disease control

13 Stories

Sea Star 'Goo' Problem Getting Worse

Oregon had seemed to be unscathed by the disease. No more

(Newser) - A mysterious disease that has been claiming the lives of sea stars up and down the US, Canadian, and Mexican coasts since last summer has now wiped out as much as 60% of the populations of purple ochre sea stars being watched in Oregon—populations that as of April had...

Malaria Deaths Plummet 20% Over Decade

Dozens of countries poised to eliminate disease

(Newser) - Countries across the globe are making giant strides against malaria, the World Health Organization says: The number of deaths from the disease has dropped more than 20% over the last 10 years, and a third of the 108 countries where the illness is endemic could be rid of it in...

Obama: Brace for Swine Flu Outbreak

Calls for 'vigilance,' not 'panic'

(Newser) - President Obama called for “rigorous” planning by state and local officials in anticipation of a possible swine flu outbreak this fall, CNN reports. “We want to make sure we aren't promoting panic, but we are promoting vigilance and preparation,” Obama—on a video link from the G8...

Raccoon Disease Blinds NY Teen

Health officials issue alert over raccoon ringworm

(Newser) - New York playgrounds are on alert as two reported cases of a rare, fatal disease spread by raccoons has blinded a Brooklyn teen in one eye and left an infant with brain damage, reports the New York Daily News. Raccoon ringworm is a disease contracted through the animal's feces that...

Mexico's First Flu Death Exposes Containment Trouble

Response quick, but follow-up efforts weak

(Newser) - After a 39-year-old woman became Mexico’s first person to die of swine flu, authorities quickly responded—but efforts were mixed, the AP finds. Medical teams interviewed 472 people who possibly had contact with the woman, a tax collector whose family runs a convenience store; they temporarily closed the ICU...

'Star Wars' Scientists Take Aim at Mosquitoes

Anti-malaria Weapons of Mosquito Destruction can zap bugs 100ft away with lasers

(Newser) - Rocket scientists who worked on ways to beat Soviet missiles a generation ago are now using their lasers to zap mosquitoes, the Wall Street Journal reports. Researchers looking for ways to combat malaria have rejigged "Star Wars" technology to create a contraption that can pick off individual mosquitoes from...

12 Ways Climate Change Could Kill You

Warmer temperatures may cause spread of dangerous pathogens

(Newser) - A dozen deadly diseases may become even deadlier as a result of climate change, Scientific American reports. Cholera, tuberculosis, yellow fever, and other ailments are spreading to new areas as temperatures rise, a Wildlife Conservation Society study says. The society suggests monitoring wildlife to prevent a human outbreak of “...

Feds Target Kids for Flu Shots
 Feds Target Kids for Flu Shots 
Sep 29, 2008 2:12 PM CDT

Feds Target Kids for Flu Shots

Vaccines for young germ-spreaders may curb effect on broader population

(Newser) - Kids are the focus of flu vaccination efforts this year in an unprecedented push to lower the overall number of US infections, the Los Angeles Times reports. Children get the flu more often than adults, and research suggests they are biologically more effective at spreading it; for the first time,...

US Measles Cases Highest Since 2001

Total of 64; CDC worries about people shunning vaccine

(Newser) - Measles, once nearly eradicated in the US, appears to be regaining a foothold. The CDC reports at least four outbreaks under way, with at least 64 cases in nine states—the most since 2001. The new cases probably originated in other countries and incubated in pockets of non-immunized US children,...

Fewer Kids Get Needed Shots
 Fewer Kids Get Needed Shots 
Apr 29, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

Fewer Kids Get Needed Shots

One in four children miss vaccinations, CDC finds, spreading risk through US

(Newser) - Fewer kids in the US are getting needed vaccinations, a study by the Centers for Disease Control finds. More than one in four have skipped or received mistimed doses of important immunizations, ABC News reports. "It's really important that parents understand how important it is to get their kids...

New Approach Targets Tough Parasitic Illness

Insect-borne disease infects 11M annually

(Newser) - A new way to test for Chagas disease offers hope for combating the insect-borne ailment, which can otherwise go unnoticed for years, Reuters reports. The new method involves screening children in small areas where exterminators find the most disease-carrying bugs instead of having to test bigger populations. The disease infects...

Gates Aims $100M at Polio
Gates Aims $100M at Polio
Nov 27, 2007 4:30 AM CST

Gates Aims $100M at Polio

Foundation aims to eradicate disease

(Newser) - The world stands at the brink of eradicating polio, Bill Gates says, and his foundation yesterday awarded $100 million toward that end. One of the foundation's largest challenge grants will fund programs in four countries where the disease is still epidemic, notably Nigeria. The Rotary Foundation received the grant and...

UK Farmers Facing Tax for Cattle Outbreaks

Bird flu, foot and mouth, cost Britons $246M this year

(Newser) - UK farmers face an $82 million tax bill to pay for curbing cattle infections. Farmers are likely to gripe, the Guardian reports, because diseases have already slammed profits—and the government is to blame for leaking foot and mouth disease from a lab last summer. But the environment ministry is...

13 Stories