv-infection-118338-1.htm Inspite of drug therapy, HIV has a tendency to hide certain types of cells, which then reproduce and give rise to chronic inflammation. Now, researchers at Temple University School of Medicine's Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Center for Substance Abuse Research (CSAR) have discovered that synthetic anti-inflammatory substances distantly related to the active ingredient of marijuana might be able to take the punch out of HIV while inside one of its major hideouts - immune cells known as macrophages....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/synthetic-agents-weaken-hiv-infection-118338-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chili-peppers-may-aid-millions-of-migraine-sufferers-118296-1.htm There appears to be a link between how the skin reacts when rubbed with chili oil and what happens in the brain during a migraine. This fact is being dived into by researchers at the world's largest biotechnology company, Amgen Inc. so as to produce the debilitating headache's painful symptoms. bMigraine is a common form of headache where the pain can be so severe that ones' daily activities can be hampered severely/b. Migraine headaches are thought to arise from enlargement ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chili-peppers-may-aid-millions-of-migraine-sufferers-118296-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/52-aids-patients-admitted-in-islamabad-hospital-in-the-first-four-months-of-this-year-118195-1.htm Nearly 52 new AIDS patients have been registered in the first four months of this year at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). The News International said the total number of patients registered at the PIMS Centre for Treatment and Prevention of AIDS since its establishment in 2005 has crossed 1,500. Of the total 1,504 patients, 400 were intravenous drug users while AIDS through sexual transmission was found in 800. Among them, 1,240 are males, 240 females and 24 children. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/52-aids-patients-admitted-in-islamabad-hospital-in-the-first-four-months-of-this-year-118195-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/aids-vaccine-trial-ends-in-failure-us-authorities-118055-1.htm US authorities halted clinical trials of an experimental vaccine designed to halt the virus that leads to AIDS after discovering it did not stop infection. The program, which began in 2009, is the latest in a series of unsuccessful studies of candidate vaccines aimed at tackling HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said volunteers in 19 US cities -- either gay men or transgender people who had sex with men -- took part in the study, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/aids-vaccine-trial-ends-in-failure-us-authorities-118055-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/could-ocean-acidification-act-as-a-hearing-aid-for-fish-117797-1.htm Bignami, who recently completed his PhD in Marine Biology and Fisheries at UM said that, "Increased hearing sensitivity could improve a fish's ability to use sound for navigation, predator avoidance, and communication. However, it could also increase their sensitivity to common background noises, which may disrupt the detection of more useful auditory information." The study, a collaboration between UM and NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/could-ocean-acidification-act-as-a-hearing-aid-for-fish-117797-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-discovery-may-help-prevent-hiv-reservoirs-from-forming-117789-1.htm Researchers have discovered how the protein that blocks HIV-1 from multiplying in white blood cells is regulated. The researchers are from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/a of Yeshiva University. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS, and the discovery could lead to novel approaches for addressing HIV-1 "in hiding" - namely eliminating reservoirs of HIV-1 that persist in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal iCell Host (and) Microbe/i....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-discovery-may-help-prevent-hiv-reservoirs-from-forming-117789-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-transmitting-hiv-to-babies-lowest-among-hiv-infected-moms-who-exclusively-breast-feed-for-the-first-four-months-117767-1.htm A new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health suggests that the risk of transmitting HIV virus to babies is the lowest among HIV infected mothers who breast feed their babies exclusively for more than the first four months of life. Women who stopped breast feeding earlier than four months had the highest concentrations of HIV in their breast milk, and those who continued to breastfeed, but not exclusively, had concentration levels in-between the two practices....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/risk-of-transmitting-hiv-to-babies-lowest-among-hiv-infected-moms-who-exclusively-breast-feed-for-the-first-four-months-117767-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/hiv-protection-offered-by-circumcision-down-to-alteration-of-penis-microbiome-117669-1.htm One of the reasons why circumcision provides some protection against HIV and other viral infection could be because it alters the microbiome of the penis, a new study reveals. In a study to be published on April 16 in imBio/i (Regd) , the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers studied the effects of adult male circumcision on the types of bacteria that live under the foreskin before and after circumcision. By one year post-procedure, the total bacterial ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/hiv-protection-offered-by-circumcision-down-to-alteration-of-penis-microbiome-117669-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-shows-women-infected-with-hiv-have-elevated-resting-energy-expenditure-117668-1.htm A team of American researchers has conducted a matched, prospective, cross-sectional study which reveals that women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have elevated resting energy expenditure and their bodies use more kilocalories to perform basic functions such as breathing, blood circulation and body temperature. The results are featured in a new report published by the iJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/i. "To our knowledge, no studies have been conducted ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-shows-women-infected-with-hiv-have-elevated-resting-energy-expenditure-117668-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/16-month-old-russian-girl-contracts-hiv-from-blood-transfusion-117473-1.htm During a blood transfusion, doctors in Russia accidentally infected a 16-month-old girl with HIV, said investigators, opening a criminal probe into the case. The toddler was given blood from an HIV-infected donor at the Number 5 children's hospital in Saint Petersburg, the city's Investigative Committee said in a statement. It opened a criminal investigation into "providing dangerous services to children", an offence carrying a maximum sentence of six years in prison. The child underwent ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/16-month-old-russian-girl-contracts-hiv-from-blood-transfusion-117473-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/a-30-million-initiative-to-fight-cancer-117244-1.htm To support Cambodia's fight against HIV/AIDS, The US have now launched a (Dollor) 30 million initiative. The five-year project is part of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Xinhua reported. It will focus on individuals at high risk of HIV infection with services aiming to prevent the spread of the disease and improve care and treatment of those infected by HIV, an embassy statement said. The Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (Khana) will lead a consortium of organisations at the forefront ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/a-30-million-initiative-to-fight-cancer-117244-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/even-bmw-drivers-seek-aid-from-cyprus-red-cross-117124-1.htm The Cyprus Red Cross has long cared for the needy, but the island's financial woes run so deep that people unaccustomed to hardship including some who still drive BMWs are turning up for food aid. Anxious families waited at the organisation's headquarters in the Cypriot capital on Monday to collect boxes of pasta, rice, coffee, tea, sugar and tinned meats to keep them going for the next week. In the past, recent arrivals mainly from Africa, Asia and the Middle East filled the waiting room, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/even-bmw-drivers-seek-aid-from-cyprus-red-cross-117124-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/current-hpv-vaccine-may-not-help-female-hiv-patients-117107-1.htm Female HIV patients acquire cancer-causing forms of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that are not included in the current HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix. This is according to new research from Fox Chase Cancer Center being presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 on Sunday, April 7. "People with issues in their immune system such as HIV will be at risk of acquiring HPV, as well - and the current vaccine may not fully protect them," says study author Elizabeth Blackman, MPH, research specialist at Fox Chase....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/current-hpv-vaccine-may-not-help-female-hiv-patients-117107-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-single-dose-aids-drug-introduced-in-south-africa-117095-1.htm A new single dose anti-AIDS drug which will simplify the world's biggest HIV treatment regime to just one life-saving pill a day has been introduced by South Africa's health minister. The three-in-one combination anti-retroviral (ARV) was secured at a record-low price and will cost the state 89 rand a month ( (Dollor) 10, eight euros) per patient. "Before 2010, we were buying the most expensive ARVs in the world. Now we are a country where the ARVs are the cheapest in the world," said Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-single-dose-aids-drug-introduced-in-south-africa-117095-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/oscars-nominated-hiv-documentary-screened-in-new-delhi-117033-1.htm A documentary that tracked the history of AIDS epidemic in the US, and which had been nominated for Academy Awards, was screened in New Delhi on Saturday. Directed by David France, "How to survive a plague" is a detailed narrative of HIV/AIDS activism in the US during 1980's and the activists who campaigned for more research and effective treatment for such patients. "The documentary highlights the power of people, power of activism, and success of struggle against the AIDS," said Colleen ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/oscars-nominated-hiv-documentary-screened-in-new-delhi-117033-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anti-hiv-gel-safe-and-acceptable-to-prevent-hiv-from-anal-sex-116954-1.htm A reformulated version of an anti-HIV gel was found safe and acceptable by HIV-negative men and women who used it rectally. The gel is developed for vaginal use. This is according to a Phase I clinical trial published in iPLOS ONE/i. The study, led by researchers with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Microbicide Trials Network (MTN), tested a reduced glycerin formulation of tenofovir gel, and has spurred the development of an expanded safety study of the gel, expected to launch later this year....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anti-hiv-gel-safe-and-acceptable-to-prevent-hiv-from-anal-sex-116954-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-explain-how-aids-virus-grooms-its-assault-team-116846-1.htm Previously unknown properties of transmitted HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS were identified by scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of Pennsylvania. The viruses that successfully pass from a chronically infected person to a new individual are both remarkably resistant to a powerful initial human immune-response mechanism, and they are blanketed in a greater amount of envelope protein that helps them access and enter host cells, they said. These findings will ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-explain-how-aids-virus-grooms-its-assault-team-116846-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/antibody-roadmap-to-aids-vaccine-discovered-116813-1.htm Scientists have identified the antibody roadmap to AIDS vaccine. Studying blood samples over a three-year period after the person was infected, researchers were witness to a microscopic battle between the virus and antibodies -- both evolving as they sought to gain the upper hand. For the first time, scientists were able to follow the full chain of events leading to the patient naturally producing broadly neutralising antibodies (BnAbs)-- so called because they attack different strains of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/antibody-roadmap-to-aids-vaccine-discovered-116813-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/app-turns-iphone-into-a-hearing-aid-116607-1.htm Researchers at University of Essex have developed a new app that can turn your iPhone into a hearing aid. The app, known as BioAid, is free to download and works with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. There are six fixed settings that the user can select to address their particular type of hearing loss with each of the settings four fine-tuning sub-settings which allows the user to target the specific frequencies that they have difficulty hearing. The app works by increasing the audio levels of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/app-turns-iphone-into-a-hearing-aid-116607-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-vaccine-design-that-can-help-development-of-effective-drugs-against-hiv-and-other-similar-viruses-developed-116603-1.htm A team of American researchers has developed a new technique for vaccine design that can help researchers in their fight against HIV and other fast mutating viruses. The report, which appears March 28, 2013, in iScience Express/i, the early online edition of the journal iScience/i, offers a step toward solving what has been one of the central problems of modern vaccine design: how to stimulate the immune system to produce the right kind of antibody response to protect against a wide range of viral strains....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-vaccine-design-that-can-help-development-of-effective-drugs-against-hiv-and-other-similar-viruses-developed-116603-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-hiv-antibodies-that-are-worth-the-wait-116596-1.htm One promising strategy for an effective vaccine against HIV-1 focuses on designer antibodies that have much broader potency than most specific antibodies. These broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) can handle the high mutation rate of HIV particles that makes normal, very specific antibodies useless within a short space of time. A study published by Cell Press on March 28th in the journal iCell/i reveals surprising mutations in these antibodies that are crucial for strong protection against HIV-1....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-sheds-light-on-hiv-antibodies-that-are-worth-the-wait-116596-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/tailored-weight-loss-programmes-aid-people-with-mental-illness-116585-1.htm People with serious mental illness can achieve significant weight loss with the help of a behavioural weight-loss intervention. A new bJohn Hopkins research proves that serious mental illness is not a barrier to successful weight-loss/b. A programme that focuses on simple messages and goals and involves regular exercises can help the mentally challenged to stay healthy and lose weight. Despite the knowledge that persons with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/tailored-weight-loss-programmes-aid-people-with-mental-illness-116585-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/when-a-viral-gene-is-deactivated-innate-immune-system-can-kill-hiv-116564-1.htm An intrinsic capacity to destroy HIV is held by human cells. The virus has however evolved to contain a gene that blocks this ability. When this gene is removed from the virus, the innate human immune system destroys HIV by mutating it to the point where it can no longer survive. This phenomenon has been shown in test tube laboratory experiments, but now researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have demonstrated that the same phenomenon occurs in a humanized mouse ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/when-a-viral-gene-is-deactivated-innate-immune-system-can-kill-hiv-116564-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/antibiotic-may-provide-benefit-for-treatment-of-respiratory-disorder-study-116560-1.htm According to a study, among patients with the lung disorder non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, treatment with the antibiotic erythromycin resulted in improvement in symptoms but also increased the risk of antibiotic resistance. The study appeared in the March 27 issue of iJAMA/i. David J. Serisier, M.B.B.S., D.M., F.R.A.C.P., of Mater Adult Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues tested the hypothesis that low-dose erythromycin would reduce pulmonary exacerbations in patients ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/antibiotic-may-provide-benefit-for-treatment-of-respiratory-disorder-study-116560-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/increased-risk-of-hiv-and-other-infectious-diseases-due-to-unclean-dentists-116525-1.htm Failure to sterilize equipments put more than 7,000 dental patients at the risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases. Officials do not yet know if any patients were infected but urged everyone who had ever been treated at the Tulsa oral surgery practice to be tested at a free clinic. "We do not know how long these improper practices have been occurring, so we recommend that all patients of Dr. (Scott) Harrington's be tested for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV," the Oklahoma health department said in a statement....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/increased-risk-of-hiv-and-other-infectious-diseases-due-to-unclean-dentists-116525-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/sexual-agreements-among-gay-couples-show-promise-for-hiv-prevention-study-116506-1.htm According to a University of Michigan study, the majority of gay men in relationships say they establish a "sexual agreement" with their partner, primarily to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual agreements show promise for HIV prevention, but the down side is that only 57 percent of couples actually concur that they have agreements, says Jason Mitchell, assistant professor at the U-M School of Nursing. Further, among nearly half of the couples one or both ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/sexual-agreements-among-gay-couples-show-promise-for-hiv-prevention-study-116506-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/healer-sentenced-to-13-years-in-jail-for-infecting-16-people-with-hiv-116371-1.htm A 54-year-old self-styled healer has been sentenced by a Bern court to almost 13 years in jail for purposefully infecting 16 people with HIV using acupuncture needles. The man has never accepted the charge of causing serious bodily harm and spreading human diseases. Instead, he claims that this is part of a conspiracy against him and there are still many unanswered questions. The court is sure that the victims were infected deliberately by the same person that has left the victims with ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/healer-sentenced-to-13-years-in-jail-for-infecting-16-people-with-hiv-116371-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hiv-cases-recorded-in-russia-116360-1.htm In Russia last year, more than 69,000 new cases of HIV were recorded. Signalling that there has been no letdown in the rising spread of the virus, Gennady Onishchenko told a scientific conference in Moscow that around 720,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Russia since 1987, when the first case was officially registered. Onishchenko said more than 6,300 of those cases were among children aged below 14. The figure for last year is a notable increase on the 62,000 confirmed HIV cases in 2011....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hiv-cases-recorded-in-russia-116360-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-new-approach-for-an-effective-hiv-vaccine-116321-1.htm American researchers have come up with a new approach to vaccine design that could help them overcome the difficulties faced in developing an effective HIV vaccine due to the rapidly changing structure of the HIV virus. Now, a researcher team led by an Indian origin scientist has developed a new approach to vaccine design that may allow them to cut off those evolutionary escape routes. The researchers from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard University have developed and experimentally ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-new-approach-for-an-effective-hiv-vaccine-116321-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-genes-in-breasts-may-predict-cancer-risk-and-aid-prevention-116304-1.htm According to a new Northwestern Medicine study, a newly identified set of genes may help identify women who are at high risk for getting breast cancer that is sensitive to estrogen and, therefore, would aid in prevention. "We now have the possibility of predicting if a preventive drug will work for a woman at high risk of breast cancer, so that we don't expose women to the risks and side effects of this drug if it won't help them," said Seema Khan, M.D., senior author of the study. Khan ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-genes-in-breasts-may-predict-cancer-risk-and-aid-prevention-116304-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hiv-vaccine-to-be-developed-by-immune-cell-adaptibility-116260-1.htm To escape detection by immune cells, HIV mutates rapidly in infected individuals. This process of continuous evolution is the main obstacle to natural immunity and the development of an effective vaccine. A new study published by Cell Press in the March 21 issue of the journal iImmunity/i reveals that the immune system has the capacity to adapt such that it can recognize mutations in HIV. The findings suggest that our immune cells' adaptability could be harnessed to help in the fight against AIDS....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hiv-vaccine-to-be-developed-by-immune-cell-adaptibility-116260-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/soothing-music-and-avoiding-networking-devices-aids-in-better-sleep-116241-1.htm Soothing music, avoiding overuse of networking devices, massage and naps can lead to a better sleep, according to a new study by Chinese researchers. The Chinese people sleep on an average of eight hours and 50 minutes everyday, but nearly half feel sluggish when awake, found the study prepared to observe Chinese people's sleeping habits and released Tuesday. The report is based on a survey conducted in November and December through random household visits in 20 cities, 20 towns and 20 villages....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/soothing-music-and-avoiding-networking-devices-aids-in-better-sleep-116241-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/hiv-policies-could-increase-dangerous-drug-resistance-research-116080-1.htm LA County has the largest incident population of HIV positive individuals in the United States. One of the most widely advocated strategies for dealing with HIV/AIDS could double the number of multi-drug-resistant HIV cases in the population of men who have sex with men (MSM) in LA County over the next 10 years, cautions a new study. The so-called "test and treat" policy - which calls for universal testing for HIV as well as treatment with antiretroviral drugs for even those at the earliest ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/hiv-policies-could-increase-dangerous-drug-resistance-research-116080-1.htm