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So far The FCAR has created 8 blog entries.

The Next Contagion: Closer Than You Think

By MICHAEL T. OSTERHOLM MINNEAPOLIS THERE has been a flurry of recent attention over two novel infectious agents: the first, a strain of avian influenza virus (H7N9) in China that is causing severe respiratory disease and other serious health complications in people; the second, a coronavirus, first reported last year in the Middle East, that has brought a crop of new infections. While the number of human cases from these two pathogens has so far been limited, the death rates for each are notably high. Alarmingly, we face a third, and far more widespread, ailment that has gotten little attention: call it “contagion exhaustion.” News reports on a seemingly unending string of frightening microbes — bird flu, flesh-eating strep, SARS, AIDS, Ebola, drug-resistant bugs in hospitals, the list goes on — have led some people to ho-hum the latest reports. […]

By |May 9th, 2013|News|Comments Off on The Next Contagion: Closer Than You Think

FDA NEWS RELEASE

FDA NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: Sept. 24, 2012 Media Inquiries: Stephanie Yao, 301-796-0394, stephanie.yao@fda.hhs.gov Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA New FDA task force will support innovation in antibacterial drug development The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the formation of an internal task force that will support the development of new antibacterial drugs, a critical public health care goal and a priority for the agency. As part of its work, the Antibacterial Drug Development Task Force will assist in developing and revising guidance related to antibacterial drug development, as required by the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Title of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), signed into law on July 9, 2012. Research and development for new antibacterial drugs has been in decline in recent decades, and the number of new FDA-approved antibacterial drugs has been falling steadily since the 1980s. During this time, the persistent and sometimes indiscriminate use of existing antibacterial drugs worldwide has resulted in a decrease in the effectiveness of these drugs. This phenomenon, known as antibacterial drug resistance or antibiotic resistance, has become a serious issue of global concern. […]

By |September 25th, 2012|In the News|Comments Off on FDA NEWS RELEASE

Far more could be done to stop the deadly bacteria C. diff

By Peter Eisler, USA TODAY Just days after doctors successfully removed a tumor from Bailey Quishenberry’s brain, the 14-year-old was spiraling downhill, delirious and writhing in pain from an entirely new menace. Her abdomen swollen 10 times its normal size and her fever skyrocketing, Bailey began wishing she could die, just to escape the agony. Bailey had contracted a potentially fatal infection called Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, that ravages the intestines. The bacteria preys on people in hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities — the very places patients trust to protect their health. […]

By |August 16th, 2012|In the News|Comments Off on Far more could be done to stop the deadly bacteria C. diff