Zika virus can be detected in eye's conjunctival fluid
Scientists have examined whether Zika virus (ZIKV) could be detected from conjunctival swab samples of laboratory-confirmed ZIKV cases. The clinical symptoms of ZIKV infection are mostly a mild and self-limited rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (also known as pink eye). More than 80 percent of ZIKV infections are asymptomatic. Severe eye damage in infants with microcephaly was associated with ZIKV infection, say authors, however, it has not been clear whether the eye lesions are the result of microcephaly or directly ZIKV infection. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - September 19, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news
Zika Found in Eye Fluid in Study
THURSDAY, Sept. 15, 2016 -- Zika can be detected in fluid inside the eyelid and in the eye ' s outermost layer, a new study shows.
Some people infected with Zika develop conjunctivitis, an eye infection common among children known as " pink eye, " the... (Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews)
Source: Drugs.com - Daily MedNews - September 15, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Source Type: news
Zika infects the eyes of adult mice
(Cell Press) Mouse models of Zika infection in adults confirm that the virus can infect the eye, resulting in uveitis and conjunctivitis -- a symptom observed in 10 percent -15 percent of human patients. Furthermore, viral RNA was detected in rodents' tears after the virus had been cleared, raising the question of whether Zika continues to replicate in the gland where tears are produced, or the cornea, outside the reach of the immune system. The research appears Sept. 6 in Cell Reports. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - September 6, 2016 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Parasite Wonders: The Eyes Have It
This week's case is in honor of the third annual Contact Lens Health Week (August 22-26). Contact lenses were received from a young adult male with bilateral conjunctivitis, photophobia and eye pain. These symptoms began shortly after he had been swimming in a freshwater lake while wearing his contact lenses. What was the cause? Every [...] (Source: News from Mayo Clinic)
Source: News from Mayo Clinic - August 22, 2016 Category: Databases & Libraries Source Type: news
The ABC'S Of ZIKA
The world as we know it has changed-- and it changed on February 1-2016 when the World Health Organization declared ZIKA a public health emergency of international proportions. Overnight, it seemed that the emergence of one obscure virus affected the WHERE of travel, the HOW of dress, the GENESIS of human procreation, and ultimately, the DELIVERY of healthcare--particularly as it relates to the perinatal arena.
For those of us on the front line of caring for mothers and babies, every facet of care rendered for patients who MAY or HAVE been exposed to, or infected with ZIKA, is based on what the latest update is--be it from...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - August 16, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
What “native” Zika infections mean for the United States
In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that a woman in Miami-Dade County in Florida had tested positive for the Zika virus. Follow-up to this case led health officials in Florida to report a total of 15 cases in the area. These weren’t the first people in the United States, or even in Florida, to contract Zika. But these cases were unique in one important way –– they were likely caused by mosquitoes in the United States.
The CDC promptly issued a travel warning for pregnant woman and their partners, warning them not to visit the small community of Wynwood, just north of Miami, where these Z...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - August 8, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Michaela Kane Tags: Family Planning and Pregnancy Health Infectious diseases Travel health Source Type: news
FDA rejects Ocular Therapeutix ’ Dextenza post-operative pain indication
Ocular Therapeutix (NSDQ:OCUL) said today it received a complete response letter from the FDA denying approval for its Dextenza for an indication for treating ocular pain occurring after ophthalmic surgery.
Ocular Therapeutix’s Dextenza, formerly known as OTX-DP, is designed to deliver sustained dosage of dexamethasone over 4 weeks using a hydrogel plug inserted into a tear duct. The plug then dissolves and is flushed from the body as tears.
The Bedford, Mass.-based company said the FDA raised concerns related to “deficiencies in manufacturing process and controls” which were identified during a pre-New D...
Source: Mass Device - July 25, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Optical/Ophthalmic Regulatory/Compliance Ocular Therapeutix Inc Source Type: news
Why is the butterfly pea flower effective?
If you have been following my story, you know I love traveling. One reason is I love to explore.
Another reason?
I love to eat!
One of the great things about traveling the world is getting to sample the local cuisine. When I was living with the Guarani tribe in Peru, I drank beer made of yucca root that the native women spit into the ground and let ferment. I ate raw worms and grubs.
I’ve eaten the “Food of the Gods” in the Amazon. An incredible fruit called cupuaçu that tastes like a heavenly blend of chocolate and vanilla.
I’ve sampled so many unusual foods that it’s hard to surprise me. But that&...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - July 19, 2016 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Al Sears Tags: Natural Cures Source Type: news
This Flowchart Explains Whether Or Not You Should Get A Zika Test
If you’re headed to the Olympic Games in Rio next month, rest assured that it’s highly unlikely you’ll return home afterward with the Zika virus.
A recent analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared the expected 350,000 to 500,000 Olympic spectators and participants to the number of total estimated travelers to Zika-affected countries during 2015. The results revealed that Olympic travel will make up just one-quarter of one percent of last year’s travel volume. This means the games don’t pose a serious risk of Zika transmission beyond normal travel patterns.
H...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - July 18, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news
‘Unnecessary’ antibiotics scripts for child conjunctivitis
Antibiotics are being unnecessarily prescribed for conjunctivitis in children, according to UK researchers. (Source: Nursing Times)
Source: Nursing Times - July 8, 2016 Category: Nursing Source Type: news
Two in five GPs pressured to prescribe antibiotics by childcare providers
Two out of five GPs say childcare providers' policies on conjunctivitis have pushed them to prescribe antibiotics to children, research has shown. (Source: GP Online News)
Source: GP Online News - July 6, 2016 Category: Primary Care Tags: Clinical News Source Type: news
What Zika Can Teach Us About Risk
Everything seems scarier during the dark of night than in the light of day.
That is a likely explanation for why the public hit the panic button when the Zika virus made headlines this year. Zika, which is currently under intense investigation because of concerns that it might cause pregnant women to miscarry or deliver babies with abnormally small brains, is spreading wildly in Latin America, with four million cases expected within the next year. It was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization this past winter and in the last several months there have been Zika virus infections ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - June 28, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Eye Strain Caused by Digital Screens
I’ve noticed a frightening trend occurring around the world. Instances of eye problems are increasing with rapid numbers.
Problems like myopia – once thought to be genetic – are going up exponentially with each passing year.
Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. You may not see a change in your vision until the disease has become advanced.
Are Eye Problems Genetic?
We have to look at the bigger picture here… eye problems aren’t always genetic, and there are changes in our environment that are having a negative impact on our eyesight.
Serious Eye Problems That Affects Your Vision
One area of concern is eye str...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - June 24, 2016 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Al Sears Tags: Health Source Type: news
Research Needed to Help Treat Children Affected by Zika
When the Zika virus epidemic erupted in Brazil last year, public health officials took swift action because the virus was linked to an alarming birth defect: microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with very small heads and possible neurological damage.
We know now that Zika virus infection, which is spread primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito, is a cause of microcephaly and other serious developmental defects, and has been linked to other problems, including miscarriages and stillbirth.
While our attention is rightly focused on vaccine development, mosquito control, and other measures to preve...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - June 21, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Ocular Therapeutix shares plummet as 2nd Phase III misses primary endpoint
Ocular Therapeutix (NSDQ:OCUL) today saw shares dive over 40% after reporting the 2nd phase 3 clinical trial of its Dextenza drug-device combination failed to meet its primary endpoint.
Bedford, Mass.-based Ocular Therapeutix’s Dextenza, formerly known as OTX-DP, is designed to deliver sustained dosage of dexamethasone over 4 weeks using a hydrogel plug inserted into a tear duct. The plug then dissolves and is flushed from the body as tears.
The primary endpoint for the company’s 2nd Phase III trial of the device, which was exploring the efficacy of the device at treating ocular itching for patients with allergic ...
Source: Mass Device - June 6, 2016 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Fink Densford Tags: Clinical Trials Drug-Device Combinations Optical/Ophthalmic Regulatory/Compliance Ocular Therapeutix Source Type: news
