Today's Top Stories (all those selected for the Home Page, Plus Other important news)

►February 18, 2004 - Rise in autism due to change in diagnostic practice? - Pharmacotherapy via Medical News Today - "In the early 1990s, boys with diagnosed developmental disorders were infrequently diagnosed with autism. In the later 1990s, such boys more often were diagnosed with autism....CONCLUSION: A major cause of the recent large increase in the number of boys diagnosed with autism probably is due to changing diagnostic practices."

Comment:  Without seeing the raw data, it is difficult to know what this study is demonstrating.  But unless they can show that "developmental disorders" went down about the same amount as autism went up, this study does not prove that changing diagnostic practices are "a major cause" for the rise in diagnosed autism.

►February 18, 2004 - Asia's toll from bird flu rises to 22 - AP via The Globe and Mail

►February 19, 2004 - Babies at risk of pneumococcal - Herald Sun - "THOUSANDS of Victorian babies have been left exposed to the deadly pneumococcal disease as a global shortage of preventative jabs worsens...Vaccine-maker Wyeth said last month that babies who had begun the three-shot immunisation course would be able to finish the program...But worried parents have now been told supplies are no longer available, and they will have to wait at least four months before their children can resume the course...The delay will not negate the effect of the shots already administered, but those children do not have complete protection against the killer disease...Parents have been advised not to use an older pneumococcal vaccine."

►February 18, 2004 - Canadian discovery promises new MS treatments - Researchers hope enzyme will serve as target for multiple sclerosis drugs - The Medical Posting

►February 18, 2004 - FDA to review S.D. firm's lupus drug - The San-Diego Union Tribune via SignsOnSanDiego.com

►February 18, 2004 - Dissemination of information on viral pneumonia accelerated nationwide - Vietnam News Agency

►February 18, 2004 - DynPort Vaccine Company Selects Finjan's Mirage Solution to Provide Precise Control over FDA Regulated Processes and Documentation - Digital Rights Management Tool to be Used for Conducting Research, Studies and Clinical Trials - press release - Finjan Software via PRNewswire via Yahoo!

►February 18, 2004 - Australian HIV Vaccine Boosts Immune System - The Gay Financial Network

►February 18, 2004 - Beaverton clinic urges parents to have their children revaccinated - The Oregonian via www.oregonlive.com - "A Beaverton clinic will begin mailing notices today to the parents of about 3,000 babies and toddlers who received a vaccine that might not be effective because it was improperly stored."

►February 18, 2004 - Hygiene concern at GP's practice - An inquiry has been launched into how unsterilised equipment was used for internal medical examinations on women. - BBC - "Last year, the medical practice operated by Dr Tahira Idrees was investigated over out-of-date vaccines."

►February 18, 2004 - Japan declares end to its first bird flu case - Reuters AlertNet

►February 18, 2004 - Ancient approach targets hepatitis C symptoms - Santa Cruz Sentinel - "Firmage and her classmates are in their third week of learning the ancient Eastern approach to treating hepatitis C through acupuncture and herbs...While the method dates back hundreds of years, teaching acupuncture specifically for hepatitis C is new for Five Branches Institutes, the Santa Cruz college of traditional Chinese medicine."

►February 18, 2004 - Mercury emissions rules challenged - Environmental groups demand lower levels (requires registration) - The Times-Picayune via www.nola.com

►February 18, 2004 - Seek healthcare experts' advice on vaccine information - opinion - The Miami Herald - "I am further troubled that the author does not provide evidence or references to substantiate her claim about the alleged danger of vaccines while her message contributes to misinformation about vaccines. Readers should beware of journalists who play doctor and instead entrust the care of their children to qualified and trained healthcare professionals."

Comment:  How often do MDs provide evidence or references to substantiate their claim when writing an opinion piece in a newspaper?  Did this MD substantiate his claims using references in this letter? (No.)

►February 18, 2004 - Bill makes meningitis information mandatory - Colorado State Collegian - "A bill has been introduced to the Colorado General Assembly that would require all Colorado institutions of higher education to provide information about meningitis and the available vaccine to students living in campus housing...Students living in the residence halls have a slightly increased risk of contracting bacterial meningitis, an infection of fluid in the spinal cord and brain, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention completed in 2000...Up to 125 cases of bacterial meningitis occur on college campuses around the country, 10 to 15 of which have been deadly, said Lisa Duggan, immunization specialist at the Hartshorn Health Service...'It's not a huge number,' Duggan said. 'But it's tragic considering it is a preventable disease.'"

►February 18, 2004 - Theories on autism - Capital News 9 - "This is what seems to be baffling the medical community. It is not clear if more children have autism, or doctors simply have a clearer understanding of what autism is."

►February 19, 2004 - After Bird Flu, Dengue (requires registration) - editorial - The Jakarta Post - "Doctors' confirmation on Tuesday of suspicions a new, previously unknown sub-variant of the dengue virus is responsible for a virulent outbreak accross the country adds to the graveness of a situation already rated "extraordinary" by the government. This is all the more so because the Asian bird flu has yet to be brought fully under control...What led the government -- in this case, the Ministry of Health -- to issue the "extraordinary situation" rating was the dengue death rate, which by mid-month reached more than 1 percent of the number of patients treated. Dengue cases during the past few weeks were more than twice the number recorded over the same period last year."