Medical Letter on the CDC and FDA

Dengue Virus - Fourplex real-time RT-PCR assay to detect dengue viruses is developed

Measles Vaccine - More sclerosing panencephalitis prevented by measles vaccine than previously recognized

Rotavirus Vaccine - Vaccination reduces disease burden and health costs of rotavirus diarrhea in Vietnam

Smallpox Vaccine - Maxi-Vac software aids in planning mass smallpox vaccination clinics

Vaccine Registries - Electronic billing systems need improvement to maintain accurate vaccine registries

Acinetobacter Baumannii - Integrons are useful markers for epidemic strains of Acinetobacter baumannii

Addiction Medicine - Medications show effectiveness in reducing drug use in addicted patients

Adipose Tissue - Nnat increases CREB phosphorylation and enhances adipogenic differentiation in rat model

Adverse Drug Effects - Relative disparities should be measured in terms of adverse events

Asthma - Drug maker expresses disagreement with U.S. FDA proposed labeling change for Serevent and Advair

Atopic Eczema - Current aspects of therapy with topical calcineurin inhibitors are reviewed

Avian Influenza - Researchers' findings advance avian influenza research

Avian Influenza - Viral inactivation method being explored for development of bird flu vaccine

Awards - U.S. NIH grant will support research of potent anti-inflammatory effects of incyclinide

Bioterrorism - Multiplex PCR microarray assay screens multiple bioterror pathogens in blood

Breast Cancer - Company files 510(k) application with U.S. FDA on microendoscope for breast exams

Business & Finance - Maker of gene-transfer therapy products reports third-quarter revenues of $21,000

Chromatography - LC-MS sensitivity improved through increases in chromatographic performance

Clinical Trials - Positive final results reported from phase II study of diabetic nephropathy therapy

Cognition - Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors enhance cognitive abilities

Community-Acquired Pneumonia - New drug application submitted to U.S. FDA for Factive's use in sinusitis and pneumonia

Depression - Eight percent of adults experienced major depression in past year, according to report

Diabetes Complications - Geographic variation in diabetes complications is linked to health care performance

Diabetes Epidemiology - Diabetes and associated disorders are common in Cambodia

Diagnostics - Diagnostic tests provider engages Partner International to strengthen European distribution network

Diagnostics - Integrating multiantigen ELISA with AFB smear improves sensitivity for active TB screening

Diagnostics - Nucleic acid amplification tests in absence of a gold standard test are reviewed

Diagnostics - Reports add new data to diagnostics research

Diet & Nutrition - Hemoglobin and ferritin are most efficient indicators of response to iron interventions

Disease Associations - Relationship between obesity and pediatric oncology discussed

Disease Control - Oral fluid dried onto filter paper suitable for detection of measles virus strains

Disease Control - Provider awareness education increases reporting of syphilis cases and decreases reporting delays

Disease Control - Public awareness campaign resulted in community involvement in syphilis control efforts

Disease Control - Screening programs conducted during outbreak do not detect many persons with syphilis

Disease Control - WHO DOTS strategy not adopted in Russia due to inadequate understanding

Drug Development - Biomedical Diagnostics gets CLIA certification

Drug Development - Regulatory status update provided for decitabine injection for MDS

Drug Development - U.S. FDA approves Avelox for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections

Drug Development - U.S. FDA approves a new higher dose formulation of Fosrenol

Drug Development - U.S. FDA grants fast track status to drug for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Drug Development - U.S. NIAID awards phase I SBIR to develop siRNA technology for influenza treatment

Drug Resistance - Resistance to antituberculosis drugs increasing in Botswana

Drug Resistance - Virulent MRSA strains carrying Panton-Valentine leucocidin genes prevalent in the Netherlands

Drug Safety - Methods for clearing viruses and TSE agents from biologicals are under development

Environmental Health - Contaminated soil and water exposure associated with leptospirosis outbreak in Japan

Environmental Health - Somatic and germ cell DNA damage in acrylamide-treated mice depends upon CYP2E1 activity

Epidemiology - MLVA reliable for short-term S. aureus epidemiological studies

Facilities - Cancer-focused biotech company relocates headquarters