Somalia to begin anti-polio drive this week
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Volunteers in anarchic Somalia this week will launch a United Nations-backed polio immunization drive to prevent the disease from spreading to the country from nearby Ethiopia and Yemen. Both of those countries are the latest two of 16 previously polio-free west and central African nations where the paralysis causing disease has re-appeared.
“The outbreaks of polio in Ethiopia and Yemen, coupled with large population movements between Somalia and its neighbours have put Somali children at risk of polio,” Dr. David Heymann, the U.N. World Health Organization’s (WHO) polio eradication representative, said in a statement.
US speeding deaths up as speed limits rise
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Speeding-related deaths have gone up gradually on many major U.S. roads since Congress abolished the mandatory 55 mph (88.5 kph) per hour speed limit in 1995, an analysis of federal safety data showed on Wednesday.
A report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed about a third of all traffic deaths were related to speeding between 1983 and 2002, the last year figures were analyzed for speeding.
New whitener bleaches teeth with less sensitivity
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A new type of tooth whitener contains extra ingredients that reduce the sensitivity that often follows bleaching, according to new study findings.
Dr. Frederick Eichmiller, based at the American Dental Association’s Paffenbarger Research Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland, explained that people often complain of tooth sensitivity to cold and brushing over the few days following bleaching.
Sensitivity occurs because bleach cleans teeth extremely well, he said, and in the process, helps open pores found in the surface of teeth.
Brazilian doctors uncover ‘Michelangelo code’
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Two Brazilian doctors and amateur art lovers believe they have uncovered a secret lesson on human anatomy hidden by Renaissance artist Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.
Completed nearly 500 years ago, the brightly colored frescoes painted on the Vatican’s famous sanctuary are considered some of the world’s greatest works of art. They depict Biblical scenes such as the “Creation of Adam” in which God reaches out to touch Adam’s finger.
No plan for Italy abortion campaign, cleric says
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A leading cleric has dampened speculation that the Vatican could campaign to change Italy’s abortion law after its victory in defence of the country’s highly restrictive fertility legislation.
Low voter turnout on Sunday and Monday sank a hard-fought referendum aimed at dismantling the fertility law as Italians heeded the Roman Catholic Church’s call for a boycott.
“We are certainly opposed to abortion, but we don’t want to change the law,” said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, president of the Italian bishops’ conference who spearheaded the boycott campaign.
Limited medical insurance not much help
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A little health insurance is not much better than none at all, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Officially, about 45 million people in the U.S. go without health insurance, but 16 million people pay for limited coverage that puts them in about the same boat financially and medically as those with no insurance at all, the study found.
These “underinsured” individuals are nearly as likely to be the target of medical bill collectors and to forego needed medical care, the study published in the journal Health Affairs found.
Catholic Church victorious in Italy fertility vote
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An emotionally charged referendum intended to dismantle Italy’s strict law on assisted fertility failed on Monday due to low turnout, in what was widely seen as a victory for the Roman Catholic Church.
Just under 26 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot during two days of voting—leaving the referendum far short of the quorum of 50 percent plus one.
One in 15 UK doctors has drink/drug problem -BMA
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One in 15 British doctors has had a problem with alcohol or drugs but the profession is in denial and needs government help, a British Medical Association (BMA) chief said on Monday.
BMA Ethics Committee chairman Michael Wilks told the BBC the government needed to do more to help.
Diabetes hospitalization rates falling in US, CDC says
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Americans with diabetes are less likely to need hospitalization for serious complications such as kidney failure than they were a decade ago, according to new research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One CDC study found that the rate of people with diabetes admitted to a hospital for a potentially preventable reason fell 35 percent between 1994 and 2002.
Possible fifth Tysabri-related case - WSJ
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A possible fifth case of a rare and often fatal brain infection linked to the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri has been reported to federal regulators, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The case was reported on May 16 through the Food and Drug Administration’s Adverse Event Reporting System, which collects reports of possible drug reactions from physicians and drug makers. An FDA spokeswoman told the Journal that these reports do not represent confirmed cases.
EU food agency says illegal GMO maize probably safe
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A genetically modified (GMO) maize that is illegal in Europe but found its way into EU countries probably does not pose a risk to either animals or humans, Europe’s food safety agency said on Monday.
While data on the maize, known as Bt-10 and made by Swiss agrochemicals group Syngenta, was incomplete, it seemed that mixing of Bt-10 with a similar strain Bt-11—which is approved in the EU—was probably harmless.
U.S. moves to spur digital health record network
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The U.S. government is taking steps to help spawn a nationwide network of electronic medical records that are easily accessible but protect patient privacy, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said on Monday.
A new advisory panel will make recommendations aimed at prodding the private sector to establish standards so medical records can be shared throughout the health-care system, Leavitt said.
Whopping cough vaccine cost effective in U.S. teens
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One-time whopping cough vaccination for all adolescents in the U.S. is likely to be cost effective, according to a report published in the medical journal Pediatrics. If implemented, such a strategy may help stem the rise in whopping cough rates seen in the past two decades.
By contrast, the study did not find adult vaccination for whopping cough, also known as pertussis, to be cost effective, nor was the use of booster shots.
Drug testing company sues PETA over videos
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Covance Inc., a pharmaceutical testing firm, said on Monday it filed suit against animal rights group PETA, charging it with fraud and conspiracy for illegally videotaping animals at a Covance plant.
Covance said an agent for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals misrepresented herself to get hired by Covance and then violated her employee contract when she videotaped the firm’s Vienna, Virginia facility.
One in 10 UK kids bullied by picture phone-survey
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One in 10 British children say they have been threatened or made uncomfortable by people taking a photograph of them with a mobile phone, according to a survey published on Tuesday.
Children’s charity NCH said nearly a sixth of this total believed their image had then been sent to someone else.
A recent craze of “happy slapping”, where random attacks on strangers are filmed by camera phone, has fuelled concerns about youth crime in Britain where tackling anti-social behaviour is a top political issue.
