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Haiti's cholera outbreak has plateaued, death rate remains high in rural regions, U.N. says

The U.N. on Friday said Haiti's cholera outbreak appears to be waning overall, but high death rates from the virus in rural regions of the country remain a concern, the Associated Press reports. According to figures released by the Haitian government, 231,070 cholera cases and 4,549 deaths from the disease have been reported since the outbreak first emerged in October.

23 Feb 2011

ETH scientists warn about impact of cell phone radiation in brain of healthy adults

Expert scientists working with Environmental Health Trust, a nonprofit research and educational group, say that new studies showing that cell phone radiation excites the brain strengthen the need for a major research program on cell phones and health, revamping approaches to setting standards, and putting warnings on cell phones.

23 Feb 2011

Roundup: Calif. hospital's unusual Medicare billing; Tenn. gastric bypass; Mass. Acos

Redding, where the Valley meets Cascade foothills, and Victorville, in the Mojave Desert, have little in common but an unusual statistic: In each city, a hospital has reported alarming rates of a Third World nutritional disorder among its Medicare patients. Kwashiorkor - a Ghanaian word for "weaning sickness" - is a severe protein deficiency that almost exclusively afflicts impoverished children in developing countries, especially during famines, experts say.

23 Feb 2011

UCI study details benefits of physical activity, diet, relationships, fun and spirituality

Getting more exercise, spending time outdoors and helping others are among the activities that can be as effective as drugs or counseling in treating an array of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, according to a UC Irvine study.

23 Feb 2011

Study finds racial disparities among adolescents in receiving treatment for depression

Adolescence can herald the onset of major depression and the associated short- and long-term consequences including developmental and social impairment. Research that focuses on access to treatment for adolescents with depression can shine a bright light on the persistent disparities based on race and ethnicity.

23 Feb 2011

Viewpoints: Planned Parenthood funding; Governors and Medicaid; lessons from Wisconsin

In 14 states, taxpayers pick up 100 percent of the premium tab for retirees, who often collect benefits for a decade or more before going on Medicare. This is not only unfair to taxpayers, for whom free health care is usually a remote dream. It also encourages overconsumption of medical goods and services, thus raising the cost for everyone.

23 Feb 2011

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grants $3.7 million to UTHealth for child obesity prevention, research

To continue their efforts to fight childhood obesity, The Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, has been awarded a four-year grant for $3.7 million grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

22 Feb 2011

Health Canada approves Orexo's Abstral to treat chronic cancer pain

Orexo AB today announces that ProStrakan's partner, Paladin Labs Inc. has been informed by Health Canada, the Canadian Government Department with responsibility for public health, that it has approved Abstral.

22 Feb 2011

Caution on mammograms for breast cancer survivors: Study

A new study finds that in women who have had breast cancer, annual mammograms help detect second breast cancers, but they are not as effective in women who have never had the disease.

22 Feb 2011

Cell phone use and the brain: Study

Experts are still grappling with facts and fiction regarding brain damage caused by cell phone use. Dr. Nora Volkow, who is lead author of a new study published in the Feb. 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association said, “We don’t know whether this is detrimental or whether it could have some potential beneficial effects.

22 Feb 2011

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

A fatal and severe form of mosquito borne viral brain infection has been detected in the Riverina Murray region of New South Wales. Murray Valley encephalitis has affected sentinel chicken flocks in the northern Victorian towns of Mildura, Robinvale, Kerang and Barmah as well in the New South Wales town of Tooleybuc, near Swan Hill. The virus has not been diagnosed in a Victorian for 37 years said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Carnie. He said although the virus had not been detected in a human, Victorians living along the Murray River should avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

22 Feb 2011

Why are Chlamydia and HPV major public health problems?

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Europe. Rates in sexually active young people are commonly between 5% and 10%. The number of diagnosed cases is increasing in many European countries, in part due to increased testing and the use of more sensitive tests.

22 Feb 2011

Study: Poor park planning linked with young children spending more time in computers, e-games

What does it take to keep children active when they get home from school? It seems that what your neighborhood offers in terms of parks and playgrounds has a lot to do with it.

22 Feb 2011

Study: Early detection of hearing impairment may prevent chronic disease in middle-aged adults

Several factors may be associated with hearing impairment in middle-aged adults, including cardiovascular disease risks, being male and having a noisy job, according to a report published online first in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The paper will be appear in the May print issue of the journal.

22 Feb 2011

New research: Fluid retention may explain drugs' risk of strokes and heart attacks

New research shows that medications which have raised safety concerns over heart attack and stroke risks may not have gotten approval from the Food and Drug Administration if the cardiovascular effects of fluid retention had been better understood. Fluid retention may explain the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes of medications such as Vioxx, Bextra, and Avandia.

22 Feb 2011

Bans on commercial shippers appear to reduce size, reach of online cigarette sales industry

Bans on using credit cards to pay for cigarettes bought on Internet sites - combined with bans on commercial shippers delivering the products - appear to have effectively reduced the size and reach of the online cigarette sales industry, a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study shows.

22 Feb 2011

Study: Gastric bypass surgery may lead to better health outcomes in patients with diabetes

Gastric bypass surgery appears to lead to better long-term results including greater weight loss, resolution of diabetes and improved quality of life compared with sleeve gastrectomy and "lap-band" surgery, according to two reports in the February issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Feb 2011

GE Healthcare, CDC collaborate to explore efficacy of actionable health alerts

After a full year of feasibility studies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking a significant step toward providing public health information at the point-of-care. CDC is collaborating with GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, to explore the efficacy of actionable health alerts, delivered instantly to a physician's electronic medical record.

21 Feb 2011

Sanofi Pasteur, International Vaccine Institute support Dengue Vaccine Initiative

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that it is partnering with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to support the recently launched Dengue Vaccine Initiative (DVI). Sanofi Pasteur and the IVI will aim to raise awareness and to work to move dengue vaccination higher on the global health agenda.

21 Feb 2011

New diagnostic tool to detect patients with active TB disease

Tuberculosis remains one of the most pressing public health priorities for the 21st century, with over one third of the world population infected. Active TB disease is a major issue both for the patients who require specific treatment and at a population level, since these patients are contagious.

21 Feb 2011

Public Health News and Research

Haiti's cholera outbreak has plateaued, death rate remains high in rural regions, U.N. says

ETH scientists warn about impact of cell phone radiation in brain of healthy adults

Roundup: Calif. hospital's unusual Medicare billing; Tenn. gastric bypass; Mass. Acos

UCI study details benefits of physical activity, diet, relationships, fun and spirituality

Study finds racial disparities among adolescents in receiving treatment for depression

Viewpoints: Planned Parenthood funding; Governors and Medicaid; lessons from Wisconsin

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation grants $3.7 million to UTHealth for child obesity prevention, research

Health Canada approves Orexo's Abstral to treat chronic cancer pain

Caution on mammograms for breast cancer survivors: Study

Cell phone use and the brain: Study

Murray valley encephalitis surfaces after 37 years

Why are Chlamydia and HPV major public health problems?

Study: Poor park planning linked with young children spending more time in computers, e-games

Study: Early detection of hearing impairment may prevent chronic disease in middle-aged adults

New research: Fluid retention may explain drugs' risk of strokes and heart attacks

Bans on commercial shippers appear to reduce size, reach of online cigarette sales industry

Study: Gastric bypass surgery may lead to better health outcomes in patients with diabetes

GE Healthcare, CDC collaborate to explore efficacy of actionable health alerts

Sanofi Pasteur, International Vaccine Institute support Dengue Vaccine Initiative

New diagnostic tool to detect patients with active TB disease

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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