CDC Wants More HIV Testing Done in US

The diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a life-altering moment that comes with some really big decisions to make.  One of the most important of those decisions is the course of medical treatment to take. Read more

America’s Doctors Saw More Than 1 Billion Patients in 2006

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just released new statistics pertaining to the way Americans use their doctors’ offices, hospitals, and emergency departments (EDs).  The report says that 1.1 billion visits to medical facilities took place in 2006, the equivalent to every single one of us seeing a doctor four times that year.  And 2.6 billion prescriptions were written or administered in-house. Read more

Concerns for travelers to China Olympics

Almost a million travelers from around the world are expected to travel to Beijing next week for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.  Another couple of million Chinese citizens are expected to travel to the city for the event, too. Read more

Diabetes Before Pregnancy Increases Risk of Birth Defects

An extensive study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed the elevated risk of birth defects in women diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes before becoming pregnant.  Children born to diabetic mothers are at three to four times more risk of having a wide array of birth defects than children born to mothers without the disease or to those who develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Read more

Serrano Peppers Latest Villain in Salmonella Saga

In the continuing search for the source of the Salmonella saintpaul outbreak that has made hundreds of consumers in the United States and Canada sick over the last few months, investigators now say they’ve identified the elusive bacteria in serrano peppers grown on a farm in Tamaulipas, the Mexican state that borders South Texas.  Investigators also found traces of the bacteria in irrigation water collected from the same farm. Read more

Bootleg Fentanyl Caused Overdose Epidemic

April 21, 2006, was marked by an extreme number of overdoses in Camden, New Jersey, with reports of similar overdose outbreaks coming in from other parts of the state as well as from Maryland, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Detroit and Chicago overdoses occurred a few months earlier than those in Camden and elsewhere and, in the beginning, were attributed to illicit use of heroin. Read more

Ground Zero Residents to Finally Get Medical Treatment

People from all walks of life were affected by the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.  Many people sickened or injured by the billowing dust clouds and debris flying through the air lived, worked, or attended school in the vicinity of the explosions.  Many others were tourists, travelers, and people in the area for many reasons. Read more

Texas Packing Plant in Hot Seat Over Salmonella-Tainted Jalapenos

The rare strain of Salmonella that has made more than 1,000 people sick in the US and Canada has been identified as coming from a small packing plant in South Texas, according to Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Acheson says that the jalapeno peppers contaminated with Salmonella saintpaul have been traced to the Agricola Zaragoza Inc., packing plant in McAllen, Texas, just north of the US/Mexico border. Read more

Land of Plenty Has Too Many Pounds

When our ancestors hailed the United States as the “Land of Plenty,” it’s hardly likely they meant plenty of pounds. With the obesity epidemic spreading from sea to shining sea, however, the one thing Americans do seem to have plenty of is excess weight. Read more

Young American Women Getting Tanned to Death

The most lethal form of skin cancer is on the rise in American women aged 15 to 39, according to data provided by the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program, operated by the National Cancer Institute.  The number of cases of melanoma, the form of skin cancer in question, has risen in young women by as much as 50% between 1980 and 2004.  Authorities suggest the increasing popularity of tanning salons may be one reason for the dramatic increase in this cancer. Read more

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