Faculty Bibliography

Some experts criticized countries that used thermal scanners, which detect elevated body temperatures and are costly, at airports, saying there is no evidence they are cost effective in detecting sick passengers. But Dr. Heymann said that the criticism overlooked the psychological advantage scanners offered by raising confidence among travelers and their role as deterrents in keeping sick passengers off planes. Scanners remain in use at many airports partly because no one knows whether SARS will return this year or next. According to the World Health Organization, SARS was rarely transmitted aboard flights. The United Nations agency, which is headquartered in Geneva, received verified reports of 40 international flights that carried 37 passengers (some of whom were on two flights) with SARS before March 27. The disease was transmitted to at least one other passenger on five of the flights. But no transmission occurred after March 27, when W.H.O. advised airports to screen passengers leaving SARS-affected areas, said Dr. David L. Heymann, a W.H.O. epidemiologist who oversaw the agency's SARS investigation

Nigeria has reported the largest number this year, 251, compared with 145 for the comparable period last year. Epidemiologists have traced the spread of polio from Nigeria to four countries that were previously thought to be polio-free, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ghana and Togo. Niger, the fifth country, has had a succession of imported cases. Four polio cases have also occurred since late June in Lagos in southern Nigeria, which had been polio free since April 2001. Nigeria is the last major challenge to the goal of eradication, Dr. [David L. Heymann] said. There, the W.H.O. has run into an unexpected hurdle from accusations by some Islamic leaders that the polio vaccine leaves young girls infertile

The effectiveness of the vaccine will be a critical factor in determining the severity of the flu season. This year's vaccine does not include the Fujian strain that has caused the overwhelming majority of cases in the United States and Europe. LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

With influenza cases surging in at least 10 states, vaccine makers said yesterday that they had shipped out their entire supplies, and health officials said they were trying to determine whether there was enough vaccine left to immunize people who still want flu shots. More vaccine cannot be made in time for this year's flu season. The nation's two vaccine makers, Aventis Pasteur and Chiron, said they had shipped out all the vaccine they had made, a total of about 80 million doses. That is in sharp contrast to last year, when 10 million doses were left over and thrown away, said Dr. Michael Decker, vice president for scientific and medical affairs of Aventis Pasteur. Because flu strains vary from year to year, a new vaccine must be formulated each year. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, said that this year's strain of the virus was especially likely to cause serious disease. The predominant strain is known as Fujian, and it was not included in this year's vaccine. Officials have said the vaccine should still provide at least partial protection, but that is not known for sure

The World Health Organization has called on developing countries to train and organize 100,000 health care and nonprofessional workers to carry out its plan to begin delivering antiretroviral drugs to three million AIDS patients by the end of 2005. The organization made its announcement at a time when former President Bill Clinton had helped broker an agreement to lower the price of antiretroviral drugs to more affordable levels for poor countries and when countries like India and South Africa had said they would expand their programs to treat AIDS. The World Health Organization plans to hold a meeting at its Geneva headquarters in a few weeks to help countries deal with such questions. The agency's plan calls on the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment into their health care programs

The World Health Organization has called on developing countries to train and organize 100,000 health care and nonprofessional workers to carry out its plan to begin delivering anti-retroviral drugs to three million AIDS patients by the end of 2005. The World Health Organization plans to hold a meeting at its Geneva headquarters in a few weeks to help countries deal with such questions. The agency's plan calls on the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment into their health care programs. Many countries, medical schools, private groups and other organizations have started AIDS programs in heavily infected countries. The number of programs has reached the point where better coordination is needed to avoid duplication of research, training and treatment efforts, Dr. Peter Piot, director of the UN AIDS program, said in a recent interview

The U.N. agency said 6 million of the 40 million people infected with the AIDS virus are in immediate need of anti-retroviral treatment but that only about 480,000 are receiving it

The organization's plan challenges the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment in their health care programs. Many countries with the largest numbers of people living with H.I.V./AIDS have very few doctors or other trained health workers, the organization said. Many have died from untreated AIDS, while others have moved to wealthier countries. Many countries, medical schools, private groups and other organizations have started AIDS programs in heavily infected countries. The numbers of programs have reached the point where better coordination is needed to avoid duplication of research, training and treatment efforts, Dr. Peter Piot, the director of the United Nations AIDS program, said in a recent interview. The W.H.O.'s recommended drug combinations for simplified AIDS treatment are: Stavudine (d4t), lamivudine (3TC) and nelfinavir; AZT, lamivudine and nelfinavir; Stavudine, lamivudine and efavirenz; and AZT, lamivudine and efavirenz