5 ways to prevent warm weather food poisoning

As temperatures rise so does the risk of foodborne illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, about 48 million people in the U.S. will contract a foodborne illness this year. Many of these cases will occur this summer when hot and humid conditions create an ideal breeding ground for bacteria that spoil food and make people sick.
Bacteria grow quickly on food, especially protein foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs, and also high-protein vegetables such as beans and grains. Remember, foods like these are not sterile when you buy them, making it easy to ingest the bacteria on raw products or to cross-contaminate nearby foods that are ready to eat.
Luckily, most of us have a healthy immune system that helps protect us against food poisoning. Still, it pays to put prevention into practice by cooking and handling perishable foods properly.  Here are five tips that will enable you to stay well and enjoy an entire summer of good eating.
Clean and wash hands often
Unwashed hands are a prime cause of foodborne illness. Before handling food always wash hands in warm, soapy water. This is especially true after using the bathroom, handling pets or changing diapers. When eating foods outside the home, bring moist towelettes, anti-bacterial wipes, and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
Don’t cross-contaminate foods
It’s very easy for bacteria to be passed from one food to another during preparation and serving. Be sure to wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that have touched raw meats, eggs, poultry and dairy products. If you are taking raw foods outdoors always wrap raw meats securely to prevent juices from mixing with ready-to-eat foods.
Cook at proper temperatures
Food is safely cooked when it has been heated long enough and at high enough temperature to destroy the bacteria that cause foodborne illness. It’s always a good idea to use a food thermometer, whether you are cooking indoors or grilling outside. Raw beef, chops and roasts should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F; ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. For poultry, be sure to cook it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and cook it once completely. Partially cooking poultry and meats may save time later on, but it does not kill bacteria; in fact, the warmth can actually cause bacteria to multiply so much that it is still be present after the food is thoroughly cooked.
Use cold to preserve food
As soon as groceries arrive home immediately place perishable foods such as deli meats, cooked meats, poultry, and prepared salads into the refrigerator. When taking these foods outdoors, especially away from home for picnics, it’s important to pack perishable foods in an insulated cooler surrounded by several inches of ice or frozen ice packs. Play it safe and keep coolers in the shade and inside an air-conditioned car rather than shut in a baking hot trunk.
Don’t let cooked foods sit out too long
If you purchase take-out food plan to eat it within two hours. The same applies for leftovers. And if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees F consider foods left out for more than an hour unsafe to eat.  If you are questioning whether your leftovers are still safe to eat, when in doubt throw it out!
For more useful information about food borne illnesses and how to avoid them visit the Food Safety pages on the US Department of Agriculture website.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/25/5-ways-to-prevent-warm-weather-food-poisoning/#ixzz1vxPPkhRp

Gene discovery could lead to birth control pill for men

When it comes to birth control, numerous options are available to women to help them regulate their menstrual cycle and prevent ovulation.  But what if a birth control pill for men were available?
That prospect may soon become a reality now that researchers at the University of Edinburgh have recently discovered a gene that is essential for the development of sperm.  Their study, published in the journal PLos Genetics, highlights the gene Katnal1, which causes temporary infertility in male mice when blocked.
In order to identify Katnal1 as a key element in sperm production, the researchers treated a group of mice with a chemical called ENU, which triggers mutations in the DNA.  Afterward, they bred the mice to see if any of them became infertile.  After establishing a group of impotent mice, they backtracked through genetic mapping to identify which gene had been disrupted by the ENU – leading them to Katnal1.
“Importantly the random nature of ENU, which causes changes in DNA at random, means we can identify important genes that otherwise we would have had no reason to suspect play a role in male fertility,” said Dr. Lee Smith, a reader in the department of genetic endocrinology at the University of Edinburgh as well as the study’s lead author. “For example, before this study, no one had any idea Katnal1 was even active in the testis, and as such, Katnal1 would probably not have been identified in any other way.”
Lee and his team further identified that Katnal1 was used to regulate a structure known as microtubules – parts of sperms that needed for support and the acquisition of nutrients.  Breaking down these microtubules inhibits sperms’ ability to move throughout the testes during their maturation.
The gene’s discovery not only paves the way for a male contraceptive pill, but could also aid in better understanding cases of male infertility.
“As we move towards personalized medicine, comparing DNA sequences of infertile men against gene data provided from studies such as this will help clinicians identify the causes underlying unexplained male infertility,” Smith said.  “If a genetic fault can be traced to a problem within the supporting cells of the testes rather than the sperm cells then it could be possible to use a gene-therapy approach to replace the faulty copy of the gene and restore fertility.”
However, a potential male contraceptive pill would not utilize gene-therapy, but instead would involve identifying a protein that is used to regulate Katnal1.  According to Lee, if they are able to come up with a way to specifically target the gene’s function in the testes, then they could potentially create a non-hormonal contraceptive.
Also, a male pill would not only need to be effective in stopping sperm production but also be just as effective in having it start back up again.  According to Smith, blocking Katnal1 would render a man sterile for the rest of his life.
“The important thing is that the effects of such a drug would be reversible,” Smith said in a press release,” because Katnal1 only affects sperm cells in the later stages of development, so it would not hinder the early stages of sperm production and the overall ability to produce sperm.”
Currently, there are not many options in the way of male pharmaceutical contraception.  Recent options have included testosterone injections or testosterone plus progestin injections, which are used to trick the brain into thinking the testes have produced enough testosterone, so sperm production shuts down.
However, these options rely on hormones, while the potential drug to come from Lee and his team’s research would be hormone-free and could bypass the side-effects that come with increased testosterone levels – such as mood swings and acne.
Lee said that his team has much more research to do before this drug becomes available, but he said we could see its development within the next decade.
“We are at the beginning, but have taken a great step forward in identifying a new pathway that controls male fertility.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/25/gene-discovery-could-lead-to-birth-control-pill-for-men/#ixzz1vxOTMfag

To treat or not to treat: Antibiotics not always best for sinus infection

Every year, more than 37 million Americans suffer from at least one episode of sinusitis. Typically, the symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose and pressure or pain felt behind the eyes or teeth. These symptoms are caused by inflammation and infection of the sinuses.
The sinuses are air-filled spaces located behind the forehead, nose, cheeks and eyes. Normally, mucus drains from the sinus, while air is able to circulate within them. When the sinus opening becomes blocked, bacteria and germs can easily become overgrown, resulting in infection and discomfort.
Conditions that can put you at risk for developing a sinus infection include diseases which increase mucus production or a physical block of the sinus, such as a polyp. Allergies, which affect more than 67 million Americans each year, can also increase your risk. While we are no longer experiencing unseasonably warm weather, March’s early heat wave resulted in higher than normal pollen counts and is having lingering effects for those who suffer from seasonal allergies.
While one’s initial instinct might be to request antibiotics, growing research is showing that this is rarely the best course of action. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for sinus infection and found no difference in symptoms in those treated with antibiotics as compared to those who were given a placebo. This is because the vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses. In fact, only 2 percent of episodes are due to bacteria, which are the target of antibiotic medications. Antibiotics, unfortunately, are useless against viral sinus infections.
Viral infections are typically self-limited and the mainstay of therapy is symptom relief. Staying hydrated is key, because it helps thin the mucus and promotes drainage. Drinking warm non-caffeinated beverages helps keep you hydrated and can soothe a sore throat, while the steam helps loosen mucus. Over-the-counter medications, like ibuprofen or naproxen will help reduce pain and inflammation, while decongestants can help ease congestion.
The presence of green mucus is only a sign of infection -- not the cause. The white blood cells of your immune system contain greenish-colored components, which in a large number, can color the mucus with a greenish hue. These cells are present regardless of whether your infection is bacterial or viral.
Taking antibiotics “just in case” is not harmless and can result in an upset stomach, rash, or even a life-threatening allergic reactions. On a population level, the volume of antibiotics prescribed is a major factor in the increasing rates of bacterial resistance. In the U.S., over 70 percent of hospital-acquired infections involve bacteria resistant to at least one antibiotic. This trend is making it more difficult to treat infections that were once simple to cure.
When you suspect a sinus infection, the best course of action is to consult your doctor, so that he or she can determine whether or not antibiotics are appropriate. If your symptoms persist for longer than 10 days or get worse, you may require antibiotics. If you experience a change in vision, a sustained fever higher than 101°F, or confusion, it is important to seek medical care immediately, as these could be signs of a more concerning condition.
Dr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He is a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disease, with a focus on robotic prostate cancer treatments. To learn more please visit his websites RoboticOncology.com and SMART-surgery.com. Find Dr. Samadi on Facebook.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/to-treat-or-not-to-treat-antibiotics-not-always-best-for-sinus-infection/#ixzz1vrWQTlRZ

Whooping cough epidemic declared in Wash. state

Washington state's worst outbreak of whooping cough in decades has prompted health officials to declare an epidemic, seek help from federal experts and urge residents to get vaccinated amid worry that cases of the highly contagious disease could spike much higher.
It's the first state to declare a whooping cough, or pertussis, epidemic since 2010, when California had more than 9,000 cases, including 10 deaths. Washington has had 10 times the cases reported in 2011, and so has Wisconsin with nearly 2,000 cases this year, though that state has not declared an epidemic.
California responded to its crisis two years ago with a public information campaign, readily available vaccines and a new law requiring a booster shot for middle- and high-school students. Doctors were urged to spot whooping cough early, send infected babies to the hospital and promptly treat those diagnosed. In 2011, the number of cases there dropped significantly.
In Washington, about 1,280 cases have been reported in 2012, and officials believe the state could see as many as 3,000 cases by year's end. Health Secretary Mary Selecky declared the epidemic April 3, and since then officials have bought up the vaccine and made it available for free for people who don't have insurance.
State officials have asked hospitals to vaccinate every adult who goes home with a new baby, and urged businesses to encourage their employees to get the adult booster shot. Washington already requires a booster shot for middle- and high-school students.
Last week, Gov. Chris Gregoire announced the state is putting $90,000 into a public awareness campaign and diverting some federal money to pay for 27,000 doses of vaccine. The state has also asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to send a special team of investigators and an epidemiologist to the Washington.
State epidemic declarations are up to the states; there are no federal regulations for such decisions. Selecky said this is the first time in her 13 years on the job she has declared a state epidemic, but felt she needed to take action to stop the disease from spreading further.
"When we've looked historically, we've seen nothing like this," she said. "We're taking this very seriously."
Adults and teens need booster shots so they don't give pertussis to the babies in their lives, said CDC spokeswoman Alison Patti
"We want to create a cocoon of protection around them," she said. "We're really worried about keeping babies safe."
Pertussis is known as whooping cough because of the "whooping" sound people often make while gasping for air after a coughing fit. A highly contagious bacterial disease, it starts off like a cold but leads to severe coughing that can last for weeks. In rare cases, it can be fatal.
Until routine child vaccination became widespread in the 1940s, pertussis caused thousands of fatalities each year in the United States. While deaths are uncommon today, they still occur: In recent weeks, infants in New Mexico and Idaho have died from the disease.
Because the adult booster for pertussis — called Tdap for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis — has only been available since 2005, fewer than one in 10 adults have gotten the shot and most don't even know they need it. The numbers are better for teens: about 70 percent have received a booster shot. Most people do not find out they even need a booster until they go to the doctor for a tetanus shot, Patti said.
Patti emphasized that pertussis isn't spreading because of an anti-vaccine movement. Among possible reasons for the recent spike are that diagnoses in teens and adults are getting better and doctors are doing a better job with reporting, she added
Health officials say the disease tends to return in three-to-five-year cycles.
"The incidents tend to oscillate," said Herbert Hethcote, a professor emeritus from the University of Iowa who is a specialist in mathematical modeling of the spread of infectious diseases,
He said the growth of pertussis in Washington state has followed a pattern: As the population ages, the immunity level goes down because the vaccine is wearing off. The disease spreads and the cases grow until more people get the vaccine and the numbers go down again.
Hethcote said his daughter had whooping cough as an adult during the last spike of cases in Washington, four or five years ago. She coughed so hard she broke a rib and was sick for more than a month, he recalls. She never found out how she caught it but the experience raised awareness in his family that pertussis is not just a children's disease.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/10/whooping-cough-epidemic-declared-in-wash-state/#ixzz1vrVoNRvr

Blood test may help identify kids' smoke exposure, study finds

More than half of the children who took part in a study on exposure to cigarette smoke tested positive for such exposure, despite only a handful of their parents admitting to lighting up, according to a U.S. study.
Parents may think their children are exposed only if they're around someone actively smoking a cigarette, or are unaware of where else their children may be breathing in smoke - but a blood test may help identify and reduce smoke exposure, said researchers at the University of California, San Francisco.
Secondhand smoke exposure in children has been tied to sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory problems, ear infections and asthma.
"What the test does is allow the doctor, in consultation with the parent, to figure out the source of exposure and then to eliminate it," said Jonathan Winickoff, an associate professor of pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston.
Winickoff, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, told Reuters Health the test can also identify if a child is being exposed to smoke without the parent realizing it, such as by living in an apartment building where smoking is allowed.
The researchers tested 496 blood samples left over from children, most aged one to four, to determine how many of them were exposed to secondhand smoke. The blood samples were initially taken at San Francisco General Hospital to test for lead exposure between November 2009 and March 2010.
The researchers tested the blood for cotinine, a chemical produced by the body after it is exposed to nicotine.
Overall, 55 percent of the blood samples had a measurable amount of cotinine, which meant those children had been exposed to smoke within the previous three to four days.
Only 13 percent of parents, however, admitted that their child had been exposed to secondhand smoke.
"I think parents do not understand the various sources of potential exposure," said Neal Benowitz, one of the study's co-authors.
The researchers reported that some parents may also believe a child has to be around someone who is smoking to be exposed - but that is not the case.
For example, children still get the effects of secondhand smoke if they spend time in a room where someone recently smoked.
Benowitz and his colleagues said testing children for cotinine could ultimately prevent diseases brought on by secondhand smoke exposure by helping detect the source.
"Once you know there is exposure then you can talk to the parent," he added.
Testing for cotinine is currently not readily available to the general public, but Winickoff said the best approach would be to integrate cotinine testing with routine testing for lead.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/11/blood-test-may-help-identify-kids-smoke-exposure-study-finds/#ixzz1vrVQ3Ga0

Stable Cell Line Generation Using Lentivirus

AMSBIO's custom generation of stable cell lines includes cloning the gene or shRNA of interest into a safe lentiviral vector, generating the lentivirus and transducing into the cell line of your choice. The service allows you to choose a constitutive or inducible promoter, a tag, an antibiotic selection marker and a fluorescent marker. The ease of providing your target templates or choosing one from AMSBIO's cDNA collection ensures rapid turnaround.
With many years of experience the service can also provide mutagenesis and other special requests. The stably transduced, high expression cells are then selected, target integration is validated by genomic PCR, and the high-expression clone by Western Blot. Each customer receives two cryogenic preserved vials of stable cells and a final report.
Working closely with customers - AMSBIO's handles each stage of the process to ensure the delivery of high quality cells that are ready to use. AMSBIO's unique technology ensures a turnaround time as fast as 2 months for each cell line creation.
The AMSBIO lentiviral system is a gene delivery tool for gene expression or knockdown. Lentivirus can effectively transduce both dividing and non-dividing mammalian cells, and integrate into the host genome, allowing stable long-term, high-level gene expression both in vivo and in vitro.

AMSBIO's stable cell line generation service only use safe (self-inactivating) lentiviral particles to deliver your gene into a wide range of cell lines including primary and stem cells. Lentiviruses have been used to successfully generate a line of DNA repair knock-down cell lines that AMSBIO offers off the shelf from its product range.
For further information please visit http://www.amsbio.com/custom-lentivirus-service-inducible-shRNA-lentivirus.aspx or contact AMSBIO on +44-1235-828200 / +1-800-987-0985 or email info@amsbio.com.
Founded in 1987, AMS Biotechnology (AMSBIO) is recognised as a leading international provider of unique, innovative products & custom services for life sciences research. The AMSBIO range includes over 23,000 polyclonal & monoclonal antibodies, peptides, recombinant proteins, extracellular matrix, molecular detection reagents, & tissue DNA, RNA, protein & microarray products. Key research areas include: apoptosis, cell invasion & migration, cell signaling, DNA damage, 3D culture, electrophoresis, glycobiology, post-translational modification & stem cell biology.

US lowers cutoff for lead poisoning in young kids

For the first time in 20 years, U.S. health officials have lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in young children.
The new standard announced Wednesday means that hundreds of thousands more youngsters could be diagnosed with high levels of lead. Too much lead is harmful to developing brains and can mean a lower IQ.
"Unfortunately, many, many more parents will be getting bad news," said Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, a Maryland-based nonprofit focused on hazards to kids in homes.
The standard is for children younger than 6. Recent research persuaded experts and government officials that young children could be harmed from lead levels in their blood that are lower than the old standard.
Really, "there is no safe level of blood lead in children," said Christopher Portier, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He heads the agency's environmental health programs.
The CDC announced the change Wednesday, adopting recommendations made in January by an advisory panel of experts. At the same time, CDC officials acknowledged they don't have additional funds to help doctors or local health departments do more testing of children or find and clean up lead contamination.
Lead poisoning is detected through a blood test. The change means poisoning will be defined as 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. The old standard was 10 micrograms.
Under the old standard, lead poisoning in children had been declining in the U.S. Experts estimated that somewhere between 77,000 and 255,000 children had high levels of lead, though many of them are undiagnosed. The change could raise the count to 450,000 cases.
Lead - a metal that for years was common in paint and gasoline - can harm a child's brain, kidneys and other organs. High levels in the blood can cause coma, convulsions and death. Lower levels can reduce intelligence, impair hearing and behavior and cause other problems.
Usually, children who get lead poisoning live in old homes that are dilapidated or under renovation. They pick up paint chips or dust and put it in their mouth. Lead has been banned in paint since 1978. Children have also picked up lead poisoning from soil contaminated by old leaded gasoline, and from dust tracked in from industrial worksites.
Most cases of lead poisoning are handled by tracking and removing the lead source, and monitoring the children to make sure lead levels stay down. A special treatment to remove lead and other heavy metals is used for very high levels.
Specialists describe children as having lead poisoning only at those very high levels, but others use the term more broadly to describe any child with levels that can impact intelligence or cause other harm.
The CDC's threshold was last changed in 1991. The new standard was calculated from the highest lead levels seen in a comprehensive annual U.S. health survey. The CDC plans to reassess that level every four years.
Health officials have been focused on young children, who are most affected by lead poisoning. There is not a threshold for older children or adults, although pregnant women should have blood lead levels below 5 micrograms to protect the developing fetus. Most cases in adults come from manufacturing jobs or hobbies, but those numbers have also been declining.
Some health officials consider the CDC's action overdue. Cleveland and other cities in northeastern Ohio adopted a standard of 5 micrograms five years ago.
The CDC was following recommendations made to the agency in January by an advisory panel of experts. But Portier said the agency wasn't able to do everything the panel suggested.
For example, the panel said the CDC should do more to make sure no children are exposed to lead hazards. It also said all doctors should report high levels to local health departments, re-test the children to see if they improve, and help teach parents how to find and eliminate lead sources. The CDC agreed that should happen, but doesn't have the money or staff to bolster such an effort. Congress cut the CDC lead program's budget from about $29 million last year to $2 million.
In many places, it's up to city and county health departments to provide many of the services for lead poisoned kids, and those departments have lost more than 34,000 jobs in the last three years because of budget cuts.
The timing is unfortunate, Morley said. "But we wouldn't want to keep information from parents just because there's not money to provide the service," she added.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/16/us-lowers-cutoff-for-lead-poisoning-in-young-kids/#ixzz1vrT7SSay

Beware the potential risks of bee pollen supplements

When it comes to supplements, natural doesn’t always mean safe.  Experts are warning that taking natural bee pollen supplements may come with the risk of suffering a serious allergic reaction, including life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Bee pollen is used to enhance energy, vitality, memory and performance, and sometimes even to reduce allergies, though there’s little evidence to support any of these uses. It’s considered a super food because it contains proteins and is rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. It comes from the pollen that collects on the bodies of bees.
The pollen is not just from flowers but also from grass, dandelions and other plants that are responsible for springtime allergies. When taken at the suggested dose, the bee pollen extracts could contain a large amount of airborne pollen. It also contains saliva from bees.
A new report, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, describes the case of a 30-year-old woman who started to take bee pollen and a few other supplements. On day two of her new supplement regimen, she had to be rushed to the emergency room because her eyelids, lips and throat began to swell, and she had difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath and felt faint. Doctors discovered she had suffered from seasonal allergies in the past. The bee pollen apparently put her over the edge.
Though there are not a lot of reports in the science literature on how common or rare reactions are to bee pollen, one Italian study found that, between 2002 and 2007, the Italian national surveillance system for natural health products received 18 reports of adverse reactions associated with propolis, a bee pollen product.
Less scientific, though also troubling, anecdotes of severe reactions abound on the web, even on websites hawking bee pollen.  Though one website says that serious reactions are rare, at the same time, they advise anyone taking bee pollen to do a “tolerance test” by starting with one raw bee pollen kernel and putting it under your tongue and slowly increasing your dose each day. The website warns users not to jump straight to a tablespoon of pollen during the first week or so of using the pollen.
Patients with allergies to pollen or bee stings may be at particular risk. Studies that have done skin prick tests on patients found a strong association between being allergic to bee pollen and having allergies to various grasses and other airborne allergens.  But there have also been cases reported in people with no history of allergies.
Another problem is that aside from causing a serious reaction, using these supplements may set off an allergy to pollen and bee stings that a person may have never previously experienced, making him or her susceptible of anaphylaxis in the future. That may not be a risk people want to take.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/22/beware-potential-risks-bee-pollen-supplements/#ixzz1vrSY2k3v

Haiti health workers to give cholera vaccine

The chief advocates for a cholera vaccination program in Haiti will begin distributing the vaccine this weekend after a government ethics committee gave approval following months of delay, a project organizer said Friday.
Jonathan Lascher, Haiti program manager for the Boston-based Partners in Health, said more than 200 trained health workers will start administering the oral vaccine on Sunday to almost 50,000 people outside the western port city of Saint Marc.
A Health Ministry ethics committee initially blocked the campaign because it mistook it for a research project rather than a pilot program that could be expanded throughout the Caribbean nation, Lascher said. The vaccination campaign had been planned to begin in January.
"We're all set to go and there are no more bureaucratic hoops to jump through," Lascher said by telephone. The ethics committee "understands that it's not a research project."
Haitian health officials couldn't be reached for comment Friday.
PIH and partner Gheskio Center, a Haitian nonprofit supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development, plan to vaccinate almost 100,000 Haitians in the Saint Marc area and in a downtrodden neighborhood of the capital as the country's rainy season begins and threatens to spread the waterborne disease.
Gheskio reportedly began administering the first of two required doses of the vaccine this week in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Gheskio director Jean William Pape didn't respond to email messages seeking comment Friday.
The proposal for a vaccine campaign in Haiti surfaced soon after cholera emerged in October 2010, when U.N. peacekeepers from Nepal apparently introduced the disease inadvertently, according to several scientific studies. Since then, cholera has killed more than 7,000 people and sickened 530,000 more, health officials say, giving Haiti the highest cholera infection rate in the world.
It seemed obvious that Haiti would benefit from such a vaccine but there were obstacles from the beginning.
Some public health experts questioned the program because it would inoculate only 100,000 people, or 1 percent of Haiti's population, and could deplete the world's stock of available cholera vaccine, potentially putting people at risk in other vulnerable places. At the time, there was only one cholera vaccine on the global market. A second, Shanchol, wasn't approved by the World Health Organization until September.
The approval was needed so U.N. agencies like UNICEF could procure the vaccine.
There were other concerns about the vaccine. The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders argued that the money for the vaccine, whose immunity wears off within three years, would be better spent on improving Haiti's inadequate sanitation, a source for spreading cholera. PIH's co-founder, Dr. Paul Farmer, countered that the vaccine could be distributed without compromising efforts to develop Haiti's water and sewer system.
The project is expected to cost $1.3 million. The American Red Cross is contributing $1 million of that, said Tamara Braunstein, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/04/13/haiti-health-workers-to-give-cholera-vaccine/#ixzz1vrRPyJIi

How to stay happy at work (and home)

The happiness we experience from positive events in our lives—a new job, a new partner or buying a new house—tends to diminish over time, making the search for new sources of happiness never ending.
The process is known in psychiatry lingo as "hedonic adaptation"—we gradually adjust to positive changes, so much so that we don’t feel their positive effects on us for long.
Hedonic adaptation is what leads many people to get bored or unhappy with their jobs, their partners, their cars and other things in their lives that once brought them pleasure. It also leads people to seek out new sources of happiness, perhaps never fully appreciating the ones they had.
But new research, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, points to ways to hold onto your newfound happiness for longer.
In the study, researchers from the University of Missouri and the University of California at Riverside surveyed nearly 500 people about their happiness. Six weeks later participants described a recent positive change in their lives that had brought them happiness. Six weeks after that, the researchers evaluated whether that positive change still made them happy.  For most people, it didn’t, though for a few it did. The psychologists then applied (and confirmed) their happiness model for predicting whose happiness boost had lasted.
Here are the main points of their happiness model:
Recognize your quest for more and better.  In the study, for example, “The majority got used to the change that had made them happy in the first place,” said Kennon Sheldon, professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri. “They stopped being happy because they kept wanting more and raising their standards,” he added.
Appreciate what you have. Some people were able to appreciate what they had rather than looking at what they didn’t have—sort of looking at the glass half full rather than half empty. These were the ones who were happier in the long term.
Create new experiences. An important piece of appreciating what you have is finding new, positive ways of experiencing it.  Most people in the study stopped having fresh positive experiences with their new partner or their new job, for example. That lowered their level of enjoyment they derived from it. Those who stayed happy tended to look for new experiences within the change.  At work, that could mean looking for new projects or simply going to lunch with different people.  With a partner, it could mean doing or learning something new together.
Don’t find happiness in purchases. Though you can get a boost of happiness from a new purchase, it’s usually very short lived, largely because most purchases don’t keep on providing varied positive experiences.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/24/how-to-stay-happy-at-work-and-home/#ixzz1vrPwrafO

Childhood cancer effects may linger in adults

Survivors of childhood cancers have an increased risk of disfigurement and persistent hair loss later in life, and for some that may lead to long-term emotional distress, suggests a new study.
Compared to their siblings, survivors were more likely to have scarring and disfigurement on their head, arms and legs later in life. And adults with those traits had more depression and a lower quality of life, on average.
"I think it showed us these aren't necessarily life threatening late effects of cancer... but certainly we need to be more aware of the outcomes these patients are dealing with," said Karen Kinahan, coordinator of the STAR Survivorship Program at the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University in Chicago.
Kinahan and her colleagues used information on 14,358 childhood cancer survivors and 4,023 of their siblings already participating in an existing study.
Survivors -- including those with a history of leukemia, lymphoma and kidney cancers -- had been diagnosed before they were 21 years old and started treatment between 1970 and 1987. Each person answered a questionnaire when they entered the study and another in 2003.
Overall, one-quarter of cancer survivors had a scar or disfigurement on their head or neck, compared to one in 12 of their siblings.
Cancer survivors were also more likely to have scars or disfigurements on their arms, legs, chests and stomachs.
Scars and disfigurements can be caused by surgery or radiation. And in people who are still growing, areas that are radiated tend not to grow as well, according to Dr. Karen Wasilewski-Masker, a pediatric oncologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She said that may lead to cancer survivors looking out of proportion as they get older.
People with scars or disfigurements on their head, neck, arms or legs had a 20 percent higher risk of depression than those without scars, the researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology this week.
Hair loss was more common in cancer survivors compared to their siblings as well -- about 14 percent of survivors and six percent of cancer-free siblings reported going bald. And balding was also linked to depression, especially in women.
"I found the results to be more encouraging than discouraging," said Wasilewski-Masker, who is part of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's program for childhood cancer survivors.
She told Reuters Health the difference in survivors' emotional troubles relative to the non-survivors was not "astronomical."
Still, the researchers found several aspects of cancer survivors' quality of life were worse and linked to scarring, disfigurements and hair loss. Those included general health, physical ability, pain, mental health and social functioning.
"We need to be aware of the possibility of some psychosocial problems in patients that have some type of disfigurement... but we also need to not assume that just because a person may look different because of a cancer treatment that it's impacting them in a negative way," said Wasilewski-Masker.
Most get back to work
In another new study, published in the same journal, researchers found that close to three-quarters of 388 people between 15 and 39 years old were back at work or school full-time within 15 to 35 months of being diagnosed with cancer.
More than half, however, reported problems when they went back, including forgetting things and having trouble keeping up with the work.
Helen Parsons, the study's lead author from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, told Reuters Health it's still too early to make any conclusions about possible interventions to prevent unemployment.
"Really this study is a starting point to understand the groups in this population who are least likely to return to work. It really sets the stage for future studies," she said.
Wasilewski-Masker also told Reuters Health that there are differences between cancer patients when making the determination of whether to stop working or going to school.
For example, high school and college students are usually still financially supported by their parents, and patients' abilities may differ based on the intensity of their treatment.
She said doctors want their patients to survive, but they also want them to live healthy, happy lives.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/24/childhood-cancer-effects-may-linger-in-adults/#ixzz1vrOfzuX7

Calcium supplements and heart attack : Implications for a nutrient hungry nation

A recent study out of the University of Zurich Wednesday reported the controversial findings that taking calcium supplements is linked with double the risk of heart attack.
After studying over 24,000 men and women, researchers found that those who took calcium supplements were 86 percent more likely to have a heart attack than people who did not – and the risk was more than doubled for those who were only taking calcium supplements.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of dietary supplements is a familiar trend, with over half of the population reported taking them from 2003 to 2006.  Calcium supplements in particular have increased in popularity, jumping from 28 percent of use from 1988 to 1994, to 61 percent from 2003 to 2006 in women over 60.
With no prescriptions required and touted for their nutritional benefits to the body, vitamins have been easily accepted as both harmless and helpful add-ons to daily diet routines.  However, with findings such as the ones from the University of Zurich and from other similar studies, experts caution people not to be too cavalier with taking supplements.
“Supplements should be treated like any other medication,” Dr. Phil Ragno, the director of cardiovascular health and wellness at Winthrop Hospital in Long Island, N.Y., told FoxNews.com.  “It’s important for patients to sit down with their doctors to discuss what they’re taking and does it have an effect on their body as you can see.”
The results from Zurich are not the first of their kind, according to Ragno.  For him, it makes perfect sense for there to be cause for concern when it comes to taking extra calcium.
“Calcium is a very important ion that has many effects on the heart and vascular system,” Ragno said. “It helps the electrical conduction of the heart; it helps the contractility of the heart, and there’s always the possibility it can contribute to calcification of the blood vessels – one of the precursors to the clogging of an artery.  As our arteries build with plaque, calcium deposits in that plaque, so the calcium itself may have some effect on the clotting mechanism.”
While the possible effect that calcium supplements may have on hearth health may seem staggering, it shouldn’t be a cause for panic among those who are currently taking them.
“Certainly this is a controversial study; however, similar risk associations have been found before with the routine use of calcium supplements,” said Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing editor of Fox News Health.  “The issue at hand is how to interpret the data.  The study could not show cause and effect, and we also do not know what metabolic risk factors the population that was studied had – factors such as existing calcium deposits in the coronary arteries as well as levels of inflammatory mediators like c-reactive proteins.
“Nonetheless, I think that patients should be cautioned about the routine use of calcium pills, especially in older folks,” Alvarez added.   “To me, the important thing is that if you are eating a balanced diet, there is no need to take any supplements.”
Ragno agreed that a healthy diet negates the need for such supplements.  However, he acknowledged people with calcium deficiencies or bone disorders should continue taking their supplements, under the supervision of a clinician.  In the meantime, those who are looking for a calcium boost can turn to plenty of different foods.
“Getting calcium from dietary sources has not been linked to increased cardiovascular risk,” Ragno said.  “Dairy products are good of course.  Eating fish – sardines, salmon – is good for calcium. For the true vegan, it’s difficult.  Vegetables such as spinach can give quite a bit of calcium.”
But according to Ragno, the chances that you are calcium deficient are most likely low.
“In reality, very few Americans have vitamin deficiencies,” he said.  “It shouldn’t just be shotgun blast of supplementation – where you take a fistful of supplements at leisure.  However, if you need them, you should take them.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/24/calcium-supplements-and-heart-attack-implications-for-nutrient-hungry-nation/#ixzz1vrMDFOIs

Quick tips to turn your unhealthy home into a healthy one

Your home is a place to show off your sense of style – but it can also have a profound effect on your health and happiness.
Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, a designer and founder of ApartmentTherapy.com, shared some tips on how to rid your place of common ‘unhealthy’ elements.
“Your home is an extension of your body,” Gillingham-Ryan explained.  “In fact, it’s the only space you really control because the street, your office – none of that is really your own.”
According to Gillingham-Ryan, clutter is a common problem that can stress you out and overstimulate your eyes.
“What’s going on in the room is what you take inside,” Gillingham-Ryan said.  “So if it’s cluttered and disorganized in the room, you’re going to feel cluttered and inside yourself.”
If furniture is getting in your way, or impossible to clean, you may need to re-think the arrangement of the room, he said.
Lack of color can also bring down your mood.  If a room is full of neutrals, Gillingham-Ryan recommended adding a pop of color.  Only 20 percent more color in a room can make a huge difference.
“Some people love color and they want to put it everywhere,” Gillingham-Ryan said.  “For them, I urge to pull back a little bit.  A little bit goes a long way.”
Overall, it only takes a few minutes to turn an unhealthy space into a healthy space.  Spend a few minutes cleaning each day, and designate areas like shelves or bins to store your belongings.  As a final note, Gillingham-Ryan suggested putting an air-purifier in your bedroom to improve breathing conditions.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/24/quick-tips-to-turn-your-unhealthy-home-into-healthy-one/#ixzz1vrLeXh24

Asthma rates at highest level ever, CDC says

Asthma rates in the United States increased over the past decade to their highest level ever, according to a new government report.
The portion of people in the U.S. with asthma rose from 7.3 percent in 2001 to 8.4 percent in 2010, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That means 25.7 million people had asthma in 2010, including 7 million who were younger than 18.
Over the same period, death rates from the condition dropped 33 percent. For every 10,000 people with asthma, there were 1.4 deaths in 2010, compared with 2.1 deaths in 2001.
The disorder has been linked with poverty, and the new findings showed that 11.2 percent of people living below the poverty level had asthma. However, asthma was also reported by 7.3 percent of those who earn at least twice the poverty level.
The findings also showed 9.2 percent of females had asthma in 2010, whereas the rate among males was 7 percent.
Asthma is a chronic airway disorder that can be triggered by exercise, infections, certain chemicals, airborne irritants such as tobacco smoke, or allergens such as pollen. During an asthma attack, the airway becomes obstructed because of inflammation and constriction of the surrounding muscles. It is not clear how to prevent asthma from developing, and there is no known cure, the CDC says.
The new findings are based on data gathered during the National Health Interview Survey, in which CDC researchers conducted household interviews with a nationally representative sample of participants.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/02/asthma-rates-at-highest-level-ever-cdc-says/#ixzz1uLlq9Vz9

How to breathe easier at home

Having a healthy home isn't necessarily about making every surface spotless. (Phew!) But a bit of strategic cleaning protects you from germs and toxins. In fact, concentrations of some pollutants can be two to five times greater inside our homes than they are outdoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—a worrisome fact considering we spend, on average, 90 percent of our time indoors.
What's more, ordinary objects like a dirty dish towel or neglected houseplant "can provide just the right environment for harmful microbes to grow," said Kelly Reynolds, PhD, associate professor of environmental sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Fortunately, small changes, whether it's shaking out your welcome mat or installing a water filter, can improve the well-being of your home—and everyone in it. Here, the most important moves to make.
Step up your doormat
About 60 percent of the dust in our home comes from outside—most of it tracked in on the bottom of our shoes, research says. And those tiny particles are made up of a combination of all sorts of icky things like human skin, animal fur, food debris, lead, and even arsenic.
"Fortunately, using the right kind of doormats can help reduce dirt, pesticides, pollen, and other pollutants in your home," said Dr. Oluremi Aliyu, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Pick an abrasive one (it will grab more gunk) made of synthetic fibers like nylon yarn or polypropylene.
Then don't forget to clean it: "Vacuum or shake out your mat once a week," advised Linda Cobb, cleaning expert and author of Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean. Once a month, do a deep clean: Scrub it with a scrub brush and warm, soapy water, then hose it off.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/05/how-to-breathe-easier-at-home/#ixzz1uLhGsS6O

Zinc may shorten common cold but side effects common

A new review of past studies suggests that taking zinc may cut the time adults have to suffer with a common cold, but the alternative treatment will likely come with unpleasant side effects.
The benefits of zinc also appear to be modest, and don't extend to children. But they could add up considering there are about 62 million cases of the common cold in the United States every year that result in 22 million missed days of work, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
For their review, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Michelle Science from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and her colleagues compiled data from clinical trials comparing people who took zinc orally to another group that either took a placebo or received no treatment.
The researchers included only randomized controlled trials -- considered the "gold standard" of medical research -- but cautioned that the quality of the results of those previous trials varied widely.
RELATED: What Is the Common Cold?
Overall, the researchers looked at 17 trials that included 2,121 people from one to 65 years old. In those taking zinc, colds were shortened by a little more than one and a half days, on average, compared to participants in the placebo group.
That changed when the researchers analyzed zinc-takers by age. In adults, zinc shortened the common cold by a little more than two and a half days compared to the placebo. In children, zinc didn't seem to make much of a difference in cold duration.
One possible reason for the difference between adults and kids, according to the authors, is that the adults tended to use a different form of zinc than the children.
Peoples' cold symptoms also seemed to clear up faster if they took a higher dosage of zinc compared to those who took the least. The various studies used different dosages, said Science.
The authors cannot say why zinc stops the rhinovirus, a frequent cause of the common cold, from reproducing. But some believe it acts as an astringent on important facial nerves where viruses tend to congregate.
Although adults who didn't take zinc tended to have colds lasting a week or more, there was no difference in the severity of cold symptoms on day three in any of the groups.
Side effects were more common in the people taking zinc, however. They were 64 percent more likely to experience nausea and 65 percent more likely to detect an unpleasant taste.
Zinc can lead to a person having a metal taste in their mouth, said Dr. Meenu Singh, a pediatrician at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, who was not involved in the new analysis.
Singh led another review published last year by the Cochrane Collaboration -- an international organization that evaluates medical research -- which came to similar conclusions, though (see Reuters Health story of 02/16/2011).
"The findings are more or less the same. The side effects are the same," said Singh, who added that the new review included other studies that were excluded from hers because they did not meet Cochrane standards.
Singh told Reuters Health that people shouldn't be afraid to take zinc, but should always consult their doctor first.
Science and her colleagues also warn that their results are based on studies that varied from one another in their methods and quality. Also, they did not look at zinc nasal sprays that have been linked to the loss of smell or zinc in combination with other vitamins.
"Until further evidence becomes available," they conclude, "there is only a weak rationale for physicians to recommend zinc for the treatment of the common cold."
"Otherwise, for healthy adults… it's probably an individual decision and it's something they can talk to their physician about," Science told Reuters Health.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/zinc-may-shorten-common-cold-but-side-effects-common/#ixzz1uLe90OYU

Herbal supplement may prevent dangerous blood clots

An apple a day may actually keep the doctor away – or even better, keep you from getting a life-threatening blood clot. So might an orange or onion, it turns out. All of these fruits and veggies are high in a flavanoid known as rutin, a natural anti-clotting agent, according to a study published Tuesday.
Each year, approximately one third of all deaths in the United States are caused by a heart attack or stroke.
“It’s not always fully appreciated that the majority of Americans will die as the result of a blood clot in either their heart or their brain,” said the study’s senior author Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Even with the use of existing anti-clotting therapies, such as aspirin, Plavix and warfarin (Coumadin), an estimated 1,255,000 heart attacks and 795,000 strokes occur each year.  
Flaumenhaft and his research team at Beth Israel were looking for a compound that could block the action of a clotting agent, a protein called disulfide isomerase (PDI), which they found is rapidly secreted during thrombosis—when a clot forms in a blood vessel.
But because PDI is necessary for the production of certain proteins, they had to hunt for a compound that could block only certain PDI proteins. When the researchers tested more than 5,000 compounds, rutin emerged as the most potent.
Rutin is found in many fruits and vegetables, including apples (especially the peels), berries, citrus fruits and onions, as well as teas and buckwheat. It is also sold as an herbal supplement.  Fortunately, studies have shown that flavanoids are well tolerated and safe.
The researchers then tested rutin to see if it would prevent blood clots in a mouse model.
“Rutin proved to be the most potently anti-thrombotic compound that we ever tested in this model,” said Flaumenhaft.  In addition, epidemiologic studies have found that a diet high in flavonoids is associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Though clinical trials in people still need to be done, the research is promising and clearly demonstrated that targeting PDI is an effective anti-clotting therapy. Because the Food and Drug Administration has already established that rutin is safe, the flavanoid can be tested in a clinical trial relatively quickly.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/herbal-supplement-may-prevent-dangerous-blood-clots/#ixzz1uLaMzX5z

To treat or not to treat: Antibiotics not always best for sinus infection

Every year, more than 37 million Americans suffer from at least one episode of sinusitis. Typically, the symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose and pressure or pain felt behind the eyes or teeth. These symptoms are caused by inflammation and infection of the sinuses.
The sinuses are air-filled spaces located behind the forehead, nose, cheeks and eyes. Normally, mucus drains from the sinus, while air is able to circulate within them. When the sinus opening becomes blocked, bacteria and germs can easily become overgrown, resulting in infection and discomfort.
Conditions that can put you at risk for developing a sinus infection include diseases which increase mucus production or a physical block of the sinus, such as a polyp. Allergies, which affect more than 67 million Americans each year, can also increase your risk. While we are no longer experiencing unseasonably warm weather, March’s early heat wave resulted in higher than normal pollen counts and is having lingering effects for those who suffer from seasonal allergies.
While one’s initial instinct might be to request antibiotics, growing research is showing that this is rarely the best course of action. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for sinus infection and found no difference in symptoms in those treated with antibiotics as compared to those who were given a placebo. This is because the vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses. In fact, only 2 percent of episodes are due to bacteria, which are the target of antibiotic medications. Antibiotics, unfortunately, are useless against viral sinus infections.
Viral infections are typically self-limited and the mainstay of therapy is symptom relief. Staying hydrated is key, because it helps thin the mucus and promotes drainage. Drinking warm non-caffeinated beverages helps keep you hydrated and can soothe a sore throat, while the steam helps loosen mucus. Over-the-counter medications, like ibuprofen or naproxen will help reduce pain and inflammation, while decongestants can help ease congestion.
The presence of green mucus is only a sign of infection -- not the cause. The white blood cells of your immune system contain greenish-colored components, which in a large number, can color the mucus with a greenish hue. These cells are present regardless of whether your infection is bacterial or viral.
Taking antibiotics “just in case” is not harmless and can result in an upset stomach, rash, or even a life-threatening allergic reactions. On a population level, the volume of antibiotics prescribed is a major factor in the increasing rates of bacterial resistance. In the U.S., over 70 percent of hospital-acquired infections involve bacteria resistant to at least one antibiotic. This trend is making it more difficult to treat infections that were once simple to cure.
When you suspect a sinus infection, the best course of action is to consult your doctor, so that he or she can determine whether or not antibiotics are appropriate. If your symptoms persist for longer than 10 days or get worse, you may require antibiotics. If you experience a change in vision, a sustained fever higher than 101°F, or confusion, it is important to seek medical care immediately, as these could be signs of a more concerning condition.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/to-treat-or-not-to-treat-antibiotics-not-always-best-for-sinus-infection/#ixzz1uLXEAFWb

New device makes needles painless

For most people, dealing with needles isn't easy – especially when it comes to facial injections. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of Americans suffer from trypanophobia, the extreme fear of needles.
Dr. Jon Turk, a facial plastic surgeon in New York City, said for his patients, the answer is a new technology called the ‘Ouchless Needle.’
"This is an instant type of anesthetic that allows you to have no preparation time for the patient,” Turk said, “and yet still get rid of that pain associated with the needle itself."
The device attaches onto a syringe and numbs the skin just long enough to eliminate the discomfort of that initial ‘prick.’
"So to be able to dull that association of the needle going in and have the patient not worry so much about that pain – it has actually reduced the anxiety level a lot in patients," Turk said.
In the past, the only way to help with needle pain was with topical cream that would have to be applied about 30 minutes before the procedure.
"Patients would often forget to put it on, and the staff sometimes wouldn't get to put it on in time,” Turk said.  “It really wasn't a practical way of numbing the face."
The Ouchless Needle is most often used with facial fillers like Botox and Juvaderm, but it is also effective for mole removal or for children's shots.
Turk said it helps decrease redness and bruising immediately in the days following the procedure.
Lisa Levine, a regular patient at Turk’s office, said she has had procedures with the use of the new device and really notices a difference.
"This was definitely much easier. It was more comfortable, you don't feel the prick as much of the needle when it goes into your face,” Levine said. “It’s sensitive skin, so this was very helpful."
For more information, visit www.OuchlessNeedle.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/08/new-device-makes-needles-painless/#ixzz1uLVs0dQC