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Mumps makes a comeback Canada

Health officials in Canada are concerned about an outbreak of mumps which appears to be spreading.

7 May 2007

"Cup of joe" found to have more health benefits

According to a new study drinking coffee may offer protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

7 May 2007

Honey for diabetic ulcers

The sore on Catrina Hurlburt's leg simply wouldn't heal. Complications from a 2002 car accident left Hurlburt, a borderline diabetic, with recurring cellulitis and staph infections.

4 May 2007

Radiation for breast cancer not likely to increase heart attack risk

In 1973, two researchers published an article in the journal Lab Investigation saying that radiation to the breast area might damage the capillaries and restrict blood flow to the heart.

4 May 2007

Nutrient "floodgate" protects against inflammatory immune response

After every meal, the body must prevent the immune system from launching an all-out fight against food.

4 May 2007

Health care experiences and health status of African-American veterans

African-American veterans of the armed forces often struggle to get the health care they need, says a new report from Northeastern University's Institute on Urban Health Research (IUHR).

4 May 2007

Nanoparticles for 'on-the-spot' virus detector

Chemical engineers from the University at Buffalo have collaborated with scientists from other institutions to solve a critical bottleneck in the transport and capture of virus nanoparticles, making possible a device that could rapidly sample and detect infectious biological agents, such as viruses.

4 May 2007

New prostate cancer treatment wins award for Sloan-Kettering

The unique application of operations research to the treatment of prostate cancer allowed Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to better Fortune 500 companies last night and win an international competition for best project by an organization.

4 May 2007

AIDS Healthcare Foundation praises Thailand for drug stance

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has lauded the Government of Thailand for its vow to continue with plans to issue compulsory licenses for the manufacturing and importing of generic versions of lifesaving drugs, including AIDS drugs, despite the fact that the office of United States Trade Representative (USTR), elevated Thailand to its 'Priority Watch' List.

4 May 2007

Some physicians not purchasing, restricting recipients of Gardasil because of cost, Washington Post reports

Inadequate reimbursement from insurance companies for Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil is leading some physicians to refuse to purchase the vaccine and restricting the recipients to those whose insurers have agreed to pay a "reasonable" fee, the Washington Post reports (Boodman, Washington Post , 5/1).

2 May 2007

Australian Health Minister approves plan to genetically track HIV cases

Australian Health Minister Tony Abbott earlier this month approved a plan to develop a genetic profile of HIV in people living with the virus nationwide, Australia's The Age reports.

2 May 2007

Domestic violence should be treated as public health issue

Domestic violence causes "devastating" psychological and physical damage to women and should be approached as a public health issue, Cesar Chelala -- an international public health consultant and author of the Pan American Health Organization publication "Violence in the Americas" -- writes in a Philadelphia Inquirer opinion piece.

2 May 2007

Illinois House considers bill to remove written consent requirement for HIV tests

The Illinois House is considering a bill (HB 980) that would remove a state requirement that people receiving HIV tests provide written consent prior to undergoing the test, the Chicago Tribune reports.

2 May 2007

Strong link between domestic violence and asthma

The link between environmental exposures and asthma has been clearly described, but a new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) finds a strong association between domestic violence and asthma.

2 May 2007

Hurricanes, infectious disease and public health

In the first study ever to evaluate urban sediment after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science have published their findings in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pointing to the need for rapid environmental assessments.

2 May 2007

Peramivir shows promise for H5N1 protection

The antiviral drug peramivir might offer humans significant protection during a pandemic of the avian influenza virus H5N1, according to results of mouse studies conducted by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

2 May 2007

Ohioans spend $62.2 billion on non-institutional health care each year

...while the Ohio economy loses between $2.1 and $5.8 billion due to lost productivity and other indirect costs of having 1.3 million Ohio residents without health insurance, according to research released today by the Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO).

2 May 2007

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center establishes new vaccine and disease institute

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has established a new Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute to develop and implement prevention strategies for globally important infectious diseases, including HIV, malaria and cancer.

2 May 2007

Distrust played a role in residents' response to Hurricane Katrina warnings and advice

While investigating the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans evacuees, a group of UCLA researchers stumbled across something they had not been looking for the deep level of distrust the largely minority victims felt toward public health authorities.

2 May 2007

West Nile virus may require some extra attention, thought and planning this year

Dry weather in the west may lead to an abundance of fertile mosquito breeding grounds as creeks and streams dry up to bogs and puddles faster than usual, while recent storms across the middle of the country and on the East coast could result in more abundant standing water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

2 May 2007