Terri Schiavo, 41, zmarła na Florydzie

Jak poinformował prasę rzecznik rodziców Terri Schiavo, Paul O'Donnell, ich córka zmarła dziś rankiem o 10:00 lokalnego czasu (17:00 czasu polskiego) po 13 dniach od odłączenia tuby dostarczającej jej pożywienie. Jej rodzice nie mieli wstępu do jej sali w chwili zgonu. Miała 41 lat.

Michael Schiavo, mąż Terri, wnosił do sądu Florydy o odłączenie jego żony od tuby, aby nie cierpiała i zmarła. 18 marca, sąd wyraził zgodę na jej odłączenie, jednak rodzice Terri, Robert i Mary Schindler, odwoływali się od decyzji. Pomimo zgody kongresu Stanów Zjednoczonych na ponowne podłączenie Terri, podpisanej przez prezydenta Stanów Zjednoczonych 21 marca nie wykonano tego. Wcześniej sąd stanowy i sąd federalny nie zgodził się na podłączenie aparatury umożliwiającej sztuczne odżywianie Terri, a Najwyższy Sąd Stanów Zjednoczonych nie zgodził się na taką samą prośbę Schindlerów 24 marca.

Pomimo licznych protestów, które odbyły się pod szpitalem, nie udało się uratować Terri. Otrzymała ona ostatnią komunię w Niedzielę Wielkanocną.

Michael Schiavo chce, aby jego żona została poddana kremacji i spoczęła w rodzinnym grobie rodziny Schiavo, pomimo protestów jej rodziców. Przedtem jednak zostanie wykonana sekcja zwłok, aby udowodnić publice ogromne i nieodwracalne uszkodzenie mózgu Terri.

Na temat śmierci Amerykanki wypowiedział się także George W. Bush. "Nalegam, aby wszyscy, którzy szanują Terri Schiavo kontynuowali pracę nad tworzeniem kultury życia, w którym wszyscy Amerykanie będą szanowani i chronieni, w szczególności ci, którzy żyją na łasce innych. W przypadkach gdy mamy wątpliwości i pytania, powinniśmy założyć dobro innych, by żyli dalej." - Powiedział prezydent Stanów Zjednoczonych.

Jak powiedział George Felos, adwokat Michaela Schiavo, Terri Schiavo sama chciała umrzeć w obecnym stanie i została spełniona jej wola. Sprawa Terri wywołała dyskusję na temat eutanazji i leczenia osób sparaliżowanych.


Paciente Terri Schiavo morre nos Estados Unidos

Segundo a agência de notícias Reuters, a norte-americana Terri Schiavo, 41 anos,  morreu nesta manhã de quinta-feira, 31 de março, no hospital da Flórida, nos Estados Unidos da América. Ela dependia de aparelhos médicos para se alimentar, os quais foram removidos a pedido de seu ex-marido, que afirmou que esse era o desejo expresso dela em vida.
O caso provocou bastante agitação nos Estados Unidos  e teve bastante repercussão mundial.

Schiavo sofreu um  severo dano cerebral  em 1990,  depois de uma parada cardíaca, causada por uma desordem alimentícia. Durante o ataque, o seu cérebro ficou sem  oxigênio durante 14 minutos,  e levou  à morte  muitos dos seus neurônios. Ela permaneceu  em um estado vegetativo desde então.

O Presidente George W. Bush numa conferência para a imprensa ofereceu suas condolências à familia e amigos de Schiavo. Uma autópsia está programada a fim de se conhecer a extensão dos danos cerebrais da paciente.


The Lancet study suggests inactivity now as deadly as smoking

A report published by public-health journal The Lancet suggests living a sedentary lifestyle is now as-fatal for individuals as smoking. Compiled by 33 research workers, the report speaks of a "pandemic" in which an estimated one-in-three adults worldwide are inactive, leading to approximately 5.3 million fatalities from this.

Research for The Lancet established people in higher-income countries are more inactive than those where lower incomes prevail. The study indicated nearly two-in-three adults in the United Kingdom are not active enough. "Roughly three of every 10 individuals aged 15 years or older — about 1.5 billion people — do not reach present physical activity recommendations," states the report, publicised in the approach to the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Pedro Hallal, a lead researcher for the study, explained: "With the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games, sport and physical activity will attract tremendous worldwide attention. Although the world will be watching elite athletes from many countries compete in sporting events [...] most spectators will be quite inactive. The global challenge is clear - make physical activity a public health priority throughout the world to improve health and reduce the burden of disease." Faculty of Public Health president Professor Lindsey Davies spoke of a similar theory: "We need to do all we can to make it easy for people to look after their health and get active as part of their daily lives [...] Our environment has a significant part to play. For example, people who feel unsafe in their local park will be less likely to use it." According to BBC Health, exercising can assist in strengthening one's bones, as well as assisting with issues such as insomnia and depression.

However, BBC News Online reported the comparison of a sedentary lifestyle with smoking has been called into question, as smoking is more likely to cause death. At-issue is comparing the number of smokers with the significantly lower number of individuals living sedentary lifestyles. Dr. Claire Knight from Cancer Research UK asserts: "When it comes to preventing cancer, stopping smoking is by far the most important thing you can do."


Sipas një studimi, pasiviteti është po aq vdekjeprurës sa duhani

Një raport i publikuar nga revista shëndetësore The Lancet thotë se pasiviteti mund të jetë po aq fatal sa duhani. Përpiluar nga 33 punonjës kërkimorë, raporti flet për një "epidemi" në të cilën një në tre të rritur në mbarë botën janë pasivë, duke çuar në rreth 5.3 milion viktima nga kjo.

Kërkimi për The Lancet tregoi se njerëzit në vende me të ardhura të larta janë më pak aktivë se njerëzit në vende me të ardhura të ulëta. Studimi tregoi se afërsisht dy në tre të rritur në Mbretërinë e Bashkuar nuk janë aktivë mjaftueshëm. "Rreth tre në dhjetë njerëz të moshës 15 vjeç ose më të rritur — rreth 1.5 miliard njerëz — nuk arrijnë rekomandimet aktuale të aktivitetit fizik," thotë raporti, i publikuar në prag të lojërave olimpkie verore 2012.

Pedro Hallal, një kërkues për studimin, shpjegoi: "Me lojërat olimpike 2012 që po vijnë, sporti dhe aktiviteti fizik do të tërheqin një vëmendje të madhe në të gjithë botën. Megjithatë, bota do të jetë duke parë atletë nga shumë vende duke konkuruar në ngjarje sportive [...] shumica e shikuesve do të jenë mjaft inaktivë. Sfida globale është e qartë - bëjeni aktivitetin fizik një përparësi të shëndetit publik në të gjithë botën për të përmirësuar shëndetin dhe për të reduktuar rrezikun nga sëmundjet." Presidenti i Fakultetit të Shëndetit Publik, profesor Lindsey Davies foli për një teori të ngashme: "Ne duhet të bëjmë çmos që ta bëjmë të lehtë për njerëzit të kujdesen për shëndetin e tyre dhe të bëhen aktivë si një pjesë ee jetëve të tyre të përditshme [...] Mjedisi ynë ka një rol të konsiderueshëm për të luajtur. Për shembull, njerëzit që ndihen të pasigurt në parkun e tyre lokal, do të ketë pak gjasa që ata ta përdorin." Sipas BBC Health, ushtrimet gjimnastikore mund të ndihmojnë në forcimin e kockave, dhe gjitashtu mund të ndihmojnë në çështje të tilla si pagjumësia apo depresioni.

Megjithatë, BBC News Online raportoi se krahasimi i një jete pa aktivitet fizik me duhanin është vënë në pikëpyetje, pasi gjasat që duhani të shkaktojë vdekjen janë më të mëdha. Për t'u krahasuar është numri i duhanpirësve me numrin e ulët që jetojnë pa aktivitet fizik. Dr. Claire Knight nga Cancer Research UK pohon: "Kur vjen puna për të ndalur kancerin, lënia e duhanit është gjëja më e rëndësishme që mund të bëni."


Turkish teenager dies from bird flu

A 14 year old Turkish male has died from bird flu in Turkey. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is most likely the teenager died from the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus.

The teenager's sister has also been infected with another sibling also suspected to have the virus. Eight other people, mostly from the same family have been hospitalized in the city of Van, Turkey with flu-like symptoms.

The children were from Dogu Beyazit, a farming town in eastern Turkey. It is believed that the children raised poultry on a small farm and may have been in contact with sick birds. The family also ate diseased poultry.

The young male was originally thought to have died from a pnuemonia related infection. Later tests revealed that the male had in fact died from bird flu.

According to Huseyin Avni Sahin, the head doctor of the hospital in Van where the teenager was treated, "(The boy) died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu". Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag gave no specific details and said samples had been sent to the WHO and Britain for more tests.

If the teenager is confirmed to have had H5N1, it would be the first death from H5N1 in Europe.

Huseyin Avni Sahin has requested more ventilators to treat the ill people.

While H5N1 remains difficult for humans to contract, authorities fear it may mutate into a form that is passable among humans. Such a mutation could kill millions of people around the globe.


Die Türkei bestätigt zwei Fälle von Vogelgrippe bei Menschen

Der türkische Gesundheitsminister, Recep Akdag, und Krankenhausquellen haben am 4. Januar bestätigt, dass im Osten des Landes zwei Fälle von Vogelgrippe bei Menschen festgestellt wurden.

Diese zwei Fälle sind die ersten in Asien – abgesehen von den Fällen, die in China und Südostasien gezählt wurden.

Die bisherigen Informationen dementierten, dass ein Jugendlicher von 14 Jahren, Mehmet Ali Kocyigit, der am Sonntag, dem 1. Januar, in einem Krankenhaus in Van verstarb, an einer Erkrankung mit dem H5N1-Virus gestorben ist. Sie führten seinen Tod auf eine Lungenentzündung zurück.

Die jüngere Schwester des Jugendlichen war das andere Opfer, bei dem das Virus festgestellt wurde, und ihre Verfassung wurde als „ernst“ bezeichnet.

Gemäß dem Minister versorgt die Familie, in der sich das Virus herausgebildet hat, eine Geflügelfarm in der Stadt Doğubeyazıt in der Nähe zur iranischen Grenze. Er signalisierte unter anderem seine Zustimmung dazu, dass die Krankheit die Folge des Fleischverzehrs von infiziertem Geflügel sei.

Mehrere Länder der Europäischen Union hatten im Oktober 2005 ein Importverbot von lebendem Geflügel aus Rumänien und der Türkei aufgestellt, aber das Embargo war seitdem aufgelockert worden.

Die Bestätigung des viralen Ursprungs dieser Tode droht auf neue drastische Maßnahmen bezüglich des Imports von türkischem Geflügel hinauszulaufen.


La Turquie confirme deux cas de grippe aviaire chez l'homme

Le ministre turc de la Santé, Recep Akdag, et des sources hospitalières, ont confirmé, mercredi 4 janvier, que deux cas de grippe aviaire sur l'homme avaient été identifiés dans l'Est du pays.

Ces deux cas sont les premiers en Asie, en dehors des cas recensés en Chine et en Asie du Sud-Est.

De précédentes informations démentaient que l'adolescent de 14 ans, Mehmet Ali Kocyigit, décédé dimanche 1er janvier dans un hôpital de Van, fût décédé d'une atteine de la souche H5N1 du virus, attribuant son décès à une pneumonie.

La jeune sœur de l'adolescent décédé serait l'autre victime identifiée du virus, et son état serait jugé « grave ».

Selon le ministre, la famille dans laquelle le virus s'est développé s'occuperait d'un élevage de volailes dans la ville de Dogubayezit, à proximité de la frontière iranienne. Il laisse en outre entendre que la maladie ferait suite à la consommation de la chair de certaines volailles infectées.

Plusieurs pays de l'Union européenne avaient mis en place une interdiction d'importation de volailes vivantes en provenance de Roumanie et de Turquie, en octobre 2005, mais l'embargo avait été quelque peu assoupli depuis cette date.

La confirmation de l'origine virale de ce décès risque de conduire à de nouvelles mesures drastiques concernant l'importation de volailles turques.


U.S. Senate passes landmark health care reform bill

The United States Senate has approved a hard-fought measure to overhaul the health care system. The vote will be followed by the difficult process of reconciling the Senate-passed bill with one approved by the House of Representatives, in order to get a final measure to President Barack Obama.

"The yeas are 60, the nays are 39. H.R. 3590 as amended, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is passed," Vice President Joe Biden announced. Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky did not show up for the vote leading to the 39 nays. Mike Reynard, a spokesman for Bunning, said in an e-mail that "The senator had family commitments."

The vice president presided over the Senate at the time of the vote in his role as President of the United States Senate.

As expected, Republicans voted against the bill while all Democrats and two Independents, Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, voted for it.

At an estimated $87 billion, the measure would expand health insurance coverage to about 30 million more Americans currently without it, and create new private insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, to expand choice.

And, like the slightly more expensive measure passed by the House of Representatives, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, it would end a practice by private insurance companies of denying coverage to individuals with existing health problems.

Both the Senate and House measures would require nearly all Americans to purchase some form of insurance, while lower-income Americans would receive help from federal government subsidies.

In remarks before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada, said opponents had done everything they could to prevent the vote from taking place.

Speaking to reporters, Reid and others hailed the vote as a victory and a major step toward providing millions more Americans with access to health care. "This is a victory because we have affirmed that the ability to live a healthy life in our great country is a right and not merely a privilege for the select few," Reid said.

Reid and others including Robert Byrd, the 92-year-old Democrat from West Virginia, paid tribute to Senator Edward Kennedy, who died this past August after spending decades of his career in the Senate pursuing health care reform.

When casting his vote Byrd said, "Mr. President, this is for my friend Ted Kennedy. Aye."

Victoria Reggie Kennedy, the widow of Senator Kennedy, watched the proceedings from the Senate visitor's gallery, as did Representative John Dingell, Democrat from Michigan, who has been a long time advocate of health care reform and who sponsored and introduced the House version of the health care reform bill.

In the final hours of debate on the Senate bill, Republicans asserted it would be ineffective and add sharply to the U.S. budget deficit.

Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican from Alabama said of the bill, "This legislation may have a great vision, it may have a great idea about trying to make the system work better. But it does not. These are huge costs [and] it's not financially sound."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to defeat the bill when the Senate reconvenes in January saying, "This fight is not over. This fight is long from over. My colleagues and I will work to stop this bill from becoming law."

Senator Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican from Maine who helped approved the Senate Finance Committee's version of health care reform, the America's Healthy Future Act, earlier in the year and who remarked she may not vote on the final bill, said, "I was extremely disappointed," noting that when the Democrats reached their needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, "there was zero opportunity to amend the bill or modify it, and Democrats had no incentive to reach across the aisle."

Ahead are difficult negotiations with the House of Representatives to craft a final bill President Obama would sign into law. These talks, which will formally get under way early in the new year, will take place amid anger among many liberal House Democrats the Senate bill failed to contain a government-run public health insurance option.

Members of the House Progressive Caucus have vowed to fight to keep this public option in any final legislation that emerges, along with other provisions they say are needed to protect lower and middle-income Americans and hold insurance companies accountable.

In a statement, the Democratic chairmen of three key House committees said while there are clear differences between House and Senate bills, both will bring fundamental health care coverage to millions who are currently uninsured.

Obama administration officials have been quoted as saying they anticipate negotiations on a final bill would not be complete until after the President's State of the Union Address in January, and could slip even later into the new year.

President Obama issued a statement to the press in the State Dining Room in the White House saying that the vote is "legislation that brings us toward the end of a nearly century-long struggle to reform America's health care system."

He also pointed out the bill's strengths, noting, "The reform bill that passed the Senate this morning, like the House bill, includes the toughest measures ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable.  Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny you coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition.  They will no longer be able to drop your coverage when you get sick.  No longer will you have to pay unlimited amounts out of your own pocket for the treatments you need.  And you'll be able to appeal unfair decisions by insurance companies to an independent party."

He also noted how historic the bill is, saying, "If passed, this will be the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important reform of our health care system since Medicare passed in the 1960s."

Obama noted the potential social impact, saying, "It's the impact reform will have on Americans who no longer have to go without a checkup or prescriptions that they need because they can’t afford them; on families who no longer have to worry that a single illness will send them into financial ruin; and on businesses that will no longer face exorbitant insurance rates that hamper their competitiveness."

Obama afterwards made phone calls to various Senators and other people, including Victoria Kennedy and David Turner of Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Turner had his health insurance rescinded in January of last year, after his insurance company went back into his record and alleged that he failed to disclose his full medical record at the time he applied for coverage. Turner was First Lady Michelle Obama's guest during her husband's speech to a joint session of Congress on health care reform back in September.


El senado estadounidense aprobó la reforma sanitaria

24 de diciembre de 2009Washington D.C., Estados Unidos —

El presidente estadounidense, Barack Obama, celebró la aprobación de la reforma sanitaria por parte del Senado. El mandatario calificó de "histórica" la votación de la cámara alta. El resultado fue de 60 votos a favor y 39 en contra.

"Finalmente estamos listos para cumplir con la promesa de una reforma de salud real que brinde seguridad adicional y estabilidad a los estadounidenses", declaró Obama luego de la votación de los senadores. Para el Presidente, ésta es una de las leyes más importantes relacionadas con la seguridad social desde la década de 1930.

En el Congreso, 58 senadores demócratas dieron el visto bueno, junto con dos independientes. En cambio, todos los legisladores republicanos rechazaron la propuesta. Hubo un arduo debate entre los senadores que duró 24 días.

Sin embargo, falta un paso más para poder sancionar la ley. El texto aprobado por los senadores tendrá que combinarse con la versión apoyada por la Cámara de Representantes. Aunque hay diferencias significativas, los demócratas (quienes apoyaron la reforma junto con Obama) se mostraron optimistas.


États-Unis : le Sénat adopte sa version de la réforme de l'assurance-maladie

Le Sénat américain a approuvé, hier, le projet de loi portant sur la réforme de l'assurance-maladie, l'une des priorités du président Barack Obama. Suivra ensuite la difficile étape de conciliation, avec une mesure similaire adoptée par la Chambre des représentants[1] avant qu'une version finale soit envoyée au président Obama pour promulgation.

« Il y a 60 votes pour et 39 votes contre, le projet de loi sur la réforme de l'assurance-maladie est adoptée », a annoncé le vice-président Joe Biden, qui présidait la session du Sénat. Tous les républicains se sont opposés à la mesure, tandis que tous les démocrates et deux sénateurs indépendants l'ont approuvée.

D'un coût estimé à 871 milliards de dollars, la mesure vise à étendre la couverture médicale à 30 millions d'Américains actuellement sans assurance-maladie. Elle vise aussi à créer une plus grande compétition entre les compagnies privées d'assurance et étendre la gamme des polices d'assurance offertes.

Tout comme la version approuvée par les députées à la Chambre, celle du Sénat mettra fin à la pratique des compagnies d'assurances de refuser de couvrir les personnes malades. Sous les deux projets, presque tous les Américains devront se procurer une forme d'assurance-maladie, et les moins nantis bénéficieront de subventions du gouvernement.

« Les adversaires du projet de loi ont tout fait pour empêcher le vote », a estimé le sénateur Harry Reid, chef des démocrates au Sénat. « C'est une victoire, dans la mesure où nous avons affirmé que la possibilité de mener une vie saine dans notre grand pays et un droit, et non seulement un privilège réservé à quelques uns », a-t-il déclaré à la presse.

Durant les dernières heures de débat sur le projet, les Républicains ont fait valoir que « la mesure ne sera pas efficace et qu'elle augmentera le déficit budgétaire du pays ». « Cette législation reflète peut-être une grande vision, et représente peut-être une bonne idée sur les moyens de mieux faire fonctionner le système, mais cela ne sera pas le cas. Il y a d'énormes coûts que ne sont pas financièrement acceptables », a dit Jeff Sessions, sénateur républicain de l'Alabama.

Des négociations s'engageront en début d'année 2010 entre le Sénat et la Chambre pour concilier leurs projets de loi sur la réforme de l'assurance-maladie. Les démocrates libéraux de la Chambre déplorent le fait que la version du Sénat n'inclue pas d'option publique, c'est-à-dire une assurance-maladie administrée par le gouvernement. Ils désirent « maintenir cette option, tout comme diverses dispositions qui sont nécessaires pour protéger les classes moyenne et basse ».

Les responsables de l'administration américaine ont laissé entendre que les négociations sur le projet de loi final pourraient durer jusqu'au discours sur l'état de l'Union de M. Obama, en janvier, et même au-delà.


அமெரிக்கர்களுக்கு மருத்துவக் காப்பீடு வழங்கும் ஒபாமாவின் திட்டத்துக்கு செனட் அங்கீகாரம்

அமெரிக்கர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் மருத்துவக் காப்பீடு வழங்க வழி செய்யும் அதிபர் பராக் ஒபாமாவின் முக்கிய உள்நாட்டு கொள்கைக்கு ஆதரவாக அமெரிக்க மேலவை (செனட்) வாக்களித்துள்ளது.

கிறிஸ்துமஸ் தினத்துக்கு முதல் நாளில், மேலவை உறுப்பினர்கள் (செனட்டர்கள்) வாக்களித்திருப்பது என்பது நூற்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஆண்டுகளில் இதுவே முதல் முறை. எதிர்பார்த்தது போல குடியரசுக் கட்சியினர் இம்மசோதாவை எதிர்த்து வாக்களித்தனர். மக்களாட்சிக் கட்சி செனட்டர்களுடன் இணைந்து இரண்டு சுயேட்சைகள் ஆதவாக வாக்களித்தனர்.

தற்போது மருத்துவக் காப்பீடு இல்லாத 30 மில்லியன் அமெரிக்கர்கள் இதனால் பயனடைவர் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. 87 பில்லியன் அமெரிக்க டாலர்கள் இத்திட்டத்திற்காக ஒதுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இது சட்டமாக பிரகடனம் செய்யப்படுவதற்கு, பிரதிநிதிகள் அவையில் ஏற்கனவே அங்கீகரிக்கப்பட்ட மசோதாவுடன் இது ஒத்துப் போக வேண்டும்.

"1903 க்குப் பிறகு அமெரிக்காவில் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்ட மிக முக்கியமான சமூக சட்டம் இது" என்று இந்த வாக்கெடுப்புக்குப் பிறகு பேசிய அதிபர் ஒபாமா கூறியுள்ளார்.

எந்த காரணத்துக்காக அரசியல்வாதிகள் வாஷிங்டனுக்குத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து மக்களால் அனுப்பப்பட்டார்களோ, அந்தக் காரணங்களை அரசியல்வாதிகள் பூர்த்தி செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று அதிபர் கேட்டுக் கொண்டுள்ளார்.

அமெரிக்கர்களின் வாழ்க்கையை மேம்படுத்த அரசியல்வாதிகள் பாடுபட வேண்டும் என்பதே அவர்களை தேர்ந்தெடுத்த மக்களின் விருப்பம் என்றும் அதிபர் குறிப்பிட்டார்.

வெள்ளி, திசம்பர் 25, 2009


UK researchers discover first antibiotics originating from insects

A group of University of Nottingham, UK researchers, led by Simon Lee, found that brains of certain species of  cockroaches and locusts contain substances toxic to antibiotic resistant organisms.  The scientists considered the brain as the most vital part of the insect to protect and screened it for antibacterial activity.  The results were positive, and scientists are analyzing brain chemicals to determine the one which plays a key role.  The discovery could reveal new treatments for multi-drug resistant bacteria, also known as superbugs.

The research focused on insects because of the relatively "unhealthy" environments they often live in. Lee stated that "insects often live in unsanitary and unhygienic environments where they encounter many different types of bacteria, it is therefore logical that they have developed ways of protecting themselves against micro-organisms."

Initially, the scientists screened whole insects, until they found that the brain is the best protected area.  Lee commented, "Without [the brain] they die, whereas they can survive losing limbs such as legs. From the locust's point of view, it's important that the central nervous system is protected all the time against bacteria and other pathogens."

The brain chemicals extracts killed some superbugs. Further study and analysis showed that nine molecules killed food poisoning microorganism Escherichia coli, and seven of them killed Methicillin-resistant deathly Staphylococcus aureus.

The current work in progress is the identification of the exact chemical ingredients which are toxic for the superbugs. The researchers observed that the extracts stop working when exposed to protein-degrading enzymes. Hence the scientists supposed that some proteins are actively participating in the attack.

The extracts don't harm human cells, as the study showed, but Lee stressed that much work is needed, in order to yield more specific conclusions. "We're a long way from these being active drugs", he said.


Ricercatori britannici scoprono il primo antibiotico ricavato dagli insetti

Un gruppo di ricercatori dell'università di Nottingham nel Regno Unito, guidato da Simon Lee, ha scoperto che i cervelli di alcune specie di locusta e blattoidei contengono sostanze tossiche per gli organismi resistenti agli antibiotici. Gli scienziati hanno considerato il cervello come la zona più vitale da proteggere per l'insetto e perciò ne hanno esaminato l'attività antibatterica. I risultati sono stati positivi e gli scienziati stanno analizzando la composizione chimica del cervello per determinare quale molecola o composto gioca il ruolo chiave. La scoperta potrebbe portare a nuove cure contro i batteri resistenti ai cocktail di farmaci.

La ricerca si è concentrata sugli insetti a causa dell'habitat poco salubre in cui spesso vivono. Lee ha affermato che «gli insetti spesso vivono in ambienti poco salubri e non igienici, dove trovano diversi tipi di batteri. È logico quindi che abbiano sviluppato dei modi per proteggersi dai microorganismi.»

Inizialmente, gli scienziati hanno esaminato l'intero insetto, fino a quando non hanno scoperto che il cervello è la zona maggiormente protetta. Lee ha commentato così: «Senza [il cervello] muoiono, mentre possono sopravvivere perdendo arti come le zampe. Dal punto di vista delle locuste è importante che il sistema nervoso centrale sia protetto continuamente contro batteri e altri agenti patogeni.»

Gli estratti chimici del cervello hanno ucciso alcuni batteri resistenti ai normali antibiotici. Ulteriori studi ed analisi hanno mostrato che nove molecole hanno ucciso l'Escherichia coli, il microorganismo che causa l'avvelenamento da cibo, e sette di esse hanno ucciso il mortale Staphylococcus aureus, resistente alla meticillina.

Adesso il compito principale è quello di identificare i precisi estratti chimici che servono per sconfiggere tali microorganismi. I ricercatori hanno osservato che gli estratti hanno smesso di funzionare quando sono stati esposti ad enzimi che demoliscono le proteine. Quindi gli scienziati hanno supposto che alcune proteine partecipino attivamente agli attacchi.

Gli estratti non danneggiano le cellule umane, come hanno mostrato gli studi, ma Lee ha affermato che c'è bisogno di molto lavoro ancora, in modo da raggiungere più specifiche conclusioni: «Siamo molto lontani dal far diventare farmaci questi composti».


கரப்பான் பூச்சியின் மூளையில் நுண்ணுயிர் எதிர்ப்பு ஆற்றல்

கரப்பான் பூச்சியும் வெட்டுக்கிளியும் மனிதரின் உயிர் காக்கும் மருத்துவர்களாக மாறும் நாள் தொலையில் இல்லை என இங்கிலாந்தில் உள்ள நாட்டிங்கம் பல்கலைக்கழக ஆராய்ச்சியாளர் சைமன் லீ என்பவரின் ஆய்வுகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. இப்பூச்சிகளின் மூளையில் காணப்படுகின்ற வேதிக் கூறுகள் பல தீங்குதரும் நுண்ணுயிரிகளைக் கொல்லும் தன்மை கொண்டுள்ளன என்று கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பொது நுண்ணுயிரியலுக்கான குமுகாயத்தின் கூட்டம் ஒன்றிலேயே இந்த ஆய்வு குறித்து அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது.

கரப்பான் பூச்சி (வட்டார வழக்கில் பாச்சா, பாச்சை) அழுக்கு நிறைந்த சூழலிலும் உயிர் வாழும் தன்மையது. அங்கே தொற்றுநோய்களைப் பரப்பும் நுண்ணுயிரிகள் நிறைந்திருக்கும். இருப்பினும் அந்நுண்ணுயிரிகளை எதிர்க்கும் சக்தி கரப்பான் பூச்சியின் மூளைப்பகுதியில் காணப்படும் வேதிக் கூறுகளுக்கு உள்ளது. கரப்பான் பூச்சியின் நரம்பு மண்டலம் நுண்ணுயிரிகளின் தாக்குதலிலிருந்து காக்கப்படுவது வியப்பைத் தருகிறது என்று அறிவியலார் கருதுகின்றனர். நரம்பு மண்டலம் நுண்ணுயிரிகளால் தாக்கப்பட்டால் சாவு உறுதி. ஆனால் கரப்பான் பூச்சியிடம் நுண்ணுயிரி எதிர்ப்புத் திறன் மிகுதியாகவே உள்ளது.

சாதாரணமாக, நுண்ணுயிர் எதிர்ப்பு மாத்திரைகள் நோய் எதிர்ப்புத்திறனை ஓரளவுக்குத்தான் கூட்டுகின்றன. தொடர்ந்து அம்மாத்திரைகளின் செயல்திறனைச் சில நுண்ணுயிரிகள் எளிதில் சமாளிக்கவும் பழகிக்கொள்கின்றன. எனவே, மாத்திரைகளின் திறனைக் கூட்டிக்கொண்டே போகவேண்டிய கட்டாயம் எழுகிறது.

கரப்பான் பூச்சியின் மூளைப் பகுதியிலிருந்து பெறப்படும் சிற்றளவிலான வேதிக் கூறுகள் நுண்ணுயிரிகளைக் கொல்வதில் 90%  திறம் கொண்டவையாக உளவாம்.

இக்கண்டுபிடிப்பின் விளைவாக மருத்துவத் துறை பயன்பெறும் என்றாலும் அதற்கு சில ஆண்டுகள் பிடிக்கும் என்று ஆய்வாளர் கூறுகின்றனர். முதலில் இன்னும் விரிவான ஆய்வுகள் நிகழ்த்தப்பட வேண்டும். பின் மருந்துவகைகள் ஆக்கப்பட வேண்டும். அதன் பிறகுதான் மருந்து சந்தைக்கு வரும். ஆனால் மதிப்பற்ற கரப்பான் பூச்சியும் விரைவில் மனிதரின் உயிர்காக்கும் நண்பனாக மாறலாம் என்பது வியப்புதான்!

செவ்வாய், செப்டம்பர் 7, 2010


UK's Commission on Assisted Dying to recommend law change

Media reports recently released have suggested that the United Kingdom's Commission on Assisted Dying, which was set up by the think-tank Demos in 2010, will support a change in British law to make it legal for someone to seek an assisted suicide, when they publish their final report on Thursday.

The Commission has been led by the former Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer. The Commission has members from the medical profession, from patient's advocacy groups, politicians including the Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt, and a clergyman, Rev James Woodword, Canon of St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

The philosopher Mary Warnock, who strongly supports provision of assisted dying, has said that Parliament has a "moral duty" to change the law. Ian Blair, the former commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, also served on the Commission and has stated he supports a change in the law as it currently places police officers in the difficult situation of investigating cases of assisted suicide, with family members facing uncertainty as to whether the Director of Public Prosecutions will bring charges. Lord Blair also described as "incoherent" the current position that doctors are placed in by the law which is unclear as to what exactly counts as "assisting" a suicide.

British prime minister David Cameron has opposed changing assisted-dying law. He wrote in 2006: "I do not think we should tread over this line and we should not allow doctors or others positively to accelerate death — because I think the long-term consequences of permitting such action are too likely to be dangerous for society."


Comisión de Muerte Asistida del Reino Unido recomienda cambio de ley

La Comisión de Muerte Asistida del Reino Unido, creada por el think-tank Demos en el año 2010, apoyará un cambio en la ley británica para que sea legal que alguien solicite un suicidio asistido, cuando publique su informe final el jueves.

La Comisión ha sido dirigida por el ex lord canciller Charles Falconer y cuenta con miembros de la profesión médica, de los grupos de defensa del paciente, políticos como el conservador Penny Mordaunt y un clérigo, James Woodword, canónigo de la Capilla de San Jorge (Castillo de Windsor).

La filósofa Mary Warnock, que apoya la provisión de muerte asistida, dijo que el Parlamento tiene el “deber moral” de cambiar la ley. Ian Blair, ex comisionado de la Policía Metropolitana de Londres, también sirvió a la Comisión y ha declarado que apoya un cambio en la ley, ya que actualmente coloca a los oficiales de policía en la difícil situación de la investigación de casos de suicidio asistido, con miembros de familia frente a la incertidumbre en cuanto a si el Director del Ministerio Público presentaría cargos. Blair también describió como “incoherente” la posición actual de los médicos ante la ley, que es clara en cuanto a qué es exactamente lo que cuenta como “ayudar” a un suicidio.

David Cameron, Primer Ministro británico, se ha opuesto al cambio de la ley de muerte asistida. Escribió en 2006: “No creo que debamos pasar esta línea y no debemos permitir a los médicos u otras personas de manera positiva que aceleren la muerte [...] porque creo que las consecuencias a largo plazo de permitir dicha acción muy probablemente sean peligrosas para la sociedad”.


Ulcer researchers awarded '05 Nobel Prize

Two Australian researchers, J. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall, are the 2005 winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in discovering the role of ulcer bacteria in producing digestive ulcers.  [1].  They were announced Monday morning in Stockholm, Sweden.

Warren and Marshall will equally share a US$1.3 million cash prize award for discovering "the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease."  [2] Dr Marshall cultivated the previously unknown bacterial species H. pylori from a study of biopsies from 100 ulcer patients, firmly establishing that gastric disorders are infectious diseases. Before their discovery, peptic ulcer was attributed to stress and lifestyle. [3]

The Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Prize in the category 'Physiology or Medicine' since 1901, when Emil Adolf von Behring won for developing a treatment for diphtheria.

The announcement begins a week of Nobel announcements. The Physics and Chemistry awards will be announced Tuesday and Wednesday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday.


Dos médicos australianos ganan Premio Nobel de Medicina

3 de octubre de 2005Estocolmo, Suecia — Los médicos australianos Barry Marshall y Robin Warren fueron galardonados con el Premio Nobel de Medicina de 2005 por su descubrimiento del efecto de la bacteria Helicobacter pylori es causante de gastritis y úlceras estomacales. Se estima que cerca de la mitad de la población mundial está afectada por esa bacteria. El año pasado el Premio Nobel de Medicina fue ganado por Richard Axel y Linda B.Buck por sus trabajos sobre la recepción de los olores.

En los próximos días serán anunciados los galardonados con los premios Nobel en las otras categorías. La premiación se realizará en Estocolmo el 10 de diciembre, día del aniversario de la muerte de Alfred Nobel.

La Academia Real Sueca de las Ciencias, encargada de elegir a los ganadores en las áreas de Física, Química y Economía trata de mantener los detalles del proceso de selección en el más absoluto secreto, dado que cualquier filtración puede producir malentendidos o aumentar las presiones hacia uno u otro candidato.

El Premio Nobel de la Paz es otorgado por el Comité Noruego del Premio Nobel que es seleccionado por el Parlamento de Noruega y según el propio Nobel debe premiar a "la persona que más haya hecho por la fraternidad entre las naciones. La abolición o reducción de los ejércitos y el mantenimiento de la paz y la promoción de conferencias de paz".


Des recherches sur l'origine bactérienne des ulcères récompensées par le prix Nobel 2005 de médecine

Deux chercheurs Australien J. Robin Warren et Barry Marshall se sont vus attribuer le Prix Nobel de médecine pour l'année 2005. Les noms des deux chercheurs ayant remporté le prestigieux prix ont été rendus publics lundi matin à Stockholm. Ils vont se partager 1,3 millions de dollars américains.

Warren et Marshall on été récompensés « pour leur découverte de la bactérie Helicobacter pylori et son rôle dans les ulcères gastriques et duodénaux ». Avant leur découverte, l'ulcère duodénal était souvent considéré comme une maladie chronique causée par le stress et le style de vie.

Le prix Nobel de physiologie ou médecine est décerné tous les ans depuis 1901 par un jury formé au sein du Karolinska Institut, université de médecine sitiée à Stockholm, en Suède. Le premier lauréat de ce prix, en 1901, avait été Emil Adolf von Behring, distingué pour avoir développé un traitement contre la diphtérie.

D'autres prix Nobel seront annoncés cette semaine : le prix Nobel de physique et chimie mardi et mercredi, tous deux décernés par des jurys suédois, ainsi que, vendredi, le prix Nobel de la paix, décerné par un jury norvégien.


Assegnato premio Nobel medicina 2005

Oggi la fondazione del premio Nobel ha reso noto che l'Assemblea dei Nobel del Karolinska Institutet ha deciso di conferire il premio nobel per la medicina congiuntamente a Barry J. Marshall e J. Robin Warren, entrambi australiani. Il premio è diviso a metà tra i due vincitori. La motivazione ufficiale è: per la scoperta del "batterio Helicobacter pylori e il suo ruolo nelle gastriti e nelle malattia dell'ulcera peptica".

Robin Warren patologo del Royal Hospital in Australia vide quello che tutti vedevano: strani batteri all'interno dello stomaco. Insieme con Barry Marshal si mise a studiarli e a coltivarli. I batteri furono chiamati prima Campylobacter pylori e in seguito Helicobacter pylori. Provarono su se stessi la possibilità che fossero causa dell'ulcera e ingerirono le colture, ma senza successo: ebbero la gastrite ma non l'ulcera.

Il rapporto da Helicobacter e ulcera fu quindi messo in discussione, fino agli studi di popolazione, e tutto fu chiarito. L'Helicobacter è responsabile del 70% dell ulcere dello stomaco, del 90% delle ulcere del duodeno e del 60% dei tumori allo stomaco.


Dois australianos ganham o Nobel de Medicina

Os médicos australianos  Barry Marshall e  Robin Warren  foram agraciados com o Prêmio Nobel de Medicina de 2005,  pelo estudo da prova da bactéria Helicobacter pylori como causadora da úlcera péptica, em contraposição  à doutrina tradicional segundo a causa da úlcera seria o stress, comida picante e ácida.

Ano passado o Prêmio Nobel de Medicina foi vencido  por Richard Axel e Lindo B. Buck por seus trabalhos sobre a recepção dos cheiros.

Nos próximos dias serão anunciados os vencedores  do  Nobel nas outras categorias. A premiação  se realizará em Estocolmo, dia  10 de dezembro,  data do aniversário da morte de Alfred Nobel.

A Academia Real Sueca das Ciências, encarregada de escolher  os premiados  nas áreas de Física, Química e Economia  tomou providências para  manter os detalhes do processo de seleção no mais absoluto segredo, dado que qualquer filtragem pode produzir mal-entendidos ou aumentar as pressões para algum candidato.

O Prêmio Nobel da Paz é outorgado pelo Comitê Norueguês do Prêmio Nobel que é selecionado pelo Parlamento de Noruega. Segundo o próprio Nobel  o prêmio deve ser dado  à pessoa que mais tenha contribuído pela fraternidade entre as nações.


UNICEF: An increasing number of children are living in slums

UNICEF published a new report titled, "THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2012 — Children in an Urban World". According to the report, every third city child today lives in a slum and has no access to adequate food, drinking water, education and medical care.

About one billion children and adolescents, and thus half of all children and adolescents, are living in cities. The continuing urbanization makes the cities of the world grow annually by about 60 million people. The needs and rights of children and adolescents are, according to UNICEF, often disregarded and play no significant role in urban planning. In order to give children a voice in urban decision-making processes, UNICEF has worked on the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative.

The report describes the effects of poverty with regard to malnutrition, poor hygiene, educational inequality and vulnerability; social inequality also leads to crime and violence. The infant mortality in poor slums is higher than in some rural areas.

Often between 50 and 80 percent of the income of a family are required for nutrition and access to existing health services; in the cities this is not possible, so diseases such as measles, tuberculosis and other diseases avoidable by vaccination are becoming dangerously prevalent again.

On February 28, 18 countries signed an additional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that gives children the right to appeal to the United Nations if their human rights have been violated and domestic remedies have been exhausted.


UNICEF: Immer mehr Kinder leben in Slums

Köln (Deutschland) / Genf (Schweiz), 05.03.2012 – UNICEF hat einen neuen Report „Zur Situation der Kinder in der Welt 2012“ vorgestellt.

Laut dem Report lebt jedes dritte Stadtkind heute in einem Elendsviertel und hat keinen ausreichenden Zugang zu Nahrung, Trinkwasser, Bildung und medizinischer Versorgung; etwa eine Milliarde Kinder und Jugendliche, und damit die Hälfte aller Kinder und Jugendlichen, lebt in Städten. Auch die anhaltende Urbanisierung lässt die Städte der Welt jedes Jahr wachsen.
Die Bedürfnisse und Rechte der Kinder und Jugendlichen werden nach Aussage von UNICEF häufig übersehen und spielen bei der Stadtentwicklung keine entscheidende Rolle.
Um Kindern eine Stimme bei der Planung zu geben, hat UNICEF zu der Child-Friendly Cities Initiative beigetragen.

Der Report beschreibt die Folgen von Armut mit Mangelernährung, mangelnder Hygiene, Bildungsbenachteiligung und Schutzlosigkeit; soziale Ungleichheit führe auch zu Kriminalität und Gewalt.
Die Kindersterblichkeit in armen Slums sei höher als in manchen ländlichen Gebieten.
Oft würden zwischen 50 und 80 Prozent des Einkommens für die Ernährung der Familie verbraucht, und der Zugang zu der in den Städten vorhandenen Gesundheitsversorgung sei nicht möglich, wodurch Krankheiten wie Masern, Tuberkulose und andere durch Impfungen zu vermeidende Krankheiten wieder zur Gefahr würden.

Am 28. Februar 2012 wurde von 18 Staaten ein Zusatzprotokoll zur UN-Kinderrechtskonvention unterzeichnet, dass Kindern ein Beschwerderecht bei den Vereinten Nationen einräumt, wenn ihre Menschenrechte verletzt wurden und der Rechtsweg im eigenen Lande ausgeschöpft ist.


United Kingdom to introduce graphic images on cigarette packets

The United Kingdom is set to become the second European country to place graphic images on cigarette packets. 15 different images are to be placed on the packs of all brands of cigarettes. They will be introduced on October 1. The images will be introduced onto all other forms of tobacco by 2010.

The written warnings were introduced in 2003 and have been deemed a success by the Department of Health. A spokesman said that the written warnings had been a success with research showing more than 90,000 smokers had been motivated to call the NHS quit line because of them.

Despite being the only the second country in Europe to introduce the images several other countries have already placed them onto packets. These include Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and Singapore.

Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: "Written health warnings have encouraged many smokers to stop. These new stark picture warnings emphasis the harsh health realities of continuing to smoke."

Not everyone is welcoming the new images. The smoking lobby group, Forest, said smokers were being unfairly targeted and called the images intrusive and offensive. Simon Clark, director of Forest, said the group supported education efforts "but these pictures are designed not just to educate but to shock and coerce people to give up a legal product".


Regno Unito: da ottobre immagini shock sulle sigarette

Non ci saranno più le scritte, sui pacchetti delle sigarette, che avvertono sulla pericolosità delle stesse, ma le immagini shock come un tumore alla gola, l'immagine dei denti completamente cariati o un polmone devastato dal fumo.

Dal 1º ottobre nel Regno Unito entrerà in vigore questa normativa, che secondo il ministero della Sanità darà risultati ancora più efficaci, dei soliti messaggi introdotti nel gennaio del 2003, contro il vizio del fumo.

In questo modo, il Regno Unito sarà la prima nazione europea ad utilizzare immagini del genere sui pacchetti delle sigarette.


US House of Representatives passes health care bill

The United States House of Representatives has passed the controversial health care bill, as amended by the Senate. The bill passed 219 to 212.

"This bill is complicated, but it's also very simple: Illness and infirmity are universal, and we are stronger against them together than we are alone," Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said before the vote.

34 Democrats and all of the House Republicans voted against the bill.

"This trillion-dollar overhaul will take the America we know and love in the wrong direction," said Representative Eric Cantor, the second most prominent House Republican.

"We have failed to listen to America and we have failed to reflect the will of our constituents," House Minority Leader John Boehner said. "And when we fail to reflect that will, we fail ourselves and we fail our country."

President Barack Obama will sign an Executive Order reaffirming the ban on federally funded abortions as part of an eleventh hour deal to get the bill passed.


US-Repräsentantenhaus stimmt für Gesundheitsreform

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 22.03.2010 – Nach fast zwölfstündiger Debatte gewann US-Präsident Barack Obama mit einer Mehrheit von drei Stimmen die Abstimmung über sein wichtigstes innenpolitisches Reformvorhaben, die Gesundheitsreform. Das Gesetzeswerk war in der US-amerikanischen Öffentlichkeit tief kontrovers diskutiert worden. Selbst innerhalb der Fraktion der Demokratischen Partei des Präsidenten stimmten am Ende noch 34 Abgeordnete gegen das Gesetz. Insgesamt stimmten 219 von 431 Abgeordneten, die ihre Stimme abgegeben hatten, dafür.

Das Repräsentantenhaus war vor der entscheidenden Abstimmung von Reformgegnern regelrecht belagert worden. Für Obama sichert die gewonnene Abstimmung wahrscheinlich dessen politisches Überleben, urteilten politische Beobachter. Die Zustimmungswerte des Präsidenten sind seit seinem Amtsantritt im Januar 2009 von 70 auf unter 50 Prozent gesunken.

Für 32 Millionen US-Bürger ermöglicht die Reform erstmals die Mitgliedschaft in einer Krankenversicherung. Dann werden 95 Prozent der US-Bevölkerung krankenversichert sein, bisher waren es 85 Prozent. Bisher gab es in den Vereinigten Staaten im Gegensatz zu den meisten Industriestaaten der westlichen Welt keine allgemeine staatliche Krankenversicherung. Wer sich nun nicht versichert, dem droht ein Bußgeld. Krankenkassen können Patienten nun nicht mehr den Versicherungsschutz aufgrund von Vorerkrankungen verweigern oder bei schweren Erkrankungen Leistungen kürzen.

Die Gegner der Reform dachten vor allem an die horrenden Kosten, die ein solcher staatlicher Zwang zur Krankenversicherung für die öffentlichen Haushalte verursacht. Berechnungen zufolge belaufen sich die erwarteten Kosten auf 940 Milliarden US-Dollar in den nächsten zehn Jahren. Diese Berechnungen waren vom Congressional Budget Office, einer Art Bundesrechnungshof, geprüft worden. Das Nicht-Überschreiten der 1-Billion-Dollar-Grenze war wichtiger Teil eines Kompromisses mit Gegnern der Reform. Im Gesundheitswesen werden aufgrund der Reform im gleichen Zeitraum Ausgabeneinsparungen in Höhe von 138 Milliarden US-Dollar erwartet. In den darauffolgenden zehn Jahren werden weitere Kostensenkungen im Gesundheitswesen in Höhe von 1,2 Billionen US-Dollar erwartet.

In einer anderen zentralen Frage erreichten Reformgegner ein wichtiges Zugeständnis des Präsidenten. Abtreibungsgegner rangen Obama im Gegenzug für ihre Zustimmung zu dem Gesetz die Regelung ab, dass Abtreibungen nicht durch Steuermittel bezahlt werden.

Nach der gewonnenen Abstimmung nannte Obama die Zustimmung des Repräsentantenhauses zu dem Gesetzentwurf einen „Sieg für das amerikanische Volk“.


USA hyväksyi terveydenhuollon uudistuksen

Terveydenhuollon uudistus oli yksi Barack Obaman presidentinvaalien 2008 vaaliteema.

Yhdysvaltain kongressin edustajainhuone hyväksyi terveydenhuollon lakiesityksen äänin 219–212. Uudistus antaa sairausvakuutuksen 95 %:lle amerikkalaisista. Se on historiallinen parannus Yhdysvaltojen sosiaaliturvassa. Senaatti on myös hyväksynyt lakiesityksen. Uudistus tuo sairausvakuutuksen 32 miljoonalle amerikkalaiselle, joilla ei ole ollut vakuutusta.[1]

Obaman mukaan uudistukseen sisältyvä kuluttajansuoja suitsii vakuutusyhtiöiden etuja ja siten auttaa myös niitä amerikkalaisia, joilla jo on sairausvakuutus.[2]


États-Unis : Barack Obama promulgue la loi sur la réforme de la santé

À l'issue d'une longue bataille contre les républicains, le président américain Barack Obama, a promulgué aujourd'hui la loi sur la réforme de l'assurance maladie saluant « une nouvelle ère » pour son pays. La cérémonie de signature a eu lieu à la Maison Blanche, en présence des leaders démocrates de la Chambre des représentants et du Sénat, aucun républicain n'ayant voté en faveur du projet. Elle a en effet été adopté hier par la Chambre des représentants par 219 voix pour et 212 contre et avait été approuvée en décembre par le Sénat. Il s'agit d'une victoire historique pour le président des États-Unis, qui avait fait de ce dossier sa priorité en matière de politique intérieure, même si une série de modifications du projet initial de loi relativise la victoire. Il fallait 216 voix pour que la mesure soit adoptée.

« Aujourd'hui, après pratiquement un siècle de tentatives, aujourd'hui, après plus d'une année de débats, aujourd'hui, après tous les votes nécessaires, la réforme de l'assurance santé devient une loi des États-Unis », a-t-il déclaré solennellement dans l'East Room[1], pleine à craquer.

« Je promulgue cette loi au nom de ma mère, qui s'est battue avec les compagnies d'assurance alors qu'elle luttait contre le cancer à la fin de sa vie », a ajouté le président, saluant une « réussite extraordinaire ».

D'un coût estimé à 940 milliards de dollars, cette mesure étendra la couverture médicale à plus de 30 millions d'Américains qui en sont dépourvus. Elle subventionnera l'achat des polices d'assurance maladie et interdira aux compagnies d'assurance de refuser de couvrir certaines maladies.

Depuis les années 1960, de nombreux présidents avaient tenté de réformer le système de santé du pays. Alors que les sénateurs républicains promettent de proposer de nombreux amendements pour bloquer le passage de la version révisée, des responsables de plusieurs États disent qu'ils saisiront la justice contre cette mesure. Ils la jugent anticonstitutionnelle et estiment qu'elle constitue une atteinte à la souveraineté des États. Les principales critiques de cette loi sont qu'elle aura pour conséquences une augmentation des coûts et un rôle accru du gouvernement dans le domaine de la santé. De son côté, le président Obama compte se rendre jeudi dans l'État de l'Iowa, où il avait, pour la première fois, en tant que candidat, présenté les grandes lignes de son projet de réforme de l'assurance maladie.

Cette réforme devient également l'enjeu de la campagne pour les élections de novembre, qui renouvelleront l'ensemble de la Chambre des représentants et un tiers du Sénat, tous deux contrôlés par les démocrates.


Representantenes hus i USA stemmer for helsereformen

Målform: Bokmål - Dato: 22. mars 2010 - Oppdater siden - Rediger artikkelen - Flere nyheter

USA: Representantenes hus i USA har stemt gjennom den kontroversielle helsereformen med et lite flertall.

Med 219 over 212 stemmer greide Barack Obama å få gjennombrudd for sitt forslag om en helsereform i USA. Dette betyr at hele 34 demokrater og alle republikanerene stemte mot reformen.

I sin tale i etterkant av avstemningen sa Obama at «Dette er ingen radikal reform, men det er en stor reform. Lovgivningen vil ikke reparere alt som er galt i helsevesenet vårt, men den bringer oss i riktig retning. Slik ser forandring ut,» en tale som var preget av en ganske opphetet debatt, og en lang og vanskelig vei frem mot reformen.

Reformen markerer en av de største endringene i amerikansk helsesystem, på linje med Medicare i 1965. Den gjør det ulovlig å nekte forsikring til folk med allerede eksisterende helseplager, og gjøre det mulig for fattige å få støtte til forsikring.


USA: przyjęto ustawę o reformie opieki zdrowotnej

Izba Reprezentantów amerykańskiego Kongresu przyjęła ustawę o reformie opieki zdrowotnej. Nowe regulacje zapewnią ubezpieczenie lekarskie niemal wszystkim obywatelom USA. To zwycięstwo Baracka Obamy, który starał się przeforsować ustawę od początku swojej prezydentury.

Reforma służby zdrowia przeszła siedmioma głosami, za było 219-stu deputowanych, przeciw 212. Jeszcze wcześniej zmiany zaaprobował Senat.

Ustawa daje możliwość ubezpieczenia medycznego kolejnym 30 milionom nieubezpieczonych Amerykanów. Nowe regulacje nakładają obowiązek wykupienia polisy przez osoby które nie są ubezpieczone przez swojego pracodawcę, a także te, które pracują na własny rachunek, jednak nie postarały się o polisę na rynku prywatnym.

Tym samym USA dołączyły do reszty krajów rozwiniętych gwarantujących opiekę zdrowotną wszystkim obywatelom. Większa część postanowień wejdzie w życie za 4 lata, a na ich realizację rząd wyda blisko bilion dolarów.

Z największej rewolucji w amerykańskiej służbie zdrowia od 1965 r., gdy opiekę lekarską uzyskali emeryci i niepełnosprawni, zadowolony jest Obama. Jego zdaniem to wielkie zwycięstwo Amerykanów.

Samemu prezydentowi udało się zrealizować jeden z najistotniejszych celów programowych Partii Demokratycznej, któremu nie podołał Bill Clinton.


US President Donald Trump tests positive for COVID-19

Very early yesterday morning, the United States President Donald Trump reported he and his wife First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. Officials said the Trumps' 14-year-old son Barron tested negative as did First Family and Senior Advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

Trump took to social media, posting at 12:54 am local time (0454 UTC) on Twitter, "Tonight, [Melania] and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Yesterday afternoon Marine One landed on the White House's South Lawn flying Trump to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland.

Reports said both were showing "mild symptoms". Senior administration officials were tested as people were informed of the positive test. Senior advisor Hope Hicks had tested positive on Thursday.

Presidential physician Sean Conley issued a statement saying Trump has been given zinc, vitamin D, Pepcid and a daily Aspirin. Conley also gave a single dose of the experimental polyclonal antibodies drug from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

According to official statements, Trump, now operating from the WRNMMC, is to continue performing his duties as president during a 14-day quarantine. In the event of Trump becoming incapacitated, Vice President Mike Pence could take over the duties of president via the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution. The Pence family all tested negative as of yesterday and there were no changes regarding Pence's campaign events.


États-Unis : Donald Trump testé positif à la COVID-19

Le président américain Donald Trump a annoncé que lui et la première dame Melania Trump avaient été testés positifs à la COVID-19.

Il n'était pas clair s'ils présentaient des symptômes généralement associés à la COVID-19, la maladie causée par le virus SARS-CoV-2.

Le président de 74 ans est considéré comme faisant partie d'une catégorie à risque plus élevé de complications, en raison de son âge et de son poids.

Onze minutes après l'annonce, la Maison Blanche a publié un mémorandum du médecin du président, le Dr Sean Conley, confirmant les tests positifs.

« Le président et la première dame vont bien en ce moment et ils prévoient de rester chez eux à la Maison Blanche pendant leur convalescence », a déclaré Conley.

Il a ajouté qu'il s'attendait à ce que le président « continue d'exercer ses fonctions sans interruption pendant sa convalescence, et je vous tiendrai au courant de tout développement futur ».

Tous les événements politiques de Trump dans un proche avenir ont été rapidement annulés, selon un responsable de la Maison Blanche.

La nouvelle a immédiatement fait plonger les contrats à terme sur les actions américaines et met potentiellement la campagne présidentielle de Trump en pause, à peine un mois avant les élections contre l'ancien vice-président Joe Biden, qui est en tête dans les sondages nationaux.

Trump et sa femme rejoignent les plus de 7,2 millions de personnes aux États-Unis qui ont contracté le virus. La COVID-19 a tué plus de 200 000 personnes aux États-Unis, le record mondial.

Il y a plus de 34 millions de cas de COVID-19 dans le monde et plus d'un million de décès dus à la maladie, selon les données de l'Université Johns Hopkins.


Stati Uniti: Donald Trump e la first lady risultati positivi al COVID-19

Nella mattinata di oggi il presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America Donald Trump ha annunciato tramite il proprio account Twitter che sia lui che la first lady Melania sono risultati positivi al COVID-19 e che hanno iniziato la quarantena nonostante gli appuntamenti elettorali per le vicine elezioni presidenziali di novembre. In un successivo tweet la first lady ha confermato che la coppia non presenta alcuna sintomatologia.

Non sono mancati i messaggi di supporto da parte del mondo politico nazionale e internazionale, in testa il segretario di Stato statunitense Mike Pompeo ma anche lo sfidante democratico per la presidenza Joe Biden che, dopo aver augurato una pronta guarigione ai coniugi Trump, ha confermato che sia lui che la moglie Jill sono risultati negativi al COVID-19.


도널드 트럼프도 피할 수 없는 코로나... 영부인과 함께 양성 반응

2020년 10월 2일, 도널드 트럼프와 그 영부인인 멜라니아 트럼프가 코로나바이러스-19 양성 판정을 받았다. 이는 백악관 코로나19 집단 감염의 연장선에 있는 사건으로, 2020년 9월 18일 미국의 대법관 루스 베이더 긴즈버그가 사망한 뒤 에이미 코니 배럿의 대법관 지명식이 열렸다. 하지만 대부분의 참석자는 마스크를 쓰지 않은 채 모여 앉은 상태였고, 최소 8명이 코로나 19 판정을 받게 되었다.

도널드 트럼프와 멜라니아 트럼프도 예외는 아니었다. 즉시 격리와 회복 시작할 것이라고 보고했다. 아직 다행인 점은, 트럼프 부부 모두가 경증의 증상만을 보이고 있다고 하며, 도널드 트럼프가 트위터로 직접 자신이 코로나바이러스에 감염되었다는 것을 밝혔다.

10월 2일에 양성 판정을 받은 트럼프 부부 이전에 감염된 백악관 관련자의 감염 사례는 다음과 같다.

트럼프 대통령은 4일 건강 상태가 매우 좋아졌다는 보고가 들어왔다. 또한 트럼프 대통령의 트위터에서는 4분 정도의 영상을 업로드했다. 이르면 10월 5일에 퇴원을 하겠다고 했다. 또한 코로나바이러스감염증-19의 위협으로 미 상원의 앞으로 2주 간의 모든 일정은 뒤로 미루기로 했다.


Donald Trump e esposa com teste positivo para Covid-19

O presidente dos Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, disse na sexta-feira que ele e a primeira-dama Melania Trump haviam testado positivo para Covid-19 e entrariam em quarentena imediatamente e iniciariam o "processo de recuperação".

"Nós vamos superar isso", tuitou Trump.

O teste positivo de Trump segue a notícia de que Hope Hicks, uma importante conselheira e assessora de confiança, havia testado positivo para o novo coronavírus.

Hicks viaja regularmente com o presidente no Força Aérea Um e, junto com outros assessores seniores, o acompanhou a Ohio para o debate presidencial na terça-feira e a Minnesota para um evento de campanha na quarta-feira.


Трамп заразился коронавирусом

Президент США Дональд Трамп и его супруга Мелания заразились коронавирусом SARS-CoV-2. Об этом американский лидер сообщил в Twitter.

11 минут спустя Белый дом опубликовал заявление врача президента Шона Конли, который подтвердил, что у Трампа и его супруги диагностирован коронавирус.

Конли выразил надежду, что 74-летний глава государства продолжит выполнять свои обязанности в период выздоровления.

«Президент и первая леди в настоящий момент чувствуют себя хорошо, они планируют оставаться дома — в пределах Белого дома — во время выздоровления. Будьте уверены, я ожидаю, что президент продолжит без перебоев выполнять свои обязанности. Я буду держать вас в курсе», — добавил он.

Мелания Трамп написала в Твиттере в 01:27 ночи: «Как и многие американцы в этом году, президент и я находимся дома на карантине после положительного результата теста на COVID-19. Мы чувствуем себя хорошо, и я отложила все запланированные встречи. Пожалуйста, постарайтесь соблюдать меры безопасности, и мы все преодолеем это вместе».

Как сообщают в Белом доме, все политические мероприятия Трампа на ближайшее время отменены.

Президент США вместе с первой леди отправились на карантин ещё до получения положительного результата теста на COVID-19. Супруги изолировались, так как ранее коронавирус обнаружили у Хоуп Хикс, личной помощницы Трампа. О заражении Хикс сообщил Bloomberg. По данным агентства, она сопровождала главу государства на дебаты с кандидатом в президенты от Демократической партии Джо Байденом. В воскресенье она ездила с ним в Пенсильванию, во вторник — в Кливленд на дебаты, а в среду — в Миннесоту на предвыборные мероприятия.

На 3 ноября 2020 года в США запланированы президентские выборы. До этого момента должно было пройти несколько раундов дебатов, в которых Трамп проигрывал Байдену, а также множество предвыборных акций. Высказываются предположения, что дебаты перенесут в онлайн.

У Хикс появились симптомы в среду вечером во время митинга в Дулуте, штат Миннесота, а положительный результат анализа получен в четверг утром, сообщают анонимные источники.

Однако в четверг Трамп вместе с несколькими высокопоставленными чиновниками вылетел в Нью-Джерси на мероприятие по сбору средств, где контактировал с десятками других людей.

Во время телефонного интервью Fox News президент предположил, что Хикс могла заразиться от военных или сотрудников правоохранительных органов.

Рынки отреагировали падением на информацию о болезни Дональда Трампа.

Фьючерс на американский индекс S&P 500 начал снижаться после новостей о коронавирусе у Трампа. К моменту котировки снижаются на 1,68 % до отметки 3311,25 пт. Вчера биржи США закрылись ростом на ожиданиях принятия нового пакета мер поддержки экономики.

Нефть Brent падает на 2,5 %, к моменту стоит $39,91. На настроения инвесторов продолжают влиять опасения по поводу спроса, несмотря на то, что данные Минэнерго США показали сокращение запасов нефти в стране по итогам третьей недели подряд.

2 октября 2020 года


川普在推特證實與其妻子確診嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎

美國總統川普10月2日下午12點54分（GMT+8）在推特宣布，他與其夫人梅蘭妮亞嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎確診，將立刻開始隔離與治療程序。

白宮醫師康利（Sean Conley）表示，川普夫婦目前兩人身體狀況良好，將留在白宮度過康復期，川普在恢復期間將繼續履行總統職責，不會受到影響，他將隨時對外說明最新狀況。

原定川普在10月2日的公開行程，目前只剩下在白宮內的電話會議，其餘行程全部取消。而對於距今32天的總統選舉勢必造成重大影響。


US Senate advances health care reform bill

The US Senate has voted by 60 to 40 votes to close debate on landmark health care reform legislation backed by President Barack Obama but unanimously opposed by Republican lawmakers. Now, the divided chamber appears to be heading towards a vote to pass the bill on Thursday.

All 100 senators were gathered in the Capitol building for a key procedural vote on health care reform legislation. All 58 Democrats in the Senate, plus the two independents who normally vote with them, voted for cloture, which limits the length of debate. All forty Republicans unanimously opposed the cloture.

The bill would extend health insurance coverage to 30 million US residents who currently lack it, and forbid insurance companies from practices such as denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.  Most residents would be required to purchase health insurance for the first time, with subsidies provided to those who cannot afford it.

"We'll get this [bill] passed before Christmas and it will be one of the best Christmas presents this Congress has ever given the American people," said Democratic senator Tom Harkin.

"This country, the greatest and richest the world has ever seen, is the only advanced nation on earth where dying for a lack of health insurance is even possible," said Senate Majority leader Harry Reid.

Most Republicans, however, said they believed the bill is too expensive and would not correct the current problems with the US's health care.

If the bill passes in the Senate, that version will have to be merged with a more liberal version passed by the House of Representatives which includes a government-run alternative, not included in the Senate version.


Avanza la reforma sanitaria de Obama

21 de diciembre de 2009Washington D. C., Estados Unidos —

El senado estadounidense votó a favor del fin de los debates del plan de reforma sanitaria impulsada por el presidente de aquel país, Barack Obama. Esto representa un paso adelante para que el proyecto pueda convertirse en ley.

La votación culminó con un resultado de 60 votos a favor contra 40 en contra. Se realizó anoche, a las 1.20 hora local (6.20 UTC). Barack Obama calificó el hecho como una "gran victoria" y declaró: "Estados Unidos desmontó una intervención que buscaba bloquear la votación final para la reforma del sistema de salud".

Para este martes y el miércoles, se prevé la realización de otras dos votaciones de procedimiento. Luego, el jueves, se llevará a cabo la votación final. Finalmente, si se aprueba el proyecto, el texto del Senado tendrá que adaptarse con el ratificado en noviembre por la Cámara de los Representantes.

Estados Unidos ya tiene dos sistemas de ayuda médica estatal: Medicare, destinado a jubilados y discapacitados, y Medicaid, para los indigentes. No obstante, no suelen cubrir todos los gastos. De los 300 millones de habitantes del país, hay 46 millones sin cobertura médica y 25 millones con una asistencia insuficiente.

La reforma de Obama propone asistir a los ciudadanos que no tienen cobertura médica de sus empleadores y no cumplen los requisitos para anotarse en Medicare o Medicaid. Asimismo, se creó otro proyecto complementario que establecería que todos los ciudadanos tengan un seguro médico. En caso de no poder contratar una aseguradora privada, se crearían cooperativas médicas como alternativa.

El proyecto también tiene como objetivo bajar los altos costos de los seguros médicos tienen en los Estados Unidos. Cabe destacar que la reforma no tendrá en cuenta a los 10 millones de inmigrantes ilegales.


US vice president shoots man in hunting accident

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a fellow hunter in the face on Saturday during a bird hunting trip at a south Texas ranch.

The victim, 78-year-old Harry Whittington, is an Austin lawyer who was accompanying the Vice President on a south Texas quail hunt when he was sprayed with shotgun pellets to his face and chest.  The wounded hunter is currently recovering at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital where he is in stable condition, and is said to be alert and joking with visitors.

Cheney spent several hours at the hospital with Whittington before departing for Washington, praying for a happy and permanent reconciliation with Whittington.

The incident was not disclosed by Cheney's office until Sunday. Lea Anne McBride, the spokeswoman of VP Cheney, explained the delay was in deference to the owner of the ranch, Katharine Armstrong, where the accident occurred.  Ms. Armstrong first reported the news to The Corpus Christi Caller-Times on Sunday , approximately 18 hours after the incident.

Armstrong said that Cheney was the right-most man in a three-man formation and that Whittington had failed to observe hunting protocol when he quietly approached the formation without announcing his presence.  Cheney, who was using a 28 gauge shotgun, fired at a flushed covey of quail, inadvertently hitting the lawyer from a distance of about 30 yards.  It is not known if any quail were struck.


Jagdunfall: US-Vizepräsident Cheney schoss auf Jäger

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 13.02.2006 – Am Samstag, dem 11. Februar 2006, ereignete sich in den USA ein Jagdunfall.

Der US-Vizepräsident Richard Cheney hatte während einer Wachteljagd in Texas auf einen Jäger geschossen. Es handelte sich um einen Freund des Vizepräsidenten, Harry Whittington. Der Texaner, ein 78-jähriger Rechtsanwalt, wurde leicht verletzt. Ihn hatte eine Ladung Schrot getroffen. Die Jagdgruppe war zu dritt unterwegs; sie trugen alle orangefarbene Westen. Trotzdem hatte Cheney den anderen Jäger nicht gesehen.

Ärzte, die mit Cheney auf dem Ausflug waren, haben sich sofort um den Mann gekümmert. Für Cheney steht auf Ausflügen immer ein Krankenwagen bereit. Mit diesem Wagen wurde Whittington ins Krankenhaus gebracht.

Am Sonntag hat Cheney Whittington im Krankenhaus besucht.


Virginia reports suspected monkeypox case

The Virginia Department of Health today reported its 27th suspected case of monkeypox in the US state as part of an ongoing worldwide outbreak.

The patient identified, an adult male in Northwest Virginia, is currently in isolation and Department officials are monitoring his close contacts. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported July 8 of the 8,238 cases recorded in 57 countries, 790 were in the US.

The virus carries with it a particular type of rash, and also fever, headache and muscle aches, exhaustion and the swelling of lymph nodes. Symptoms begin appearing six to fourteen days after first exposure through close contact, and last for between two and four weeks; three deaths have been announced worldwide.

Those at high risk, including men who have sex with men, those who have had close contact with someone that has symptoms or rashes, and those who have traveled to areas with confirmed monkeypox cases, are eligible for two vaccines. The inoculations, available through the national government, act as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the disease's transmission.

There is no approved treatment for monkeypox in the US, and treatment is relieving symptoms and supportive care.


Wirginia zgłasza przypadek podejrzenia ospy małpiej

Virginia Department of Health poinformował dziś, 11 lipca 2022 roku, o dwudziestym siódmym podejrzeniu wykrycia małpiej ospy w Wirginii.

Zidentyfikowany pacjent, dorosły mężczyzna z północno-zachodniej Wirginii, jest obecnie w izolacji, a urzędnicy Department of Healt sprawdzają osoby, które miały z nim bliski kontakt. Federalne Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 8 lipca poinformowały o 8 238 przypadkach odnotowanych w 57 krajach, z czego 790 miało miejsce w USA. Na świecie ogłoszono trzy zgony.

Wirus niesie ze sobą szczególny rodzaj wysypki, a także gorączkę, bóle głowy i mięśni, wyczerpanie i obrzęk węzłów chłonnych. Objawy zaczynają pojawiać się od sześciu do czternastu dni po pierwszym narażeniu przez bliski kontakt i trwają od dwóch do czterech tygodni.

Do dwóch szczepionek kwalifikują się osoby z grupy wysokiego ryzyka, w tym mężczyźni uprawiający seks z mężczyznami; osoby, które miały bliski kontakt z kimś, kto ma objawy lub wysypkę; a także osoby, które podróżowały do obszarów z potwierdzonymi przypadkami małpiej ospy. Szczepienia, dostępne przez rząd USA, działają jako profilaktyka poekspozycyjna, aby zapobiec przenoszeniu choroby.

Nie ma zatwierdzonego leczenia małpiej ospy w USA, możliwe jest tylko łagodzenie objawów i opieka wspomagająca.


Virologists discover why H5N1 doesn't spread easily between humans

Virologists think that the reason the H5N1 strain of bird flu has poor ability to spread between humans is that the infection does not cause coughing or sneezing.

US and Japanese scientists, led by Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, found that avian influenza and human influenza viruses infect different tissues in the respiratory tract. Another group of scientists, based at the University of Rotterdam, has also published similar results.

Professor Kawaoka's team discovered that bird flu tends to be found among alveoli deep in the lungs. Human flu is instead most prevalent in the mucous lining of the nose and sinuses, as well as the throat, windpipe and bronchi.

Human flu infects parts of the respiratory system that cause coughing and sneezing. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets containing the virus are released into the air, which other humans can inhale, becoming infected. As bird flu infects the alveoli, it doesn't cause coughing or sneezing, and heavy exposure to the virus is required before it can get to the lungs.

Professor Kawaoka said, "For the viruses to be transmitted efficiently, they have to multiply in the upper portion of the respiratory system so that they can be transmitted by coughing and sneezing."

For H5N1 to be transmitted easily among humans, it would need to undergo multiple mutations, according to Professor Kawaoka.

"Certainly, multiple mutations need to be accumulated for the H5N1 to become a pandemic strain,"  he said.

These mutations would have to affect where the virus binds in the human body and affect the way in which it reproduces.

Currently only one strain of H5N1, A/Hong Kong/213/03, has shown the ability to latch onto cells in both the upper and lower parts of the human respiratory system.


病毒学家发现H5N1禽流感不易在人际间传播的原因

病毒学家认为，H5N1高致病型禽流感之所以不易在人际之间传播的原因是由于感染H5N1高致病型禽流感不会引起咳嗽或打喷嚏。

以美国威斯康星州麦迪逊大学学者川冈义弘为首的科学家小组，发现禽流感病毒和人类流感病毒锁定的呼吸系统受体略微不同。而鹿特丹大学的另一组科学家也发表了类似的研究结果。

川冈义弘教授的团队发现，禽流感趋向于感染肺部深处的肺泡，而人类流感感染的是鼻窦粘膜、咽喉、气管和支气管。

人类流感所感染呼吸系统组织是能够引起咳嗽和打喷嚏的。当一个感染者打喷嚏或者咳嗽的时候，微小的飞沫能够把病毒释放到空气中，当其他人吸入这样的空气，就会感染。但是禽流感感染肺泡，不会引起咳嗽或者打喷嚏，也就不会通过飞沫在人与人之间传播。

川冈义弘教授说：“只有病毒繁殖到呼吸系统的上部之时，才能引起咳嗽或打喷嚏，才会通过这些来进行有效的传染。”

按照川冈义弘教授的观点，H5N1病毒只有在经过繁殖变异之后，才会容易在人际之间传播。

“显然，不断的繁殖变异会使H5N1禽流感成为一个能够大规模流行的变种。”他说到。

目前，除了极少起无对照的病例之外，禽流感只限于禽鸟直接传染人类，没有人传人。H5N1病毒若有这种传染力，将导致禽流感瘟疫。


West African cholera claims more than 500 lives, more deaths feared

An outbreak of cholera in West Africa has resulted in the deaths of more than 500 people, and United Nations (UN) health officials are concerned that inadequate health services in the region could result in many more deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that over 31,250 cases of cholera have been reported so far this year in nine West African countries. It has claimed 488 lives at this point. "If we look at this year's trends, the figures are still going up in many countries," said John Mulangu, a senior regional advisor for the WHO. "If cholera is not brought under control in certain regions, we will soon be talking of... 100,000 cases," he said. "And hospitals and health centres will be overwhelmed. Last year we were not on this scale. The problem is getting worse," Mulangu said.

The UN says that the increase could also be related to the fact that due to poverty, many West Africans move around, sometimes out of the country, in order to receive higher wages for their work, and the region has been hit with heavy rains.  This helps spread the disease, according to the UN.

"We are about to enter the harvest season where people will be moving around," said Herve Ludovic de Lys, the head of OCHA's West Africa office. "The main goal is to halt the transmission of this disease," he said. "It's not business as usual. This crisis needs a rapid response."

The following West African nations have all been hit by cholera epidemics: Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. The WHO issued a statement on Thursday that more countries were at risk. "Outbreaks are likely to spread to Central Africa - Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad - in the next weeks," it said.


Brotes de cólera en África Occidental causan más de 500 muertes

2 de septiembre de 2005África occidental — Un brote de Cólera en África occidental ha producido la muerte de más de 500 personas, y el personal de salud de las Naciones Unidas está preocupado por lo inadecuado de los servicios de salud de la región, lo que puede conducir a un mayor número de muertes.

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) informó el jueves que se han reportado más de 31.000 casos hasta ahora durante el año en los nueve países de África occidental. Hasta ahora han perecido 488 personas. John Mulangu, consejero de la OMS dijo que "En base a la tendencia de este año, las cifras van a seguir aumentando en muchos países, ... Si no se logra controlar el cólera en ciertas regiones, pronto estaremos hablando de ... 100.000 casos. Los hospitales y centros de salud no lograrán atender a todos los pacientes. El año pasado no estábamos en esta escala y el problema sigue empeorando."

Las Naciones Unidas afirman que el incremento en el número de casos puede estar también relacionado con la pobreza, Muchos habitantes de África Occidental de desplazan en busca de trabajo con frecuencia, muchas veces a través de varios países, y las lluvias en la región han sido fuertes últimamente. Esto ha contribuido a la expansión de la enfermedad, según responsables de las Naciones Unidas.

"Estamos cerca de la temporada de cosecha en la que mucha gente se desplaza," dijo Herve Ludovic de Lys, jefe de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas de Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios en África Occidental. "El objetivo principal es detener la transmisión de la enfermedad," dijo. "No es una tarea rutinaria. Esta crisis necesita una respuesta rápida."

Entre las naciones de África Occidental que sufren la epidemia de Cólera están: Burkina Faso, Costa de Marfil, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Malí, Níger, y Senegal. La OMS informó el jueves que existe riezgo de propagación de la epidemia en otros países. "Es posible que nuevos brotes se presenten en África central - Nigeria, Camerún y Chad – en las próximas semanas," según se informó.


WHO declares Ebola outbreak an international emergency

On Friday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated the West African Ebola outbreak is now an international health emergency.

The current ongoing outbreak of Ebola is the deadliest since the disease was first reported in humans 40 years ago, with nearly 1,000 people reported to have been killed by the disease in this outbreak. So far three countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria, have declared national emergencies in response to the outbreak, with cases also reported in Guinea. The latter country was reported to have closed its borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia, but an official announcement later clarified they were taking medical precautions on border crossings.

Director-General of WHO Dr Margaret Chan appealed for an international response to the outbreak, calling it "the largest, most severe and most complex outbreak in the nearly four-decade history of this disease". Reports say the comparatively underdeveloped medical infrastructure in the affected countries has hampered efforts to contain the spread of the virus, with Liberia's health system particularly under-equipped for the pressure.  Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) said the health system in Liberia was "falling apart". Health experts and aid workers from Europe and America are already working to help bring the outbreak under control, but MSF and WHO are now calling for more help.

The announcement by WHO has international law implications, and it is expected possible cases will not be allowed to leave the countries affected until it is confirmed they are clear of the virus, with the possibility of travel being denied from any region not meeting the WHO's guidelines. WHO have also warned all nations should prepare to bring their own nationals back to home territory for treatment if infected by the virus, with cases already returned for treatment to the US and Spain.

WHO vaccine chief Jean-Marie Okwo Bele told [[Agence France-Presse|AFP] ]he expected a possible vaccine against Ebola to start clinical trials next month, stating: "Since this is an emergency, we can put emergency procedures in place [...] so that we can have a vaccine available by 2015". WHO assistant director-general Marie-Paule Kieny admitted, however, to do so the bar set during the testing process would have to be lower, reflecting questions about the ethics of using comparatively untested drugs, and who they should be given to.

Meanwhile, restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the disease are reported to be causing problems among those affected in already impoverished areas. Liberia and Sierra Leone are both reported to have deployed soldiers to limit travel within these countries, with many residents reported to be worried about the effect on their trade and incomes. The Telegraph reported from interviews, there is also resistance to some measures in Liberia, where there is a strong stigma attached to the disease. This has led to many people refusing to report the deaths of family members and hand their bodies over for cremation. There have also been cases of violence towards those seeking to enforce government measures to limit the disease's spread.


Ebola : l'OMS déclare l’état d’urgence à l’échelle mondiale

Vendredi dernier l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) a déclaré que l'épidémie d'Ebola en Afrique de l'ouest est une urgence de santé publique de portée mondiale.

L'épidémie actuelle est la plus meurtrière depuis la découverte des premiers cas d'Ebola en 1976, près de 1000 personnes ont succombé au virus depuis le début de cette épidémie. Jusqu'à présent trois pays, Sierra Leaone, Liberia et le Nigeria, ont déclaré l'état d'urgence afin de combattre l'épidémie, des cas ont également été identifiés en Guinée. Cette dernière a indiqué prendre des précautions médicales à ses frontières avec les autres pays.

La directrice générale de l'OMS, le Dr Margaret Chan a appelé à une réponse internationale immédiate à l'épidémie en la qualifiant de « plus grande, plus grave et plus complexe épidémie en quatre décennies de ce virus ». Les rapports indiquent que les infrastructures médicales relativement peu développées dans les pays touchés ont réduit l'efficacité des efforts menés afin de garder sous contrôle la propagation du virus. L'ONG Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) a indiqué que le système de santé au Liberia était en train de « s'effondrer », des experts sanitaires et des travailleurs humanitaires d'Europe et d'Amérique sont sur place afin d'essayer de garder l'épidémie sous contrôle mais MSF et l'OMS demande de l'aide supplémentaire.

Le directeur du département vaccination de l'OMS, Jean-Marie Okwo Bele, a indiqué à l'AFP qu'un possible vaccin contre le virus Ebola allait débuter des tests le mois prochain. « Comme il s'agit d'une situation d'urgence, nous pouvons mettre en place des procédures d'urgence [...] afin que nous ayons un vaccin viable en 2015 ». L'assistante de la directrice générale de l'OMS, Marie-Paule Kieny, admet, cependant, que le niveau d'exigence durant les tests devra être  bas.


WHO declares global swine flu pandemic

After holding an emergency meeting, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared a worldwide swine flu pandemic on Thursday. The agency increased its pandemic alert level to the sixth level, its highest.

"On the basis of available evidence, and these expert assessments of the evidence, the scientific criteria for an influenza pandemic have been met. I have therefore decided to raise the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 5 to phase 6," said the the WHO's director Margaret Chan in a press conference earlier today.

According to Reuters, Chan earlier sent out a letter to WHO staff saying, "With today's announcement, WHO moves from an emergency to a longer-term response. Based on past experience, this pandemic will be with us for some months, if not years, to come."

Chan, however, stressed the move does not indicate that the influenza has become more deadly or severe. "Moving to pandemic phase six does not imply we will see increases in deaths or serious cases," she said. The WHO says that many of the severe cases of the virus are reported in people with prior chronic illnesses. Of those infected, the WHO says the majority are aged from 30 to 50 years old.

Currently, the WHO's official tally says there were almost thirty thousand confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus so far, with about 141 fatalities from the disease.


منظمة الصحة العالمية تعلن تحول وباء إنفلونزة الخنازير إلى وباء عالمي

أعلنت منظمة الصحة العالمية رفع درجة انتشار وباء إنفلونزة الخنازير وتحولها إلى وباء عالمي.


La OMS eleva a nivel de pandemia la alerta por gripe A en todo el mundo

11 de junio de 2009Ginebra, Suiza —

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), tras una reunión urgente celebrada este jueves, ha elevado al nivel de pandemia la alerta por gripe A después de que los expertos hayan analizado el estado actual de propagación del virus AH1N1, que empezó a extenderse por todo el mundo desde finales de abril. Este nivel 6 de alerta, el máximo en la escala de la OMS, implica que el mundo está ante la primera pandemia mundial en 40 años después de que el virus de gripe H3N2 provocara en 1968 la muerte de aproximadamente un millón de personas.

El anuncio oficial se ha producido en la tarde de este jueves en una rueda de prensa en Ginebra, aunque algunos países como Suecia y Austria adelantaron en varios comunicados esta decisión. La directora de la OMS, Margaret Chan, ha comparecido ante los medios de comunicación para comunicar la noticia.

Chan ha advertido de la probabilidad de que se produzca una segunda oleada de gripe A en los países donde ya se han registrado casos de esta enfermedad, con México a la cabeza, y ha aconsejado "vigilancia" a aquellos otros en los que ésta todavía no se ha detectado. "México debe preparase para el futuro aunque se haya controlado la epidemia. La gripe AH1N1 puede volver en una segunda oleada", señaló Chan.

La responsable de la OMS subrayó que se ha decidido declarar la fase 6 después de recibir pruebas de que existe una transmisión estable del virus en comunidades de algunos países fuera de la primera región afectada, Norteamérica.

"Un mayor nivel de alerta pandémico no significa necesariamente que vayamos a ver un virus más peligroso o que mucha gente vaya a caer gravemente enferma", dijo la directora general de la OMS. Además, Chan remarcó que el mundo está bien preparado para afrontar la pandemia, que calificó de "moderada" en términos globales. No obstante, matizó que cada gobierno tendrá que calibrar su respuesta de salud pública según su situación concreta.

La directora general de la OMS reconoció que el hecho de que la mayoría de los casos de gripe A en el mundo sean leves puede llevar a mucha gente a preguntarse "por qué se declara una pandemia", pero advirtió que no hay que dejarse llevar por la complacencia y bajar la guardia. El virus se está extendiendo como una gripe estacional y éste "es un rasgo típico de anteriores pandemias", afirmó Chan.

Además, el Ministerio español de Sanidad convocó también una rueda de prensa para poco después de la celebrada por la OMS para tratar este asunto.

Hasta el momento se han registrado 27.737 casos en 74 países, incluyendo 141 muertes, según los últimos datos ofrecido por la OMS. España es uno de los países con más contagiados por gripe A teniendo 488 casos confirmados, como así informó el ministerio de Sanidad este jueves. Estados Unidos es aún el país con más casos, con 13.000, seguido de México (6.000) y Canadá (2.000).

El hasta ahora en vigor nivel 5 de alerta, decretado por la OMS el pasado 30 de abril, se caracteriza por la propagación del virus de persona a persona en al menos dos países de una región de la OMS. Esta fase implicaba que quedaba poco tiempo para organizar, comunicar y poner en práctica las medidas de mitigación planificadas.

Ahora, con la fase 6, se habla de una pandemia caracterizada por los criterios que definían la fase 5, acompañados de la aparición de brotes sostenidos en varios países del mundo, como ocurre en España. Además, se considera que la infección podría volverse más agresiva.


Grippe A (H1N1) : l'OMS déclare une pandémie

La directrice de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) Margaret Chan a annoncé jeudi aux représentants des États membres de l'organisation le relèvement à son niveau maximum de l'alerte à la pandémie de grippe A (H1N1), a-t-on appris de source diplomatique à Genève.

C'est la première fois qu'une pandémie est annoncée au 21e siècle, le précédent a eu lieu il y a 40 ans, notamment en 1968-1969.


WHO、新型インフルエンザの警戒度最高位の「パンデミック」に

日経新聞によると、WHO世界保健機関はスイス時間6月11日（UTC+1）、豚インフルエンザといわれている新型インフルエンザの警戒水準を、世界的な大流行（パンデミック）を意味する最も最高位となる「フェイズ6」に引き上げ、また健康被害の深刻度に関する基準を「中度」にすることも併せて発表した。

ロイターによると、WHOのチャン事務局長は「今回の新型インフルエンザは2009年インフルエンザ・パンデミックである」と説明。このパンデミックは1968年の香港カゼ以来41年ぶりとなる。またロイターによるとチャンさんは「21世紀初のパンデミックの初期段階に差し掛かることになる」とした上で、「今回の決定は地理的な感染拡大を反映しているので、パンデミックの深刻さを示すものではない」と話している。また、チャンさんは「国境封鎖などは奨励しない。人や物流・サービスなどの移動にも制限を加えるべきでない」と勧告している。

日経によると、今回の新型インフルエンザの感染者は全世界で27000人以上。6月10日時点のWHOの調べによると、74カ国で感染が確認されて、うち141人が死んだという。


WHO ogłosiła pandemię wirusa grypy A/H1N1

Światowa Organizacja Zdrowia podniosła poziom zagrożenia do najwyższego szóstego, przyznając tym samym, że grypa A/H1N1 stała się pandemią.

Pandemia grypy zaczęła obowiązywać od godz. 18:00. To pierwsza globalna epidemia grypy od 41 lat. Decyzja zapadła po pilnym spotkaniu Światowej Organizacji Zdrowia z ekspertami ONZ. Grypą A/H1N1 (zwaną też świńską grypą) zaraziło się już ponad 26,5 tys. ludzi w 73 krajach. Do tej pory zmarło 140 zarażonych, w tym 109 w Meksyku.

W Polsce odnotowano dotychczas 7 przypadków zarażenia. Wczoraj we wrocławskim przedszkolu jedno dziecko zaraziło drugie - to pierwszy taki przypadek w Polsce przeniesienie się grypy z człowieka na człowieka.


OMS declara pandemia de gripe suína

Agência Brasil

12 de junho de  2009

A Organização Mundial da Saúde elevou de 5 para 6 o nível de alerta da influenza A (H1N1) – gripe suína. Com o aumento para o nível máximo da escala de alerta, a organização declara oficialmente o estado de pandemia.

O critério para definição é a constatação de surtos significativos com transmissão sustentada, de humano para humano, em mais de uma das seis regiões monitoradas pela OMS.

A mudança foi feita após a verificação de transmissão sustentada na Austrália, que pertence à região do Pacífico Sul. Antes, essa situação ocorria apenas nos Estados Unidos, no México, Canadá e Chile, todos da região das Américas.

Quando os países registram casos em que a infecção ocorre dentro do território nacional e não tem relação com pessoas vindas do exterior, a transmissão é chamada de sustentada.

No Brasil e na maioria dos países onde há registros da doença só há transmissão autóctone limitada, ou seja, os casos são importados ou têm relação direta com pessoas vindas do exterior.

Até anteontem (10) havia 27.737 casos registrados no mundo, em 74 países, com 141 mortes. No Brasil, a ministra interina da Saúde, Márcia Bassit, disse ontem (11) que 52 casos foram confirmados, acima dos 43 informados pelo ministério na quarta-feira. "A transmissão no Brasil continua limitada. O Brasil se antecipou a todas as medidas anunciadas pela OMS", disse.


Проглашена пандемија новог грипа

Женева / Швајцарскај Светска здравствена организација прогласила је пандемију новог грипа Х1Н1. Као образложење пандемије, наводи се стални пораст броја оболелих и страха да би током јесени могло да дође до новог таласа брзог ширења вируса. Ово је приви случај после 42 године, да је СЗО прогласила опасност за целокупну светску популацију. Иако је већина европских земаља потврдило присуство хуманоидног вируса код њихових становника, Србија је без заражених.

Након што је нови грип испунио три услова за проглашење пандемије, Светска здравствена организација је прогласила епидемију која се шири широм света. Према СЗО-у, о пандемији се може говорити када се у некој популацији појавило до тада непознато обољење чији узрочници инфицирају људе и изазивају тешке последице и при томе се болест брзо шири и задржава међу људима. Одлука СЗО уследила је пошто је дошло до повећања броја оболелих у САД, Европи, Аустралији и Јужној Америци.

Вирус који се средином априла појавио међу становницима Мексика, убрзо је захватио 27.737 људи у 74 државе и присутан је на свим континентима. Иако је до сада усмртио 141 особу, нови вирус сматра се блажим од вируса Х3Н3 из 1968. ок којег је умрло око милион људи. Стручњаци међутим сматрају да ова пандемија не може да узме толики мах, јер се појавила у времену када су научно технолошка достигнућа много већа него она из 1968. године.

С друге стране, најгори могући сценарио би био ако би се вирус Х1Н1 појавио у далеко озбиљнијем облику у току зиме на северној хемисфери и изазвао велики број обољења и смртних случајева, масовно одсуство с посла и већи прекид путовања и трговине.

Таква ситуација се, рецимо, пореди са пандемијом из 1918. године када је у року од 18 месеци умрло 40 милиона људи, те би због грипа сличног тој врсти с посла одсуствовало чак 40 одсто радне снаге.

Светска банка је још прошле године проценила да би озбиљна пандемија глобалну привреду коштала три милијарде долара, док би се глобални бруто домаћи производ смањио за скоро пет одсто.

Гостујући у Дневнику 2 РТС-а, епидемиолог Предраг Кон рекао је да у Србији нема новог грипа, али да се ситуација прати и да постоји велика вероватноћа да се пандемијски талас догоди током јесени.

Истакао је да је лето време интензивних путовања и промена места боравка и да се због тога може очекивати унос вируса грипа Х1Н1, а његово озбиљније ширење на јесен и зиму.

Рекао је да је у условима пандемије нужно смањивање контаката међу људима, а од пресудне важности лична хигијена.

Појаве новог вируса у Србији може се очекивати већ током јула, када се у Београду одржава Универзијада, јендо од највећих спортских такмичења икада, и том приликом у престолницу долази више од 15.000 људи из иностранства. Поред Београда, ново жариште могуће је и у Новом Саду и Гучи, због предстојећег Егзита и Драгачевског сабора, на којем долазе бројни туристи и учесници махом из земаља у којем је потврђено присуство вируса Х1Н1.

Министарство здравља саопштило је да је спремно за превентивно деловање уколико дође до регистровања новог вируса у Србији, и да ће сви инострани гости Универзијаде бити на адекватан начин упозорени како да се понашају приликом боравка у нашу земљу.


世卫组织宣布将流感大流行警戒级别升至6级


WHO investigates outbreak of unidentified illness in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating an outbreak of an, as yet, unidentified illness in the central region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). To date, the illness has killed more than 100 people.

The illness, first thought to be typhoid fever but now more likely a haemorrhagic fever, was first noticed in early June in Kasai Occidental province in the DRC. There have been 103 reported deaths from a total of 217 patients, for a mortality rate of nearly 50 percent. Health authorities are, however, unsure of the full extent of the outbreak.

In a press release, WHO described the symptoms as "fever, headache, diarrhoea or colicky abdominal pain, and vomiting." They also indicated that most of the cases have been in children under ten years of age. The time from onset to death is approximately five to seven days.

The United Nations agency, WHO, has deployed personnel to the affected areas and retrieved blood samples for laboratory testing. According to a provincial doctor, Jean-Constatin Kanow, the epidemic has affected four villages: Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba and Mombo, but was spreading.

Dr. Kanow described the first reported cases as involving the deaths of two village chiefs on June 8. "All the people who assisted in the burial of these chiefs have died," he said.

Authorities in the DRC, and WHO, have begun preparing for an emergency response should that be required. Measures have been put in place to control the outbreak, such as improvements to drinking water quality, hygiene, and the promotion of safer burial practices.


La OMS investiga casos de una enfermedad no identificada en RD del Congo

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) investiga una epidemia de una, por ahora, enfermedad no identificada en la región central de la República Democrática del Congo (RDC). Hasta ahora, la enfermedad ha matado a más de 100 personas.

La enfermedad, la cual al principio se pensaba que era fiebre tifoidea pero que muy probablemente ahora sea una fiebre hemorrágica viral, fue notada en junio en la Provincia de Kasai Occidenteal en la RDC. Se han reportado 103 muertes de un total de 217 pacientes.

En un liberado de prensa, la OMS describió los síntomas como "fiebre, cefalea, diarrea o dolor cólico abdominal y vómitos". También indicó que muchos de los casos ocurren en niños de menos de 10 años de edad. Luego de cinco o siete días desde que se registraron los síntomas, la mayor parte de los pacientes fallece.

La agencia de Naciones Unidas, la OMS, ha desplegado personal en las áreas afectadas y han tomado muestras para laboratorio. De acuerdo a un doctor provincial, Jean-Constatin Kanow, la epidemia ha afectado cuatro pueblos: Kampungu, Makonono, Kaluamba y Mombo, y se encuentra en expansión.

El Dr. Kanow describió los primeros casos involucrando las muertes de dos jefes de poblados el 8 de junio. "Todas las personas que asistieron al entierro de estos jefes han muerto", dijo.

Las autoridades en la RDC junto con la OMS ha comenzado a prepararse para una respuesta de emergencia si es necesario. Se han puesto en práctica varias medidas para controlar la epidemia, tales como una mejora en la calidad de agua, la higiene y la promoción de entierros más seguros.


WHO releases report on drug resistant tuberculosis

The World Health Organization released their annual report on the world prevalence of tuberculosis in 2008. The report said that there were 9.8 million cases of tuberculosis, with 1.8 million resulting in death. The report also said that there were 440,000 cases of multi drug resistant tuberculosis, with about one-third of them being fatal.

The average cost to treat a case of tuberculosis was US$20 (€14.78, £13.32), over a six month period. The cost to treat a case of drug resistant tuberculosis was US$500 (€365.55, £333.00), and up-to two years of treatment.

Some of the hardest hit regions include nations of the former Soviet Union, and specifically Tajikistan which according to the report "[had] proportions of 16.5 percent MDR-TB [sic:Multi-Drug Resistant tuberculosis] among new TB cases and 61.6 percent MDR-TB among previously treated TB patients in Dushanbe city and Rudaki district, or the highest proportion ever reported among previously treated TB patients in a subnational area,".

The prevalence of tuberculosis in the United States dropped 11.5% with only 11,540 new cases, with 108 of them being drug resistant.