Today’s issue of the scientific journal Science presents research on the genetic make-up and biology of the parasite Giardia lamblia that ultimately may lead to better diagnosis and treatment of the diarrhea disease giardiasis, which affects 200 million people every year.

Each year more than half a million infants worldwide, primarily in developing countries, die from diarrhoea caused by rotavirus. Even in industrialised countries management of the infection costs economies about $1 billion a year.

The bacterium that causes a highly contagious and sometimes deadly form of diarrhea is frequently carried by persons who do not have any of the disease symptoms, according to a study in the Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

Although the state has seen cooler temperatures recently, there are sure to be many more days this summer when Iowans will feel like cooling off in their local swimming pool or lake. If you have been sick with diarrhea or an upset stomach, however, the Iowa Department of Public Health’s recommendation is to stay out of the water.

Several probiotic products are marketed as effective treatments for acute diarrhoea in children, but a study published on www.bmj.com today finds that not all of these preparations are effective.

Mucins are large proteins that are secreted on the surface of the gut, and while long regarded as having a role as a barrier to mucosal infection, data to support this theory have been lacking.

A recent report by the NGO Save the Children paints a mixed picture of global efforts to protect the lives of mothers and children under five. And, while some African countries have made impressive gains in recent years, others ranked near the bottom of the 140-country survey. From Washington, VOA reporter William Eagle has the story.

The search for ways to promote growth of farm animals without adding antibiotics to feed has led scientists in Taiwan to an advance toward genetically engineering animals that produce higher levels of a natural growth-promoting protein in their milk.

A phase III trial of 1,298 colorectal cancer patients has found that a combination of the drugs cetuximab (Erbitux) and irinotecan showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival over just irinotecan alone, according to an international team of researchers.