Infectious Diseases

Study: Women most often suffer urinary tract infections, but men more likely to be hospitalized
While women are far more likely to suffer urinary tract infections, men are more prone to be hospitalized for treatment, according to a study by Henry Ford Hospital urologists. The first-of-its-kind research for the most common bacterial infection in the U.S. is important in providing predictors of hospital admission at a time when the health care industry is searching for ways to reduce costs. The study is published in the September issue of World Journal of Urology. Eurekalert!

Six dead in Philippine epidemic caused by rat urine
A bacterial epidemic caused by water contaminated with rat urine has hit a flood-ravaged region in the northern Philippines, killing six people and overwhelming local hospitals, a health official said Wednesday.

At least 132 people were infected with leptospirosis in and around the northern city of Olongapo, following deadly flash floods in the area last month, health department epidemiologist for the area Jessie Fantone told AFP. He said the infection, which in its most serious form is also known as Weil's disease, can eventually lead to kidney failure, requiring dialysis. MedicalXpress

New hepatitis C drug shows potential in phase 2 trials
The addition of danoprevir to the current treatment regimen for patients with hepatitis C leads to high rates of remission, according to a new article in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. The current standard of care for hepatitis C patients includes a combination of peginterferon and ribavirin. Importantly, 79 percent of patients who added danoprevir to their treatment regimen achieved an early virologic response and were eligible for a shortened treatment schedule. Eurekalert!