The week’s stories I missed

Posted by Tara C. Smith on March 23, 2007
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I have a host of collected links and one-liner posts that I hoped I’d get to this week, but just didn’t have the time for. So, rather than let them collect dust any longer, I’ll put a number of “greatest hits” in microbiology and public health from the past week or so after the fold:

John McCain isn’t sure if condoms help to prevent HIV transmission. Mike and Josh take him down.

The fight against guinea worm, an excruciatingly painful disease, is in the home stretch–but facing one of its toughest obstacles.

The proposed childrens’ health study may receive funding after all.

A new review highlights gaps in our knowledge of airborne influenza transmission. Oh, and if we should experience a pandemic, economic effects could be severe enough so as to trigger a recession.

And, this week’s medical blogging roundup, Grand Rounds, can be found at Blog, MD.

Next week will also be busy; the regular stuff plus another talk in the community (gave one of those this week too, in addition to the weekend symposium), but I’ll try to get in that write-up of said symposium, and a few other infectious disease topics as well…

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Comments

  1. #1 Kristjan Wager
    March 23, 2007

    I think you’ve missed three:
    1) The proof that it’s possible to modify mosquitos to become resistent to the parasite that is the cause of malaria. Not only is it possible, but it gives the modified mosquitos an advantage over the non-modified mosquitos.
    2) There is evidence that extensively multi-resistent TB (the type that’s basicly immune to every cure we have) is becoming widespread in South Africa.
    3) Thata multi-resistent strain of the plague has been found.

    For links to the stories/studies, I’ll refer to my blog, since it would otherwise cause this comment to go into moderation, due to the number of links.

  2. #2 Tara C. Smith
    March 23, 2007

    You’re right that I forgot the malaria/mosquito one. Tomorrow is world TB day, so I’m planning a post on that which will touch on the MDR TB again. Hadn’t seen the plague one yet, interesting…still catching up on so much email and news…

  3. #3 Guru
    March 23, 2007

    Hi

    Probably some of the readers of this blog might be interested in this series of posts about modelling the spread of antiviral resistance too.

  4. #4 lincoln
    April 16, 2007

    Just in from the latest May 2007 issue of Scientific American: A groundbreaking piece in their current issue!

    Chromosomal Chaos and Cancer

    Current wisdom on the role of genes in malignancy may not explain some features of cancer, but stepping back to look at the bigger picture inside cells reveals a view that just might

    By Peter Duesberg

    I doubt Tara will post on this, as she seems very busy of late, as surely it would not be because she is overtaken by the politics of science, or because she isn’t overly fond of HIV critic, or as she sometimes prefers to call him, the AIDS Denialist, and National Academy of Science member, Dr. Peter Duesberg.

    Either way, Scientific American just printed this amazing and groundbreaking piece by Peter Duesberg on Cancer:

    http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=E68F1707-E7F2-99DF-3C3FB15F1C7AAF61

    and it is also found on the HIV dissident site, You Bet Your Life, edited by Nature Biotechnologies founding editor, Harvey Bialy:

    http://barnesworld.blogs.com/barnes_world/2007/04/pewter_duesberg.html

  5. #5 Dale
    April 19, 2007

    The ‘theory’ itself is neither amazing nor groundbreaking so I assume that the amazing and/or groundbreaking part is that Peter Duesberg has published it in Scientific American and I agree – that it is amazing.