Health & WellnessS


Question

After 10 years, bird flu still baffles scientists

Hanoi, Vietnam - Baffled scientists first watched a mysterious virus called H5N1 jump from birds to humans a decade ago in Hong Kong, killing six people and forcing the territory to slaughter its entire poultry population. It quieted for a while, but resurfaced in 2003 with even more questions.

©AP

Syringe

New Jersey Requires H.I.V. Test in Pregnancy

Trenton - An H.I.V. test is about to become as routine as an ultrasound for pregnant women in New Jersey.

Under a bill signed into law on Wednesday, all pregnant women in the state will be tested for the virus as part of their prenatal care unless they object. The law also requires testing for newborns if the H.I.V. status of the mother is unknown.

Roses

Supreme Court To Decide Fate Of Girl In Coma

The father of Javona Peters, a 16-year old girl who went into coma after an operation to relieve pressure on her brain, has gone to Bronx Supreme Court for a decision on whether to take her off life support - the case is set for January 7th.

Syringe

Fewer Children Outgrowing Allergies to Milk, Eggs

Childhood milk and egg allergies may be more persistent and harder to outgrow than they were a generation ago, U.S. researchers report.

Comment: Given the rapid rise in the past 20 years of the number of vaccines given the over-vaccinated US public and the link between the pertussis vaccine and asthma, the Hib vaccine and diabetes, thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, and autism, it wouldn't be surprising that there's a vaccine related link to milk and egg allergies.


Health

Radio ablation cuts need for heart shocks

Treating heart attack victims with radio waves helps reduce the likelihood that implantable defibrillators will need to jolt ailing hearts into beating properly, researchers reported on Wednesday.

The radiowave technique involves sending a probe into the heart, finding scar tissue from an earlier heart attack, and using radio waves to destroy the portion of that scar that can catastrophically disrupt the heartbeat.

Health

Bayer recalls Contour test strips for diabetes

A unit of Bayer AG recalled diabetes test strips used with its Contour TS Blood Glucose Meter because they may result in 5 to 17 percent higher blood glucose readings, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday.

The test strips are used by diabetic patients to monitor their daily blood sugar levels.

Bayer Diabetes Care said the recalled test strips were produced on new manufacturing equipment and that it has fixed the problem.

Some 53 production lots were affected by the recall, totaling 230,000 bottles of strips, a Bayer spokeswoman said. Each bottle typically contains 25 to 50 strips.

Pills

Slimming pill could go on sale in Britain next year

The first over-the-counter slimming pill to go on sale in Britain could be available in pharmacies as early as next year. The drug, which has been marketed in the US under the name Alli since June, is a half-strength version of a pill called Xenical that is currently only available in Britain under prescription for treating obesity.

Magnify

Mutation may cause inherited neuropathy

Mutations in a protein called dynein, required for the proper functioning of sensory nerve cells, can cause defects in mice that may provide crucial clues leading to better treatments for a human nerve disorder known as peripheral neuropathy, which affects about three percent of all those over age 60.

Syringe

Flashback New fears over MMR link to autism

Fresh fears over a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism have been raised after a new study found that almost double the number of children could have the condition than previously thought.

Syringe

Nurse gave four-year-old autism-linked MMR vaccine against wishes of parents

A nurse disregarded the wishes of a four-year-old's parents by giving her the MMR jab.