University of California San Francisco
Give to UCSF<p>When disaster strikes, whether it is Hurricane Katrina or flooding in the Midwest, one of the most striking media images we see are the long lines of people waiting for water, food, and shelter. And in almost every instance, it appears those supplies don’t arrive soon enough.</p>
<p>Two caches of essential medical supplies needed for disasters are now being stored at UCSF as a result of the state budget shortfall over the summer. This is the first of a series of stories as UCSF marks National Preparedness Month.</p>
<p>Disaster can strike at any time without warning. Knowing what to do in an emergency can reduce the impact the situation has on you, your co-workers and your family and friends.</p>
Hantavirus, a potentially fatal virus transmitted by rodents such as deer mice, is making news following an unusual outbreak at a popular tourist area of Yosemite National Park. The recent cases are a reminder for campers to be cautious, but not necessarily fearful, according to UCSF infectious diseases expert Charles Chiu.
Despite nearly three decades of conflict, Sri Lanka has succeeded in reducing malaria cases by 99.9 percent since 1999 and is on track to eliminate the disease entirely by 2014.
<p>Through the Immunological Immune Project, leading university immunologists and bioinformatics experts are probing genes to better understand how immune responses are coordinated. They aim to identify new ways to manipulate the immune system to better fight disease.</p>
UCSF researchers found that poor HIV-infected individuals living in San Francisco are significantly more likely to visit emergency rooms and to have hospital stays if they lack access to food of sufficient quality and quantity for a healthy life.
<p>It’s become common practice for the roughly 6 million Americans per year who go to emergency rooms with chest pain: Get a stress test or cardiac CT (computed tomography) scan before discharge.</p>
<p><span>Research has shown that women are at greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men. Now, scientists based at the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) have found that women with the condition might be more likely to experience faster aging at the cellular level and increased risk for diseases of aging than men with PTSD.</span></p>