The 'red mud' burns the skin and affects the eyes

Hungary is in a "state of emergency" after a spate of toxic red mud have swept across the country, on Monday night. The reason: the failure of a waste pond with a manufacturer of aluminum situated 165 kilometers west of the capital, Budapest. As a result, four people have died, there are 120 injured and rescuers are still working on finding people who remain missing and the Red Mud in Hungary.

It seems that they have been killed by drowning. The spill has affected an area of 40 square miles from three counties (Veszprém, Győr-Moson-Sopron and Vas), with an estimated flood of 700,000 cubic meters. The other has been concerned mainly skin burns and irritation to the eyes, caused by contact with lead and other corrosive elements present in this mud.

The 'red mud' in Hungary is not very toxic by aluminum, a metal that, as vain Sergio Galvan, a dermatologist at the Hospital Ramón y Cajal de Madrid, "is in fact used in the treatment of certain dermatological disorders such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). "

Red Mud in Hungary

The really harmful component of the discharge "is sodium hydroxide (better known as caustic soda), which is used as a base chemical for aluminum. They can also be harmful heavy metals that could be important in the development of chronic changes neurological or kidney depends on the composition ..... will have to analyze the mud, "sources point to National Institute of Toxicology and the Red Mud in Hungar.

Agrees with this view Ruth Saavedra Jiménez, Technical Chemical Risk Area of the Institute of Work, Environment and Health (ISTAS) of Labor Committees, who emphasizes that "to establish the effects on health and the environment arising the discharge is to characterize the red clay and accurately determine each of the components and the Red Mud in Hungar. "

Toxic Red Mud

In principle, this expert continues, "the major components of this type of sludge are the bauxite ore, iron oxides, aluminum, silicon, sodium, calcium, titanium and other trace elements (chromium, nickel, lead, manganese among others), plus the soda used. "

Spanish according to experts, from the point of view right away, "caustic soda (NaOH) produces burns of varying severity, depending on concentration, exposure time and the contact surface and the Red Mud in Hungar."

In this case, given the circumstances, probably many of the wounded suffered severe burns. "This compound is so corrosive if not cleaned well from the surface continues to penetrate the skin into the body, causing maximum degree burns." Depending on the severity, treatment ranges from a saline wash to skin grafts or death in severe cases and the Red Mud in Hungary.

The flu shot protects pregnant women and their babies

If you are pregnant and get the flu shot, it not only protects you, your baby also, at least during its first six months of life. So reveals a study published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
According to the results that flow from that article and reduce the risk of influenza in the small 41%, also decreased by 39% the odds of having respiratory illness that carries a possible hospital admission.
As explained by experts from the School of Public Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg (in Baltimore, USA), the smaller are more likely to suffer complications from influenza virus (responsible for the flu). "What happens to the newborn is that you still have an immune system (defense) immature, which gradually growing stronger," said María Jesús Gascón, service Prevention of influenza in the general direction of Primary Care Madrid Health Service bout the flue shot..

Flu shot protects at pregnant and their babies

However, the authors of the investigation, "not vaccinated until six months, since influenza is more common in the second half after birth bout the flue shot.." Do not forget, they add that "at this time of year the rates of morbidity and mortality among infants who fail to six months of life were more frequent than those who exceed this age."

In order to assess the effect of vaccination of a pregnant woman about her baby, a group of scientists, led by Angelia Eick, worked with 1,169 females belonging to the reservation Apaches and Navajos, and that in this population, "the rate of respiratory infections in infants is particularly high. "
The mothers of 573 infants received the flu shot and the rest were not vaccinated. After conducting several surveys and analyzing blood samples (to measure the level of antibodies produced by the body against the aggressor), the researchers found that 17% (193) of small was hospitalized for influenza, 36% ( 412) went to medical consultation for respiratory problems and 48% (555) had no such episodes about the flue shot..

Flu Shot

Of these, those with lower risk of this virus and its complications were those whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy. As the study's lead author, "blood samples had higher antibody levels than the other ones."
"This is a new study that confirms a hypothesis that also occurs with other vaccines. Thanks to the antibodies (to 'paralyze' the virus) they receive from their mother, are protected. These maternal antibodies are lost over time. Protect until six months after which time they begin to have their own, "says Spanish specialist  about the flue shot.

U.S. gives up its patent on AIDS drug

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have announced that U.S. shared intellectual property rights of some drugs for HIV / AIDS with a patent pool that treatments designed to be accessible to the poorest.
The NIH is the first institution dedicated to research that joins this group of patents of drugs for HIV launched by UNITAID, a health financing system funded through a levy imposed on air tickets founded by Brazil, United Kingdom, Chiles , France and Norway in 2006 and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
UNITAID An official told Reuters in July that several pharmaceutical companies including Merck, Tibotec and Gilead were in advanced talks to join the pool.But others, among which is ViiV Healthcare-joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to develop drugs for HIV, have said they would prefer to carry out their own agreements with generic manufacturers in developing countries.
The NIH has several patents on medicines and treatments related to HIV / AIDS. The agreement announced refers to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors, used primarily to treat resistant infections and the Patent on AIDS drugs.
"This license is evidenced by the U.S. government's commitment to the Common Fund for Drug Patents and aims to increase the availability of HIV drugs in emerging countries," said Francis Collins, director of the NIH. "We are now discussing other patents assigned to the Fund that could have a positive impact on the treatment of HIV / AIDS"

Patent on AIDS drugs

Philippe Douste-Blazy, chairman of UNITAID, has welcomed the gesture of the NIH and has urged other patent holders to follow suit. Other institutions, such as Doctors Without Borders, have also expressed their satisfaction with the U.S. decision.

"This demonstrates a serious political support patent pool to help developing countries and the fact that the NIH has announced its decision to review its entire archive of antiretroviral drugs with the intention of introducing other patents in the background is promising, "said Tido von Schoen-Angerer, director of the Campaign for Access to Essential Drugs NGOs and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
"But this gesture is not sufficient to allow production of a cheaper version of the drug. We need to add more. The responsibility lies with the pharmaceutical companies that own patents on these and other key drugs for AIDS," he added and the Patent on AIDS drugs..
About 33.4 million people worldwide living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. The vast majority live in poor regions like Africa and Asia, where the drugs should be very cheap to allow those who need to acquireand the Patent on AIDS drugs..
UNITAID announced a plan to create a patent pool in December. The idea is to allow generic manufacturers to develop low-cost versions of new drugs by creating a system for holders of these rights can yield if technology in exchange for certain rights and the Patent on AIDS drugs.. Initiative is expected to save these countries U.S. $ 1,000 million annually.