China Reports 2nd Human Death From Bird Flu
China's second confirmed human death from bird flu was reported Wednesday.
The victim was a 35-year-old female farmer in Xiuning county in the eastern Anhui province. A Health Ministry officials said she died Tuesday after developing a fever and pneumonia-like symptoms following contact with sick and dead poultry, the Associated Press reported.
Test results showed the woman was infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus.
Another woman from the same province was the first confirmed human to die of bird flu in China. A 12-year-old girl in the province of Hunan who died was listed as suspected bird flu case. But her body was cremated before the cause could be confirmed, the AP reported.
The only other confirmed case of bird flu in a human was the nine-year-old brother of the 12-year-old girl who died. The boy recovered from his illness. Officials suspect the children contracted the bird flu virus after handling sick chickens at their home, not because they ate infected chicken meat, as was initially reported by Chinese state media.
Bacterial Infection Linked to Abortion Pill Deaths
All four California women who died after taking the RU-486 (Mifeprex) abortion pill had a rare, deadly Clostridium sordellii bacterial infection, say U.S. federal drug regulators, who plan to take a closer look at the drug's safety.
The deaths from 2003 to 2005 prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to test if Mifeprex pills sold in California were contaminated, but they weren't, The New York Times reported.
In an attempt to get some answers, the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a scientific meeting in early 2006. Experts at the meeting will consider a number of possibilities, including whether Mifeprex may make women more vulnerable to Clostridium sordellii infection.
It they conclude that's the case, the experts would consider how to more easily diagnose and even prevent such infections in women taking Mifeprex, the Times reported.
Currently, there is no sign that the FDA is considering restricting access to Mifeprex, which has been used in more than 500,000 medical abortions it won FDA approval in September 2000.
Since last July, the Mifeprex label has carried a warning about the drug's possible link with the deadly bacteria. The information is also posted on the FDA's Web site.
Oscillating Fans Recalled for Fire Hazard
A fire and burn hazard has prompted the U.S. recall of about 150,000 Haier oscillating electric tower fans, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced.
There have been eight reports of fires or flames associated with the model FTM 140GG electric fan, including one report of minor property damage and one report of minor burns. The fire hazard is linked to internal electric arcing in the fan.
This model has three speed settings and a 120-minute shut-off timer. "Haier" is printed on a silver label near the top of the front of the tower and the model number is located on the lower back of the fan.
The fans were sold for between $20 and $30 at discount department stores across the United States from February 2004 through November 2005.
Consumers should immediately stop using these fans and call Haier at 1-866-601-8073 anytime for more information and to get instructions on how to obtain a $30 coupon for the purchase of any available Haier product.
FDA Approves New Device to Treat Lumbar Problem
A newly approved device offers another treatment option for patients in the United States who suffer from lumbar spinal stenosis, a spinal problem that causes back and leg pain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the "X-stop," a thumb of titanium on a mount that fits to a vertebra in the lower back, the Associated Press reported.
The device was developed at the St. Mary's Spine Center in San Francisco. Insertion of the X-stop usually requires only local anesthetic, and a person can have up to two devices implanted on vertebrae in the lower spine.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common cause of back injury in people older than 50. The condition is caused by age-related constriction of the tube for nerves in the spine. People with lumbar spinal stenosis usually suffer pain, numbness and weakness when they stand, but these symptoms are relieved by sitting down.
The X-stop presses against parts on either side of a vertebra and pushes open the tube that contains the nerves, the AP reported.
Other current treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis include physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs and injections, or a form of surgery called laminectomy, which involves full anesthesia and removal of bone and tissue in order to open up the tube that contains the nerves in the spine.
Mold Concerns Prompt Recall of Eye Products
Concern about possible mold contamination has led to the recall of seven lots of GenTeal Gel and GenTeal GelDrops, which are used to relieve eye dryness, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Novartis Ophthalmics said Tuesday.
While the risk of contamination is considered to be low, contamination in these products could cause eye infections in some people.
The recall covers about 142,500 tubes in five lots of GenTeal Gel distributed across the United States from March to November 2004 and about 12,000 dropper bottles in two lots of GenTeal Gel Drops distributed nationwide in October 2005.
Mold was detected in a small number of samples of GenTeal Gel. The species of mold is generally not harmful, but can cause eye infections in people with compromised immune systems and others who may be susceptible, the FDA said.
Food Fact:
Raspberry preserve.
Fresh raspberries are delicious -- but fragile. Here's how to treat them right. Because all fresh berries are highly perishable, they should be refrigerated (unwashed) as soon as possible after they're picked. Before refrigerating, spread the juicy, fragile berries in a single layer on a large tray or baking sheet. Wash berries gently but thoroughly before you eat them or use them in a recipe. Juicy and sweet, raspberries are jam-packed with vitamin C, folate and potassium; one cup has more than a third of your daily requirement of fiber. Raspberries are particularly powerful antioxidants. When researchers at Tufts University in Boston measured levels of antioxidants in various fruits and vegetables, berries consistently cropped up at the top of the list.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Uncover hidden muscles.
The key to six-pack abs is not 500 sit-ups a day; it's skipping the excess calories. Improved muscle definition comes from losing body fat, not from increasing muscle size. For a healthy lean body, you need to find a balance between exercise and diet. Weight training will condition the muscle, but unless you address your total calorie intake, all that hard work will be hiding under a layer of fat.
FAQ of the day:
How many calories do I need each day?
Fifteen calories per pound per day is a good rule of thumb for maintaining your weight. But remember, this is a rough estimate for the average, moderately active person; the actual number you need will depend on your relative amounts of lean and fat body tissue, and your fitness level. If you're very lean and active, you may burn as many as 17 calories per pound per day. Here's a rough guide to the number of calories a 125-lb. woman burns during different activities: About 1 calorie a minute sleeping or sitting quietly, 3 calories a minute doing light housework, and 14 calories a minute walking up stairs.
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