Mixed Bag

Odd, Fatal Hematological Manifestation of Dengue Fever Detailed in MMWR
This week's MMWR reminds clinicians to be vigilant for dengue and presents a rare complication of the mosquito-borne disease, which has most often been acquired during travel outside the U.S.

The authors present a case of dengue that was apparently acquired by a Texas woman who'd recently traveled in New Mexico. On the basis of serologic studies she was at first diagnosed as suffering West Nile virus infection. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis — a rare complication of dengue — developed and the patient died. A bone marrow biopsy showed macrophages containing ingested red cells. Journal Watch

Are enough women included in medical device studies, as required by the FDA?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates adequate enrollment of women in post-approval studies (PAS) of medical devices to ensure that any sex differences in device safety and effectiveness are not overlooked. A group of authors from the FDA report the results of a study evaluating the participation of women and analysis of sex differences in PAS in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website. Eurekalert!

Detecting sickness by smell
Humans are able to smell sickness in someone whose immune system is highly active within just a few hours of exposure to a toxin, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Association for Psychological Science

Brain uses serotonin to perpetuate chronic pain signals in local nerves

Setting the stage for possible advances in pain treatment, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland report they have pinpointed two molecules involved in perpetuating chronic pain in mice. The molecules, they say, also appear to have a role in the phenomenon that causes uninjured areas of the body to be more sensitive to pain when an area nearby has been hurt. A summary of the research will be published on Jan. 23 in the journal Neuron. Eurekalert!