New findings suggest strategy to help generate HIV-neutralizing antibodies Nov 20, 2009
WHAT: New discoveries about anti-HIV antibodies may bring researchers a step closer to creating an effective HIV vaccine, according to a new paper co-authored by scientists at the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Scientists know that an HIV-neutralizing antibody called b12 binds to gp120, an HIV surface protein, at one of the few areas of the virus that does not mutate: the site where gp120... (EurekAlert!)
Group: Pap tests should start at age 21 Nov 20, 2009
(Women with certain risk factors, such as those who are HIV positive or who have a suppressed immune system, may need to be screened more often. . (CNN)
NHS heroin 'will protect women' Nov 20, 2009
She is HIV positive and has had Hepatitis C so it's vital she doesn't share needles. Currently just over 1% of heroin users in the UK, around 400 people, get their heroin in this way. (Yahoo News -- Substance Use)
Kenya: Stigma Hinders Fight Against TB Nov 19, 2009
"Many people still believe only those with HIV have tuberculosis and therefore they shy away from seeking diagnostic tests for TB, believing if they are found to have it, then it automatically means they are also HIV-positive," he told IRIN/PlusNews ... Research conducted in Ghana in 2008 found some of the main causes of TB-related stigma were: fear of infection; TB's association with HIV; health staff's own fears; self-stigmatization by TB patients; and the blaming and shaming of TB patients by... (allAfrica.com)
U.S., China compete in Africa Nov 19, 2009
President George W. Bush's heavy investment in HIV and AIDS prevention on the continent is largely considered a success. In early October, Obama supported a $3. (CNN -- World)
Sir Elton is 'back on his feet' Nov 19, 2009
The Elton John Aids Foundation aims to fund innovative HIV prevention programmes and to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with the illness. The singer said the current economic crisis makes his work harder but stressed the need to continue in the fight against the disease. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Bundaberg dental clinic results negative Nov 19, 2009
Two were not treated with instruments, but Queensland Health tested the remaining 31 patients for Hepatitis A, B and C and HIV. ... One patient treated on November 6, Gabrielle Carruthers, was informed she may have contracted HIV and quit her job in the hospitality industry in case she had contracted a disease. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
SHARE informs students about AIDS Nov 19, 2009
Allen said her organization wants to keep students informed with the alarming statistics involved with HIV/AIDS. She said people should be more open about the subject and speak more about it ... Allen thinks HIV/AIDS affects everyone, especially African-Americans ... The rate of reported new HIV/AIDS cases among African-American South Carolinians is eight times that of Caucasians. (Gamecock Online, SC)
Africa: Poverty Blamed for Continent's Maternal Mortality Nov 19, 2009
He said access to family planning could also help in preventing morbidities such as obstetric fistula and lowering transmission of HIV, adding that over 90 per cent of infants and young children with HIV contracted the virus through mother-to-child transmission. Relevant Links. (allAfrica.com)
South Africa: Should Mbeki be Prosecuted Over Aids Deaths? Nov 19, 2009
But the issue was set to accentuate tension in the ANC's tripartite alliance, while marking a departure from Mbeki-era denialism over HIV/AIDS. The YCL and the Youth League have traded insults in the past, but this was the first time they were disagreeing on how to interpret the Mbeki legacy. YCL president Buti Manamela said: "If we have to stand with the people who have been infected and affected (by HIV) at the expense of a relationship with the ANC Youth League then let it be because we are... (allAfrica.com)
HIV cricket team: Positive role models Nov 19, 2009
Pakistan's HIV cricket team are positive role models - CNN.com ... Pakistan's HIV cricket team are positive role models ... First Positive Cricket Team's members are all HIV positive. (CNN -- International)
Arts listings Nov 19, 2009
THE OVERWHELMING An American political science professor brings his family to Rwanda in 1994 so he can write a book about a physician who runs an HIV clinic for children, and he encounters a country on the brink of genocide. Through Nov. 21. (Boston Globe)
Man charged in death of Puerto Rico teen Nov 19, 2009
Lopez was widely known as a volunteer for organizations advocating HIV prevention and gay rights, and activists are planning vigils for him in San Juan, New York, and Chicago. The suspect, Juan Martinez Matos, 26, was arrested earlier this week. (Boston Globe)
Libya's Bulgarian medics appeal Nov 19, 2009
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor have appealed to a Libyan court against their death sentences imposed for infecting 426 children with HIV. ... Several of the HIV-infected children joined the 60 demonstrators outside the court, wearing mock military uniforms and carrying fake pistols, reports the AFP news agency ... International experts, including Luc Montaignier, the French doctor who first isolated the HIV virus, say the epidemic was sparked by lack of hygiene at the hospital. (Yahoo News -- Libya)
US AIDS Program Undaunted By Recession, Head Says Nov 19, 2009
Eric Goosby also described a new era of cooperation with South Africa, the nation that bears the greatest AIDS burden and where officials are turning around policies once led by a president and a health minister who denied HIV causes AIDS. ... South Africa, a nation of about 50 million, has the world's largest number of HIV cases with some 5 ... For nearly a decade, AIDS policy in South Africa was set by former President Thabo Mbeki, who denied the link between HIV and AIDS, and his health... (CBS News -- World)
Wa Municipality records sharp drop in HIV prevalence Nov 19, 2009
WA, Nov. 19, GNA - The Wa Municipality recorded a drop in HIV prevalence rate from 5 ... The report showed that since the inception of the national HIV strategic framework II in January 2006, the disease prevalence rate in the Municipality has improved ... This was made known at a day's refresher course organised by the Wa Municipal Anti HIV Committee for 50 coordinators of the School Health Programme (SHEP) drawn from Junior High Schools in the Municipality. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Researchers Try to Solve the Mystery of HIV Carriers Who Don't Contract AIDS Nov 19, 2009
Researchers Try to Solve the Mystery of HIV Carriers Who Don't Contract AIDS: Scientific American ... Researchers Try to Solve the Mystery of HIV Carriers Who Don't Contract AIDS ... Are "elite controllers" the key to understanding HIV infection and do their immune systems offer a new approach to developing an AIDS vaccine. (Scientific American)
Immediate, Aggressive Spending on HIV/AIDS Could End Epidemic Nov 19, 2009
18, 2009) Money available to treat HIV/AIDS is sufficient to end the epidemic globally, but only if we act immediately to control the spread of the disease ... The study, part of a supplement on "The OptAIDS project: towards global halting of HIV/AIDS," was based on a leading-edge mathematical model developed by mathematicians and biologists, who recently earned acclaim for a study on how best to handle a planetary invasion by zombies ... and his team from the University of Ottawa, as well as... (Science Daily)
Pakistan's HIV cricket team Nov 18, 2009
First Positive Cricket Team's members are all HIV positive. The team hopes to change others' attitudes toward people with HIV ... Team created by the Pakistan Society, an NGO working for the rights of those with HIV. (CNN -- World)
Fish Kill: Nanosilver Mutates Fish Embryos Nov 18, 2009
In comparison, a human blood cell is about 8,000 nanometers and the HIV virus is about 130. The recently announced a new research strategy to better understand the environmental effects of these microscopic particles. (Scientific American)
Achillion Receives Notice From NASDAQ Nov 18, 2009
Achillion is focused on solutions for the most challenging problems in infectious disease -- hepatitis, resistant bacterial infections and HIV. For more information on Achillion Pharmaceuticals, please visit the company's web site at or call Achillion at 1-203-624-7000. ACHN-G. (Primezone Releases)
PATH group gets $45M for Congo AIDS help Nov 18, 2009
A group led by global health nonprofit has been given a five-year, $45 million contract from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve HIV/AIDS services in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The African nation has about 1 million people affected by HIV/AIDS, the Seattle nonprofit said, citing decades of warfare coupled with high rates of sexual violence against women ... Also contributing to the problem, PATH officials said, are lack of HIV counseling and testing sites,... (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
Qiagen Is Poised for More Purchases After $2 Billion Spree in Last 5 Years Nov 18, 2009
Growth in Asia is being fuelled by testing for infectious diseases such as HIV, HPV, the H1N1 virus behind the swine flu pandemic, and avian flu. Qiagen is also benefiting from drugmakers investing in the region, and an increased focus on public health care is bolstering demand for the Dutch companys products, he said. (Bloomberg -- Germany)
Modest gains for Bush at Summit of Americas / Sweeping promises, sharp divisions as 34-nation meeting ends Nov 18, 2009
The summit's final declaration included sweeping commitments to crack down on corruption, reduce government secrecy, reduce the time and cost of starting new businesses and improve education and health care, including care for HIV and AIDS patients. The leaders made an equally imprecise pledge to conclude talks on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), an agreement aimed at eliminating customs duties through the hemisphere. (Yahoo News -- Summit of the Americas)
Opinion: Fighting TB should be priority Nov 18, 2009
4 million HIV-infected individuals developed TB and 1 ... Using HIV research as the modelWhen HIV/AIDS was first recognized in the United States in 1981, the response among members of the affected community was immediate and palpable ... Even though it soon became apparent that the HIV/AIDS pandemic was disproportionately affecting low- and mid-income countries, people in the United States and other rich countries perceived AIDS as an immediate threat to them, and responded forcefully. (MSNBC -- Health)
With Gruden out, Shanahan moves to forefront Nov 18, 2009
Jon Gruden leaves Mike Shanahan in prime position - Peter King - SI.com. Posted: Tuesday November 17, 2009 11:52AM; Updated: Tuesday November 17, 2009 3:50PM. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- NFL)
Zimbabwe: Mugabe Blasts West's Subsidies to Farmers Nov 18, 2009
Turning to the ravaging effects of HIV and Aids, President Mugabe said despite declining prevalence rates in the productive 15-49 age group dropping to 13,7 percent, Zimbabwe was concerned that the figure was still too high. In response to the impact of the pandemic on the agriculture sector, President Mugabe said the Government adopted the Zimbabwe Agricultural Sector Strategy on HIV and Aids to offset its negative consequences. (allAfrica.com)
Gauteng's bigger budget Nov 18, 2009
8-million not contained in the budget would go to the increased budget for the HIV and Aids grant. "Adjustment to the HIV and Aids grant is in respect of meeting the higher demands that arise due to the faster [antiretroviral] take-up rate," he said. (iAfrica.com)
Elton John Recovers from Infection Nov 18, 2009
I KNOW FOR A FACT HE HAS HIV. by Ichabod09 November 17, 2009 8:11 PM EST. (CBS News)
Dr. John Galgiani (right) is director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence. Photo by Ellen Sussman / Special to the Green Valley News Nov 18, 2009
People more likely to get seriously ill from the fungal disease are African-Americans and Filipinos, pregnant women, those with HIV, AIDS, cancer, diabetes and those who have had organ or bone marrow transplants. Those who work in construction or agriculture are at most risk due to their exposure to soil and dust. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
AIDS Patients to Obama: Send Funds South Nov 17, 2009
Region Has Highest Percentage of AIDS-Related Deaths But Ranks Last in Federal Dollars Spent on an HIV-Infected Person ... (AP) When Robin Webb lived in New York City, he was treated by HIV specialists and had access to counseling and nutritional programs ... Mississippi is just one of several mostly rural states across the South with a dearth of resources for HIV and AIDS patients. (CBS News -- Health)
No-Entry Zones for AIDS Virus Nov 17, 2009
Like all retroviruses, the AIDS virus (HIV) integrates its DNA into the genome of the infected cell. As integration sites, HIV usually prefers active genes that are transcribed frequently ... Therefore, it is crucial for them to know where exactly HIV integrates into the genetic material of the host cell. (Science Daily)
Largest international family planning conference in 15 years opens Nov 17, 2009
" The statement noted that despite decades of research and field experience with successful family planning programmes, global attention to this health intervention had dramatically declined in the past 15 years which had led to less government support and funding for family planning programmes, risking couples' ability to space their births to their families' benefit. Mr. Haug therefore called on governments, organizations and civil society to ensure universal access to reproductive health by... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Fiji president call for joint efforts to fight HIV/AIDS Nov 17, 2009
SUVA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Fiji President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said on Tuesday that HIV/AIDS has become a profound threat in Fijiand the region, and called for joint efforts to fight against the disease. Speaking at a consultation HIV Prevention Treatment Decree workshop in Suva on Tuesday, Nailatikau said the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa could be compared to measles in Fiji that wiped out an entire generation ... "As former UNAIDS special representative on HIV for the Pacificbut now the Fiji... (Xinhuanet, China)
Common cold may explain HIV vaccine trial’s failure Nov 17, 2009
Common cold may explain HIV vaccine trial s failure - The Boston Globe ... Common cold may explain HIV vaccine trial s failure ... The vaccine was intended to block the spread of HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, which causes AIDS. But the test was canceled after volunteers who got the shots were more likely to become infected with acquired immune deficiency syndrome than those who got a dummy shot. (Boston Globe)
Buenos Aires Grants First Gay Marriage License Nov 17, 2009
The men both HIV positive plan to marry on World AIDS Day at the same civil registry in the capital's Palermo neighborhood. They told The Associated Press that marriage and not just a civil union is important to them because they want a shared health insurance policy and inheritance rights, among other things married couples now enjoy. (Time.com)
Renewed Hope for an AIDS Vaccine Nov 17, 2009
It began in 2003, and early results released in September showed a slim but statistically sound benefit from the vaccine (a series of inoculations with drugs known as ALVAC-HIV and AIDSVAX B/E) ... Specifically, 74 people who had received the placebo became infected with HIV in the trial period, compared with the 51 people who became infected after receiving the vaccine, which makes for a protective effect of 31 ... By including, however, the seven people who turned out to have had HIV at the... (Scientific American)
Kenya: Women Weighed Down by Culture Nov 17, 2009
PEP services within 72 hours of HIV exposure help to prevent infection. High divorce rates. (allAfrica.com)
Sex infections still rising, especially in teens Nov 17, 2009
The government estimates 56,000 new cases of HIV each year. There are 1. (MSNBC -- Health)
fat is an angry substance Nov 17, 2009
Cold virus used in vaccine may raise HIV infection risk after all ... Cold virus used in vaccine may raise HIV infection risk after all. (Harper's Magazine)
South Africa: Unholy Fight to Help Refugee Children Nov 17, 2009
He said an organisation that looks after people living with HIV could not make good on its offer of accommodation. "We made the offer (to residents), nobody came forward," he said. (allAfrica.com)
Uganda: AIDS Commission Takes New Direction in Prevention Nov 17, 2009
Kampala The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) is revamping its national HIV information campaign after HIV prevention messages were less successful than hoped. "We shall use basic facts in the messages to communicate effectively because we have realized that the level of knowledge about basic facts on HIV information is quite limited," said Saul Onyango, senior health educationist with the UAC. ... The term high-risk sex - previously defined as sex with an irregular partner - is to be redefined as... (allAfrica.com)
Africa: Dying in Pain a Reality for Most Africans Nov 17, 2009
com: Africa: Dying in Pain a Reality for Most Africans (Page 1 of 1). Dying in Pain a Reality for Most Africans. (allAfrica.com)
Sars patients can provide therapy Nov 17, 2009
" Dr Lanzavecchia said he was particularly hopeful it could be applied to HIV, whose ability to generate many different variants poses a major problem for doctors. A spokeswoman for the Health Protection Agency said: "We welcome this research, which is important in the incremental process of understanding how we can use an immune response to protect others from viral infections such as Sars. "Further work is still needed and we will watch this area with interest.". (Yahoo News -- SARS)
Cold virus may have foiled HIV vaccine test Nov 17, 2009
The vaccine was intended to block the spread of HIV, which causes AIDS. But the test was canceled after volunteers who got the shots were more likely to become infected than those who got a dummy shot. The problem, which could hamper efforts to stifle the spread of HIV in Third World countries, may have been using the common adenovirus to carry HIV material around the body to help the immune system recognize the invader ... But those are also the cells that HIV infects, providing a ready place... (MSNBC -- Health)
Why Certain Drug Combinations Backfire Nov 17, 2009
16, 2009) By discovering the atomic structure of a key human enzyme, researchers have pointed the way toward designing anti-HIV drugs with far less toxic side ... 18, 2005) Those infected with HIV in the UK have one of the highest rates of resistance to anti-HIV drugs of anywhere in the world, prompting fears of a second wave epidemic of resistant virus, a new study ... Number of stories in archives: 77,690. (Science Daily)
NHS heroin 'will protect women' Nov 16, 2009
She is HIV positive and has had Hepatitis C so it's vital she doesn't share needles. Currently just over 1% of heroin users in the UK, around 400 people, get their heroin in this way. (Yahoo News -- Substance Use)
Paul C. Zamecnik, at 96; discoveries helped revolutionize biochemistry Nov 16, 2009
In an oral history interview given in 1995 for the Harvard Medical School archives, he explained that a teacher in Cleveland urged him to expand his horizons and leave the area for college ... He was forced into mandatory retirement from Harvard at age 65 and went to the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research, where he worked on blocking HIV with an antisense oligonucleotide. (Boston Globe)
AIDS patients to president: Send more money south Nov 16, 2009
(AP) - When Robin Webb lived in New York City, he was treated by HIV specialists and had access to counseling and nutritional programs ... Mississippi is just one ofseveral mostly rural states across the South with a dearth of resources for HIV and AIDS patients ... "Here, there's no support group, no case management. There's no daily reinforcement," said Webb, 52, who has been HIV-positive for two decades. (WCAX.com, VT)
Qld dental clinic causes health scare Nov 16, 2009
More than 270 people may need to be tested for hepatitis and HIV after a failure in sterilisation procedures at a southern Queensland hospital. Queensland Health told AAP that 274 people who visited the Bundaberg Hospital dental health clinic between November 6 and 13 may need to be tested for hepatitis A, B, C and HIV. ... "If there were blood-borne viruses present at the onset of cleaning, the risk of transmission to a subsequent client at the clinic is considered very low for hepatitis B and... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Libya's Bulgarian medics appeal Nov 16, 2009
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor have appealed to a Libyan court against their death sentences imposed for infecting 426 children with HIV. ... Several of the HIV-infected children joined the 60 demonstrators outside the court, wearing mock military uniforms and carrying fake pistols, reports the AFP news agency ... International experts, including Luc Montaignier, the French doctor who first isolated the HIV virus, say the epidemic was sparked by lack of hygiene at the hospital. (Yahoo News -- Libya)
AIDS activists to Obama: Send funds to the South Nov 16, 2009
Patrick Packer of the Southern AIDS Coalition says the South leads the nation in percentage of new HIV cases, yet it receives the less federal funding than any other region in the U.S.. Packer says that medication assistance programs in some states have waiting lists, and that care for patients is lacking despite changes to steer more money to rural areas. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
At your service Nov 16, 2009
Outreach Community Care Network: Provides HIV and AIDS testing, counseling, support, information and referrals. or 386-255-5569. (Daytona Beach News Journal -- Local)
Why I Worry About Atta Mills Of Ghana Nov 16, 2009
Even if it is HIV or Cancer, God can turn it upside down. So that one my husband and other prayer warriors have no fear. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Utilization of dental health care services in context of the HIV epidemic- a cross-sectional study of dental patients in the Sudan Nov 16, 2009
HIV infected patients should be expected in the Sudanese dental health care services with an increasing frequency. Dental care utilization in the context of the HIV epidemic is generally poorly understood ... Focusing on Sudanese dental patients with reported unknown HIV status, this study assessed the frequency of dental care utilization in the past 2 years and the extent to which Andersen's model in terms of predisposing (socio-demographics), enabling (knowledge, attitudes and perceived risk... (BioMed Central)
Libya acts in HIV row with Bulgaria Nov 16, 2009
Libya is to impose a trade and investment embargo on Bulgaria for what it calls Sofia's failure to take responsibility for the infection of hundreds of Libyan children with HIV, a government official said yesterday ... "Libya will boycott Bulgarian companies and shut the doors of all investment and trade opportunities for Bulgarian companies because the Bulgarian government has ignored demands to take responsibility for the action of its citizens in the HIV case," the official told Reuters. (Yahoo News -- Libya)
* Help where and when its needed the most Nov 16, 2009
Taipei Times - archives ... She is now HIV-positive, an outcast in a terribly poor society ... The HIV and the problems it is causing are greater than the [receding] ice. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Merits of abstinence education debated Nov 15, 2009
The state Department of Education receives money from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase the number of health educators in schools and to work with school staff on training and prevention, said Shalonda Matthews, HIV prevention coordinator for the state Department of Education ... It's not easy for groups that promote sex education beyond abstinence to have access to schools, said Marilyn Watkins, executive director of Building Bridges, an HIV/AIDS advocacy and... (The Clarion-Ledger)
Tadhg's pre-season shock Nov 15, 2009
About 200 children with HIV live there and White brought them some joy when she handed out a whole lot of gear provided by the Swans club. The only real activity they have there is the basketball court,'' she said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
No comments posted. Nov 15, 2009
People age 25 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions that are associated with a higher risk of flu complications (such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV and certain types of arthritis). On Monday, state health officer Dr. Donald Williamson said that the groups targeted to receive the H1N1 vaccine has been expanded. (Atmore Advance, AL)
Modest gains for Bush at Summit of Americas / Sweeping promises, sharp divisions as 34-nation meeting ends Nov 15, 2009
The summit's final declaration included sweeping commitments to crack down on corruption, reduce government secrecy, reduce the time and cost of starting new businesses and improve education and health care, including care for HIV and AIDS patients. The leaders made an equally imprecise pledge to conclude talks on the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), an agreement aimed at eliminating customs duties through the hemisphere. (Yahoo News -- Summit of the Americas)
STD cases up among Miss. teens Nov 15, 2009
When you're having unprotected sex, you also have to worry about HIV, among other things, she said. An untreated sexually transmitted infection can increase the risk of contracting and transmitting HIV by a factor up to 10, according to the World Health Organization ... The number of HIV/AIDs cases among Mississippi's 15- to 24-year-olds went from 131 in 2007 to 160 in 2008, according to the latest data available from the state Department of Health. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Palliative care is human right for terminally ill - Panellists Nov 14, 2009
He called for awareness raising, advocacy strategies and funds to sustain PC activities, saying that, Cote d'Ivoire had had a policy on PC since 2005 through the HIV and AIDS Control Programme, and had given hope to the terminally ill because they now had access to PC through community and home-based care. Dr. Jim Cleary of the US Carborne Cancer Centre said, a coordinated effort would be the right step to help achieve PC in Africa, and noted resources for cancer should be divided into three to... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Man found guilty of exposing others to HIV Nov 14, 2009
Former Aiken County teacher found guilty of exposing others to HIV 111309 - The Augusta Chronicle ... AIKEN A former Aiken County art teacher has been sentenced for knowingly exposing his wife to HIV. ... An Aiken County jury Wednesday found Joel Lynn Bedenbaugh, 47, of Camden, S.C., guilty of exposing others to HIV, said Assistant Aiken County Solicitor Brenda Brisbin. (The Augusta Chronicle)
'It's Orwellian': Everyone in UK could be given a personal 'carbon allowance'... Nov 14, 2009
" No one should read on. CO2 is toxic it is only because it is in low levels that it does not kill you. Ask that to anyone that has sat in their garage with the car on. <
Archives: HIV
