Washington, Apr 28 : Researchers at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology have found flu vaccine delivered through skin patches containing microneedles as effective at preventing influenza in mice as intramuscular, hypodermic flu immunization.

The researchers claims that the microneedle skin patch method could improve overall seasonal vaccination as it is simpler, safer and painless.

The patches contain an array of stainless steel microneedles coated with inactivated influenza virus.

London, Apr. 28 : A woman has described how an Indian-origin doctor stroked her hair and massaged her breasts during a visit to his surgery with her young child.

According to The Telegraph, the woman told the General Medical Council (GMC) hearing that she had visited Dr Krishnan Prasad at the Springwell Medical Group surgery in Sunderland because her three-year-old son was unwell and had been experiencing pain and deafness in his ears.

Washington, Apr 28 : Children''s short sleep duration even without sleeping difficulties increases the risk for behavioural symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), says a new study.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Helsinki and National Institute of Health and Welfare, Finland, examined whether decreased sleep leads to behavioral problems similar to those exhibited by children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Washington, Apr 28 : Kids, who are born first or have had breech births or whose mothers are 35 or older at the time of birth, face a greater risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder, according to a new study.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that impairs social, communicative, and behavioural development and often is characterized by extreme behaviour.

A container for transporting swine flu virus samples exploded on a Swiss train, authorities said Tuesday, but stressed that there was no danger to the public. The container, which was filled with dry ice and carried samples of the H1N1 swine flu virus, was destined for Switzerland's national influenza centre in Geneva, exploded Monday night on board of a train.

A laboratory employee had picked up the samples in Zurich to transport them by train to Geneva, but the package exploded near Fribourg and Lausanne, after melting dry ice, which had been wrongly places, caused a build-up of pressure.

Hong Kong  - Hong Kong is at a "higher risk" of an outbreak of swine flu because the city of 7 million is so densely populated, its leader Donald Tsang said Tuesday.

Beijing-appointed Tsang made the remark after government officials held a teleconference with counterparts in Macau and the neighbouring southern Chinese province of Guangdong.

The former British colony has been on alert for signs of the virus and Monday announced that three people tested for swine flu had been given the all-clear.