Health Headlines - November 2

Organ donors hit with shocking bills

Kidney donors may face huge medical bills because having one kidney may constitute a pre-existing condition under which coverage is denied, officials confirm.

A Texas hospital official said organ donors are told, but only orally, that having one kidney may be a pre-existing condition affecting insurance.

Philip Knisely, 53, of Austin, Texas, who donated a kidney to a co-worker a year ago, has received more than $18,000 in related medical bills, and said he was not informed that if he ever lost his employment-related insurance, insurers might consider his having a single kidney an uninsurable pre-existing condition.

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Japan gov't: Chew food 30 times

Japanese officials are advocating century-old advice to chew your food at least 30 times before swallowing as a key to good health.

The country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is proposing to make the "30 chews" idea the centerpiece of a public relations campaign meant to convey the benefits of thoroughly chewed food promoted in both children and adults, the Kyodo news service reported Saturday.

A ministry group led by Yoshiharu Mukai, professor in the dentistry department at Showa University in Tokyo, wants to use the "Japlish" catch-phrase "Ka-min-gu 30" to promote the idea, the news service said.

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Ground beef recalled over possible E. coli

Some ground beef sold by Trader Joe's, Shaw's and Wild Harvest may be contaminated with E. coli and is being recalled by its processor, authorities said.

Fairbank Farms, Ashville, N.Y., is recalling 545,699 pounds of ground beef shipped for sale last month to retail stores in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday.

USDA inspectors working with state and federal health authorities became aware of the problem while investigating outbreaks of E. coli in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts, agency officials said in a release.

The suspect beef products were shipped to Trader Joe's, Shaw's, Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Price Chopper, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant. Each package had "EST. 492" inside the USDA mark of inspection or on the nutrition label. The packages had a sell-by date of Sept. 19 through Sept. 28.

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WHO updates H1N1 recommendations

Pregnant women, children 10 or older and other adults should be given single doses of vaccine against H1N1, the World Health Organization said Friday.

An expert panel on immunization recommends additional study of the effect of the vaccine on children between the ages of 6 months and 10, WHO said.

The expert group advised that studies in animals have shown the vaccine does not have adverse effects on pregnancy and said any licensed vaccine appears safe for use on pregnant women.

The H1N1 flu, commonly known as swine flu, has been most common in children and young adults, WHO said. Pregnant women are far more likely to require hospitalization and intensive care than the population at large.