World Hepatitis Day: the missing millions

The message of this year’s World Hepatitis Day is ‘Find the missing millions’ which aims to focus attention on the fact that millions of people around the world have Hepatitis C without knowing they have the infection, and around 214,000 people in the UK are undiagnosed. Hepatitis C is a dangerous viral infection that is […]

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Fighting against Rift Valley fever

Rift Valley fever is a viral disease endemic to Africa that is found on animals and spread via biting mosquitoes. The threat of Rift Valley fever is on the rise and has recently been added to the World Health Organisation priority list. Health control measures alone could be ineffective in the long term fight against […]

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What is pneumonia?

What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by a variety of different pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and mycobacteria.   Transcript Pneumonia is an infection in the lung tissue caused by microbes, and the result is inflammation. The inflammation brings water into the lung tissue, and that extra […]

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Gum disease linked to erectile dysfunction

Men who suffer from gum disease are more than twice as likely to suffer from impotence compared to those with health teeth and gums, according to a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology. The first study of its kind that involved a European population examined more than 150 men, and researchers were able to […]

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Financial incentives to reduce antibiotic use

Financial incentives help to drive down unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions from GPs and could reduce the amount of antibiotics in the community, according to a paper published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. This, in turn, could help to curb drug-resistant infections. The findings show the number of patients prescribed antibiotics by their GP for a common […]

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Gut microbes could warn of early liver disease

Gut bacteria markers could be a ‘smoking gun’ for liver disease, according to new research. The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, hint at the potential for chemical by-products produced by the microbes living inside us to be used as early warning signs of disease, which could be detected using a simple blood test. An […]

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Momentous decision to offer boys HPV vaccine

The decision to offer boys a vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has just been announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The Oral Health Foundation  believes the decision, which has been under consideration since 2013, will lead to many lives being saved due to the […]

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The human microbiome at the RSM

Human beings are each colonised by trillions of bacteria living on surfaces such as the skin, the genitorurinary tract and the gut. Every individual has a unique microbiome which reflects diet, environment, medication and many other interactions. The microbiome plays a key role in helping to maintain our health and keeping us free from disease […]

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Ghana eliminates trachoma

Ghana has made history by becoming the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate trachoma – the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness. In 2000, about 2.8 million people in Ghana were estimated to be at risk of trachoma. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has today (Wednesday 13th June) made the official announcement that the […]

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The CHERUB HIV garden of hope at Chelsea

The CHERUB HIV Garden conceived by Professor John Frater from the University of Oxford and Professor Sarah Fidler from Imperial College London, raises awareness of the journey of young people living with HIV and provides an opportunity for visitors to explore the challenges faced by them, reflect, heal and develop hope. Designed by Sussex-based Naomi […]

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