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Other Infections

Does Human Papillomavirus Contribute to Lung Cancer?

A small proportion of lung cancers may be caused by the same high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with cervical and anal cancer, according to recently reported study findings, which could help explain an apparent link between higher lung cancer rates and immune deficiency in people with HIV.

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World TB Day: U.S. Cases Hit New Low, Integration with HIV Care Needed Worldwide

The number of new tuberculosis (TB) cases in the U.S. fell below 10,000 in 2012 -- the lowest rate since tallying began in the early 1950s, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) report released ahead of World TB Day on March 24. But the news is not all good, as novel treatments and better integration of care are needed on a global basis.alt

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Women's Death Rate Due to Smoking Now Matches Men, But Even Quitting Late Reduces Risk

Smoking can knock a decade off life expectancy relative to people who never smoked, and smoking-related mortality rates are now nearly equal for men and women, according to 2 studies published in the January 24, 2013, New England Journal of Medicine. But quitting by age 40 cuts the risk by 90%, and even later is still beneficial.

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CROI 2013: Researchers Discuss Advances in Tuberculosis Treatment

A new two-drug combination of rifapentine and moxifloxacin can allow tuberculosis (TB) treatment to be taken just once-weekly during the 4-month continuation phase, according to a presentation at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2013) last week in Atlanta. A related meta-analysis found that rifampicin, a key drug in TB treatment, can be tolerated at much higher levels than used in current clinical practice, suggesting that higher doses might allow the treatment course to be shortened.

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U.S. Cancer Rates Fall Overall, but Some HPV-associated Cancers Rise

Deaths due to all types of cancer combined decreased for men and women of all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., according to a joint "Annual Report to the Nation," published in the January 7, 2013, advance edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Incidence of oral and anal cancer increased, however, leading the report authors to call for wider use of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

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Drug-resistant Gonorrhea Makes its Way into North America

The first documented failure of oral treatment for gonorrhea in North America has been reported in Toronto. The article, Neisseria gonorrhoeae Treatment Failure and Susceptibility to Cefixime in Toronto, Canada, published in the January 9, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association, provides support for growing concern surrounding the second most prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the world. 

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Naloxone Is Cost-effective Way to Prevent Heroin Overdose Deaths

Distributing naloxone more widely to heroin users would reduce the number of deaths due to overdose and would be a cost-effective intervention, according to a mathematical model described in the January 1, 2013,Annals of Internal Medicine. Providing naloxone to prescription opiate users would prevent even more deaths.

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Experimental MVA Tuberculosis Vaccine Fails to Protect Infants

An investigational tuberculosis (TB) vaccine did not provide significant additional protection for babies who were previously immunized with the partially effective standard BCG vaccine, though it did stimulate immune response, researchers reported in the February 4, 2013, advance online edition of The Lancet.
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Bedaquiline Approved for Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis after Long Wait

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved bedaquiline (brand name Sirturo, formerly TMC207) as part of a combination regimen for adults with multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) -- the first approval of a new TB drug in more than 40 years.
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