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Lapses in hospital infection control measures exacerbated an outbreak of a deadly new viral disease which has infected more than 60 people and killed at least 10 in the United Arab Emirates, health investigators said on Friday. Reporting the findings of a five-day mission to the UAE, experts from the World Health Organisation said, however, that they found no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). "The recent upsurge of cases in Abu Dhabi appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a breach in infection prevention and control measures in health care settings, active surveillance and increase in community acquired cases," they said in a statement. First reported in humans in 2012, MERS causes severe and often fatal respiratory illness, with symptoms similar to those seen during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Its around 40 percent death rate

Women who take oral contraceptives desire different traits in an imaginary man than women not on the Pill, according to a small study in class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Italy . Whether that translates to their choices in the real world remains uncertain, but with more than 60 million women taking the Pill worldwide, the study authors write, the possibility that it changes mating dynamics is worth examining. “It is important to reflect on these aspects from an evolutionary point of view, as changes in preference for indicators of genetic quality in a sexual partner are considered to be functional and adaptive,” said Alessio Gori, lead author of the study and a psychologist at the University of Florence. Past research has found that when women view images of potential male partners during the most fertile time of their menstrual cycle, they tend to prefer the guys with more masculine traits. Oral contraceptives prevent ovulation, so women on the Pill don’t have a most-

An infectious disease expert and former head dealmaker at Merck & Co is racing against his ex-employer and other drugmakers to develop a treatment for a germ that ravages the colon and kills as many as 14,000 Americans each year. Roger Pomerantz on Monday became chief executive officer of privately held Seres Health, whose lead product has proven highly effective against the c. difficile bacteria in early-stage clinical trials. The condition occurs in patients who have been treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics that kill off "friendly" bacteria in the gut, allowing c. difficile to take root and prosper there. It causes colitis, including serious diarrhea and fever that can recur and are not well-controlled by current treatments. The infections, which are most dangerous for the elderly and others with weakened immune systems, typically occur in hospitals, nursing homes and doctor's offices, but are becoming more common in the community at large. Some industry a

Both psoriasis patients and the people who live with them say psoriasis negatively impacts their quality of life, according to a new study. And both groups tend to report more depression and anxiety than people not affected by the condition. About 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis, which is characterized by itchy, painful plaques on the skin. Previous research has found that people with psoriasis have a higher risk of cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases and develop more infections than those without psoriasis. The condition has also been linked to psychiatric disorders.   true       “The number of studies per year about quality of life in psoriasis keeps growing year after year and thanks to these studies we know that psoriatic patients have an impairment of their quality of life as well as higher levels of anxiety and depression, feelings of stigmatization, higher risk of suicidality and lower employment rate, among other problems,” Dr. Eliseo Martinez-Garcia told Reuter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it approved class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Biogen Idec Inc's long-lasting hemophilia A drug, Eloctate, adding another product to the company's nascent portfolio of drugs for non-malignant blood disorders. Hemophilia A is a rare, inherited blood-clotting disorder that can lead to prolonged bleeding, bruising and joint and tissue damage. It is caused by deficient levels in the body of factor VIII, a protein needed to clot the blood. The FDA's ruling followed its approval in March of Biogen's hemophilia B treatment, Alprolix. Biogen developed both drugs with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, or Sobi, and expects the products to form the basis of a new non-malignant blood disorder portfolio. "We see Alprolix and Eloctate as the anchor tenants in a growing franchise," said Douglas Williams, Biogen's head of research and development. "We're in this space to stay." Biogen's bigge

class="mandelbrot_refrag"> BioDelivery Sciences International Inc said it had received U.S. regulatory approval for its drug, Bunavail, to treat opioid dependence. _0"> The company's shares rose 8.5 percent to $10.85 in extended trading on Friday. BioDelivery said it expects to launch the drug late in the third quarter ending Sept. 30.   true       Opioid dependence affects more than 2 million people in the United States. (Reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)

The United States won praise at U.N. talks on climate change on Wednesday for its plan to cut carbon emissions, but a group of scientists said it too little to put the world on track to limit global warming. The European Union, which often says it is doing more than the United States to lead a fight against global warming, told the June 4-15 meeting of 170 nations that it would over-achieve its targets for cutting greenhouse gases by 2020. The United States outlined plans on Monday for the U.S. power sector to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels as part of regulations that will be the centrepiece of President class="mandelbrot_refrag"> Barack Obama's climate change strategy.   true       "It is a really constructive first step," Prakash Mathema of Nepal, leading a group of 48 of the world's least developed countries, said of the U.S. plan. The Bonn talks are working on a U.N. deal to fight climate change, due to be