H5N1 Virus Found in German Cat
The dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus has been confirmed in a cat in northern Germany, the first time that the virus has been found in an animal other than a bird in Europe, the Associated Press reported.
The cat lived on the island of Ruegen. Most of the 100 wild birds infected with H5N1 in Germany have been found on that island.
In Geneva, World Health Organization spokeswoman Maria Cheng said this was the first time she knows of an animal other than a bird being infected in Europe. Tigers and leopards were infected by H5N1 in Thailand, where they were fed chicken carcasses in a zoo.
It is not clear whether cats can pass the disease to humans, Cheng said.
In other news, the United States said late Monday that it has banned poultry and live bird shipments from France's Ain region, where H5N1 was found at a turkey farm, the AP reported.
Previously, the U.S. has banned poultry imports from countries that have had bird flu outbreaks. This latest U.S. ban does not apply to poultry and birds from other regions of France. However, Japan and Hong Kong have halted imports of all French poultry.
The World Health Organization on Monday raised its official tally of human bird flu cases worldwide to 173, including 93 deaths. Almost all human deaths from bird flu have been linked to contact with infected birds.
U.S. Hospitals Could Improve Pediatric Emergency Care: Report
More needs to be done to ensure that U.S. hospitals are equipped and staffed to treat the youngest patients who require emergency care, says a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The survey, conducted in 2002-2003, found that 90 percent of all U.S. hospitals admitted pediatric patients, but only 40 percent had separate inpatient pediatric wards. Half the hospitals had on hand more than 85 percent of the recommended medical supplies for pediatric patients, but less than 6 percent had all the supplies in a full range of sizes.
Other findings:
Sixty-two percent of emergency departments had board-certified pediatric physicians on call or available elsewhere within the hospital, but only 25 percent of the emergency departments had written protocols outlining when to call in the pediatric specialist.
Between 1998 and 2002-2003, the percentage of hospitals with a pediatric intensive care unit remained at 10 percent.
Most children who need emergency care are brought to hospitals that treat more than 10,000 child patients a year.
Children account for about 30 million emergency department visits a year in the United States.
FDA Approves Depression Patch
The first transdermal patch for depression has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA approval was based on results of two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of Emsam. One study found that six weeks of treatment with Emsam was more effective than placebo in relieving symptoms of major depression disorder in adults, United Press International reported.
A second trial found that Emsam was effective over an eight-week dose titration study.
The once-a-day patch works by delivering selegiline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or MAOI, through the skin and into the bloodstream. Emsam is designed to interact with three brain neurotransmitters that are believed to play a role in depression. The patch is not approved to treat depression in patients 17 and younger.
The final FDA approval comes two years after the agency first said the patch was "approvable." However, concerns about potential interactions with food and beverages high in tyramine -- such as salami, aged cheese, beer, and wine -- contributed to the delay in Emsam gaining final approval, MarketWatch reported.
It's believed that Emsam's active ingredient -- selegiline -- could interact with tyramine and cause a sudden, rapid increase in blood pressure. The FDA said patients who use the higher dose patches -- 9 and 12 milligrams per 24 hours -- must be advised to avoid foods and beverages high in tyramine. Patients who use the lowest dose -- 6 milligrams -- do not require any dietary restrictions, MarketWatch reported.
Bush Budget Proposal Would Cut Vets' Medical Care: Report
The Bush administration's proposed budget could mean that tens of thousands of U.S. veterans with non-critical medical issues might experience delays in care or even be denied care, the Associated Press reported.
The cost of providing medical care for veterans has been steadily increasing, but the White House budget assumes a cutback in 2008 and more cuts in the years after that. The documents have not been officially released by the White House budget office, but were obtained by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, the AP reported.
Funding for veterans' medical services stands at $24.5 billion this year and would increase to $27.7 billion in 2007. However, the documents show a 3 percent cut in 2008 and funding below $27 billion a year for the following four years.
That would be a major problem for the VA medical system, which would have to cut staff, delay investment in new medical equipment, and refuse care to hundreds of thousands of veterans, the AP reported.
According to the Bush administration, its spending policies are set a year at a time, meaning that long-term veterans' budget figures are subject to change.
Documents Reveal Heart-Device Maker's Response Efforts: Report
Guidant executives scrambled to control damage last year as the company was bombarded with criticism for not informing doctors about potentially deadly problems with its heart devices, according to newly released documents.
The records, which are part of a product liability lawsuit against Guidant, show that the company was plunged into crisis due to a number of miscalculations, including its initial decision not to recall the defective heart devices and its misreading of doctors' tolerance for being kept in the dark about the issue, The New York Times reported.
As they struggled to deal with the crisis, Guidant executives repeatedly changed course, even as the company publicly remained upbeat and insisted concerns about the safety of its products were overblown, the Times reported.
According to the documents, some executives warned that scrutiny of Guidant might intensify if doctors or other people searched a public database that detailed product failures, the newspaper reported.
Other records show that Guidant sales representatives said they were worried because some doctors were questioning Guidant's ethics and had stopped implanting the heart devices, the paper said.
Some Guidant executives did recommend that the best way to regain the trust of doctors was to change the way the company disclosed problems with its products. The documents may harm the company's ability to defend itself against lawsuits alleging that Guidant put patients' lives at risk by not publicizing heart device defects, the Times reported.
Food Fact:
Tea for tumors.
Research shows one kind of tea can be up to 100 times more potent at blocking growth of cancer cells than another. While all tea (green, oolong or black) contains antioxidant compounds called catechins that protect against cancer (especially of the lung, breast, colon, stomach and skin) by neutralizing free radicals, green tea contains about 7 times more catechins than black tea. Green tea also has unique catechins that block an enzyme involved in breast, prostate and colon cancers. Green tea is 10 to 100 times stronger than black tea in blocking the growth of cancer cells. Catechins also prevent heart disease and stroke, primarily by defending against the harmful effects of artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.
Fitness Tip of the day:
Carry that weight?
How much should you be lifting? Here's a good rule of thumb. When you can perform 12 to 15 reps using excellent form, it's time to increase the weight used by 5%. In weight training, always use weights you can handle. Remember, we are training our bodies not our egos.
FAQ of the day:
What is a "serving?"
All the nutrition information on a food label is based on one serving, the amount most typically eaten of that food. For example, a serving of salad dressing is 2 tablespoons. These serving sizes are not necessarily the amount you eat at a typical meal. Take breakfast cereal. The box may define a serving as one cup, but if you typically pour twice as much into your bowl; that's two servings, which means you'll be taking in twice the calories listed. Always consider the portion size when you read the nutrition information on the label.
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