Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreaks Halt Ship : Food Poisoning Law Blog
CNN is reporting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made a No Sail recommendation for four full days on the Celebrity Mercury cru. See more here: Cruise Ship Norovirus Outbreaks Halt Ship : Food Poisoning Law Blog
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Mom gear: The Undercover mama helps nursing moms
Seventy percent of women begin breastfeeding immediately after giving birth but few continue as their child grows. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates only 20 percent of moms exclusively breastfeed six months after giving birth.
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Mom gear: The Undercover mama helps nursing moms
Seventy percent of women begin breastfeeding immediately after giving birth but few continue as their child grows. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates only 20 percent of moms exclusively breastfeed six months after giving birth.
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NIH, AHRQ, and CDC Propose to Eliminate Grant Application Error-Correction Window
The National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a notice in the March 12, 2010 Federal Register: Request for Comments on Proposed NIH, AHRQ and CDC Process Change for Electronic Submission of Grant Applications.
NIH, AHRQ, and CDC are seeking comments from the public on the impact of eliminating the correction window from the electronic grant application submission process on applicant organizations and the timing of such a change.
More details are available in the Federal Register request for comments. Comments must be received by April 19, 2010, and may be submitted on a web form or by email to oer@od.nih.gov.
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FDA March 11 Update on the Investigation into the Salmonella Montevideo Outbreak - (US Food & Drug Administration)
As part of the Salmonella Montevideo investigation, the Food and Drug Administration has been actively investigating the supply chain of black and red pepper supplied to Daniele International Inc., Pascoag, R.I.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 249 people have been infected with a matching strain of Salmonella Montevideo in at least 44 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis of an epidemiologic study comparing foods eaten by individuals who were sickened identified salami/salame as a possible source of illness: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/montevideo/index.html1.
Daniele International Inc. recalled a variety of ready-to-eat Italian-style meats after Salmonella was associated with its products. A complete listing of the recalled products, which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service, can be found at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Recall_006_2010_Products/index.asp.2
As a result of the investigation, a number of spice products are now being recalled by Mincing Overseas Spice Company, Dayton, N.J.; and Wholesome Spice Company, Brooklyn, N.Y. Both supply pepper to Daniele International Inc. Based on recent test results, Mincing Overseas Spice Company and Wholesome Spice Company are conducting new recalls.
For the complete recall notice, please go to http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm204147.htm
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Feed : Food Safety News - Iowa State University Extension
Shopper cards provide answer to food-poisoning mystery
As they scrambled recently to trace the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds across the country, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention successfully used a new tool for the first time—the shopper cards that millions of Americans swipe every time they buy groceries. With permission from the patients, investigators followed the trail of grocery purchases to a Rhode Island company that makes salami, then zeroed in on the pepper used to season the meat.
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Study Results Leave Search for New Diabetes and Heart Disease Treatments Unresolved
Treatment with the anti-hypertensive drug valsartan (Diovan) led to a modest reduction in the development of type 2 diabetes but did not significantly reduce cardiovascular events in patients with impaired glucose tolerance, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the University of Oxford.
They jointly reported results at the American College of Cardiology meeting today from the world’s first study designed to find ways to control the progression to diabetes and cardiovascular disease in people at risk.
The study also showed the blood sugar lowering drug nateglinide (Starlix), used to treat diabetes, proved ineffective at halting progression to diabetes, and had no significant impact on reducing cardiovascular events.
“This is a sobering confirmation of the need to continue to focus on lifestyle improvements while also accelerating the efforts to develop new treatments for the exploding epidemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease around the world,” said Robert M. Califf, MD, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Research at Duke University School of Medicine, and Director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute.
He presented the results of the NAVIGATOR trial today with Rury Holman, MD, Professor of Diabetic Medicine and Director of the Diabetes Trials Unit, Oxford.
Simultaneous publication of the results appears online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“The diabetes epidemic is a major challenge for all health care systems,” Holman said. “We have effective treatments for lowering high blood sugar and high blood pressure, but we urgently need pharmacologic interventions that will minimize the likelihood of diabetes and heart disease in high risk populations.”
More than 150 million people worldwide have diabetes -- 90 percent of which is type 2. Global forecasts predict an increase in disease incidence of almost 50 percent by 2025.
Heart disease incidence will rise too as patients with diabetes are up to 10 times more likely to have higher rates of coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease than people without diabetes.
The NAVIGATOR trial was designed to address whether established treatments for diabetes and blood pressure could also prevent the onset of diabetes and cardiovascular events in patients aged 50 or more who had impaired glucose tolerance and cardiovascular risk factors or cardiovascular disease.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 9,300 patients at 806 centers in 40 countries who were randomized to the two study drugs or placebo. All participants received a lifestyle modification program aimed at reducing body weight and dietary fat intake while increasing physical activity.
After about five years of follow-up, the researchers found nateglinide, an insulin secretion enhancer, did not reduce the incidence of diabetes. The disease developed in 36 percent (1,674) of the nateglinide group and 34 percent (1,580) of the placebo group. Nateglinide also had no significant effect on cardiovascular outcomes.
The angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan had a moderate effect on diabetes progression, with a 14 percent relative risk reduction (equating to 38 fewer cases of diabetes per 1000 participants treated for five years), but no significant impact on cardiovascular outcomes.
Califf and Holman say that administration of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) without the study drug created difficulties in interpreting the diabetes outcome for nateglinide.
Regardless, the researchers say the trial confirms the high risk of diabetes in the population studied, and reinforces the need to apply the known benefits of lifestyle modification and to continue the search for successful and safe medications.
“We must continue to develop new therapies while encouraging people to exercise and pay attention to what they eat,” said John McMurray, MD, Professor of Medical Cardiology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and a member of the NAVIGATOR trial’s executive committee. “Losing as little as five percent of body weight has been shown to make a dramatic difference in other studies. NAVIGATOR participants lost weight on average showing that a relatively simple lifestyle program can make a difference.”
However, stated, McMurray, “In patients with hypertension in need of drug therapy, clinicians might consider an agent that demonstrated evidence to delay or prevent progression to diabetes, and not increase this risk, as may be the case with some antihypertensive treatments.”
“Until just a few years ago, drugs for diabetes were approved each year on the basis of nothing more than symptomatic relief or effects on putative surrogate markers of disease," Califf said. "The new FDA and EMEA requirements are now forcing studies of new drugs to modulate blood sugar to show whether or not they have an impact on cardiovascular disease prevention or development, and NAVIGATOR gives us a lot of information about issues in these long term studies. I commend the sponsor for having the courage to conduct this study before it was required and hope others will look closely at NAVIGATOR and incorporate the lessons into their trials.”
This research was funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.
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CDC Study finds U.S. herpes rates remain high
1 in 6 Americans Infected; Highest Prevalence among Women and African-Americans -
About 1 in 6 Americans (16.2 percent) between the ages of 14 and 49 is infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), according to a national health survey released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HSV-2 is a lifelong and [...]
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CDC: Genital Herpes Among Black Women High
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says black women have the highest rates of herpes infection at 48 percent. Nationally, about 16 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 are infected with genital herpes. Hilda Hutcherson, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University. offers her insight.
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New Nutrition Site Helps Americans Battle the Bulge
Filed under: Women's Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Diet & Nutrition, Fitness, Disease Prevention
With more and more Americans losing the fight against obesity, the American Dietetic Association is serving up a menu of healthy food choices through its overhauled Web site to help people make informed choices to battle the bulge.
Overall, 26 percent of U.S. adults were obese in 2008, compared to 25.6 percent in 2007, according to statistics recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results were based on interviews in 2008 with more than 400,000 adults based on their their height and weight.
Now, in an effort to combat the problem, the ADA has relaunched its Web site, Eatright.org.The site provides readers with up-to-date information about diets, tips for eating out, disease management and nutrition guidance, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
Here are five healthy suggestions:
When dining out:
Have a plan. Eat a light dinner if you ate a big lunch that day. Or if you know ahead of time that you're going to a restaurant, cut back on calories during other meals that day.
Knowing menu terms and cooking basics makes ordering easier, especially if you need to control calories, fat and other nutrients. Look for foods that are steamed, broiled, baked or grilled, and limit fried and sautéed items or foods described as "crispy," "rich" or "au gratin."
Balance your meal by including foods from all the different food groups: meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Look for freshly made entrée salads that give you "balance in a bowl." For example, entrée salads with chicken, cheese or almonds provide protein along with fiber and vitamins. If you are counting calories, use a low-fat dressing or skip some of the extras, like croutons.
Round out your meal by ordering healthy side dishes, such as a side salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing, baked potato or fruit. Boost the nutritional value of your baked potato by topping it with vegetables, salsa or chili.
Substitute. Ask for a side salad with low-fat dressing to replace fries in a combination meal.
Many restaurants serve huge portions, sometimes enough for two or three people. Order menu items that contain fewer calories and eat a smaller portion. Bring leftovers home for another meal.
Shop smart. Get the Facts on Food Labels
Find out which foods are good sources of fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin C
Compare similar foods to find out which one is lower in fat and calories
Search for low-sodium foods
Look for foods that are low in saturated fat and trans fats
Find out how many calories are in a single serving and the number of calories from fat. It's smart to cut back on calories and fat if you are watching your weight!
Let the Percent of Daily Values (DV) be your guide. Use it to help you evaluate how a particular food fits in your daily allowance.
Be an informed dieter
The ADA examines and gives a medical perspective on popular diets books, including 'The Four Day Diet,' 'The South Beach Diet Supercharged' and 'Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food.'
Find A registered dietician
By entering your zip code and your health needs, such as weight control, vegetarian nutrition or childhood obesity, the site helps you find a dietician along with their contact information.
Manage diseases
When it comes to getting to the basics of discussing your diet's part in chronic disease, it can be hard "getting your general practitioner'' to focus. That's why this section of the ADA's site can be particularly helpful. It provides information on obesity, diabetes, cancer, HIV-AIDS, Celiac Disease, autism and kidney disease and what you can do to manage your health.
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