Turning a new page on antibiotics

Conclusions from antibiotic resistance meeting

2010-09-08

(Press-News.org) For 70 years the world has mismanaged the common good of antibiotics. The result is a growing global burden of antibiotic resistance, threatening to take health care back to an era where ordinary infections might once again become fatal.

At a historic three day conference at Uppsala University, Sweden, 190 delegates representing 45 countries and many leading stake holders – civil society, academia, industry, governments, authorities, supranational organizations – agreed on Wednesday to turn a new page and move towards concerted action on antibiotic resistance.

"This is a starting point for a global compact on antibiotic resistance", says Professor Otto Cars, chairman of ReAct, the international network for Action on Antibiotic Resistance.

The new signals from the Uppsala meeting include:

A shared conviction that antibiotic resistance is a universal problem. Like global warming, it requires joint action, not least by governmental alliances. A clear signal from the pharmaceutical industry that return of investment on research and development of new antibiotics and diagnostic tools will have to be de-linked from market sales in order to boost necessary innovation while yet limiting the use of antibiotics. This requires a new business model where private and public sectors cooperate. A strong recommendation to all stakeholders to speed up the efforts to limit unnecessary use of antibiotics, while at the same time making the medicines affordable and accessible in developing countries. A commitment to improve the monitoring of antibiotic resistance across the world, through shared data and increased efforts. A global network of surveillance will require common methods, and is crucial for both prudent use and needs driven development of new agents.

The year 2011 marks a new beginning. ReAct is pleased to note that the World Health Day will be devoted to antimicrobial resistance. Other initiatives across the world next year include:

A final report from TATFAR, The Transatlantic Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance. A policy meeting on antibiotic resistance in Dehli, India. A WHO Action Plan on Antibiotic Resistance. A number of regional initiatives, including in Southeast Asia, Africa and The Middle East.

INFORMATION:

A more detailed report on meeting outcomes will be made available shortly on www.reactgroup.org.

For more information or inquiries of interviews, please contact Peter Lundström of ReAct at +46 (0) 70-937 15 35, or Peter.Lundstrom@medsci.uu.se.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Cloud computing method greatly increases gene analysis

2010-09-08

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed new software that greatly improves the speed at which scientists can analyze RNA sequencing data. RNA sequencing is used to compare differences in gene expression to identify those genes that switched on or off when, for instance, a particular disease is present. However, sequencing instruments can produce billions of sequences per day, which can be time-consuming and costly to analyze. The software, known as Myrna, uses "cloud computing," an Internet-based method of sharing computer resources. ...

Stanford land-use expert brings satellite data down to Earth

2010-09-08

By integrating remote satellite imagery with revelations from door-to-door interviews, Stanford University geographer Eric Lambin and his colleagues are exploring the complex conditions that give rise to a broad range of land-use challenges – from the reforestation of Vietnam to the spread of Lyme disease in Belgium. For decades, orbiting satellites have peered downward to gather information about the surface of the Earth, giving scientists an unprecedented view of the planet. Using this data, researchers have created maps of deforestation and other land-use changes over ...

Questioning the safety of certain 'healthful' plant-based antioxidants

2010-09-08

Scientists are calling for more research on the possibility that some supposedly healthful plant-based antioxidants — including those renowned for their apparent ability to prevent cancer — may actually aggravate or even cause cancer in some individuals. Their recommendation follows a study in which two such antioxidants — quercetin and ferulic acid — appeared to aggravate kidney cancer in severely diabetic laboratory rats. The study appears in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Kuan-Chou Chen, Robert Peng, and colleagues note that vegetables, ...

Reading food labels, combined with exercise, can lead to weight loss

2010-09-08

Pullman, WA—September 8, 2010— Nutritional science and food marketing has become so sophisticated in recent decades that a trip to the supermarket can require a complete nutritional re-education. The average consumer needs to be on guard against preservatives, added fat, colorings, and calories, false advertising, and sophisticated but misleading labels. Although guidelines for the information of food labels have gotten a bad rap in recent years a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs suggests that observing them may lead to weight loss, especially for ...

Worldwide shortage of isotopes for medical imaging could threaten quality of patient care

2010-09-08

Twenty million medical scans and treatments are done each year that require radioactive isotopes, and scientists today described a global shortage of these life-saving materials that could jeopardize patient care and drive-up health care costs. They spoke at a symposium at one of the opening sessions of the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Medical isotopes are minute amounts of radioactive substances used to diagnose and treat a variety of diseases. Isotopes injected into the body can enable doctors to determine whether the heart has adequate ...

Education more important than knowledge in stopping spread of HIV in Africa

2010-09-08

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Simply teaching people the facts about how to protect themselves from HIV may not be enough to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa, a new study suggests. Researchers found that villagers in Ghana who had higher levels of cognitive and decision-making abilities – not just the most knowledge -- were the ones who were most likely to take steps to protect themselves from HIV infection. These cognitive abilities are what people develop through formal education, said Ellen Peters, lead author of the study and associate professor of psychology at Ohio State ...

'Soyscreen': Sunscreen for fungus to expand biological control of crop pests

2010-09-08

Scientists today described development and successful initial tests on a substance that acts as a sunscreen for the microscopic spores of a fungus, brightening prospects for wider use of the fungus as a means of wiping out insect pests that attack food crops. "Our finding is especially important for the environment because improving the effectiveness of biological control treatments like this will help to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides," said team leader Robert W. Behle, Ph.D. Behle explained that the fungus –– Beauveria bassiana –– shows great promise as a ...

Eyes of cattle may become new windows to detect mad cow disease

2010-09-08

The eyes may or may not be windows to the soul, as the old adage goes, but scientists are reporting evidence that a peek into the eyes of cattle may become the basis for a long-sought test to detect infection with the agent that causes Mad Cow Disease. That test could help prevent the disease from spreading in the food supply. A study on using the tell-tale glow given off by eyes infected with the Mad Cow agent appears in ACS' semi-monthly journal Analytical Chemistry. Jacob Petrich and colleagues note that the human form of Mad Cow Disease is linked to eating beef from ...

Low levels of formaldehyde in clothing unlikely to pose health risk

2010-09-08

The formaldehyde added to fabrics to keep clothing looking fresh and wrinkle-free is unlikely to pose a health risk to consumers, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine. C&EN Senior Correspondent David J. Hanson notes that manufacturers have added formaldehyde to fabrics for almost a hundred years to make fabrics easier to care for, particularly to reduce wrinkling in cotton and prevent stains. But concern has emerged over formaldehyde's potential for causing allergic reactions such as skin rashes ...

High testosterone levels linked to self-destructive CEO behavior, says Management Science

2010-09-08

High testosterone levels in CEOs negotiating mergers and acquisitions are linked to a higher rate of dropped deals and an increase in hostile takeover attempts, according to a new study in the current issue of Management Science, a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®). "Deal or No Deal: Hormones and the Mergers and Acquisitions Game" is by Maurice Levi, Kai Li, and Feng Zhang of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. The study appears in the current issue of Management Science. A podcast ...

Turning a new page on antibiotics

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: