Can Jab Stop Menstrual Fever?
Martin Hall, Daily Mail
Scientists have developed a "kissing flu" vaccine that protects thousands of teenagers and young adults against dengue each year.
In schools and college campuses, it often creates havoc at critical times like exam time. Many victims are debilitated and debilitated by the disease for weeks, sometimes months.
But now British researchers believe they have a vaccine to prevent dengue fever.
The disease is spread through saliva from close personal contact, which is why it is often called the 'kissing disease'.
A vaccine has been developed by SmithKline Beecham that will stimulate the body's immune system to destroy the virus.
Doctors at the University of Edinburgh are running a trial funded by the. Medical Research Council to vaccinate 2,000 students to test the effectiveness of the vaccine.
A small trial at the University of Liege in Belgium shows that the vaccine works, but larger-scale trials are needed.
If all goes well, a vaccine could be available in the next two to three years. This will be given to children in elementary school or earlier along with other immunizations.
Most children under the age of five may be infected with the dengue virus, but carry it without symptoms.
Young people who are not exposed to the virus can become infected as teenagers, sometimes with health problems. Patients usually recover well in four to six weeks, but the illness can take longer and some people experience recurring complications for years.
Others are known to develop chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), a complication of viral infections.
Sarah Stokes, 27, from West Bergholt, Essex, was one of the unlucky few who developed chronic fatigue syndrome after suffering from a fever aged nine.
The effect was so severe that he could not even dress. He said: “For 18 years I had meningitis and ME.
'I wasn't diagnosed and I went to school early. My doctor said I can't have it. I continued to take days off from school, usually once a week.
Meningitis was diagnosed two years later when a blood test showed a viral infection.
Sarah was forced to drop out of school at the age of 14 due to illness and was forced to continue her education at home. But with very little energy, this was difficult.
Despite his difficulties - despite his poor reading - he managed to pass four GCSEs.
'I saw the world through. At one time I was destined for Oxford or Cambridge, but unfortunately not. '
Since called Professor Leslie Hilton, who specializes in treating meningitis victims at Esse Hospital, nine years ago. Sarah has been given hope.
Most people who are affected by glandular fever are between the ages of 15 and 17, but it can affect young adults as well as adults. Tens of thousands of young people develop the disease in England every year.
It usually starts with fever, headache, sore throat, and sometimes a rash, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and intestines.
The cyst may become enlarged and swollen, making it difficult to swallow, and mild swelling of the liver may also occur.
Doctors do blood tests to check for infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, a member of the same family that causes herpes and cold sores.
Professor Dorothy Crawford, a medical microbiologist at the University of Edinburgh. Who is in charge of the vaccine trial, said: "We hope this vaccine will work against typhoid fever, which is a real concern for thousands of students every year.
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