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Petting zoos have potential health risks that are not always properly addressed

A new study shows that simple guidelines to protect petting zoo patrons from disease-causing germs found in the zoo are frequently not followed, thus allowing the risks of contracting serious intestinal illnesses to persist.

14 Jun 2007

Community-based care for severely malnourished children

An innovative approach is showing progress in addressing severe acute malnutrition, which affects an estimated 20 million children under the age of five worldwide.

8 Jun 2007

Sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment

Jeffrey Kopita, M.D., pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Garland, talks about sleep disorder diagnosis and treatment.

8 Jun 2007

Salmonella outbreak tails off but 628 infected by contaminated peanut butter

Latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say since 1st August 2006, 628 people in 47 states have been infected with salmonellosis after eating peanut butter contaminated with the Tennessee strain of Salmonella.

4 Jun 2007

Prem baby's death closes Toronto neonatal unit

A neonatal intensive care unit in a Toronto hospital has been forced to close following the death of a premature baby there from a bacteria deadly to premature infants.

3 Jun 2007

HIV contaminated injections are unlikely to account for a large proportion of HIV incidence in sub-Saharan Africa

There is a lack of data relating to the risk of HIV transmission from contaminated injections, and this has made it difficult to assess their impact on HIV transmission in the region.

3 Jun 2007

Community-associated antibiotic-resistant staph infections increase

The incidence of antibiotic-resistant staph infections associated with being acquired in the community and not in health care institutions increased almost seven-fold in Chicago's Cook County Hospital system between 2000 and 2005, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

30 May 2007

Superbugs out and about in the community

Researchers in the U.S. say that it is not just in hospitals that the so-called "superbugs" present a problem.

29 May 2007

Canadian-invented bioactive paper wards off E-coli, salmonella and SARS

Next time there is a global pandemic, contaminated water caused by flooding, or questionable-looking meat in a supermarket, we may be reaching for a piece of paper.

24 May 2007

Oral hygiene recommendations

For more than 75 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance program has helped consumers make informed decisions about safe and effective oral care products.

24 May 2007

New pandemic flu guidance for healthcare workers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has unveiled new safety and health guidance that will help healthcare workers and their employers prepare for a possible influenza pandemic.

23 May 2007

Cause of drug-resistant wound infections among soldiers in Iraq down to hospitals not battlefield

An outbreak of drug-resistant wound infections among soldiers in Iraq likely came from the hospitals where they were treated, not the battlefield, according to a new study in the June 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

22 May 2007

Pioneering skin researchers at the University of Leeds achieve international quality standard

The Skin Research Centre at the University of Leeds, which has led the way in the treatment of acne, eczema and other skin conditions, is the only University skin microbiology laboratory in the UK to receive the international quality standard ISO 17025.

22 May 2007

Drugs users increasingly more cautious about using needles

Even though HIV can be well treated these days, drug users are still more cautious about using needles than they used to be.

15 May 2007

Dealing with a flu pandemic in the UK

Giving local authorities responsibility for implementing pandemic flu plans may not be the best policy, says a senior public health doctor in this week's BMJ.

11 May 2007

Human papillomavirus linked to throat cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have conclusive evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes some throat cancers in both men and women.

10 May 2007

Botox decreases pain and intensity of spasticity following a stroke

Final results from a multi-center study shows that repeated treatments of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA or Botox?) over one year is well tolerated and results in a significant decrease in spasticity, pain frequency and average pain intensity in upper limbs following stroke, according to research from a neurologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

4 May 2007