Today's Headlines: May 25, 2018
Biological Agents & Infectious Diseases
Measles Makes Alarming Return to Europe and the Americas (
Axios) Between April 1, 2017, and March 30, 2018, there were more than 14,000 measles cases across Europe, led by Italy, Romania, and Greece. The vast majority occurred among people who did not receive their measles vaccination, while only 4% of the cases were imported. In the latest dire development, more than 9,000 cases were reported in Ukraine in the first 13 weeks of 2018.
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Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Kratom Over: 199 Cases in 41 States (
Outbreak News Today) The CDC announced today that the multistate outbreak of
Salmonella infections linked to kratom is over. A total of 199 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella were reported from 41 states. Thirty-eight percent of ill people were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported.
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Government Affairs & National Security
Infectious Disease Threats: Funding and Performance of Key Preparedness and Capacity-Building Programs (
GAO) An infectious disease threat is unique because of the transmissibility of diseases, the universal susceptibility of the world's population to pathogens that have not previously circulated, and the mobility of human populations. Infectious disease threats in recent years--such as Zika, Ebola, and H1N1 pandemic influenza--have heightened the United States' attention to future potential infectious disease threats and raised questions about the nation's preparedness and response capabilities.
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Global Health Security
Vaccines Alone Won't Beat Ebola (
The Atlantic) Three people who had been infected with Ebola recently left an isolation ward at Wangata Hospital against medical advice, according to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Health. The hospital lies in Mbandaka, a city of 1.2 million, where health workers are trying to contain the Congo's ninth Ebola outbreak. One patient was on the mend, but decided to leave on Sunday and didn't come back.
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Global Digital Health Index Launches Alongside World Health Assembly (
Next Billion) A global group of leaders at the World Health Assembly today launched the Global Digital Health Index (GDHI), an interactive digital resource that tracks, monitors, and evaluates the use of digital technology for health across countries. The GDHI will empower health ministries, funders, policy makers, and industry players to make informed strategic decisions as they build sustainable digital health solutions at scale.
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Medicine & Public Health
The Health Care Industry is Being Transformed, One Deal at a Time (
STAT News) More than 200 health care deals representing $72.6 billion were announced in the first quarter of 2018, kicking off what will be an active year for deal making in the US Consolidation plans, pent up private equity demand, new entrants, and other market forces will continue to motivate industry players to reflect, reevaluate their business models, and make strategic bets on deals and partnerships.
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Chembio Diagnostics to Sell Rapid Tests for Zika, Other Viruses in Brazil (
Newsday) Chembio Diagnostics Inc. plans to sell rapid tests for Zika and other viruses in Brazil, executives said Thursday. The company developed the tests with a government agency there. The Medford-based manufacturer of diagnostic tests for HIV, syphilis and fever illnesses said it has signed a long-term agreement with Bio-Manguinhos in Brazil to commercialize the tests for Zika, dengue and chikungunya in the country.
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Science & Technology
Artificial Intelligence is Evolving Fast. Can the FDA Keep Up? (
STAT Plus: subscription required) The use of artificial intelligence in medicine is accelerating rapidly, and large companies--from Google, to Amazon, to Microsoft--are dedicating huge sums to developing novel products that offer big rewards, and equally large risks. The FDA has already approved three products this year that use AI to help diagnose health problems, including one Thursday that detects wrist fractures. And some companies, like IBM, have put their products on the market without agency signoff.
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How A Cheap Magnet Might Help Detect Malaria (
goats and soda) Each year, malaria kills about half a million people around the world. Health officials say a fast, cheap, accurate way to test for people infected with the malaria parasite would be extremely helpful in combating the disease. Now some engineers in California say they've invented a device they someday will do just that.
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We Can Now Buy Organs-On-A-Chip for Drug Research in a Range of Diseases (
Labiotech) CN Bio Innovations, an Oxford University spin-out, has launched a device that enables scientists to test potential drugs in conventional cell culture labs without the need for animal models. The technology, which has been launched in Europe, the US and Asia, could benefit research into treatments for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
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Other 21st Century Threats
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