Ground-breaking Development: 2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

It has now been more than three decades since the world came to know about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. About 30 million people have fallen prey to this killer disease and 7,000 people a day are infected with HIV around the world.

2-year-old Baby Cured from HIV/AIDS Infection

Most recently; a potentially ground-breaking case could offer insights on how to eradicate HIV infection in its youngest victims.

Two-and-a-half year old baby girl, who was born with HIV, has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, researchers say. The Mississippi girl has been off HIV drugs for about a year with no signs of infection.

Although there is an important technical tone: researchers insist on calling it a “functional cure” rather than a complete cure; but still the development is a bright ray of hope that could help improve treatment of babies infected at birth.

 During the medical conference at Atlanta, doctors say that the girl has only trace amounts of HIV in her bloodstream and has been able to keep the virus that causes AIDS in check without the help of medication.

Further testing yet to be done to establish that whether the treatment would have the same effect on other children or this case has some exceptions; but undoubtedly it could transform the way high-risk babies are treated and possibly lead to a cure for children with HIV, which causes AIDS.

"This is a proof of concept that HIV can be potentially curable in infants," said Dr Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

Attempting to replicate the results in other HIV-positive infants is "our next step," said Dr. Persaud further, who described the Mississippi patient at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. She and others are to make a formal presentation during the conference's scientific program later today (Monday).

The only fully cured AIDS patient recognized worldwide is the so-called “Berlin patient,” American Timothy Brown. He is considered cured of HIV and leukemia five years after receiving bone marrow transplants from a rare donor naturally resistant to HIV. The marrow transplant was aimed at treating his leukemia.

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Health Warning: SARS-like virus re-emerged, already infected 12 worldwide

The number of confirmed cases worldwide reach to 12 with yet another person in UK has been infected by new potentially deadly SARS-like virus. The person is the third victim from the same family, while this is the fourth case as a whole emerged in Britain.

Health Warning: SARS-like virus re-emerged infected 12 worldwide

The number of confirmed cases worldwide reach to 12 with yet another person in UK has been infected by new potentially deadly SARS-like virus. The person is the third victim from the same family, while this is the fourth case as a whole emerged in Britain.  

In September last year, a 49-year-old Qatari national was treated at a London hospital in September for the virus. Five people have died of the virus, according to the HPA — three in Saudi Arabia and two in Jordan.

The latest person infected with novel coronavirus, also known as NCoV, was a relative of two other cases revealed earlier this week, who were admitted to intensive care units (ICU’s) at two British hospitals; Britain’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) said in a statement.

British family’s first confirmed victim of the virus had recently travelled to West Asia and Pakistan; while the other two family members had no recent travel history.

The HPA said the latest patient was “recovering from a mild respiratory illness and is currently well’’.

The virus belongs to the same family as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) - a coronavirus that surfaced in China in 2002-03 and killed about 800 worldwide, 1 out of 10 infected was died after contracting with deadly virus.

Symptoms common to both viruses include severe respiratory illness, fever, coughing and breathing difficulties.

NCoV was identified when the WHO (World Health Organization) issued an international warning in September 2012 saying a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a Qatari man in Britain who had recently been in Saudi Arabia.

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Thousands could be at risk in meningitis outbreak in U.S. as 8 dead, 105 affected Already: CDC

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; eight people have died, with another fatality reported in Tennessee, since the outbreak of fungal meningitis in nine U.S. states including Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota and Ohio.

Thousands could be at risk due to meningitis outbreak in U.S. as 8 dead, 105 affected Already: CDC

The patients contracted the deadly fungal meningitis after being injected in their spines with a preservative-free steroid called methylprednisolone acetate that was contaminated by a fungus. The steroid is used to treat pain and inflammation.

The latest death in the most affected state of Tennessee is the fourth in this state and 35 other cases have also been registered here while the total number of infected patients are more than 105. Alarmingly, the number of people with noncontagious form of fungal meningitis has grown by 64 percent since Friday.

US health officials on Monday said that 13,000 patients in 23 states, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, have been injected with a potentially tainted steroid treatment, during May 21 and September 24, made by a Framingham pharmacy and linked to a national outbreak of meningitis, according to figures provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We know that 13,000 people received the injection,” said Jamila Jones, a public affairs specialist for the CDC in Atlanta. “They received it at facilities across the country. They are at risk.”

Tennessee has the highest amount of fungal meningitis with 35 cases and four deaths, followed by: 23 cases and one death in Virginia, 21 cases and two deaths in Michigan, 11 cases in Indiana, five cases and one death in Maryland, four cases in Florida, three cases in Minnesota, two cases in North Carolina and one case Ohio. 

The New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., said it was notifying its customers, but clinics, hospitals and healthcare providers that have any of the product should stop using it immediately, retain and secure it, and follow instructions contained in the notice.

The CDC had not received any reports of infection linked to other products from New England Compounding Center, but these products have also been recalled. 

Compounding pharmacies create special formulations of medications to fit patients' healthcare needs and might change the dose or change the formulation of a medication from a solid to a liquid, the CDC said.

SOURCE:

The Wall Street Journal

ABC News

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Peanut Butter and Almond Butter Possible Cause of Salmonella Outbreak in US: FDA

Grocery store chain Trader Joe's is recalling jars of a specific variety of its store-brand peanut butter due to a salmonella outbreak in 18 states of the U.S. The outbreak has also prompted the voluntary recall of dozens of peanut butter and almond butter products made by Mexico-based Sunland Inc.

 

Peanut Butter and Almond Butter Possible Cause of Salmonella Outbreak in America

 

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. It is most dangerous to children, the elderly and others with weak immune systems.

According to a press release by Trader Joe's: "We have no confirmed information that suggests this peanut butter is unsafe to eat, but there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers and crew, and the quality of our products."

While Sunland said in a statement, "There is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our customers, particularly the many families who enjoy our peanut butter everyday. While FDA (Food and Drug Administration), CDC, and State Health Agencies investigate to confirm the cause of illnesses reported, as a precautionary step, we have decided to voluntarily recall our Almond Butter and Peanut Butter products."

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); at least 29 cases of salmonella infection have been registered in about 18 states, including Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland. The sickness was occurred between June 11 and Sept. 2.

The CDC, working together with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), found that the Trader Joe's peanut butter and Sunland's almond butter were the likely cause of the salmonella outbreak, though the link has not been confirmed.

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FDA approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit from OraSure to test HIV infection at home

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit has been approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) on Tuesday that will provide Americans the facility to test, in the privacy of their own homes, whether they are infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

FDA approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit from OraSure to test HIV infection at home

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test Kit, from OraSure Technologies of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania), is one of the first of its kind ‘over the counter’ HIV test kit which got approval from FDA. The kit is an over the counter version of a test used by trained technicians in clinical settings that the FDA approved in 2004, but the kit is not as dependable as getting tested by a skilled clinical technician.

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test discovers the existence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2).

The one who wants to test has to take an oral swab, and place it in a specially prepared vial that comes with the kit. The test result is ready in 20 to 40 minutes.

As mentioned earlier that kit is not as dependable as a clinical test, therefore, a positive outcome doesn’t essentially mean that the user is absolutely infected with HIV, but that he/she should then go and get himself/herself tested in a medical setting to verify the result.

In the same way, a negative result doesn’t essentially signify that the user is certainly not infected: particularly if he/she may have picked up the virus in the previous three months.

Based on clinical studies, the kit is expected to show one false positive out of every 50,000 results and one false negative out of every 12 results.

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Yasser Lopez: Miami boy survived miraculously with spear in brain

MIAMI, FL – According to BBC reports; a U.S. teenager is improving after he was inadvertently hit with a spear gun by a friend during a Florida fishing trip this month.

Yasser Lopez: Miami boy survived miraculously with spear in brain

The doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami regarded the recovery of the 16-year-old Yasser Lopez as ‘Miracle’. The outcomes could have been much worse, doctors said, but still they didn’t know the extent of the damage to his memory and other parts of the brain.

According to hospital sources; the 3ft (90cm) projectile entered into the brain of Lopez over his right eye and went out the back of his head; but after a 3-hour long surgery he is out of danger and already started talking.  

Although he has no memory of the weird accident; but he was in his senses when he reached at the hospital. After providing him the anesthesia, part of the stainless steel spike had to be cut off with a mechanical cutter so that Lopez could fit into the CT scanner, doctors said. 

Lopez was lucky in the sense that spear’s path was into the right side of the brain, a non-dominant lobe, missing the parts responsible for speech and other important functions.

"It's a miracle the spear missed all the main blood vessels of the brain," neurosurgeon Ross Bullock told reporters.

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May 27, Aimee Day: victim of flesh-eating bacteria Aimee Copeland spoke her first word

'Today… May 27… is AIMEE DAY!!! Today Aimee has finally spoken her first words. I will follow with details tonight.' This is the latest blog update by Andy Copeland, the father of young female suffering from flesh-eating bacteria. 

Family delighted as victim of flesh-eating bacteria Aimee Copeland (left most) spoke her first word (Pic Credit: Facebook)

Aimee Copeland had spoken reportedly her first words since her fingers and foot were removed by surgeons at Doctors Hospital in quest to save her life.

Her first words have certainly given her family a new hope for her life but one thing is still certain that Aimee Copeland is likely to remain in hospital for several months.

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Mysterious flesh-eating infection put university student's life in danger

Tragedy of Aimee Copeland Haunting Americans: Could flesh-eating bacteria be in other local rivers and waterways? 

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The 24-year-old university student was infected with flesh-eating bacteria as a result of an accident of homemade zip line over a local river on May 1. Copeland suffered a deep wound in her left leg after falling from the zip line and the bacteria took hold in the wound.

On very early stages of her treatment; doctors thought she had only a slim chance of surviving the aggressive infection which vigorously spread into her body including her abdominal area.

Aimee Copeland has recovered extremely quickly with the support of her family, her colleagues at university and well-wishers who have made donations on the website Copeland’s father set up for his brave daughter.

She was able to ask for ice-cream, and let her family know when she was bored and wanted a book to read.

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