http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. An experimental drug has shown promise in treating influenza, preventing lung injury and death from the virus in preclinical studies, according to University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers publishing in the journal Nature on May 1. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-potential-treatment-influenza.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 01 May 2013 16:04:45 EST news286643077 Injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons—with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a special article in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-sharps-injuries-major-health-impact.html Surgery Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:46:47 EST news284125601 (HealthDay)—Flu remains at epidemic proportions across the United States, but flu activity decreased in some areas during the second week of January, according to FluView, a weekly influenza surveillance report prepared by the Influenza Division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-cdc-flu-high-states.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:00:02 EST news277800900 (HealthDay)—Flu season descended on the United States early and hard this winter, with significant increases in flu activity observed over the past month, according to an update issued Jan. 4 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-cdc-influenza.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 05 Jan 2013 11:20:01 EST news276604892 (Medical Xpress)—The adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated and observed in Petri dishes and test tubes, thanks to a research team led by Craig Cameron, the Paul Berg Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University. "The new method not only will help us to understand the recent failures of hepatitis C antiviral drugs in some patients in clinical trials," said Cameron. "It also could help to identify medications that eliminate all adverse effects." The team's findings, published in the current issue of the journal PLOS Pathogens may help pave the way toward the development of safer and more-effective treatments for hepatitis C, as well as other pathogens such as SARS and West Nile virus. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-hepatitis-treatment-side-effects-lab.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:04:12 EST news272300541 For people experiencing first-time symptoms of Bell's palsy, steroid pills very likely are the most effective known treatment for recovering full strength in the facial muscles, according to a guideline published in the November 7, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Bell's palsy is a nerve disorder that affects muscle movement in the face and usually leaves half of the face temporarily paralyzed. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-guideline-steroid-pills-effective-facial.html Neuroscience Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:00:09 EST news271517829 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers in the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan have discovered how a particular type of virus hides and protects its genetic information from the immune system, a design that allows it to replicate inside cells of an infected person or animal. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-discovery-advances-phleboviruses.html Medical research Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:22:40 EST news271495339 New data being presented at IDWeek 2012 shows the fatal risk that influenza poses even for children without underlying health conditions and the effectiveness of school-based vaccination programs in protecting student populations. Together, these findings support the crucial public health message that families should take the flu virus seriously every year. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-pediatric-flu-deadly-danger-benefits.html Pediatrics Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:00:02 EST news269868850 Researchers have identified the primary player of the biochemical bugle call that musters the body's defenders against viral infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-duration-biochemical-bugle-critical-viruses.html Medical research Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:00:05 EST news258804222