The long time needed for global eradication of dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) was not anticipated at the outset. The successful eradication of smallpox in 10 years compares with the target date set in 1985 for dracunculiasis eradication - 1995. Seventeen years after that date, transmission continues. Why? Various factors are responsible, mainly lack of resources, or resources ineffectivel...

The Pezcoller Symposium in Trento, Italy, June 2015, focused entirely on the question of why advanced cancer cure is so uncommon despite the extraordinarily rapid growth of invaluable therapeutic information. Participants were asked to define and to critically evaluate real and potential obstacles to permanent disease eradication. High-level concepts on potential road blocks to cures as well as...

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons may be important, unrecognized transmitters of measles virus, thwarting eradication efforts. We reviewed the published English-language literature on measles and measles immunization in HIV-infected persons to investigate the clinical features of measles, the responses to measles immunization, and the safety of measles vaccine in HIV-infected ...

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a significant and intractable disease of cattle caused by Mycobacterium bovis. In the United Kingdom, despite an aggressive eradication programme, the prevalence of BTB is increasing with an unexplained, exponential rise in cases year on year. Here we show in a study involving 3,026 dairy herds in Engla...

background helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) is one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide. we designed a study to compare the efficacy of 14-day hybrid regimen with 10-day concomitant therapy for h. pylori eradication in iran. methods 252 patients with naïve h. pylori infection were randomly divided to receive either hybrid regimen (pantoprazole 40 mg, and amoxicillin 1 gr twice daily...

An aim of some vaccination programmes is to reduce the prevalence of an infectious disease and ultimately to eradicate it. We show that eradication success depends on the type of vaccine as well as on the vaccination coverage. Vaccines that reduce the parasite within-host growth rate select for higher parasite virulence and this evolution may both increase the prevalence of the disease and prev...

The beginning of the 21st Century has been characterised by changed political and economic realities affecting the prevention, control and eradication of animal diseases and zoonoses and presenting new challenges to the veterinary profession. Veterinary Services (VS) need to have the capacity and capabilities to face these challenges and be able to detect, prevent, control and eradicate disease...

National Veterinary Services administer a number of regulatory programmes, such as foreign animal disease (FAD) surveillance and exclusion of FADs, and certification of regions as free from disease. Laboratory testing is an important part of any surveillance or control programme. Most countries have a national laboratory which performs testing for FADs and provides support for national disease ...

Populations in the developing world that are targeted for disease eradication programs are commonly seen as passive recipients of international aid. Poor people can, however, "participate" in these interventions in unexpected ways. In the absence of traditional sources of leverage, some marginalized people have used their one remaining form of influence--their noncompliance in public health ini...

There has been a national bovine tuberculosis eradication programme in Ireland since 1954. Initial progress was rapid, but has subsequently stalled despite the implementation of each of the accepted elements of disease control. Based on results from the East Offaly and four area projects, there is now conclusive evidence that wildlife (specifically transmission of infection badgers to cattle) a...