Medical News

Bemidji, MN May 24th, 2004 — In many parts of the country, late May into July is the ?hot season? for Lyme disease. According to recently released data from the Centers for Disease control, Lyme disease cases reached a new high in the U.S in 2002 with over 23,000 cases (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5317a4.htm). Many of these Lyme disease victims are infected in their own yards, and the tick that transmits Lyme disease has been spreading in many parts of the country. Fortunately, the arsenal of tick-control measures has also expanded in recent years, and these tick-thwarting strategies are detailed in the new book “Ticks Off! Controlling Ticks That Transmit Lyme Disease on Your Property”.

The tick control measures described in ?Ticks Off!? focus on two main themes; landscape alterations and host control. Landscape alterations comprise a range of measures to reduce moisture at the soil surface. Ticks absolutely need a resting place with high humidity in order to survive. Removing these moist environments can be an important step in putting a dent in tick populations.

The most important sources of a blood meal for Lyme disease-transmitting ticks are white-tailed deer, deer mice, white-footed mice, and chipmunks. Therefore, host control focuses on these animals. The goals of host control are to either reduce the numbers of animals in your local environment, or to reduce the number of ticks carried on these hosts. New methods of controlling ticks by treating the hosts with tick-killing chemicals are now available, and can significantly reduce tick populations in an environmentally sensitive way.    

As Lyme disease has become more common in many parts of the United States, more and more property owners are seriously exploring tick control measures. ?Ticks Off!? provides advice on integrated strategies for tick control using both landscape alterations and control of ticks on hosts.

More information on tick control and the book ?Ticks Off! Controlling Ticks That Transmit Lyme Disease on Your Property? is available at www.tickbook.com. For more information, contact the publisher at books@forstepress.com.

About the Author:

Patrick Guilfoile, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biology at Bemidji State University in northern Minnesota. From his first backpacking trip in northern Wisconsin in the late 1970?s, when he spent several sleepless nights removing ticks from his tent, sleeping bag, and person, he has maintained an interest in ticks. In recent years he has published several articles on the biology of blacklegged ticks in scientific journals including The Journal of Vector Ecology, The Journal of Medical Entomology, and Experimental and Applied Acarology.

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May 23, 2004–Our free price comparison website http://Valtrex.medical-dictionary-search-engines.com/ is designed to help people search for the cheapest Valtrex available online.

Our aim is to provide internet users with an understanding of what Valtrex is and with the most comprehensive price comparison website for them to purchase Valtrex. We provide them with multiple drugstores offering different sizes of Valtrex and also of different quantity. Shoppers will be able to look up the cheapest price we found on the web and with one click of their mouse, be able to reach that particular drug store for their purchase. We believe our website will help buyers a lot in speeding up their shopping time for their purchase of Valtrex.

Our website provides internet users with the most comprehensive information on drugs for all their medical needs. Valtrex is an antiviral agent used in the treatment of herpes zoster, genital herpes and is also being used for herpes simplex. Nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of appetite, weakness, stomach pain or dizziness may occur the first several days as your body adjusts to the medication. If any of these effects continue or become bothersome, inform your doctor.

For more information, please contact us at http://Valtrex.medical-dictionary-search-engines.com/

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January 28 2004–Long-term usage of HAART for the management of HIV has reduced mortality in the HIV-infected population. However, this has consequently led to an increase in the prevalence of chronic co-infections such as Hepatitis B (HBV). Currently, HBV prevalence exceeds that f HIV and is estimated at 2 billion infected individuals worldwide, accounting for approximately 5% of the world?s population.

Scope
Key data and epidemiology of the seven major HIV therapeutic markets highlighting the HIV / HBV co-morbid population

Overview of the limitations surrounding co-morbid management such as recognition of co
infection, high-risk groups and lack of efficacious antivirals

Report Highlights
Concurrent early diagnosis of both HIV and HBV disease states is pivotal to increasing
the lifespan of this co-morbid population. Effective treatment is currently hampered by
poor patient compliance, HAART hepatotoxicity and lack of comprehensive treatment guidelines.

Reasons to Purchase
Effectively target this niche sector, through a complete understanding of the prevalence
of the co-morbid population in the seven major markets

Identify the most promising products in the HIV and HBV pipelines, and track how current
players are seeking to optimize their market share

For a complete index of this report click on
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/42806

About Research and Markets Ltd.
Research and Markets Ltd. are Europe’s largest resource for market research. R&M distribute
thousands of major research publications from the world’s leading publishers, consultants
and market analysts. R&M provide you with the latest forecasts on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest market trends.

For additional information on ResearchandMarkets.com, their range of reports or their value-added services, visit their web site at http://www.researchandmarkets.com or
mailto:press@researchandmarkets.com

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February 29, 2004–While most of North America still hibernates in winter’s touch, a determined group of people are busy planning their third annual Encephalitis Conference. They work together, to share information and support, and raise awareness on this rare disease.

There are many causes of encephalitis, including the West Nile virus. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, usually triggered by a viral infection. Those who survive the illness may suffer permanent physical and mental disabilities, such as paralysis and memory loss.

Last year’s FACES Encephalitis Conference was held in Las Vegas Nevada. As well as adults, it welcomed a number of children touched by different types of encephalitis, and a guest speaker who is a survivor of West Nile encephalitis.

This year, FACES will be held in Enfield, Connecticut August 6-8th, 2004. For more information, visit Encephalitis Global at http://www.encephalitisglobal.com and click on FACES 2004.
Or contact:

Sherry Drescher - Worcester, MA
email:sd1098@aol.com

Wendy Station ? Vancouver Canada
email:wendystation@shaw.ca
(604) 980-2236
Encephalitis Global - http://www.encephalitisglobal.com

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San Francisco, CA May 12, 2004 — The HIV Prevention Section of The San Francisco Department of Public Health- AIDS Office will be holding a press conference as part of their providers’ luncheon on Friday, May 14th. The meeting will gather San Francisco community leaders who are planning, developing, delivering, and evaluating HIV/AIDS programs and services to Latino men to explore ways in which The Department of Public Health - AIDS Office can better assist them and their agencies in delivering the array of services to Latino men in San Francisco.

Press conference:
Friday, May 14th
12:00-12:30pm
25 Van Ness Ave., Suite 330A
San Francisco, CA

Presenting at the press conference will be San Francisco social marketing designers Raul Cabra and Andy Williams of Cabra Diseno, that created “A La Aventura,” a unique HIV prevention media campaign for undocumented monolingual Spanish-speaking day laborers in San Francisco. (”A La Aventura” is the term used by migrant day laborers to describe their often perilous migrant life in California.) Using a visual community education style popular in Latin America, this innovative campaign seeks to get reliable HIV prevention and social services information into the hands of migrant workers without jeopardizing their stay in the US. The campaign also advocates that prevention and health are basic human rights not dependent on citizenship.

The campaign, which takes place largely in San Francisco’s Mission District, includes billboards, bus shelters, 200 interior bus signs, and a hand-held fold-out map showing the day laborers where they can find health and other support services. The largest of these billboards, which was launched on April 6th, can be seen at the intersection of Cesar Chavez and Mission Streets, where many of these men gather daily for work. The second phase of this project - additional billboards, bus shelters, and interior bus signs - launches on Monday, May 10th and continues through August. The distribution of maps will continue indefinitely.

“A La Aventura” was created by the San Francisco social marketing designers Raul Cabra and Andy Williams. To develop the campaign, Mr. Cabra and Ms. Williams (who will unveil the campaign at the press conference) brought together a diverse group of community partners including day laborers, social service and health care providers, HIV researchers, and immigration lawyers. Their research showed that these men did want reliable HIV prevention and health information but also wanted to remain out of sight. They did not want to take time away from finding work, which is their main priority. Because of these concerns, combined with high illiteracy rates, available HIV prevention and health care information is often limited to what they can learn on the street. The implementers of the campaign hope that this will be a model for similar campaigns in other cities.

Studies show that newly arrived migrant workers from Latin America engage in riskier health practices than they do at home. They frequently adopt new sexual practices, have more sexual partners, and use IV drugs while they are in the US. At the same time, they have limited knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use. Although Latinos make up 14% of the U.S. population, they account for nearly 20% of the 40,000 new HIV cases reported in the United States each year, according to a July 2003 report issued by the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors and The Kaiser Family Foundation. In San Francisco, Latinos make up 14.1% of the population, and they account for a rapidly increasing number of AIDS cases in the city. Latinos represented 12% of all AIDS cases in San Francisco in 2001, 15% in 2002, and 20% in 2003.

This $250,000 campaign is the result of a joint funding initiative including The San Francisco Department of Public Health and Bristol-Myers Squibb Virology and is being managed by the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS). Cabra Diseno, a San Francisco-based design and social marketing firm, which has developed numerous Spanish-language health campaigns, is responsible for the creation and production of A La Aventura. “Cabra Diseno is grateful for the opportunity to help migrant day laborers access better health information, especially in the current political and economic climate of California and the US,” says Raul Cabra. “We support all our communities when we provide HIV risk and prevention education for both newly arrived immigrants and more experienced migrants.”

Press Conference Presenters:
Raul Cabra is the principal of Cabra Diseno, a design firm based in San Francisco with emphasis on community-based and socially engaged work in the fields of health, art and education. He is a frequent lecturer on his work for national and international audiences, most recently addressing The IV Congress of AIDS and HIV Prevention in Cuiaba, Brazil; The University of Nuevo Leon Design Conference in Monterey, Mexico; and The 2002 United States Conference on AIDS in Anaheim, California. Raul is also an adjunct professor at The California College of The Arts, where he has been teaching design and social issues at graduate and undergraduate levels for the past ten years.

Andy Williams is a social marketing designer and strategist who lives in San Francisco. After a decade of experience as a university research anthropologist in AIDS/HIV prevention, she turned to design and visual communication to better convey ideas and information about health and social issues to different populations. Andy has worked frequently with Cabra Dise?o; “A La Aventura” is her fourth media campaign with Raul Cabra.

Cabra Diseno is a San Francisco-based design firm with twelve years of experience in creating messages for social change, including media campaigns for HIV/AIDS prevention to a wide range of populations in the Bay Area, the US, and Canada. Cabra Dise?o?s work is informed by a thorough understanding of the social and emotional realities of the audience in order to deliver messages that resonate with that population’s concerns. Each campaign is based on extensive research, including first-hand interviews, focus groups, and observations in their social environment. Carefully evaluated by independent studies, the campaigns have been shown to have enormous success in their impact on the target population.

A La Aventura Media Campaign Locations
I) Main Billboard: Cesar Chavez and Mission Streets:
Launched April 6th, will be taken down between May 6th-10th

II) Second Round of Billboards:
Start first week of May thru June 25th (8 weeks)
1) 16th & South Van Ness. Facing East
2) Mission, 250 ft south of 17th St. Facing South

III) Bus Transit Shelters:
First Round: May 3-30, 2004
Second Round: July 5-August 1, 2004
1) 16th & Shotwell, Facing West
2) 24th & Folsom, Facing West
3) 30th & Mission, Facing West
4) Bryant & 18th, Facing South
5) Cesar Chavez & Bryant, Facing East
6) Mission & 24th, Facing South

IV) MUNI interior bus signs:
Coverage: Buses that have routes on the southern half of San Francisco, including The Mission District. 200 signs
May 2-July 31, 2004 (12 weeks)

V) Basic Services Fold-out Map:
Available at the resources listed on the maps including Instituto Familiar de la Raza and Mission Neighborhood Health Center. Initial printing: 5000 maps.

For additional press info and/or to RSVP for the press conference, please contact:
Lisa Geduldig/Publicist
(415) 431-7363
lisag@igc.org

For additional information about the campaign, please contact:
Raul Cabra/Cabra Dise?o
(415) 626-6336 x10
raul@cabradiseno.com

For additional in information about San Francisco HIV prevention efforts, please contact:
Eileen Shields/Public Information Officer
San Francisco Department of Public Health
(415) 554-2507
Eileen.Shields@sfdph.org

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January 21 2004–Influenza, SARS and Axenohl?

2004: Could this be the year of Stephen King?s Captain Trips Flu? As in King?s Book titled ?The Stand??seems unlikely, but there exists some real concern by World Health Officials that the 2003-04 Flu season is shaping up to possibly be one of the worst Flu seasons we have seen in a while. This year?s ?little nasty? appears to be similar to a antigenic drift variant, A/Fujian (N3H2). The 2003-04 Flu season began unusually early and already there is widespread Influenza activity in North America as well as vaccine shortages that caught health officials off guard and sent them scrambling to find alternate sources to supply additional doses of this years vaccine. Another bad omen has surfaced for the Flu season yet to come, there have already been a number of child deaths associated with this years emerging Flu strain. Here is a report of severe illness and deaths by the CDC. ?Pediatric cases. CDC has received reports of severe complications of influenza occurring in young infants, school-age children, and adolescents. Complications have included encephalopathy, seizures, dehydration with severe hypotension, respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, and secondary bacterial pneumonia, including necrotizing pneumonia with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Three deaths (an infant aged 20 months with underlying reactive airways disease, a previously healthy infant aged 22 months, and a previously healthy child aged 16 years) have been associated with secondary pneumonia caused by CA-MRSA. Other influenza-related deaths not related to CA-MRSA in children have occurred. Fatal cases that are reported to CDC are being investigated by local and state health authorities. Laboratory testing has confirmed influenza A virus infection in these fatal cases; antigenic characterization is pending.?

So what can we do to protect our loved ones and ourselves from this serious disease? The first thing we can do is to educate ourselves so we don?t increase our stress levels unwittingly. We may do this by visiting the CDC and WHO web sites to get up to date facts about this year?s Flu and vaccines, as well as consulting with our own health care provider. We may also use common sense infection control and nutritional practices at home, work and in public places and USE the Axenohl? formulations whenever and wherever possible. Common sense prevails as a practical and immediate practice in all fields of life, and it should definitely apply to proper Influenza prevention methodologies and the use of the efficacious and inexpensive Axenohl formulations. Here are some good examples of how to protect your self this Flu season.

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Flu Vaccine: Vaccination against Influenza each year has great value. Here is a quote from the CDC regarding vaccination against the Flu. ?The flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the flu. However, in limited studies, the flu shot and the nasal-spray flu vaccine (LAIV) have different rates of effectiveness.? Keep in mind that it takes approximately two weeks after being vaccinated for the human body to produce enough antibodies to provide protection against the Flu. During that two-week period a person may still contract the disease and become contagious to others. Information regarding Vaccine Effectiveness, Who Should Be Vaccinated, When To Be Vaccinated, and High-risk Groups, is available in the Flu section of the CDC website. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/    

?   
Hands: The human hands represent an excellent vector for Influenza virus transmission. Person-to-person and person-to-any hard surface, such as door- knobs, telephones, tables and counters etc. Frequent hand washing helps to slow or even stop person-to-person transmission. Hand washing with a liquid soap is good. Hand washing with a good liquid soap containing Axenohl is even better and disinfecting your hands with Axenohl Quick Dry or Hands Free is by far the best modality, with a proven efficacy and several hours of residual protection. Using Axenohl Disinfectant-30 on all hard surfaces in your home and office will provide the user with a proven 24+ hour bactericidal and antiviral residual efficacy. Laboratory testing has revealed that Axenohl Dinfectant-30 and Axenohl Quick Dry eliminate Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in two minutes or less.

?   
Coughing and sneezing by individuals who are already symptomatic with the disease can launch influenza virus contained in tiny droplets into the air. This phenomena, is called ?droplet spread?. These tiny droplets are deposited on the mouth and/or nose of people nearby and on surfaces and may remain virulent for hours. Touching these surfaces and then touching your own mouth, nose or eyes may cause transmission of the disease. By using Axenohl Quick Dry aerosol on furniture, draperies, carpets, bed covers and heating/AC filters and in kitchens, the Influenza virus will be eliminated from these vectors and effectively reduce the potential for further transmission of the disease.

?   
Nutrition: There are many home Flu remedies available today, some with proven results others providing nothing more than some psychological comfort. However, just about all Health Care Providers will tell you how very important it is to have a good daily source of vitamin C intake especially during the Flu season. Two-time Nobel prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling was the first to realize vitamin C’s crucial importance in the maintenance of a healthy immune system. Back in the 1970?s Dr. Pauling suggested taking much higher doses of vitamin C than was currently recommended to shorten the duration of the common cold and its severity. The medical establishment voiced strong opposition. However, ?Recent medical research has confirmed Dr. Pauling’s original idea. Not only does a high vitamin C intake markedly reduce the severity of a cold, it also effectively prevents secondary viral or bacterial complications. Vitamin C works by stimulating the immune system and protecting against damage by the free radicals released by the body in its fight against the infection?. So drink a big fresh glass of orange juice every day?and add a few drops of Axenohl Water Purifier (silver dihydrogen citrate) you may be surprised by what does not occur in your body this Flu season.

Now, with the emergence of the (SARS) corona virus in Guangzhou Province China in late December 03 and early January 04, there are very strong reasons to take proper precautions this Flu season. It appears that this new SARS case is not like last years strain and may even be a new mutant virus variation, which could pose an even greater pandemic threat. The Axenohl formulations provide an unparalleled level of efficacy without creating environmental and toxicological side effects. Axenohl (Silver Dihydrogen Citrate) is non-toxic and is considered a high level disinfectant/decontaminant. There are no other non-toxic, high-level disinfectants currently available on the market today that provide a proven 24+ hour residual efficacy. These are extremely important key elements in the fight against transmission of viral and bacterial infections. Public transportation provides high-speed transmission vectors, which can cause global ramifications in a 24-hour time frame. Air travel equipment cleaned with traditional disinfectants, are not protected from recontamination because there is no residual killing efficacy. Incorporating Axenohl into Aircraft cleaning protocols would increase infection control measures by 100 fold and greatly reduce the chances of transporting a new strain of SARS internationally.

Below is a USA Surveillance Map of Influenza activity weekending December 27th, 2003 as posted on the CDC web site. We will continue to update this map as the new information becomes available.

This next map is a world-view of current Influenza activity provided by FluNet/WHO weekending Jan. 10th 2004.
ILI activity, 07/12/03 to 10/01/04, World

No Participating No Report No Activity Sporadic Local Outbreak Regional Outbreak Widespread Outbreak

As depicted in the surveillance maps above Influenza activity worldwide is prevalent in both hemispheres, however, just how globally widespread this year?s outbreak has or will become is not fully known, as some world regions do not participate in reporting local Influenza activity to WHO and CDC.

How this Flu season will effect Central America is yet to be seen. However, one can logically hypothesize that popular vacation Mecca?s like Costa Rica, Belize and Panama that are largely visited by thousands of tourists from North America and all over the world will experience regional outbreaks that may evolve into becoming widespread outbreaks at tremendous costs to Social Security and Public Health systems. Resort Hotel personnel, airline crews and tour operators will be on the front lines from an exposure standpoint and could actually become vectors for transmission into the local population. For these reasons, it is extremely important that all Tourist-related service personnel receive the Flu vaccine and that close attention is paid to infection control practices such as frequent hand washing and making sure that common gathering areas, as well as guest quarters, are properly cleaned, disinfected and maintained. Tourists that become symptomatic should be prompted to see a doctor and stay in their hotel rooms and cover their nose and mouths to help reduce further transmission of the disease to other guests and Hotel workers. Hotel Management should play a key role in educating employees and enforcing tighter sanitation measures in their establishments. Hotel Purchasing Departments should be looking at and acquiring cutting edge disinfection technologies such as Axenohl to help protect their guests, themselves and the local community against a widespread outbreak in their respective regions. National Health Departments and The Center for National Emergencies should also play a key role this year by making infection control and cleaning protocols readily available to Tourist Service Related Businesses and Hotel Management Teams. Local Health Authorities can quickly accomplished this by fax or Internet access to Influenza information for the Tourism Industry in order to properly implement procedural efforts and disseminate up to date information to their service personnel. National Informational Campaigns should be quickly set into play by National Health Authorities via TV, Radio and Newspaper urging everyone to be vaccinated, especially those in high risk groups and outlining how local populations can help to reduce the risk of contracting the disease and not spreading it if one becomes symptomatic.

In Costa Rica, The Ministry of health has already demonstrated a great capacity to react quickly in the dissemination of information in matters of public health concern. A good example of this is the continual educational role the Ministry of Health has played in combating Dengue and transmission of the disease by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Concerning this year?s Influenza and SARS in Costa Rica we strongly urge you to visit The Ministry of Health of Costa Rica at, www.ministeriodesalud.go.cr

Key Points:

In summary, these are key points to remember this Flu season.

?   
Get vaccinated.
?   
Use Axenohl as specified by the manufacturer for maximum Infection Control measures.
?   
Take vitamin C everyday.
?   
Use Proper Hand Washing measures and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes after attending a public setting.
?   
Avoid close contact with people that are symptomatic.
?   
If you become symptomatic, consult your Doctor, stay home, and cover your nose and mouth to keep from spreading the disease to family members and co-workers.
?   
Keep up to date with ?FLU FACTS? provided by the CDC, WHO, Ministry of Public Health of Costa Rica and stay tuned to www.sistecam.com

The attitude and slogans of the Ministry of Health of Costa Rica and the popular Coastarican slogan, makes it possible to react if the ?Pura Vida? approach is implemented.

Written By: Andrew B. Arata 01/01/04
President Laboratorio Sistecam S.A.
San Jose, Costa Rica

References:
Ministry of Health of Costa Rica Database
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Database
World Health Organization Database
New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/18/health/18SARS.html?ex=1072770954&ei=1&en=b66463237457ee0d
The Scientist Database
Axenohl Research Database @ Laboratorio Sistecam S.A.
www.chinaview.com Database
http://vvv.com/healthnews/vitamin_C.html
University of ABA Database

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January 15 2004–As the size of the online consumer audience continues to expand, it is important for pharmaceutical companies to create websites that attract, convert and retain as many consumers as possible. This PowerPoint trend analysis pack contains a guide to identifying specific consumer groups and to presenting information to meet consumers? needs while enhancing pharmaceutical company brand recognition.

Scope

Identifies the key consumer groups that can be targeted through the provision of consumer health websites

Identifies the critical success factors for pharmaceutical companies to consider when developing a consumer health website

Analyzes 15 consumer health websites provided by pharmaceutical companies, focusing on the provision of disease, product and lifestyle information

Draws together the common success factors across the sites with reference to consumer relevant content, customization and interactivity

Report Highlights

Disease websites are becoming increasingly popular among pharmaceutical companies with a portfolio of treatments in a specific therapy area with a large prevalent population. These sites provide in-depth information and support for patients and/or caregivers looking for disease information.

Product websites are an important tool for pharmaceutical companies to use in communicating with the potential patient population. In the US, many companies provide links between a product website and a disease website, which provides a broader range of information about treatment and management options.

Lifestyle websites have the advantage of reaching a wider audience than a disease website and can cover many different disease areas. These sites may be targeted at a particular consumer group, such as women or seniors, or may focus on “healthy living? as an issue.

This report is designed to:

Understand which specific key consumer groups are looking for health information online

Understand the critical success factors required to successfully create a consumer targeted health information website

Understand the different information requirements for product, disease and lifestyle websites

For a complete index of this report click on http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/42627

About Research and Markets Ltd.
Research and Markets Ltd. are Europe’s largest resource for market research. R&M distribute thousands of major research publications from the world’s leading publishers, consultants and market analysts. R&M provide you with the latest forecasts on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest market trends.

For additional information on ResearchandMarkets.com, their range of reports or their value-added services, visit their web site at http://www.researchandmarkets.com or mailto:press@researchandmarkets.com

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