Norovirus cases ‘ highest seen this time of year in over a decade ’
Confirmed cases of norovirus are currently 66% higher than the five-year average before the pandemic, the UK Health Protection Agency has warned. Most outbreaks seen in recent weeks are in care homes, the figures show, with cases in the over-65s at the highest level in over 10 years. The figures have prompted public health officials... Read moreThe post Norovirus cases ‘highest seen this time of year in over a decade’ appeared first on Nursing in Practice. (Source: Nursing in Practice)
Source: Nursing in Practice - February 10, 2023 Category: Nursing Authors: Wiliam Hunter Tags: Latest news Vaccinations and infections norovirus Source Type: news
New covid agency’s £2bn procurement budget revealed
The government is looking for two commercial directors for its new health protection agency, with one expected to be responsible for £2bn-a-year expenditure. (Source: HSJ)
Source: HSJ - September 1, 2021 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Six month delay to government’s new health protection agency
England’s new health protection agency will not be “fully staffed and up and running” until October, the executive chair of NHS Test and Trace revealed today, despite the government’s plan for it to be “established and fully operational by Spring 2021”. (Source: HSJ)
Source: HSJ - February 3, 2021 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Emergency department performances during overcrowding: the experience of the health protection agency of Brianza - Amodio E, d ’Oro LC, Chiarazzo E, Picco C, Migliori M, Trezzi I, Lopez S, Rinaldi O, Giupponi M.
This study evaluated ED admissions during a twelve months period, analyzing characteristics of patients who underwent... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - July 31, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Disaster Preparedness Source Type: news
CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns After Report She Bought Tobacco Company Stock
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Brenda Fitzgerald, resigned on Wednesday following a report that she purchased shares in a tobacco company one month into her role at the agency.
“This morning Secretary Azar accepted Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald’s resignation as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fitzgerald owns certain complex financial interests that have imposed a broad recusal limiting her ability to complete all of her duties as the CDC Director,” said U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman Matt Lloyd in a statement. “Due t...
Source: TIME: Health - January 31, 2018 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alexandra Sifferlin Tags: Uncategorized CDC onetime Source Type: news
Pertussis: guidelines for public health management
These guidelines, which update the 2012 Health Protection Agency guidelines for the public health management of pertussis, are based on a recent review of all currently available scientific evidence and consultation with experts where required. The important changes in this guidance include: updated epidemiology of pertussis in England since the introduction of the pertussis immunisation programme for pregnant women in October 2012. (Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH))
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - July 20, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Ebola genetic code analysed to show evolution of worst ever outbreak
Reconstruction of outbreak, which has killed more that 11,000 people, found virus might have been contained had Ebola been diagnosed one month earlierScientists have analysed the genetic code of Ebola viruses from patients across west Africa and pieced together the evolution of the worst ever outbreak of the killer disease.Experts from the Health Protection Agency at Porton Down in Britain, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and other leading labs, used DNA from 179 Ebola samples to reconstruct the spread of the virus from Guinea into surrounding countries last year. Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 17, 2015 Category: Science Authors: Ian Sample Science editor Tags: Ebola Genetics Science Africa Biology World news Health World Health Organisation Microbiology Source Type: news
CDC's Mission: Protecting the Health of Americans
There is no doubt Ebola will rank as the biggest public health story of 2014, both here in the United States and around the world: more people sickened by Ebola than ever before in history, more people dying, and more understanding of how the health of one nation affects the health of us all.
Today, more than 170 of CDC's top health professionals are in West Africa working to stop the current Ebola epidemic and leave behind stronger public health systems. Many hundreds more support their work at home.
Leaving behind better capacities to find, stop, and prevent health threats in affected countries will help prevent the ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - December 24, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
'Electromagnetic smog' unlikely to harm humans
Conclusion
This study adds to the literature suggesting that environmental magnetic field exposure is unlikely to cause human disease. It's important to note, however, that this study did not examine disease states directly, but instead investigated a mechanism of action thought to be the most likely candidate to explain the observed link between MFs and certain medical conditions. The results of this study suggest that radical pair mechanism is not likely to be sensitive to magnetic fields.
Further potential mechanisms of action will need to be studied before drawing firm conclusions on the risk (or lack thereof) prese...
Source: NHS News Feed - December 18, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Special reports Source Type: news
Steep rise in antibiotic use for coughs and colds
ConclusionThis cross-sectional study has found the proportion of people with coughs and colds that are prescribed antibiotics rose from 36% in 1999 to 51% in 2011 – an increase of approximately 40%. This is despite the publication of guidance recommending that GPs do not prescribe antibiotics for coughs and colds. It also found substantial variation between different GP practices, with 10% of practices prescribing antibiotics for less than 32% of cases and 10% of practices prescribing antibiotics for more than 65% of cases, suggesting that substantially lower rates of prescribing could be achieved.The study also looke...
Source: NHS News Feed - August 5, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Source Type: news
CDC Would Sacrifice Kids To Cut Healthcare Costs
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appears to have assumed a role that was never intended: reducing the ability of vaccines to save lives. Its bureaucrats want to reduce infants' vaccination schedule in the interest of small cost-savings. CDC officials should go back and read the agency’s mission statement, which includes this commitment: “As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats.” And then they should rethink weakening the schedule for pneumococcal vaccine. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - April 23, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Henry I. Miller Source Type: news
Guidance released following scarlet fever outbreak
Scarlet fever cases have continued to rise across England, leading the health protection agency to issue urgent guidance for health professionals.
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Source: Nursing in Practice - April 22, 2014 Category: Nursing Authors: Lalah-Simone Springer Tags: Children ' s health Baby Care Infections Editor s pick Latest News Source Type: news
Experts with links to drugs industry 'hyped swine flu'
Conclusion
This was a well-conducted study, albeit based on a small sample of articles. The finding that academics with ties to the drugs industry were more likely to make a higher assessment of risk from swine flu, and those promoting the use of antiviral drugs were more likely to have industry links, is worrying.
The general issue of academics with undisclosed links to the pharmaceutical industry being interviewed by journalists is of concern. That said, the study does not prove that media coverage either fuelled public anxiety about swine flu or the policy decisions made about drug or vaccine funding.
Similarly, the...
Source: NHS News Feed - November 12, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Medication Swine flu Source Type: news
Even sex-crazed students can't catch this many STIs in a year | Michael Marshall
Freshers may have a lot of sex, but the claim that a quarter will catch a sexually transmitted infection is preposterousLast week we were confronted with the revelation that a shockingly high percentage of our educational elite are less than intelligent where safe sex is concerned. According to a headline in The Independent "A quarter of students will catch an STI in their first year":University is certainly a time for fun and frolics – but new research suggests that some students may be taking their partying a touch too hard, and endangering their health in the process.In fact, 23 per cent will catch an STI before they ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 23, 2013 Category: Science Authors: michael marshall Tags: theguardian.com Blogposts Infectious diseases Health Medical research Society Students Higher education Sexual health Science Source Type: news
'Mad cow protein' carried by 1 in 2,000 people
Conclusion
This study provided a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of prions (abnormal proteins) which indicate carrier status of a prion disease in England. Prions were found in 16 of 32,441 removed appendixes. This indicates a prevalence of a prion disease carrier status of 1 in 2,000 people, which is double the previous estimate of 1 in 4,000. Prion diseases include vCJD, but it is not clear if any of the 16 cases had this type of carrier status (none of the known cases of vCJD were involved in this study).
This is important information to gather, as it indicates that if prion diseases can be spread by a blood t...
Source: NHS News Feed - October 16, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Neurology Source Type: news
