my health life 24

The rapid spread of Zika virus worldwide and its association with abnormal fetal brain development has made the need for an effective vaccine clear. Controlling the mosquito vector and protecting people against mosquito bites have been the main means of defending against Zika virus infections. The viral vector vaccine technology developed by GeoVax uses a highly potent, safe, and replication-deficient viral vector (Modified Vaccinia Ankara, MVA) to express vaccine antigens in the recipient's cells. It has previously been used to develop vaccine candidates for HIV and Ebola virus. The vaccine, from GeoVax Labs, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., was tested at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Ft. Collins, Colo., with funding by a grant from the CDC. In the presented study, outbred immunocompetent mice were exposed to a lethal challenge dose of Zika virus delivered directly into the brain. "A single dose of GeoVax's NS1 vaccine candidate protected 100% of vacc...

While the rates of other causes of death have declined in recent years, suicide continues to trend upwards across all ages and genders. Many people who die by suicide do not have a prior mental health diagnosis, which means that patients at an increased risk for self-harm are somehow being missed by the mainstream healthcare system. In an attempt to gain some insight into the disturbing rise in suicide rates and possible novel interventions, researchers examined whether there is a link between physical illness and suicide risk. "These data represent among the first findings from areas across the U.S. documenting an increase in suicide risk for people with a variety of major physical health conditions," explained lead investigator Brian K. Ahmedani, PhD, LMSW, Director of Psychiatry Research, Behavioral Health Services Research Scientist, Center for Health Policy & Health Services Research, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI. "As our nation's healthcare sys...