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Rotavirus vaccines found to be highly effective
Rotavirus vaccines found to be highly effective A large, multicentre trial by US researchers of two high-dose rotavirus vaccines has shown that both significantly reduced the incidence and severity of gastroenteritis in infants (Pediatrics 1996; 97: 1-7) The two live-virus vaccines evaluated were made from rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus (RRV) strains containing human rotavirus genes coding for neutralisation viral protein 7 (VP7). One, a monovalent vaccine (RRV-S1), contained the human rotavirus gene for the predominant VP7 serotype in the USA, serotype 1. The second vaccine (RRV-TV) was tetravalent, containing RRV that could generate immune responses to three additional VP7 serotypes. 1278 healthy infants 5-25 weeks of age participated in the randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled, The were vaccines study. given orally
Influenza
in three doses at least 3 weeks apart. The placebo consisted of a tissue culture medium. The children were followed up through one rotavirus season.
25% of the placebo group developed rotavirus gastroenteritis during the study, compared with only 13% of those who received the tetravalent RRV-TV and 12% of those who received the monovalent RRV-S1. The differences in the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis between each vaccine and the placebo group were
highly significant (p<0.0001),
but the difference between vaccine groups was not. However, there was a trend indicating that RRV-TV was more effective against certain strains (serotype 3) and more effective in decreasing severity of disease. Michael
McCarthy
epidemic in Russia likely to stay
influenza epidemic A major and Russia its neighbouring Soviet
republics is creating problems to overstretched
in ex-
severe
and under-funded health services. Medical details of the outbreak are hard to come by. The epidemic has spread from west to east. By the end of December it had peaked in Moscow (where 750 000 cases were reported during that month). However, relatively little work has been done on isolating the viruses concerned. H1-N1has been identified in Yekaterinburg and H1-N3 in Kaliningrad and Khabarovsk (at the two extremes of Russia’s west-to-east expanse). In St Petersburg (where, by early January, the incidence had still not passed the bureaucrat’s
"epidemic threshold") influenza-B has been identified. Russian epidemiologists predict that the epidemic will last until the end of February. The Ukrainians, however, are less hopeful. In early January, the incidence of cases rose sharply in the far west of the counthe Russian try-contradicting schema of a simple west-to-east spread. Furthermore, the Ukrainian doctors, who have tentatively attributed the outbreak to the virulent AJohannesburg strain of virus, predict that it will be followed by a second wave, caused by the B-strain virus, in March to April. Vera Rich
EPO will not go "moo" firm Pharming created the
in biotechnology The Leiden, which
world’s first transgenic bull, Herman, is to cease using a transgenic cow called Huomen for the production of engineered erythropoietin because of the possibility of hyperviscosity in the animal. Prof Herman A deBoer, the company’s former scientific director who resigned in protest in 1993, was pleased. He said, "Since I saw
myself, in 1993, what happened, I objected to the experiments.
have
182
The mice studies have shown that either you find Epo in milk and the mice inevitably get health problems, or the Epo does not express itself". According to Pharming the red tails and feet in mice have not been seen in Huomen. Meanwhile the bull Herman’s
daughters
are
apparently producing
milk and, if their modified human genes work as planned, they will soon be bovine factories for lactoferrin.
Marjanke Spanjer
Gulf War syndrome remains unproven clinical evidence for a unknown, serious illness among the veterans of the 199091 Gulf War, a US Institute of Medicine committee has concluded after reviewing the Department of Defence (DoD) Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program for Gulf War Veterans. DoD reported last year that no evidence had been found of a unique Gulf War illness. US In related news, Army researchers report that an analysis of deaths among US troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region around the time of the war shows that "the number and circumstances of nonbattle deaths among Persian Gulf troops were typical for the US military popis
no
There previously
ulation"
(JAMA 1996; 275: 118-21).
In the UK, with increasing reports of birth defects among offspring of the troops chairman Michael Colvin of the House of Commons defence select committee said at press time that during the Jan 18 defence debate he would push for the government’s reponse to the committee’s report last November. The committee recommended an epidemiological survey to clarify the situation. a
Suicides among elderly on the up in USA years of suicides among
A
fter
steady decline, elderly people in
the USA have started to increase, mainly among people aged 75 years and more. In those aged 65 years and over the suicide rates increased by 9% between 1980 and 1992 (from 17-6 to 19-1per 100 000 population). Whereas rates fell in the 65-69 and 70-74 years categories, rates increased in the 75-79 (11%), 80-84 (35%), and 85 (15%) years agegroups (MMWR 1995; 45: 3-6) An editorial note points out that the number of suicides in this age group is set to rise, because the elderly constitute the fastest-rising age-group in the USA and because recent studies indicate that suicide rates
are
generally higher
among among their grandparents at a similar age. "In addition, older persons make fewer
young
adults
attempts per it notes. Sarah
Ramsay
than
"
completed suicide ...
Influenza
in three doses at least 3 weeks apart. The placebo consisted of a tissue culture medium. The children were followed up through one rotavirus season.
25% of the placebo group developed rotavirus gastroenteritis during the study, compared with only 13% of those who received the tetravalent RRV-TV and 12% of those who received the monovalent RRV-S1. The differences in the incidence of rotavirus gastroenteritis between each vaccine and the placebo group were
highly significant (p<0.0001),
but the difference between vaccine groups was not. However, there was a trend indicating that RRV-TV was more effective against certain strains (serotype 3) and more effective in decreasing severity of disease. Michael
McCarthy
epidemic in Russia likely to stay
influenza epidemic A major and Russia its neighbouring Soviet
republics is creating problems to overstretched
in ex-
severe
and under-funded health services. Medical details of the outbreak are hard to come by. The epidemic has spread from west to east. By the end of December it had peaked in Moscow (where 750 000 cases were reported during that month). However, relatively little work has been done on isolating the viruses concerned. H1-N1has been identified in Yekaterinburg and H1-N3 in Kaliningrad and Khabarovsk (at the two extremes of Russia’s west-to-east expanse). In St Petersburg (where, by early January, the incidence had still not passed the bureaucrat’s
"epidemic threshold") influenza-B has been identified. Russian epidemiologists predict that the epidemic will last until the end of February. The Ukrainians, however, are less hopeful. In early January, the incidence of cases rose sharply in the far west of the counthe Russian try-contradicting schema of a simple west-to-east spread. Furthermore, the Ukrainian doctors, who have tentatively attributed the outbreak to the virulent AJohannesburg strain of virus, predict that it will be followed by a second wave, caused by the B-strain virus, in March to April. Vera Rich
EPO will not go "moo" firm Pharming created the
in biotechnology The Leiden, which
world’s first transgenic bull, Herman, is to cease using a transgenic cow called Huomen for the production of engineered erythropoietin because of the possibility of hyperviscosity in the animal. Prof Herman A deBoer, the company’s former scientific director who resigned in protest in 1993, was pleased. He said, "Since I saw
myself, in 1993, what happened, I objected to the experiments.
have
182
The mice studies have shown that either you find Epo in milk and the mice inevitably get health problems, or the Epo does not express itself". According to Pharming the red tails and feet in mice have not been seen in Huomen. Meanwhile the bull Herman’s
daughters
are
apparently producing
milk and, if their modified human genes work as planned, they will soon be bovine factories for lactoferrin.
Marjanke Spanjer
Gulf War syndrome remains unproven clinical evidence for a unknown, serious illness among the veterans of the 199091 Gulf War, a US Institute of Medicine committee has concluded after reviewing the Department of Defence (DoD) Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program for Gulf War Veterans. DoD reported last year that no evidence had been found of a unique Gulf War illness. US In related news, Army researchers report that an analysis of deaths among US troops stationed in the Persian Gulf region around the time of the war shows that "the number and circumstances of nonbattle deaths among Persian Gulf troops were typical for the US military popis
no
There previously
ulation"
(JAMA 1996; 275: 118-21).
In the UK, with increasing reports of birth defects among offspring of the troops chairman Michael Colvin of the House of Commons defence select committee said at press time that during the Jan 18 defence debate he would push for the government’s reponse to the committee’s report last November. The committee recommended an epidemiological survey to clarify the situation. a
Suicides among elderly on the up in USA years of suicides among
A
fter
steady decline, elderly people in
the USA have started to increase, mainly among people aged 75 years and more. In those aged 65 years and over the suicide rates increased by 9% between 1980 and 1992 (from 17-6 to 19-1per 100 000 population). Whereas rates fell in the 65-69 and 70-74 years categories, rates increased in the 75-79 (11%), 80-84 (35%), and 85 (15%) years agegroups (MMWR 1995; 45: 3-6) An editorial note points out that the number of suicides in this age group is set to rise, because the elderly constitute the fastest-rising age-group in the USA and because recent studies indicate that suicide rates
are
generally higher
among among their grandparents at a similar age. "In addition, older persons make fewer
young
adults
attempts per it notes. Sarah
Ramsay
than
"
completed suicide ...