Eat Your Veggies to Avoid the Flu

Fruits and vegetables contain a substance, quercetin, that has shown promise as an anti-viral agent in multiple studies. A new study, however, has isolated the effects of quercetin on the influenza virus and the results seem to be that it’s a delicious idea to eat your veggies to avoid the flu. Read more

Vaccine Allergies No Reason to Shun Childhood Inoculation

Measles, mumps, and whooping cough outbreaks have been reported in the United States in recent months.  In other countries, children have become ill with the measles and polio.  All these diseases, once common to childhood, can be avoided by a full regimen of vaccination but more and more parents are choosing to forego immunizing their children.  One reason sometimes cited for opting out of immunization is a child’s history of allergies to previously given vaccines.  A new report from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, however, says vaccine allergies are no reason to shun childhood inoculation. Read more

Bird Flu Vaccine Ready to License

The biotechnology research firm, Novavax, announced impressive results in a human trial of the vaccine it is developing for the H5N1, or Indonesian, strain of bird flu discovered in 2005.  This particular strain of bird flu has made 385 people sick and killed 243 of them since 2003, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Read more

More Measles in 2008 Than Previous Decade

Between January and July of this year, 131 cases of measles have been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One single outbreak in Illinois affected 30 individuals but people in 15 states and the District of Columbia have come down with infection from the measles virus. Europe and Asia are reporting soaring numbers of measles infection, too. Read more

DEET’s Aroma Key to Repelling Mosquitoes

Who would have thought that mosquitoes, the scourge of many an otherwise lovely summer evening, would leave us alone if we only smelled worse?  New research says the trick to the success of DEET, a chemical often used as the basis for many insect repellents, is its aroma.  To mosquitoes, DEET smells so bad they just don’t want to come near the stuff. Read more

FDA Announces Selection of This Season’s Flu Vaccine

The typical vaccination for influenza contains three strains of the influenza virus, carefully chosen to bring the greatest relief to the largest audience. One or two of those virus strains changes each year, based on year-round, worldwide collaboration on influenza tracking and data analysis. This year, in a highly unusual move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has chosen three strains entirely different from last year’s flu vaccines, according to an August 5 FDA press release. Read more

Tainted Tomatoes Still a Mystery

More than two weeks after public health officials in the United States issued a warning to consumers against eating certain types of tomatoes linked to more than 800 cases of salmonella infection, the source of the tainted tomatoes remains a mystery. Read more

Ground Beef Recalled by Kroger

All ground beef sold in Kroger stores throughout Michigan and in Colombus and Toledo, Ohio, between May 21 and June 8 has been recalled by the grocer because of an outbreak of E. coli traced back to their stores.  The company is asking all consumers in those areas to check the sell-by dates on any packages of ground beef that has not yet been consumed.  If ground beef sold during this time is found, consumers are asked to discard it or to return it to any Kroger store for full refund or replacement. Read more

Montezuma’s Revenge No Threat to New Vaccine

Travelers to Mexico and many other locations around the world are warned to beware of Montezuma’s revenge and don’t drink the water.  Doctors refer to Montezuma’s revenge as travelers’ diarrhea and it does come from drinking the water and eating exotic foods during travel. Read more

Salmonella Source Still Unknown, Future Outbreaks Predicted

Speaking Tuesday on behalf of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Julie Zawisza, an agency spokesperson, said the agency is getting closer to locating the source, or sources, of the Salmonella contamination in fresh tomatoes that has spread across the nation since mid-April.  Data from the US Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) identify 167 people stricken by Salmonella poisoning in 17 states.  Many grocery stores, restaurants, and other food establishments have taken many fresh tomatoes off shelves and menus until further notice from federal authorities. Read more

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