News

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System are helping to quell parents worry about why infants seem to get sick so often.

As a healthcare professional, you are keenly aware of the need to keep patients healthy. Its a need that motivates you and drives you to continuously improve in your profession. Now its time we, as an industry, use that same kind of passion toward improving the healthcare system.

ICT spoke with Marilyn Conde, CRCST, MAOM, FCS, manager of material management at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif. and a member of the board of the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM).

New research by University of Warwick historian Dr. Tim Lockley has found why yellow fever had a green bias in 19th century fever outbreaks in the southern states of the U.S. Almost half of the 650 people killed by yellow fever in Savannah, Ga. in 1854 were Irish immigrants.

The state of Indiana has reported the first novel influenza virus outbreak associated with a fair this season. Following reports of ill swine and humans during a fair in Indiana from July 8-14, 2012, samples were taken from swine and humans. Twelve swine were randomly sampled by Indiana state animal health officials, tested at Indiana and federal animal diagnostic laboratories, and found to be infected with swine influenza A (H3N2) viruses. Four people tested positive for influenza A (H3N2) variant virus. Genetic testing confirmed that the viruses found in humans and those found in swine are nearly identical, and both have the M gene from the pandemic H1N1 virus. These cases bring the total number of detected infections with the H3N2v virus containing the pandemic M gene in the United States since 2011 to 17.