Health

Hepatitis A in Des Moines, Iowa

April 28, 2012 By

Food Poisoning Bulletin recently received an email from a person who was diagnosed with hepatitis A in Des Moines, Iowa. That disease is spread by contaminated food and person-to-person contact, so it’s very possible that more people are sick.

Hepatitis A is irritation and swelling of the liver, caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus comes from the feces and blood of an infected person, and it is shed from the body two to four weeks before the symptoms manifest, and during the first week of the illness.

Report your hepatitis A case.

Human beings are the only natural host of the virus. It replicates in the liver, moves through the blood and is present in feces. Most adults display symptoms of the disease, while children are usually asymptomatic.

The virus is contagious and is spread in several ways: through food contaminated with feces, if a person who has the virus doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom then touches food or another object, or if you touch stools or blood of an infected person.

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Oregano may help combat prostate cancer

Washington, DC | Agency: ANI

An ingredient of oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, researchers including one of an Indian have found.

This super-spice, studied by researchers at Long Island University (LIU), has long been known to possess a variety of beneficial health effects.

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the prostate gland and usually occurs in older men. Recent data shows that about 1 in 36 men will die of prostate cancer.

Current treatment options for patients include surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and immune therapy. Unfortunately, these are associated with considerable complications and/or severe side effects.

Dr. Supriya Bavadekar, PhD, RPh, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at LIU’s Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, is currently testing carvacrol, a constituent of oregano, on prostate cancer cells.

The results of her study demonstrate that the compound induces apoptosis in these cells. Apoptosis, Dr Bavadekar explained, is programmed cell death, or simply “cell suicide.”

Dr Bavadekar and her group are presently trying to determine the signaling pathways that the compound employs to bring about cancer cell suicide.

“We know that oregano possesses anti-bacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties, but its effects on cancer cells really elevate the spice to the level of a super-spice like turmeric,” said Dr. Bavadekar.

Though the study is at its preliminary stage, she believes that the initial data indicates a huge potential in terms of carvacrol’s use as an anti-cancer agent.

“A significant advantage is that oregano is commonly used in food and has a ‘Generally Recognized As Safe’ status in the US. We expect this to translate into a decreased risk of severe toxic effects,” she said.

“Some researchers have previously shown that eating pizza may cut down cancer risk. This effect has been mostly attributed to lycopene, a substance found in tomato sauce, but we now feel that even the oregano seasoning may play a role,” stated Dr. Bavadekar.

“If the study continues to yield positive results, this super-spice may represent a very promising therapy for patients with prostate cancer,” she added.

The results of the study were presented at the Experimental Biology 2012 poster session on Tuesday, April 24.

 

Women take longer to deliver babies than 50 years ago

Agency: IANS

Women take longer to deliver babies today than they did 50 years ago, according to an analysis of nearly 140,000 deliveries, conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Researchers compared data on deliveries in the early 1960s to data gathered in the early 2000s. They found that the first stage of labor had increased by 2.6 hours for first-time mothers.

For women who had previously given birth, this early stage of labor took two hours longer in recent years than for women in the 1960s. The first stage of labor is the stage during which the cervix dilates, before active pushing begins, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports.

Infants born in the contemporary group also were born five days earlier, on average, than were those born in the 1960s, and tended to weigh more, according to an NIH statement.

The women in the contemporary group tended to weigh more than did those who delivered in the 1960s. For the contemporary group, the average body mass index before pregnancy was 24.9, compared with 23 for the earlier generation.

Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. At the time they gave birth, the mothers in the contemporary group were about four years older, on average, than those in the group who gave birth in the 1960s.

“Older mothers tend to take longer to give birth than do younger mothers,” said the study’s lead author, S. Katherine Laughon, epidemiologist at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, Madison.

“But when we take maternal age into account, it doesn’t completely explain the difference in labour times,” added Laughon.

Among the change in delivery practice the researchers found was an increase in the use of epidural anesthesia, the injection of pain killers into the spinal fluid, to decrease the pain of labor.

For the contemporary group, epidural injections were used in more than half of recent deliveries, compared with four percent of deliveries in the 1960s.

 

Merck ordered to pay $321 million criminal fine for illegally marketing Vioxx painkiller

By Ethan A. Huff,
(NaturalNews) Drug giant Merck & Co., creator of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil, has been ordered by a federal judge in Boston, Mass., to fork over $321 million in criminal fines for illegally marketing Vioxx, a dangerous painkiller drug that was pulled from the market in 2004 because taking the drug doubles a patient’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke. According to reports, Merck pleaded guilty to charges of illegally promoting Vioxx for rheumatoid arthritis before it…

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Holistic Health

Homoeopathy gets a boost

By Rito Paul | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

A slew of measures announced by the state minister for medical education, Dr Vijaykumar Gavit, on Wednesday are set to change the face of homeopathy in the state.

Speaking at a Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy (MCH) function held to fete homeopaths in the state, Dr Gavit said, “The government will be sending a Rs200-crore proposal for a college of homeopathy on a 50-acre stretch soon.” The college will double up as a research center.

Gavit’s announcement came in response to fervent pleas by the gathered homeopaths who averred that “the state of the system of medicine was so bad that they would be forced to commit suicide”. Gavit vowed he will introduce the proposal for a state-funded college in the next assembly session in June.

Welcoming the move, MCH director Bahubali Shah said, “With the setting up of government colleges, we will be able to standardize homeopathy education and practices. Also, we will be more involved in the public healthcare system of the state.” Though there are 46 undergraduate and 12 post-graduate homeopathy colleges in the state, not a single one is government-funded. In contrast, numerous Ayurveda colleges get full government aid.

Other demands conceded to by Gavit included allowing homeopaths to administer modern allopathic drugs in medical emergencies, especially in remote villages, after training through a certificate course.

Further, Shah demanded the formation of a separate directorate for homeopathic medicine. “As we are part of the directorate of Ayurveda, in which we have only one representative, hardly any decisions are taken to further the field of homeopathy,” said Shah and added, “While the Ayurveda directorate last year got a state funding of Rs200 crore, we were given only Rs87 lakh.”

While seeking a time frame of six months for other demands, Gavit agreed to giving independent charge to the deputy director of homeopathy.

7 medicinal herbs and spices that help lower blood pressure

By Aurora Geib, 
(NaturalNews) High blood pressure is an epidemic that is currently sweeping across America. The fast lifestyle of fast food, soda and stress is starting to catch up on the average American, so much so that an estimated one in every three Americans has high blood pressure. This puts them at risk of heart disease, stroke and even kidney disease. Moreover, this condition is costing the country 93.5 billion dollars in health care services. Putting too much faith in the medical establishment to find…

High vitamin D level essential to prevent chronic inflammatory diseases

By John Phillip,
(NaturalNews) The connection between cellular saturation of the prohormone vitamin D and development of chronic conditions ranging from cancer, dementia, stroke and heart disease have been well documented among forward-thinking scientists for at least a decade now. The specific mechanism of action has not been well documented though, as most studies have not drawn a clear line between blood levels of vitamin D and disease prevention. Researchers from National Jewish Health reporting in The Journal…

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Pet Health

Diamond Pet Foods Expands Dry Dog Food Recall

Diamond Pet Foods has expanded a recall, announced April 6 for certain batches of its Diamond Natural Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food, to include one production run and four production codes of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light formula dry dog food.

shepherddogfood-iphone.jpg

One bag of the product has tested positive for Salmonella, and the company says the recall of the four production codes is a precautionary measure.
No dog illnesses have been reported.
The latest recall is for:

Read Full Article Here

 

 

A Starter’s Guide to Feeding Your Ferret

Nutrition 101

If you have just gotten a ferret, or are thinking of getting a ferret, it’s a really good idea to do a little research into the best nutritional diet for your new little pal. PetMD is here to help you on your way.

Nourishing Your Ferret

To begin, ferrets have a high metabolic rate, so they will eat around 8 to 10 small meals daily. And being strict carnivores, they need a high protein food source. Food pellets are an excellent source of protein for ferrets, which can be found at your veterinarian’s office or the local pet store.

You will need to read the ingredient list on the packet to make sure that the pellets are made of the most nutritious ingredients. As lists go, the ingredients are listed in order from highest to lowest quantity. As such, chicken or lamb should always be the first ingredient listed for a good ferret food. Additionally, avoid foods that include grain or corn.

If you are not able to find a prepackaged ferret food in your area, don’t panic. Kitten food works as well (again, check the ingredients list), as long as you give your ferret fatty acid supplements, which are available from a pet store.

Homemade food is another way to feed your ferret. You can feed your ferret cooked or raw chicken along with the pellets. Chicken baby food is acceptable as a supplement to the pellet diet, too. Remember that the dry food is an important staple, as it helps to keep their teeth clean.

Read Full Article Here

 

 

Ferret Training 101

A Well-Behaved, Potty Trained Ferret in Just a Few Steps

When we talk about training your pet ferret, we’re not talking about training it to do acrobatic or magic tricks, and it is doubtful that they will ever replace dogs on sleds or surfboards. But ferrets, like dogs (and even cats), will respond to basic training techniques. Besides, a little training will make life more pleasurable for you and your ferret.

Ferret Boot Camp

Why train a ferret? Well, like any animal they sometimes need a little direction. They also need to learn boundaries, and the younger they are once training begins, the better.

One problem you may face with your ferret is nipping. Ferrets like to bite things, and sometimes that “thing” might be you. This needs to be, ahem, nipped in the bud, and there are a few ways to do this. Teething rusks and hard dog biscuits can help to distract and refocus your ferret’s biting impulse, along with some disciplinary measures.

But don’t panic at the word “disciplinary,” it does not involve hurting your pet. A few simple things, like making an alarmed, high pitched sound when bitten, holding your ferret by the scruff (the nape of the neck) and saying “no” in a very firm voice, or even hissing at the ferret when it bites will help to teach your ferret that nipping people and other things (like furniture) is wrong. These techniques can work for training your ferret not to do other things too.

One other method that some people swear by is spraying bitter apple scent on things they don’t want the ferret to bite or chew on. This can be bought in spray form at a pet store.

Just don’t forget about positive reinforcement. All animals, including ferrets, respond very well to positive training moves. Cuddles, treats, and praise given whenever your ferret does something good can work wonders on making the training stick.

Read Full Article Here

 

 

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Wildlife

Dolphin trapped in US wetlands

Published on Apr 28, 2012 by

A dolphin has been found stuck in the Bolsa Chica wetlands near Huntington Beach, California. Report by Adam Sich.

 
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Positivity Mind and Body

Positive words Reverend Michael Beckwith

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Articles of Interest

50,000 malnourished kids died in 8 years in rural Maharashtra

By Shubhangi Khapre | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The lack of food is rapidly killing tribal children even before they reach six, leaving 51,461 malnourished children dead across rural Maharashtra between 2004 and 2012.

The startling revelation has once again raised a debate within the government about the need to make higher allocations for the health, women and child development departments, even as the center-state schemes evolved for the tribal population, which often goes without decent two-meals a day, appears to have remained on papers.

A senior officer in the tribal welfare department revealed, “The judicious utilization of funds for the specific schemes is never implemented. Almost 45% of the funds, which remain underutilized, are diverted for other projects.”

Another hurdle in preventing malnourishment is the severe lack of coordination among the various health-related departments, namely ministry of health (the nodal body), tribal ministry and women and child development and family welfare.

Citing that the budget session is on, a senior minister on conditions of anonymity said, “If we compare the child tribal deaths in 2004-05 with those in 2011-12, we can see a decline in the numbers, from 8,003 to 2,849. What has the government worried is the speedy progress of malnourishment cases from the rural areas to urban centers, which can be partly attributed to the migration for livelihood to cities, including outskirts of Thane, Nashik and Mumbai.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) parameters, severe underweight children among the tribal accounted for 22.3%population in the year 2011-12. This, even as minister for women and child welfare Varsha Gaikwad maintained that “Notwithstanding the reasons, the government is committed to eradicating malnutrition with help of a sustained long-term program.”

While issuing stern directives to the senior bureaucrats and ministers concerned to maximize fund utility for the stated purpose, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan argued that a progressive state cannot afford to let such a menace in its own backyard.

 

Don’t be misled about sharing your bed with your baby

By Randall Neustaedter OMD, 
(NaturalNews) There is a concerted campaign to dissuade parents from sleeping with their babies. The latest study published in the American Journal of Public Health attempts to prove that sleeping with your baby can cause death. This was a survey of statistics concerning babies who died unexpectedly. The data reveal that significantly more babies who died unexpectedly of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) were sleeping in a parental bed than sleeping alone in a crib. These statistics were taken…

45 million people in 2011 received food stamps, a 70% increase from 2007

By J. D. Heyes, 
(NaturalNews) In what can only be described as a sign of the harsh economic times, new data shows that tens of millions more Americans have been placed on public assistance since the Great Recession began in 2008. According to a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the number of Americans receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits – formerly known as food stamps – grew to a staggering 45 million people in fiscal year 2011 (Oct. 1, 2010 – Sept…

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