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Insecticide coating effective against mosquitoes

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A new method of applying insecticide to netting has proved 100% effective against some strains of mosquito , an international study reports. The electrostatic coating allows the netting to carry much higher doses of insecticide. In experiments, the coating killed off many more mosquitoes than usual. Dutch researchers, writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say this could help control diseases such as malaria . Insecticide resistance in mosquitoes has become a significant problem in many parts of the world where malaria is endemic. It is thought that water-based spray insecticides and bed nets, which often contain low levels of insecticide, don't always kill the mosquitoes, allowing them to develop resistance. In this study , researchers from the Netherlands used a charged surface, originally developed for trapping airborne pollen , and applied insecticide to it. ...
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Huge Reduction in Malaria Cases & Why?

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The World Health Organization is reporting a huge fall in the number of cases of malaria . It has long been one of the world's biggest killers so what has changed and is eradication now a possibility? What is malaria? Malaria is caused by a parasite called plasmodium which initially hides in the liver before going into the bloodstream and infecting the red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. The parasites breed and burst out of red blood cells every 48 to 72 hours and each eruption of parasites is accompanied by a bout of fever, chills and sweating. The parasites are spread from person to person by mosquitoes when they drink blood. A single bite from the high-pitched whining insects is all it can take to become infected. How much have cases fallen? In 2000, there were 262 million cases of malaria infection and 839,000 people died. The latest report by the World Health Organization and Unicef said malaria death rates had fallen by 60% and the cases...
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The amazing science behind fatal snake bites

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Snake venom is deadly, with as many as 100,000 people worldwide dying each year from snake bites. The World Health Organization has added 'snakebite' to its list of neglected tropical diseases , but what is the real scale of the problem it faces against such a vicious venom? Terrifying toxins Snake venom is made up of several hundred proteins which all have a slightly different toxic effect on the human body. One snake's poison may not be like another's, even if they are from the same species. But, on the whole, there are two main ways snakes make us suffer - by attacking the circulatory system (ie. the blood) and/or the nervous system. Haemotoxic venom goes for the bloodstream. It can trigger lots of tiny blood clots and then when the venom punches holes in blood vessels causing them to leak, there is nothing left to stem the flow and the patient bleeds to death. Other venoms can increase blood pressure, decrease blood pressure, prevent bleeding or c...
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Cartilage growing to rebuild body parts 'within three years'

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Patients needing surgery to reconstruct body parts such as noses and ears could soon have treatment using cartilage which has been grown in a lab. The process involves growing someone's cells in an incubator and then mixing them with a liquid which is 3D printed into the jelly-like shape needed. It is then put back in an incubator to grow again until it is ready. Researchers in Swansea hope to be among the first in the world to start using it on humans within three years. "In simple terms, we're trying to grow new tissue using human cells," said Prof Iain Whitaker , consultant plastic surgeon at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery at Morriston Hospital . "We're trialling using 3D printing which is a very exciting potential modality to make these relatively complex structures. "Most people have heard a lot about 3D printing and that started with traditional 3D printing using plastics and metals. ...
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Blood pressure drugs rethink urged

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More lives could be saved if doctors considered giving blood pressure drugs to all patients at high risk of heart disease - even if their blood pressures are normal, a study suggests. The report calls for a move away from current guidelines which recommend pills only be prescribed if blood pressure is above a certain threshold. But experts acknowledge lifestyle factors also have an important role to play in bringing blood pressures down. The study appears in the Lancet . High blood pressure has long been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and stroke . Current guidelines - issued by England's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - suggest patients should only take medication when their bloo...
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Genes behind deadly heart condition found

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Image copyright GETTY IMAGES Image caption Scientists looked at the genes of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension to find out what was causing the condition Scientists say they have identified genes that cause a deadly heart condition that can only be cured by transplants of the heart or lungs. Pulmonary arterial hypertension kills 50% of those affected within five years, but little was known about what caused the condition in some people. Now experts say they have discovered five genes that cause the illness. The findings could lead to earlier detection of the disease and ultimately new treatments, researchers say. Thousands 'unaware of sudden death risk' New blood test to spot heart conditions Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) currently affects around 6,500 people in the UK and causes the arteries carrying blood from the heart to their lungs to stiffen and thicken, ultimately leading to heart failure . It is often diagnosed in people who have other...
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viginal seeding and child health

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Should Caesarean-section babies be smeared with a sample of their mother's vaginal fluids as soon as they are born? "Vaginal seeding" is not mainstream medicine, but it is  growing in popularity . The idea is to give these newborns something they missed when they emerged into the world - the good bacteria that live in their mother's vagina. A swab is taken of mum's vaginal fluid, which is then rubbed on to her child's skin and mouth. The hope is this microbial gift will boost their child's long-term health - particularly by reducing their risk of immune disorders. It is a crucial time. We might have been sterile in the womb, but in our first few moments of life an invisible bond is being established between baby and bacteria. It's a relationship that will last a lifetime, and the first contact is as important as a first date. "The first time a baby's own immune system has to respond are to those first few bacteria," says ...
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