One Dead in Kosher Chicken Salmonella Outbreak
https://ift.tt/2BYYxpW Aug. 29, 2018 -- One person has died and 17 have been sickened from eating kosher chicken contaminated with salmonella, the CDC says. The agency and the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are investigating the multistate outbreak that appears tied to Empire Kosher brand chicken. Of the 17 people sickened, eight have been hospitalized, the CDC says. The death occurred in New York. Other cases have been reported in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The illnesses started in September 2017 and were reported as recently as June, although more cases may still be identified, the agency says. The CDC has interviewed 14 of those who have become ill and all reported eating chicken. Nine said they knew which brand of chicken they ate, and of them, seven said it was Empire Kosher chicken. Food safety investigators found a strain of salmonella at two processing facilities, including one that handles Empire products. The CDC recommends consumers avoid kosher chicken and the Empire Kosher brand for now. Remember to always wash your hands before and after handling raw chicken and to thoroughly wash countertops, cutting boards, and utensils with warm, soapy water after they come in contact with raw chicken. Always cook chicken to at least 165 degrees. Salmonella may cause diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps within 72 hours of infection. Symptoms usually last 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:34PM
0 Comments
RECALL: Blood Pressure Meds Contain Wrong Drug
https://ift.tt/2C0G24A Aug. 29, 2018 -- Accord Healthcare has issued a recall for a blood pressure medication because the bottles that were shipped actually contain a heart failure drug. Accord Healthcare has recalled one lot of 12.5-milligram hydrochlorothiazide tablets because the 100-count bottle was discovered to contain 100 spironolactone tablets. The company says it does not believe any other lots are involved in the mix-up. Taking the spironolactone pills instead of the hydrochlorothiazide tablets could cause potassium levels to spike, which could cause life-threatening problems. A pharmacist first alerted Accord to the problem, the FDA says. Accord says it has received no reports of injuries because of the problem. Spironolactone is used to treat congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, severe heart failure, and other conditions. Hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat high blood pressure. The hydrochlorothiazide tablets are light orange or peach in color, are round, and have an “H” on one side and a “1” on the other. The FDA says if you have a hydrochlorothiazide prescription and the pills in your bottle do not match that description, or if you are unsure, return them to your pharmacy or doctor. If you are certain your bottle contains the wrong pills, return them to your pharmacy, the FDA says. Starting Thursday, you can also contact Accord at 855-869-1081. Or you can email [email protected]. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:20PM
Mental Health Exam No Predictor of Soldier Suicide
https://ift.tt/2MY4dVn By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. Army soldiers who attempt suicide have no prior diagnosis of a mental health issue, new research shows, and such histories may not be a good predictor of a soldier's suicide risk. "The study is one of few to be able to examine risk of suicide attempt among those without a past mental health diagnosis," said study lead author Dr. Robert Ursano. He directs the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. Ursano and his colleagues tracked the medical histories of thousands of enlisted soldiers (not including Guard or Reserve members) who served from 2004 through 2009. Attempted suicide risk factors were similar for soldiers with and without a prior diagnosis of a mental health disorder, the researchers found. What did seem to raise the odds for suicide attempts? According to the new data, female soldiers were more at risk than males; younger soldiers were at higher odds than older ones; less educated soldiers face higher risks than more educated service members, and odds for a suicide attempt were especially high during a soldier's first year of service. Other risk factors included being demoted or late for promotion, or having been in a combat arms or combat medic military occupational specialty. The risk of suicide attempt was also higher among soldiers with a history of family violence, having been the victim of a crime, or having committed a crime. "Important times for identifying risk may be present after recent physical injury, family violence or being a victim or perpetrator of a crime," Ursano said in a university news release. Health issues also seemed key. The study found that soldiers who attempted suicide were more likely to have had at least one outpatient clinic visit in the two months before their attempted suicide, and those with eight or more visits were three to five times more likely to attempt suicide. Interestingly, combat injury was associated with an increased risk of attempted suicide only among those without a history of a mental health disorder, Ursano's group reported. ContinuedPsychiatrists weren't overly surprised by the finding that a soldier's history of mental illness wasn't a big predictor of suicide risk. "The ability to predict suicidal acts or behavior has been found historically to be quite limited worldwide, and there is evidence that military services members are especially vulnerable due to their exposure to increased, variable stressors," noted Dr. Shawna Newman, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Dr. Brian Keefe is a psychiatrist and medical director at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y. Reviewing the study, he said that "suicide is a complicated, multifactorial problem. The significant percentage of soldiers with no psychiatric diagnosis who attempt suicide shouldn't surprise any mental health clinician who routinely works with suicidal patients." He also stressed that lack of a prior diagnosis does not necessarily mean that mental health issues weren't there. "Estimates in civilian populations suggest that somewhere between 40-50 percent of people with psychiatric disorders don't receive any treatment at all," Keefe said. And because members of the military are trained to "wear both physical and psychological armor" as they defend the United States, they may be even more reluctant to seek out mental health services than civilians are, he reasoned. Finally, Keefe said, "there is a growing body of literature demonstrating that most complete suicides are impulsive in nature -- that the time between decision to kill oneself and action may be minutes, not hours or days." So, efforts to "suicide-proof" the living environment might be key to preventing suicidal thoughts from becoming suicidal acts, Keefe said. "From nets on bridges, to home safes for unloaded weapons, to breakaway closet and shower rods in college dorms, all members of society -- not just doctors -- can take steps to reduce the rising suicide rate," he said. The study was published Aug. 29 in JAMA Psychiatry. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:20PM
New Breathing Tube May Stop Cardiac Arrest Deaths
https://ift.tt/2BYcwfD WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Changing the type of breathing tube that first responders use to resuscitate cardiac arrest patients can boost the chances of survival, a new study contends. There are about 400,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States each year. More than 90 percent of those patients die before, or soon after, they reach the hospital. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, cutting off blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. The standard resuscitation technique used by emergency medical service (EMS) providers has been insertion of a plastic tube into the trachea, known as endotracheal intubation, to maintain an open airway. This is meant to mirror the care given in hospitals. But new devices such as laryngeal tubes provide an easier, simpler way to open an airway and improve survival rates, according to the study funded by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). "While identical to techniques used by doctors in the hospital, intubation in these severe and stressful prehospital settings is very difficult and fraught with errors," explained study lead author Dr. Henry Wang. He's vice chair for research with the University of Texas Health Science Center's department of emergency medicine. Study co-author Dr. George Sopko is program director in the division of cardiovascular sciences at the NHLBI. He noted that getting it right is critical. "During resuscitation, opening the airway and having proper access to it is a key factor for the survival of someone who goes into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital," Sopko said in an institute news release. "But one of the burning questions in prehospital emergency care has been, 'Which is the best airway device?' " he said. "This study demonstrated that just by managing the airway well in the early stage of resuscitation, we could save more than 10,000 lives every year," Sopko added. The researchers compared survival rates among 3,000 adult cardiac arrest patients in five large U.S. cities. About half the patients received the newer laryngeal tube treatment, while the other half received traditional endotracheal intubation. In the laryngeal tube group, 18.3 percent of patients survived three days in the hospital and 10.8 percent survived until being discharged from the hospital. The survival rates in the traditional endotracheal intubation group were 15.4 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. The researchers also found that rates of survival with good brain function were higher in the laryngeal tube group. The findings were published online Aug. 28 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:20PM
Obamacare Enrollee Numbers Aren't Falling: Report
https://ift.tt/2N5HerO By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Health insurance coverage rates have held steady in the United States, despite continued commotion over the future of the Affordable Care Act, a new government report shows. About 28.3 million Americans were uninsured during the first quarter of 2018 -- not significantly different than 2017, and 20.3 million fewer than in 2010, before the health insurance reform law (often called Obamacare) was passed. "Things are relatively stable. During a time with a lot of uncertainty -- there's been a lot of political turmoil over what will or won't happen with Obamacare -- these gains we've made in reducing the number of uninsured have held pretty steady," said health economist Ellen Meara. She is a professor with the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, and was not involved with the new report. About 8.3 million Americans now carry health insurance plans purchased through an Obamacare state-based marketplace, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Millions more are covered under the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid. In Medicaid expansion states, the percentage of uninsured adults has decreased from 18.4 percent in 2013 to 8.7 percent this year, the report found. But in states that haven't expanded Medicaid, there's been a slight uptick in the uninsured, from 17.5 percent in 2015 to 18.4 percent in early 2018. The NCHS report, "Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January-March 2018," was published Aug. 29. Claire McAndrew is director of campaigns and partnership at Families USA, a health care consumer advocacy group. "People fare better in terms of access to coverage if their state has expanded Medicaid," she said. "The fact that the poor and near-poor still remain disproportionately uninsured really points to the need for states that have not yet expanded Medicaid to do so," McAndrew added. The numbers show that actions taken by President Donald Trump have not yet resulted in the undermining of Obamacare, McAndrew and Meara said. ContinuedThese actions include expanding the sale of cheap plans that can deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions; cutbacks in funding to promote open enrollment and assist people in buying insurance; and reductions to cost-sharing payments to insurance companies, the experts said. The Trump administration has failed to set enrollment targets for health insurance exchanges, eliminated funding for TV ads promoting the open-enrollment period, and initiated deep cuts into enrollment counseling programs, the nonpartisan congressional watchdog Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report issued last week. Trump also forced insurers to increase premiums when he canceled payments under the Affordable Care Act that reimburse insurance companies for lower deductibles and co-pays to low-income customers, the GAO reported. "People want health insurance. They've become accustomed to the consumer protections and financial assistance available to them," McAndrew said. "Even though the Trump administration has been doing work to undermine health coverage, people still are fortunately getting coverage and care." There are some troubling trends within the numbers, however. The percentage of adults with high-deductible health plans increased from 43.7 percent in 2017 to 47 percent this year, according to the report. McAndrew said this trend "indicates a need to get health care costs under control." Rising costs of prescription drugs and medical services are driving up premiums, forcing people to buy skimpier plans. Unfortunately, Meara said, these high-deductible plans force people to choose whether to seek care for what might be a life-threatening medical emergency. "The idea behind these plans is that people are going to be savvy consumers, and we've seen again and again that they aren't," Meara said. "The idea was they won't use a high-priced emergency department because they have a sore throat or a cold, because it would discourage that. Well, it does discourage that, but it also discourages seeking care where we think it's actually needed," she explained. Although insured numbers are stable now, Meara and McAndrew said they are interested in what will happen next year as the Trump administration continues to chip away at Obamacare. ContinuedFor example, next year the individual mandate will end, a result of the Republican tax reform law, Meara noted. People will no longer be required to have health insurance, which could undermine the financial stability of the insurance marketplaces. "We will all be very interested to see what's going to happen in terms of insurance coverage," Meara said. "Will they head to the exchanges in lower numbers than before? I do expect we may see things reversing a bit." Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:20PM
Teen Drinking Tied to Aggressive Prostate Cancer
https://ift.tt/2ok3y2P Compared to non-drinkers, men who reported having at least one alcoholic drink a day between ages 15 and 19 had more than triple the odds of developing aggressive prostate cancer in adulthood, the researchers said. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 02:20PM
10 Ways You Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss and Don't Realize It
https://ift.tt/2MzsamF You're doing everything to lose weight: loading up on healthy foods, making smarter choices while dining out, and exercising. But if you're still not seeing progress, you could be getting in your own way and not even realize it. Even when people make a conscious decision to lose weight, they could be misunderstanding what it takes to actually drop pounds and see the number on the scale go down. These dietitians explain the most common mistakes people make when they are trying to lose weight. Scroll through, take note, and avoid these on your own weight-loss journey. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI August 29, 2018 at 01:58PM
12 High-Waisted Leggings That Won't Fall Down During Your Next Workout
https://ift.tt/2LySh7W We've all been there: exercising in a pair of old leggings that's constantly falling down during your workout. If you're tired of constantly pulling them up, it's time to invest in a new pair. To make sure you're more comfortable than ever, try high-waisted leggings. Not only do they stay on better, but the tight waist bands also give your lower stomach extra support. Need more convincing? Ahead, you'll find 12 popular pairs we think are worth a try. From brands like Nike to New Balance and Zella, you'll want them all. Take a look. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI August 29, 2018 at 01:58PM
Mosquito Threat Spurs New Ways to Tackle Old Pest
https://ift.tt/2Nv6KDE Aug. 29, 2018 -- Insect-borne illnesses are on the march, as the bugs that carry them are spreading out and getting harder to kill. In response, scientists are looking for new, high-tech tools to prevent them from spreading those diseases. In California, researchers are trying to change the genes of mosquitoes to prevent them from carrying the parasites that cause malaria. And in Brazil and Southeast Asia, scientists are working to infect mosquitoes with bacteria that keep them from spreading dengue fever, a sometimes deadly virus that’s reaching beyond its typical tropical range. The new technologies are needed because traditional ways of controlling mosquitoes aren’t reducing the spread of disease, says Cameron Simmons, PhD, director of the Institute of Vector-Borne Disease at Australia’s Monash University. In other words, the bugs are winning. Simmons is also director of impact assessment at the nonprofit World Mosquito Program. The organization has found the bacteria Wolbachiapipientis essentially crowds out the dengue virus in the Aedesaegypti mosquito species that carries the disease. Not only that, but when wolbachia-infected males mate with female mosquitoes, their eggs don’t develop. And when males and females both carry wolbachia, the bacteria is passed on through their eggs. Crowding Out DengueWithin 3 to 4 months, wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes start to crowd out the dengue-carrying bugs, Simmons says. The program has done tests in Australia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, including a randomized, controlled trial in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta. In the neighborhoods where wolbachia was introduced, more than 90% of mosquitoes now carry the bacteria, and fewer cases of dengue are being reported. “This is a watch-and-wait experiment, but so far, so good,” Simmons says. Similar tests are being launched in Brazil and Colombia Simmons was one of about 1,500 researchers presenting findings this week at the CDC’s International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta. Dengue fever strikes more than 50 million people a year, killing about 10,000. By comparison, malaria killed about 445,000 in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. Efforts to control the anopheles mosquito species that carries that parasitic illness through pesticides and chemical-treated mosquito nets have made “pretty good progress” in recent years, says Greg Lanzaro, PhD, an entomologist at the University of California Davis. But there have also been increases in malaria cases in some countries, particularly in Africa, as mosquitoes become more resistant. So Lanzaro is now part of an anti-malaria initiative based at the University of California Irvine, which is trying to splice genes into anopheles mosquitoes’ genes to head off the disease. The genes prevent the mosquito from transmitting the disease to humans. “Our strategy is to engineer the mosquitoes in such a way that they’re incapable of becoming infected with malaria parasites, and then introducing these mosquitoes into the natural population,” Lanzaro says. The goal is that the modified mosquitoes carrying that gene would spread it to their offspring and replace the natural, parasite-prone insects. A Boost From CRISPRThe idea has been around since the 1990s, but the recent development of the CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing technique has brought it closer to reality, Lanzaro says. Mosquitoes that shut down the parasite have been produced in the laboratory, but it’s likely to be 3 years before any specimens are ready to be released -- and then, only under tightly regulated conditions, he says. The program is considering an initial test on a small island off Africa where the disease is common, then moving to larger islands and eventually to the mainland. But any test would have to be developed in consultation with officials from the host country, the World Health Organization, and other U.N. agencies. “I’ve been in the business long enough to know that there are some people who are dead set against this,” Lanzaro says. “The critical thing is satisfying the country we’re working in, because those are the people who are going to be impacted.” Dengue fever and malaria are carried by different mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti can also spread Zika, West Nile, and chikungunya -- and its range is spreading as a warming climate makes it easier for the bugs to survive in places that it couldn’t before, says Mariola Mascarenhas, an epidemiologist for Public Health Agency of Canada. “Our climate is getting warmer, and faster,” she says. Warmer weather will prolong the time those viruses can infect humans and could extend the range of the Aedes aegypti mosquito -- along with the related Aedes albopictus mosquito, which carries many of the same viruses -- across much of the central and eastern United States. Albopictus specimens have been caught in traps for the last 3 years in southwestern Ontario, Mascarenhas says -- but more study needs to be done to estimate how far they’ll take hold. Pesticide Resistance On the RiseMosquitoes are also getting more resistant to the pesticides that have been used to kill them over the decades. Melinda Hadi, PhD, an entomologist with the Swiss mosquito net manufacturer Vestergaard, told the conference that insecticide resistance in anopheles mosquitoes is up in several countries that have the biggest problems with malaria already. “It’s not going to cause the tool to not work at all, but it’s going to result in the tool not working to the intended level of efficacy,” says Hadi, who’s based in Nigeria. Vestergaard created an interactive map that tracks reports of insecticide resistance in both anopheles and aedes species. Against that backdrop, Hadi says biological control efforts like the ones Lanzaro and Simmons talked about were “very encouraging.” “I think the vector control community has to look at the whole toolbox,” she says. “Insecticides are not the only tool. They have to work together.” But she cautions that attempts to replace a mosquito population should try to avoid “building a mosquito that you don’t necessarily have any tools to get rid of.” Lanzaro says the genes his lab is trying to implant in mosquitoes aren’t likely to be carried from one species to another or affect any other trait, and tests of how the modified bugs interact with other species are likely to be done in cages before any insects are released into the wild. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ August 29, 2018 at 01:16PM
Get Sexy With The Fitness Marshall's High-Intensity Dance Routine to "Level Up" by Ciara
https://ift.tt/2PeXVyo The Fitness Marshall is back with a sexy and fun dance routine to Ciara's hit song "Level Up." This routine is guaranteed to give you a boost of energy and confidence while simultaneously taking your cardio to the next level. From the looks of this choreography, you're going to feel this in your arms and legs for a few days. "Get into the game (literally) and serve some retro realness to all your haters. Your arms will burn and so will your soul," TFM told POPSUGAR. It's time to "Level Up" in five, four, three, two, one! Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI August 29, 2018 at 11:18AM |
Archives
October 2020
Categories |