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First human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania this year

The Pennsylvania Health Department today reported the first human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania this year. The individual is a 36-year-old Bucks County man.

26 Jul 2004

Reacting to the obesity epidemic, food consumers have stirred a global health revolution

Since eliminating fats can upset the nutritional balance, researchers are constantly trying to develop innovative methods to improve the health properties of oils and fats.

21 Jul 2004

Culling wild birds won't help battle agianst H5N1 avian influenza strain

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations health agency has warned of the possible emergence of an avian influenza strain capable of sparking a deadly global human pandemic and has also urged countries in Asia not to cull wild birds in response to recent outbreaks of avian influenza in China, Thailand and Viet Nam.

19 Jul 2004

36.5 million people of working age have HIV

What's more, the ILO estimates that in the absence of increased access to treatment, the number of workers lost due to HIV/AIDS will have increased to 48 million by 2010 and 74 million by 2015, making HIV/AIDS one of the biggest causes of mortality in the world of work.

13 Jul 2004

Avian influenza virus is still present in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam

New outbreaks of the avian influenza virus H5N1 in China, Thailand and Viet Nam confirm that the virus is still endemic in the region, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement yesterday.

10 Jul 2004

HHS strengthen safeguards against mad cow disease

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman has announced three actions being taken to further strengthen existing safeguards that protect consumers against the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as “mad cow disease”).

10 Jul 2004

AIDS toll in African heartland isn’t always what people think

New ways to study the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural African families is showing that conventional wisdom isn’t necessarily wise, and pointing to better ways to help those struggling in the wake of death.

9 Jul 2004

Brazilian Government approves DuPont system that detects salmonella

The BAX® system, a genetics-based diagnostic tool developed by DuPont Qualicon, has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture in Brazil as an Official Reference Method to detect Salmonella in food, water and environmental samples.

8 Jul 2004

First study to examine the probability of obesity in preschoolers according to their mother’s weight early in her pregnancy

Maternal obesity in early pregnancy more than doubles a child’s risk of obesity at 2 to 4 years of age, according to an article by a researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., published in the July issue of Pediatrics.

7 Jul 2004

As humans alter land, infectious diseases follow

As people remake the world's landscapes, cutting forests, draining wetlands, building roads and dams, and pushing the margins of cities ever outward, infectious diseases are gaining new toeholds, cropping up in new places and new hosts, and posing an ever-increasing risk to human and animal health.

5 Jul 2004

Healthy fats and oils essential to satisfy calorie-conscious consumers

Reacting to the obesity epidemic, food consumers have stirred a global health revolution and are increasingly demanding healthier oils and fats.

4 Jul 2004

Amid unprecedented global prosperity, the world’s poor were more vulnerable now than ever

The 43 speakers in two meetings today -- on resources mobilization and an enabling environment for poverty eradication -- recognized that the primary responsibility for development in the least developed countries (LDCs) rested with those nations themselves.

2 Jul 2004

One in three Americans born today is predicted to develop diabetes as a consequence of obesity

One in three Americans born today is predicted to develop diabetes as a consequence of obesity, according to a new report by the International Diabetes Federation and the International Obesity Task Force.

2 Jul 2004

Celiac disease may affect 3 million Americans, ten times higher than previous estimates

Celiac disease is considerably under-diagnosed, according to an independent consensus panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

1 Jul 2004

Uniform measurement standards for antioxidants

An international gathering of researchers from 19 countries has agreed for the first time to establish uniform measurement standards for antioxidants.

30 Jun 2004

Americans not that bothered by Mad Cow disease

Only a small percentage of U.S. beef consumers changed their buying habits after December's Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy-positive case in Washington, according to a recent national survey from Colorado State University Cooperative Extension.

30 Jun 2004

Codex aims to keep up with gene technologies and potential health impact of genetically modified foods

The Codex Alimentarius Commission convened its 27th session today, one year ahead of schedule, amid calls for the Commission to implement recommendations made by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) evaluation.

29 Jun 2004