Scientists accuse ICMR of scuttling influenza projects
Resentment is building up in the scientific community against the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which, they charge, is responsible for sabotaging the country's influenza research programmes.The issue becomes important in the light of the unusual bird influenza "A(H5N1)" that has been recently reported in HOng Kong.
Safest blood donors may carry HIV
Mumbai study: One out of every 500 bottles of voluntary donated blood in Mumbai, screened for HIV and marked safe, can give you AIDS. This shocking revelation, made in a study conducted recently, is likely to pose fresh problems for the State Health Department, already struggling to comply with the …
Meningitis fears spur T.O. hotline
Toronto's health department is battling fears of a meningitis epidemic by launching an emergency hotline. Panic about a possible outbreak of the deadly meningoccacal meningitis group C is high even since the bacteria killed two teens last month.
Lifeline to aid 10,000 in UP
At least 10,000 patients suffering from various ailments, including ENT diseases and polio, will benefit from a month-long medical camp to be organised by the Lifeline Express at Gorakhpur railway station from February 12 to March 12.
Geese, ducks to be next targets in flu fight
A senior health official warned on Saturday that action may be needed against geese, ducks and other birds if the recent mass slaughter of chickens fails to wipe out bird flue.
Young children at greatest risk
Young children may be at the greatest risk of catching bird flu, scientists warned. The chance of the H5N1 virus passing directly between humans was again also raised after a doctor who treated the first victim was found to have been infected.
Still at large in Hong Kong
Despite government vows that "no chickens will be allowed to walk free in the territory" Hong Kong was awash with sightings of live birds that may carry a deadly avian flu. And panicky residents fear that stray dogs, cats and rats may become the next carriers of the virus after …
Scientists find gene mutation resistant to AIDS virus
French researchers have discovered a hereditary genetic mutation that appears to provide resistance to the virus that causes AIDS, a medical journal reported. The findings are reported in the Jan 3 edition of the British medical journal Lancet.
Hong Kong extends bird flu tests to dogs, cats
Hong Kong has extended "bird flu" tests to rats, dogs and cats in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly disease following the slaughter of millions of chickens, officials said on Friday. The animal tests were ordered after the authorities exterminated more than 1.4 million chickens in the …
Biodegradable plastic is here
The ubiquitous plastic carrier bag may no longer be such an eyesore-choking drains or lowering the water table. A fully biodegradable plastic, developed indegenously, is all set to hit the market this year. Obtained by combining starch and low-density polyetheyelene (LDPE) , the plastic is found to have "adequate mechanical …
More cases of dengue fever
Singapore had a record number of dengue fever and other mosquito-transmitted disease cases in 1997, the environment ministry says.
Indian wins US patent for AIDS treatment
The world-wide fight against AIDS has received a shot in the arm through the efforts of a Kanpur-based medical expert, Dr Surendra Rohtagi, who is on the verge of a breakthrough in the treatment of the dreaded disease.
Govt. command to contraceptive project
The Government today said it was supporting the reversible male contraceptive project, but it had to conform to law and ethics in regard to clinical trials.
Quaker Oats, MIT settle suit on cereal test
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Quaker Oats Co. has agreed to pay a $1.85 million settlement to people who as children were fed radioactive cereal in the 1940s and 1950s as part of a scientific experiment to determine how the products nutrients are absorbed into the body.
Poison from frog skin leads to a painkiller
Taking a clue from a deadly poison found in the skin of a South American forg, researchers have discovered painkiller that seems to have all of the benefits of morphine, but none of the damaging side effects. Researchers at Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago, developed the new pain killer called …
NGOs doubt professional blood-donor ban success
Health workers in the city are sceptical over the success of the state government's ban on professional blood donors. Most non-government organisations and even the spokesperson of a government organisation admitted that it was necessary to clamp down on the smaller private blood banks.
Drug makers take govt to court on price controls
The Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) has taken the Union Government and the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) to court over what it claims is the duo's ad hoc and arbitory price control policy. The BDMA's writ petition, whcih has been admitted by the Delhi High Court, comes up for …
US asbestos trust sues tobacco giants
An asbestos personnel -injury trust has sued major cigarette makers, claiming that tobacco companies should be held liable for the healthcare costs for asbestos workers who suffer from smoking-related illnesses. The lawsuit from the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust aims to preserve the rights of those suffering from asbestos-related health …
