Political Squabble in Australia Over Training of Surgical Specialists
The “stranglehold” on the training of surgical specialists in Australia is being challenged by a group lead by the a former top administrator of the controlling organization. The push could possibly result in more specialists being trained in a shorter time frame.
New Reports Suggest H5N1 Flu Pandemic Not Close
New reports out this week suggest that the current H5N1 avian influenza virus is not likely to become easily
transmissable between humans. Scientists reporting from Japan and Holland based this on the fact that the H5N1 type latches onto cells deep in the lungs and therefore can not be easily spread by coughing and sneezing. This differs from seasonal flu which enters the body in the upper respiratory tract and is spread by coughing and sneezing.
Although there is disagreement about whether the H5N1 type will become pandemic, all influenza experts agree it is a matter of time before one of the 16 known strains of influenza (most likely originating in birds) will fuel a pandemic. Pandemics occur at the rate of about 3 per century and the last flu pandemic was in the middle 1960’s.
New Surgeon Named to Head American Board of Surgery
Dr. Jeffrey Ponsky, Chair of the Department of Surgery at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio was named to the post.