Tainted Baby Milk Claims Fourth Life
A fourth Chinese infant has died after being fed baby milk contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, government officials announced Thursday. The latest death occurred in the Xinjiang region in China's far west.
More than 6,200 infants across the country have become ill from tainted powdered baby formula made by 22 dairy companies, all of which have said they're recalling their milk products, The New York Times reported. It's believed watered-down milk used to make the formula had melamine added to it in order to artificially increase its protein content.
Babies who drink the contaminated formula over several months can develop kidney stones or kidney failure.
In other developments, police arrested a dozen more people in connection with the scandal, and the mayor of the city of Shijiazhuang was dismissed after being accused of failing to take action to deal with early reports of tainted baby milk. Four other city officials were also fired.
Sanlu, one of China's largest dairy companies, has its headquarters in Shijiazhuang, which is in the northern province of Hebei. Sanlu first received complaints about contaminated products months ago but didn't tell city officials until Aug. 2. City officials waited until Sept. 9 to tell provincial officials, who alerted the central government the next day, the Times reported.
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Companies Face Charges Over False Cancer Cures
Five companies have been charged with making false and misleading claims for cancer cures and settlements have been reached with six other companies, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday.
Products marketed by the companies include essiac teas and other herbal mixtures, laetrile, black salve (a corrosive ointment), and mushroom extracts.
"There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection, the Associated Press reported.
More than 100 warning letters were issued and many companies changed or dropped their claims about the products. In cases where settlements were reached, companies paid restitution ranging from $9,000 to $250,000.
The five companies facing charges of false and deceptive advertising, according to AP, are: Omega Supply, San Diego, Calif.; Native Essence Herb Company, El Prado, N.M.; Daniel Chapter One, Portsmouth, R.I.; Gemtronics, Inc., Franklin, N.C.; and Herbs for Cancer, Surprise, Ariz.
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World's Oldest Man Celebrates 113th Birthday
On his 113th birthday Thursday, the world's oldest man said he'd like to live another five years.
Tomoji Tanabe, who was born Sept. 18, 1895, lives on Japan's southern island of Kyushu and received birthday gifts, flowers and $1,000 in cash from the mayor of his hometown Miyakonojo, the Associated Press reported.
Tanabe is in good health and maintains a regular daily schedule. He gets up early and reads the newspaper, drinks milk every afternoon and eats regular meals. He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol. The former city land surveyor lives with his son and daughter-in-law.
The fact that a healthy diet rich in fish and rice is common in Japan is often cited as a reason why the country has one of the world's longest life expectancies -- nearly 86 years for women and 79 years for men. In the last six years, the number of Japanese living past 100 has more than doubled, the AP reported.
The oldest person in the world is 115-year-old Edna Parker of Indiana. She was born April 20, 1893.
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FDA Proposes New Labeling Rule for Refused Imported Food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Thursday proposed new label requirements for imported food that is refused entry into the United States, in a move designed to reduce a practice known as "port shopping," where companies ship the refused food to another port in hopes it will be admitted there.
The new regulation would require that shipping containers of food turned away from U.S. ports, and any accompanying documents, be labeled as refused. This would make it easier for inspectors to identify previously-refused food, the FDA said.
"This system will make it more difficult for food importers to evade import controls after being denied admission into the United States. It will complement our ongoing efforts to monitor food imports," Randall Lutter, the FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, said in a news release.
Comments on the proposed regulation will be accepted for 75 days following its publication in the Federal Register.
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Researchers Study Near-Death Experiences
The near-death experiences of about 1,500 cardiac arrest survivors will be examined in a study by doctors at 25 hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom, BBC News reported.
The three-year study will determine if people with no heartbeat or brain activity can have "out of body" experiences, such as recalling looking down from the ceiling as medical staff work over their body.
As part of the study, special shelving will be placed in resuscitation areas. Pictures that are only visible from the ceiling will be put on the shelves.
"If you can demonstrate that consciousness continues after the brain switches off, it allows for the possibility that the consciousness is a separate entity," said lead researcher Dr. Sam Parnia, BBC News reported.
"It is unlikely that we will find many cases where this happens, but we have to be open-minded," Parnia said. "And if no one sees the pictures, it shows these experiences are illusions or false memories."
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New Biologic Drug Benefits Psoriasis Patients
The experimental biologic drug ustekinumab was more effective than the leading biologic drug Enbrel in treating people with moderate-to-severe cases of psoriasis, according to a study released Thursday by Centocor, Inc., the biotech unit of Johnson & Johnson.
The study was the first head-to-head comparison of biologic drugs in psoriasis patients, the Associated Press reported. Biologic drugs, which need to be injected, are complex treatments manufactured by living cells.
This international study of 900 women and men found that ustekinumab reduced psoriasis patches by at least three-quarters in 74 percent of patients who received a 90-milligram dose and in 68 percent of those who got a 45-milligram dose. The injections were given at the start of the study and four weeks later.
Psoriasis patches were reduced by at least three quarters in 57 percent of patients who received Enbrel injections, given twice every week, the AP reported.
The findings were presented at a European conference of dermatologists. Johnson & Johnson has applied for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of ustekinumab and a decision is expected before the end of the year.
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MS Rates Increase With Distance From Equator
Rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) increase with distance from the equator in both the northern and southern hemispheres, according to a new report that summarizes information on the neurodegenerative disease in 112 countries.
The authors of the MS Atlas report, released Wednesday by the World Health Organization and the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, said their findings show that MS is a global disease, not just one that affects more developed "northern" and "western" countries, CBC News reported.
"Typically, our results confirmed the well-established suggestion that there are strong geographical patterns to the disease and that the frequency of MS varies by geographical region throughout the world, increasing with distance from the equator in both hemispheres," the report authors wrote.
They also found that low- and middle-income nations have a lack of services and resources to care for people with MS, and that poorer countries have fewer diagnostic tools, which means the disease is probably underreported in those countries.
The highest estimated rate of MS is in Hungary (176 per 100,000 people), followed by: Slovenia (150); Germany (149); United States (135); and Canada (132.5).
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