Stack Diagnostics, Nigeria’s first molecular diagnostics and personalised medicine company has launched DiagnoseMe.Africa, an online platform that provides diagnostics and treatment tools for healthcare providers in Africa. According to the company, the diagnostic platform provides over 300 specialist tests across a wide range of conditions such as genetic disorders, infections (viral/bacteria), cancer, sexual transmitted disease…

What is listeria (1) Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) is a food-borne disease-causing bacteria; the disease is called listeriosis. Listeria can invade the body through a normal and intact gastrointestinal tract. Once in the body, Listeria can travel through the blood stream but the bacteria are often found inside cells. Listeria also produces toxins that damage cells.…

A new study in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation indicates that consuming more caffeine may help reduce the risk of death for people with chronic kidney disease. An inverse relationship between coffee consumption and mortality has been reported in the general population. However, the association between caffeine consumption and mortality for people with chronic kidney disease remains…

Researchers say parabens and other chemicals found in common cosmetic products may negatively impact a woman’s hormone levels, increasing the risk for certain diseases. As people go about their daily lives, they are exposed to many different chemicals that could have negative effects on their hormones. These hormonal changes have been linked to several adverse…

The death toll in Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak has risen to 28, state media said Sunday, as the health minister announced new antibiotics were being used after the disease strain was found to be resistant to some drugs. The cholera outbreak, first detected in a township outside the capital Harare earlier this month, prompted the government…

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body…

As part of efforts to reduce medical errors, eliminate treatment failure, eradicate fake reagents and laboratory equipment, advance universal health coverage, address health emergencies, and promote healthier populations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has published the first edition of the Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL). The EDL contains list of 113 diagnostics.…

The fear of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) getting to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it is currently causing havoc, is palpable. Nigerians are concerned. So many questions are being asked. What should and must be done to ensure that the virus does not get to us. To address these issues,…

Fish oil supplements have long been recommended to people suffering from dry eye disease, a common ailment that affects millions worldwide -- but a new study says they don't work. "Omega-3 supplements are no more effective than placebo at alleviating dry eye symptoms," read the findings from a randomized clinical trial involving 535 people and…

Worried by the vulnerability of Kano State to series of life threatening communicable diseases, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), yesterday, reiterated the federal government’s readiness to establish disease diagnostic laboratory centre in Kano. The federal government’s commitment came on the heels of the recently outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis, which left eight persons killed…

Scientists have provided another reason to get vaccinated against measles. Researchers have found the measles virus makes kids’ immune systems “forget” most of what they have learned, leaving children vulnerable to other diseases for as long as three years. The findings, published in the journal Science, help explain why deaths and illnesses from a range…

British physicist Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous sufferers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the fatal neurological disease that paralysed his body but did nothing to curb his contribution to science. The rare condition normally claims the lives of those who have it within two to three years of diagnosis, making Hawking's five-decade…