Three percent of the world's population are infected with the hepatitis C virus, which is a leading cause of organ transplants, liver cancer and liver-related deaths.

People in the high risk group for contracting HIV, which includes gay men, substance abusers, bisexual men and those with multiple sex partners should test once a year and always use condoms, especially when multiple partners are involved.

When arriving at a water park on a hot summer day such as July 4, a busy holiday weekend for such attractions, children are usually ready to immediately ride water slides. But parents might be forgetting to enforce an important rule.

Much has been said about the exciting results achieved with antiretroviral drugs in treating HIV. They are groundbreaking, extending lives and helping eradicate the spread of these diseases.

"Women from the south are graceful, gentle like the branches of a magnolia tree, yet strong as steel to withstand tornados... they are like steel magnolias."  A recent study found that young women have a significantly stronger constitution than men when fighting off the common cold.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have made more progress in figuring out how HIV survives in the body. The protein called Gag has been targeted for future vaccine development.

Condom use is recommended for prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease between partners. Condom use is even more important when multiple sexual partners are involved.

There is always a risk of foodborne illness, but with increased summer cookouts, the rate can be higher than other times of year. Food left out in the sun can spoil and meats not cooked thoroughly can be problematic.

It appears that a major breakthrough has occured in the treatment of a chronic liver disease. Remission looks to be a real possibility when telaprevir (Incivek) is combined with standard treatment for hepatitis C.

A second Hong Kong child has died from a mutated strain of Scarlet Fever that is more resistant to antibiotics, according to reports by the Associated Press.