Health

Does having herpes (HSV-2) increase your chances of being infected with HIV?

MRC Yes! It is most definitely a risk factor that has serious public health implications, is the finding of a Policy Brief released by the HIV Prevention Research Unit of the Medical Research Council (MRC). Herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-2) is the most common cause of genital ulcer disease worldwide. By damaging the epithelial barrier and causing inflammation, it may increase the risk of HIV-1 transmission.

Immune system functional testing of athletes at University of Stellenbosch

Carine Smith, Kathy Myburgh Because of the ever-increasing high standards set in the sporting world today, athletes have to keep increasing their training efforts in order to excel at their chosen sport. This increased stress to the body (both physical and psychological) may affect many aspects of the normal functioning of the body, including the immune system. Based on epidemiological data (reviewed in Calabrese et al. 1996 and Nieman 1998) , it seems that while moderate exercise may serve as a booster to the immune system, excessive exercise may result in an increased risk to the athlete of...

Cholera Vaccine

NAIROBI (IRIN) - Trials of a cholera vaccine manufactured in Vietnam at a cost of only about US 20 cents a dose have produced encouraging results, especially for children, according to a press statement from the United Nations' World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday, 8 February. The research team concluded that the vaccine was "safe and immunogenic" and "could elicit robust immune responses", especially in children, for whom the risk of endemic cholera is highest, but also in adults, WHO stated. The research results were encouraging, "particularly because of its low cost of production", it...

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