Heart attacks among non smokers in Monroe County, Indiana, US, fell by more than two thirds following a smoking ban in the county.These are the findings of a study published in the present issue of the Journal of Drug Education by researchers at Indiana University (IU), based in the state capital, Bloomington. [click link for full article]

The Eastman Dental Center, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, today unveiled the new Ronald McDonald House Charities SMILEmobile, a dental office on wheels allowing the city’s children increased access to much needed dental care.Until today, the Eastman Dental Center has had three SMILEmobiles serving preschoolers and elementary students by visiting 15 city schools. [click link for full article]

A study led by Yale researchers in the US revealed that babies less than one year old can tell the difference between helpful and unhelpful social types and show a preference for the former. The study was the work of Kiley Hamlin, a graduate student at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues, and is published in the 22nd November issue of the journal Nature. [click link for full article]

In the UK HIV testing has been recommended to all women attending for antenatal care since 2000, and high test uptake and appropriate management for diagnosed women has reduced the mother-to-child transmission rate from 25%1 or higher to about 1%. [click link for full article]

Scientists studying how immune cells are regulated in healthy individuals, have made a key discovery in understanding why tumours may go undetected by the immune system and remain untreated by the body’s own natural defences. The findings, published online this week (between 19 - 23 November) by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to new treatments for tumours. [click link for full article]

The Health Protection Agency welcomes publication of the Government’s National Framework for Responding to an Influenza Pandemic. The Framework provides information and guidance to assist and support organisations in developing and improving their pandemic preparedness plans. [click link for full article]

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Mali mobilized communities and partners in June/July 2007 to deliver nearly 200,000 LLINs free of charge to children aged between 6 and 59 months, via an integrated health campaign. As a result of this campaign in two of Mali’s hardest-to-reach regions, the number of mosquito nets per household doubled to 3.61. LLIN usage has also dramatically increased - with 85% of children under five reported to have slept under an LLIN the previous night2. [click link for full article]

The Lung Association said today that the release of an important new report on lung disease in Canada demonstrates the growing burden and deadly impact of lung diseases including asthma, COPD, sleep apnea and lung cancer. “Life and Breath: Respiratory Disease in Canada” released today by The Public Health Agency of Canada, highlights the most recent data available for certain major lung diseases. [click link for full article]

Medivir (STO:MVIRB) announced that, following the successful completion of a phase I study in both healthy volunteers and patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the phase IIa study, TMC435350-C201, of the investigational hepatitis C (HCV) protease inhibitor TMC435350. The study will start shortly in Europe by Tibotec Pharmaceuticals Ltd., who are collaborating with Medivir on the development of TMC435350. [click link for full article]

Researchers are looking into the link between asthma and different occupations in order to help up to 3,000 people every year in the UK who develop asthma as a result of their work. The research, which is funded by Asthma UK, aims to identify the major occupations and occupational exposures that are associated with asthma as well as highlight the scale of the problem. [click link for full article]