Cholera Vaccine Helps Prevent Serious Illness

A vaccine in a pill protects children and adults against severe cholera, a new study shows. Cholera is an infectious disease spread through contaminated water and food. It is typically found in hot, tropical climates, the researchers explained. The results of the first real-life trial of the vaccine support its use in routine mass vaccination programs to help control cholera in more than 50 countries. In countries where the infection is common, more than 1 billion people are at risk of contracting the infectious disease, the researchers noted. Each year, there are about 2.8 million cholera cases and 91,000 deaths in regions where the disease is common, they added. The study included nearly 270,000 people living in a slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the researchers said. All were over the age of 1. They were at high risk of cholera due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. The study volunteers were randomly selected to receive either the oral cholera vaccine Shanchol, the vaccine along with improved hand-washing and clean drinking water, or no intervention. The vaccine was given in two doses 14 days apart. Sixty-five percent of the vaccine-only group and 66 percent of the vaccine/hand washing/clean drinking water group received two complete doses. Vaccination with two doses reduced the incidence of severely dehydrating cholera by 37 percent after two years in the vaccine-only group, the study found. In the vaccine/hand washing/clean drinking water group, the rate of severely dehydrating cholera dropped by 45 percent. Further analysis showed that vaccination reduced the risk of cholera by 53 percent over two years, according to the study. "Our findings show that a routine oral cholera vaccination program in cholera-endemic countries could substantially reduce the burden of disease and greatly contribute to cholera control efforts. The vaccine is cheap, two doses cost U.S. $3.70, around a third of the price of the other licensed vaccine Dukoral," study author said. No serious side effects were reported. The most common problems associated with the vaccine were vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and acute watery diarrhea. "Ultimately, the key to controlling cholera is clean water and adequate sanitation, which half the developing world [around 2.5 billion people] lack, but this remains a rather difficult reality for the world's poorest nations as well as those affected by climate change, war and natural disasters," she added.

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Cell Damage Occurs When People Have CT Scans: Study

Cellular damage occurs when people undergo CT scans, but whether or not this causes cancer or any other health problems is unclear, a new study finds. "The use of medical imaging for heart disease has exploded in the past decade," study senior author said. "These tests expose patients to a non-trivial amount of low-dose radiation," study senior author added. "But nobody really knows exactly what this low-dose radiation does to the patient. We now have the technology that allows us to look at very subtle, cell-level changes." In the study, research team examined the blood of 67 people before and after they had undergone a heart CT scan. After the scans, the research did show an increase in DNA damage in cells, as well as cell death. There was also increased expression of genes involved in the repair or death of cells, the study found. Most cells damaged by the CT scan were repaired, the researchers said, but a small percentage of them died. The bottom line: "We now know that even exposure to small amounts of radiation from [CT] scanning is associated with cellular damage," study co-lead author said. However, she added that it's still not clear from this study whether or not this causes cancer or any negative effect to the patient. The findings should encourage physicians to use CT scan dose-reduction strategies, co-lead author added. The study didn't find any DNA damage in healthy people who were of average weight who had the lowest doses of radiation during their CT scans. Still, the research team noted that a CT scan exposes patients to at least 150 times the amount of radiation from a single chest X-ray. And in 2007, the U.S. National Cancer Institute predicted that 29,000 future cancer cases could be linked to the 72 million CT scans performed in the country that year alone. "We need to learn more because it's not a benign effect, even at these low dosages," she said. "Our research supports the idea that maybe physicians shouldn't just use the best image quality [requiring higher doses] in all cases. "We shouldn't eliminate CT scans," she said, "because they're obviously important. But, one can make it safer by reducing the doses, by getting better machines and technology, and by giving patients something to protect them."

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Extreme Weather May Raise Risk Of Salmonella Infection, Study Says

Extreme heat and rainfall are associated with rising rates of salmonella infections, a new study says. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health suggest the risk for these infections is likely to grow as climate change increases the number of extreme weather events. They said coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to these food-borne bacterial infections. "We found that extremely hot days and periods of extreme rainfall are contributing to salmonella infections in Maryland, with the most dramatic impacts being seen in the coastal communities," researcher said. "As we prepare for the future, we need to take this differential burden into account." Salmonella is a group of food- and waterborne bacteria. The germ is often found in uncooked poultry, eggs, beef and unwashed produce. In the United States, salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million cases each year of severe gastroenteritis, commonly known as the "stomach flu." Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, vomiting and stomach cramps. In Maryland alone, more than 9,500 cases of salmonella were reported and confirmed between 2002 and 2012. Previous studies have suggested that weather, particularly temperature and rainfall, plays a role in salmonella infections, the researchers said. Using three decades of weather data as a baseline, the study's authors identified extreme heat and rain events from 2002 to 2012. These events were linked to health department data on salmonella infections. The team of researchers, which included environmental epidemiologists, microbiologists, earth system scientists and officials from the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, found there was a higher rate of salmonella infections during summer months than at any other time of year. The observed risk for this bacterial infection during heat waves was 5.1 percent for people living on the coast, compared to 1.5 percent for people living inland. The risk for these infections during extreme rain was 7.1 percent for coastal residents, compared to 3.6 percent for those in non-coastal areas, the study found. The study's authors said their findings suggest public health officials should improve preparedness and response to the health effects of climate change at local, state and national levels.

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New Products of SQUARE Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

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