Guest Work • Jun 13, 2017 •
By Rebecca Chisholm, University of Melbourne and Nicholas Geard, University of Melbourne Australia was declared measles-free in 2014. However, the recent importation of a case of measles into Australia from Indonesia illustrates the threat this disease still poses to Australians. It also underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates against rare diseases to … Read More
Public Health Expert • May 01, 2017 •
Professor Nick Wilson, University of Otago; Professor Glyn Harper, Massey University The year 1917 was the worst year of the First World War for New Zealand from a premature mortality perspective, with 5547 deaths. We have just presented on this topic at a Symposium at Te Papa (Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa) and in this blog we summarise … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 24, 2015 •
For World TB day, here are my top 10 TB facts. Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 26, 2014 •
In this week’s New Zealand Medical Journal is a paper by Deborah Williamson and Helen Heffernan on antimicrobial resistance in New Zealand (1). This comes hot on the heels of the WHO report which gave a global picture of antibiotic resistance (2), and highlights what the big challenges are for New Zealand. So what are the antibiotic resistant superbugs that … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 31, 2014 •
A paper just published in the Veterinary Journal documents the first cases of transmission of Mycobacterium bovis* (the bacterium responsible for TB in cattle and many other species) to humans (1). Before anyone get’s into a panic, it was a year ago. Alas, the article is behind a paywall, but according to the free abstract a vet practice … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 25, 2013 •
Yesterday, the 24th of March, was World TB Day which aims to build awareness for tuberculosis, a lung disease which kills about 2 million people around the world each year. That’s 3 people a minute. Why the 24th March? This was the day, in 1882, that Dr Robert Koch* announced he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Jun 14, 2012 •
The Stop TB Partnership and Working Group on New TB Drugs are currently running the Innovate TB Contest where people where asked to submit their videos showing how innovations are revolutionising tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment and advocacy. Submissions are now closed and the public have just a couple of days left to vote. The three videos with the … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 18, 2012 •
When I first heard of this (and thanks to the lovely Alan Huett for the heads up), I immediately thought it was due to the common bioluminescent bacteria often found on fish and which can show themselves if said fish is left too long before eating. It turns out to be sushi made using genetically modified fluorescent zebrafish … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 07, 2012 •
In the pre-antibiotic era, the gold standard treatment for the lung disease tuberculosis (TB) was plenty of rest and fresh air. Facilities to house TB patients, known as sanatoria, sprang up in Europe and North America in the late 19th century, usually up mountains or in isolated forests. Although no controlled studies have established the effectiveness of any … Read More
Aimee Whitcroft • Nov 28, 2011 •
Welcome back to a very icy, buggy TOSP! This week, Elf and aimee talk about ice. Well, mostly ice. Brinicles, ice on Europa and even ice-related geoengineering in Mongolia. And undersea silk. Excitingly, however, they also talk with their first guest, Sciblogger Siouxsie Wiles of Infectious Thoughts, and her post this week on (illegal) chickenpox lollipops. She … Read More