Lawrence Wieners recalled, may contain listeria monocytogenes

OTTAWA (CP) - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Lawrence Meat Packing Co. Ltd. are warning the public not to consume Lawrence Naturally Smoked Wieners because the products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes....More

Vietnam reports 7th death from avian flu in 3 weeks; WHO warns of pandemic

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam confirmed on Friday its seventh bird flu death in three weeks, prompting the World Health Organization to urge the international community to do more to combat the growing threat of a pandemic....More

Older Albertans not ready for a provincewide smoking ban, says Ralph Klein

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein says he opposes a provincewide smoking ban in his province because people of his generation are too set in their ways to quit....More

Health groups cheer as high court upholds limits on tobacco promotions

OTTAWA (CP) - The Supreme Court needed to hear just an hour of arguments before making a rare decision from the bench on Weedless Wednesday to uphold a law limiting tobacco promotions....More

Pfizer posts rise in fourth-quarter profit but misses Wall Street estimate

NEW YORK (AP) - Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday that, excluding special items, its fourth-quarter earnings rose 16 per cent year-over-year as the company's Lipitor drug continued to achieve double-digit revenue growth.



Net income rose to $2....More

Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson promotes breastfeeding

LONDON (AP) - Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson visited a hospital maternity ward on Wednesday to encourage new mothers to breastfeed their babies....More

Catholic Church in Spain drops opposition to use of condoms to prevent AIDS

MADRID, Spain (AP) - In a substantial shift from traditional policy, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Spain has said it supports the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS....More

Former U.S. envoy to Canada wades into Internet pharmacy debate

WINNIPEG (CP) - A former U.S. ambassador to Canada has turned lobbyist to help brand-name drug makers battle Canada's flourishing cross-border Internet pharmacy business....More

Cancer surpasses heart disease as nation's top killer of Americans under 85

(AP) - For decades, heart disease has been the United States' top killer. Now cancer has taken its place for Americans 85 and younger.



The reason is that deaths from both diseases are falling, but heart disease mortality has declined more....More

Model Cindy Crawford suggests that busy moms find the time to work out

TORONTO (CP) - For many people - especially moms - working out is at the bottom of their to-do list.



Picking up kids from daycare, preparing dinner and sitting down to eat it take up a good portion of the evening for moms who work outside the home....More

Doctor agrees to perform biopsy on Frank the tumour for free

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A nine-year-old boy whose mother launched an online auction to help pay for a biopsy on her son's tumour will have the procedure done for free, his mother said Monday.



Dr....More

Breast cancer survivor finds strength in helping cancer support group members

(CP) - Volunteering to help people with cancer has given Margaret Eldson renewed strength to face the daunting challenges ahead after the frightening experience of being told she had breast cancer in her early 40s.



"It was a very big shock to me," she says....More

2 Florida doctors suspended for allegedly using bootleg Botox on patients

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Two Florida doctors were suspended for allegedly using bootleg Botox on their patients.



Health officials said they are not aware of injuries to the patients of doctors Norman Cohen of Jacksonville and Daniel Daube Jr. of Panama City....More

Ont. hospitals warn of up to 8,700 layoffs next year without more funds

TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario government must slow the pace of health-care reform and increase hospital funding to avoid laying off thousands of health professionals, the Ontario Hospital Association said Tuesday....More

CPR often done inadequately by doctors, paramedics, studies suggest

CHICAGO (AP) - CPR is often performed inadequately by doctors, paramedics and nurses, according to two studies of resuscitation efforts during cardiac arrest....More

CDC corrects error in calculating Americans' obesity risks; blames software

ATLANTA (AP) - Blaming a computer software error, the U.S. government Wednesday admitted overstating the country's weight problem in a widely reported study last year that said obesity was about to overtake smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States....More

BabyTalk magazine offers list to help parents minimize baby's pain

NEW YORK (AP) - As much as parents would like to eliminate it altogether, babies are likely to experience some pain. Shots, bumps and bruises are, after all, part of growing up.



But that doesn't mean parents have to sit idly on the sidelines....More

Review says B.C. avian flu outbreak well handled but improvement needed

VANCOUVER (CP) - An avian flu outbreak last year in British Columbia could have easily spread east beyond the Fraser Valley, says a poultry industry representative who reviewed the handling of the epidemic.



"We feel we dodged a bullet," Ray Nickel, president of the B.C....More

Labopharm wins French regulatory OK for once-daily tramadol pain reliever

LAVAL, Que. (CP) - Labopharm Inc. shares gained more than nine per cent trading Monday after the company trumpeted a milestone achievement after winning regulatory approval in France for its once-daily formulation of the pain reliever tramadol....More

Doctor agrees to perform biopsy on Frank the tumour for free

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A nine-year-old boy whose mother launched an online auction to help pay for a biopsy on her son's tumour will have the procedure done for free, his mother said Monday.



Dr....More

Scientists find way to measure efficacy of promising anti-angiogenic drugs

TORONTO (CP) - An international team of researchers led by some Toronto scientists has found a way to measure the effects of a new class of cancer drugs that are believed to hold great promise....More

Mother, 66, and baby doing well day after historic birth, Romanian doctors say

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - A 66-year-old professor who writes children's books claims to have become the world's oldest woman to give birth, and doctors said Monday she and her day-old baby daughter were in good condition in intensive care....More

Dimethaid to resubmit arthritis drug to FDA by mid-2006; expects approval

TORONTO (CP) - Dimethaid Research Inc. said Monday it expects the arthritis pain-treating lotion Pennsaid, its great hope to capitalize on an arthritis drug vacuum after the U.S. withdrawal of Vioxx, will be resubmitted to the FDA for approval by the middle of next year....More

Clinics that do high volume mammography have better detection rates: study

TORONTO (CP) - Centres that do a high volume of screening mammography for breast cancer have better detection rates than small volume clinics, and radiologists who read a large number of mammograms have lower false-positive rates, a new study shows....More

Canada steps up with crucial contribution for polio eradication program

TORONTO (CP) - Canada has filled a crucial gap for the World Health Organization's polio eradication program, providing an additional $42 million at a critical time in the bid to rid the world of the disease by the end of 2005, the WHO's program co-ordinator said Monday....More

American panel urges federal standards for dietary supplements

WASHINGTON (AP) - With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim....More

Vietnamese woman thought to have died of bird flu still in critical condition

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A Vietnamese woman with bird flu was in critical condition Friday, health officials said, not dead as previously reported....More

Ontario premier says cash-strapped hospitals will get help from province

LONDON, Ont. (CP) - Ontario hospitals unable to balance their budgets will receive financial help from the provincial government....More

Study findings suggest light at end of tunnel for infection control

TORONTO (CP) - A new study suggests there's a light at the end of the tunnel for control of nasty antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals. The study, conducted by researchers in Kingston, Ont....More

Americans devising ways to lower drug costs as Canada balks at exports

WASHINGTON (CP) - As Canada considers restricting exports of cheap prescription drugs, Americans are devising other ways to lower their costs.



Even the big drug companies are getting into the act....More

Klein, a smoker, calls smokers stupid but doesn't favour Alberta smoking ban

MONTREAL (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, a longtime smoker who has tried many times to quit, called smokers "stupid" on Friday but said he doesn't believe it's his job to impose a ban on lighting up in his province....More

Johnson and Johnson recalling 300 Cypher stents over missing coating

NEW YORK (AP) - Johnson & Johnson has announced a voluntary recall of one lot of its Cypher drug eluting stents because it noticed that six stents in the lot didn't have enough polymer coating on them....More

European Union approves Roche's colon cancer drug Avastin

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG said Friday that the European Union's executive body had approved its cancer drug Avastin....More

UN agency says Nigerian vaccine boycott spawned resurgence of polio

GENEVA (AP) - The number of worldwide polio cases last year rose dramatically after a vaccine boycott in Nigeria spawned a resurgence of the disease across Africa, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. ...More

Inflazyme Pharma president-CEO leaves; senior VP steps in to fill void

VANCOUVER (CP) - Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced Wednesday that its president and chief executive officer, Ian McBeath, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. ...More

Bristol-Myers Squibb puts consumer over-the-counter unit up for sale

NEW YORK (AP) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., the pharmaceutical giant, is putting up for sale its U.S. and Canadian consumer over-the-counter drug line, which includes pain relievers Excedrin and Bufferin, cold medicine Comtrex and Keri lotions. ...More

Doc's bid to have docs stop treating Liberal politicians not supported by all

TORONTO (CP) - An Ontario doctor's bid to have provincial politicians kicked out of medical waiting rooms hasn't won the support of the organization that represents the province's physicians. ...More

Ottawa is ready to act if Klein violates Canada Health Act, says Bennett

OTTAWA (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein will face problems with Ottawa if his promised "third way" in health care means putting money into private clinics instead of the public system, says Public Health Minister Carolyn Bennett. ...More

Sleep-deprived medical interns a danger on roads after their shifts: study

TORONTO (CP) - Sleep-deprived medical interns are a danger to themselves and others if they drive home after working marathon shifts, a group of American and Canadian researchers reported Wednesday. ...More

Federal Indian Affairs minister conflicted over reserve smoking rules

REGINA (CP) - The federal Indian Affairs minister acknowledged he's in a dilemma when it comes to dealing with smoking bylaws enacted by First Nations that attempt to do an end run around provincial rules. ...More

Numbers of medical imaging devices, scans soar in last decade: report

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's complement of medical imaging machines - and the number of people scanned by them - rose sharply over the past decade, a national report released Thursday reveals. ...More

Emotional response to music can reduce pain, suggests Montreal study

MONTREAL (CP) - Even the head-bobbing beat of a hip-hop track can offer pain relief to the genre's fans, suggests a study on the analgesic properties of music. ...More

Americans devising ways to lower drug costs as Canada balks at exports

WASHINGTON (CP) - As Canada considers restricting exports of cheap prescription drugs, Americans are devising other ways to lower their costs. ...More

Hospitals get decontamination tents as part of $13.5-million emergency plan

TORONTO (CP) - Decontamination tents will be available at every hospital in Ontario to better handle emergencies like the SARS outbreak that so badly exposed the shortcomings of the health-care system, the provincial government announced Thursday. ...More

U.S. researchers identify gene that prevents regeneration of inner ear cells

WASHINGTON (AP) - Researchers have identified a gene that prevents the regeneration of inner ear cells that are critical to hearing, a discovery experts say is the first step toward finding a way to correct the most common form of deafness among the elderly. ...More

Experts call for quicker diagnosis, faster treatment for high blood pressure

TORONTO (CP) - Diagnosing hypertension, a prevalent and dangerous condition that leads to heart attack and stroke, has been an unwieldy process involving multiple medical visits over the course of several months. But no more. ...More

American panel urges federal standards for dietary supplements

WASHINGTON (AP) - With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim. ...More

Study: Prostate cancer treatment's risks may outweigh its benefits

(AP) - Hormone-suppressing drugs increasingly used to treat prostate cancer make men so prone to broken bones that the risks of the treatment may outweigh the benefits in those whose cancer was caught early, researchers say. ...More

New U.S. federal diet guidelines emphasize fewer calories, more exercise

WASHINGTON (AP) - The government on Wednesday urged most Americans to eat fewer calories and exercise 30 to 90 minutes a day, updating guidelines that advised people to lose weight but gave few specifics on how to do it. ...More

Italian girl who underwent eight-organ transplant dies from unknown cause

ROME (AP) - A one-year-old girl who underwent an eight-organ transplant in Miami last year has died in a hospital in northern Italy, officials said Thursday. ...More

Vietnam confirms another death from avian flu: fourth in 2 weeks

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam confirmed Thursday an 18-year-old woman from southern Vietnam died of avian flu, the country's fourth death from the virus in two weeks. ...More

Americans devising ways to lower drug costs as Canada balks at exports

WASHINGTON (CP) - As Canada considers restricting exports of cheap prescription drugs, Americans are devising other ways to lower their costs.



Even the big drug companies are getting into the act....More

European Union approves Roche's colon cancer drug Avastin

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG said Friday that the European Union's executive body had approved its cancer drug Avastin....More

Federal Indian Affairs minister conflicted over reserve smoking rules

REGINA (CP) - The federal Indian Affairs minister acknowledged he's in a dilemma when it comes to dealing with smoking bylaws enacted by First Nations that attempt to do an end run around provincial rules....More

Emotional response to music can reduce pain, suggests Montreal study

MONTREAL (CP) - Even the head-bobbing beat of a hip-hop track can offer pain relief to the genre's fans, suggests a study on the analgesic properties of music.



Music has long been known to calm and relax....More

American panel urges federal standards for dietary supplements

WASHINGTON (AP) - With nearly one-fifth of Americans taking dietary supplements, the Institute of Medicine on Wednesday called for tougher regulations to make sure the products are safe and do what they claim....More

Experts call for quicker diagnosis, faster treatment for high blood pressure

TORONTO (CP) - Diagnosing hypertension, a prevalent and dangerous condition that leads to heart attack and stroke, has been an unwieldy process involving multiple medical visits over the course of several months. But no more....More

Doc's bid to have docs stop treating Liberal politicians not supported by all

TORONTO (CP) - An Ontario doctor's bid to have provincial politicians kicked out of medical waiting rooms hasn't won the support of the organization that represents the province's physicians....More

Sleep-deprived medical interns a danger on roads after their shifts: study

TORONTO (CP) - Sleep-deprived medical interns are a danger to themselves and others if they drive home after working marathon shifts, a group of American and Canadian researchers reported Wednesday....More

Quebec set to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, health minister says

MONTREAL (CP) - The Quebec government is hoping to slay the province's reputation as a haven for smokers by banning tobacco use in bars, restaurants and bingo halls, Health Minister Philippe Couillard said Tuesday. "The writing is on the wall," he told a news conference....More

New case of mad cow confirmed, U.S. to send team to investigate

OTTAWA (CP) - Federal officials have confirmed Canada's second case of mad cow disease in 10 days - a development that could threaten U.S. plans to reopen the border to Canadian beef....More

Consumers urged to use caution when combining over-the-counter, other drugs

TORONTO (CP) - With cough and cold season in full swing, pharmacists are urging consumers to exercise care when using over-the-counter medications, especially when taking several at once or in combination with prescription drugs....More

Deadly snakes, malaria among hazards in Sri Lanka facing Canada's relief team

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CP) - They're enough to make even the most seasoned soldier's skin crawl. Deadly vipers and cobras. Black widow spiders. Centipedes of unusual size and speed. Mosquitoes that spread malaria and dengue fever....More

UNICEF confirms two cases of measles among tsunami survivors in Indonesia

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) - UNICEF on Monday confirmed two cases of measles in survivors of Indonesia's tsunami, raising fears that the highly contagious and potentially deadly viral infection could take hold on devastated Sumatra island....More

South Korea gives green light to stem-cell research but not for cloning

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A South Korean team of scientists who produced the first cloned human embryo last year were given government approval Wednesday to proceed with stem-cell research to find cures for diabetes, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's and other diseases - but not for work toward...More

New case of mad cow confirmed, this time in younger animal

OTTAWA (CP) - There's another confirmed case of mad cow disease in Canada but this time it involves an animal infected after a feed ban meant to prevent further cases....More

Ottawa is ready to act if Klein violates Canada Health Act, says Bennett

OTTAWA (CP) - Alberta Premier Ralph Klein will face problems with Ottawa if his promised "third way" in health care means putting money into private clinics instead of the public system, says Public Health Minister Carolyn Bennett....More

Bristol-Myers Squibb puts consumer over-the-counter unit up for sale

NEW YORK (AP) - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., the pharmaceutical giant, is putting up for sale its U.S. and Canadian consumer over-the-counter drug line, which includes pain relievers Excedrin and Bufferin, cold medicine Comtrex and Keri lotions....More

South Korea gives green light to stem-cell research but not for cloning

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A South Korean team of scientists who produced the first cloned human embryo last year were given government approval Wednesday to proceed with stem-cell research to find cures for diabetes, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's and other diseases - but not for work toward...More

Coroner to review 10 deaths of former residents of Oakville, Ont., facility

TORONTO (CP) - New concerns over the deaths of 10 residents of an adult care centre are prompting Ontario's chief coroner to review the cases, with the possibility of a full inquest to follow....More

Deadly snakes, malaria among hazards in Sri Lanka facing Canada's relief team

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CP) - They're enough to make even the most seasoned soldier's skin crawl. Deadly vipers and cobras. Black widow spiders. Centipedes of unusual size and speed. Mosquitoes that spread malaria and dengue fever....More

Inflazyme Pharma president-CEO leaves; senior VP steps in to fill void

VANCOUVER (CP) - Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced Wednesday that its president and chief executive officer, Ian McBeath, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities....More

Report on infection control changes in B.C. isn't good enough for victim

VANCOUVER (CP) - Five months after having her baby at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Tara Roberts still can't bend and pick up her little girl because of a serious post-operative infection....More

New case of mad cow confirmed, U.S. to send team to investigate

OTTAWA (CP) - Federal officials have confirmed Canada's second case of mad cow disease in 10 days - a development that could threaten American plans to reopen the border to Canadian beef....More

Vietnamese teen dies of suspected case of bird flu; fourth case in two weeks

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - An 18-year-old woman in Vietnam has died of a suspected case of bird flu, in what would be the country's fourth death from the virus in two weeks, a doctor said Tuesday....More

Parents turn to EBay to raise money for son's cancer treatment

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - David Dingman-Grover decided Frankenstein would be a good name for his tumour. The nine-year-old figured if he could get over being scared of a monster, he could get over being scared of this thing at the base of his skull....More

Norwalk-like virus sickens 116 on Royal Caribbean International cruise

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Nearly 120 passengers and crew members became sick with a stomach virus aboard a ship that returned to port Saturday after a five-day Caribbean cruise, Royal Caribbean International officials said....More

Doer wants 'more informed debate' on Internet pharmacy in Ottawa

WINNIPEG (CP) - Manitoba Premier Gary Doer is calling for "a more informed debate" around the federal cabinet table in a bid to halt a widely anticipated crackdown on Internet pharmacies....More

Lean ground beef part of Heart and Stroke health check program

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - Lean and extra lean ground beef that includes the Health Check symbol meets standards set by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. The program helps consumers make healthy food choices based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating....More

Chinese man gets 7 years for making phoney milk powder that killed a baby

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese man has been sentenced to seven years in jail for making a baby formula so low in nutritional value it killed one baby and permanently injured two others, the Chinese government said Friday....More

Alta's Klein proposes "third way" for health care- part private, part public

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta is open to new health-care options that may fall outside the Canada Health Act, Premier Ralph Klein said Tuesday after endorsing a medicare solution that falls somewhere between private and public care....More

Containing SARS outbreak cost single Toronto hospital $12 million: study

TORONTO (CP) - Containing SARS in a single Toronto hospital cost $12 million in excess labour, lost revenues and additional spending for infection control materials, a study released Monday reveals....More

Wasabi not a great cold remedy, says study

MEDFORD, Mass, (CP) - Sushi-lovers with stuffed noses might think wasabi can provide some relief, but a new study suggests that's not the case. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, Calif....More

Court to be asked to force tribunal to rule on description of cigarettes

OTTAWA (CP) - Public health advocates are asking the courts to force a federal agency to decide on a course of action in the fight over the words "light" and "mild" to describe cigarettes....More

U.S. research firm says it acted ethically in paying for human brain specimens

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - A company that collects brains for medical research says it did nothing wrong in paying a six-figure sum to a onetime Maine state employee who supplied dozens of specimens. But at least one couple has sued and authorities have launched an investigation....More

Federal government plays down concerns of health risk from mad cow case

OTTAWA (CP) - Federal officials are still determining whether any cattle from a herd with a mad cow case made it into the food chain, but they insist the risk to Canadians is minuscule....More

U.S. man who once weighed half a ton loses more than 450 pounds

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - His recovery was slowed because of an infection, but a man who once weighed half a ton may soon leave a hospital after losing more than 450 pounds. Patrick Deuel, 42, is scheduled to go home to Valentine, Neb., on Jan. 22....More

Ten-year-old Ukrainian girl bids farewell to Canada after heart surgery

CALGARY (CP) - A 10-year-old Ukrainian girl who has spent the best part of three years in Alberta for a series of heart operations bid a happy farewell Wednesday as she left Calgary to return home....More

Malaysia declares itself free of bird flu after weeks without infections

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia has officially declared itself free of bird flu, more than six weeks after the disease was last detected in northern villages, officials said Thursday....More

Health Canada defends drug-approval process, denies 'built-in bias'

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada officials defended the government's drug-approval process Wednesday following harsh criticism of the agency in the country's leading medical journal....More

Avian flu death of 6-year-old Vietnamese boy second reported in week

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A six-year-old boy from southern Vietnam has died of avian flu, a doctor said Thursday, in the second report this week of a death from the virus. The boy died Dec....More

Parole board to review case of Alta. doctor convicted in death of colleague

EDMONTON (CP) - The Correctional Service of Canada has taken the "extraordinary measure" of asking the parole board to decide whether a former Alberta doctor convicted of manslaughter in the death of a colleague should be kept in prison past his statutory release date....More

Michigan hunter caught tuberculosis gutting deer: officials

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan hunter was diagnosed with a rare human case of an animal lung disease called bovine tuberculosis after he cut his hand while gutting an infected deer, state health officials said Thursday....More

More effort needed to diagnose malaria in newcomers to Canada: study

TORONTO (CP) - More effort is needed to diagnose and care for people with malaria who arrive in Canada from parts of the world where the infection is common, says the co-author of a study of Tanzanian refugees who settled in Quebec....More

Med school grads from small towns more likely to set up rural practices

HALIFAX (CP) - Rural communities are suffering from a shortage of family doctors, but the solution may be right in their own backyards....More

U.S. man who once weighed half a ton loses more than 450 pounds

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - His recovery was slowed because of an infection, but a man who once weighed half a ton may soon leave a hospital after losing more than 450 pounds. Patrick Deuel, 42, is scheduled to go home to Valentine, Neb., on Jan. 22....More

Vietnam reports 9-year-old boy died from bird flu, 21 killed in country

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A 9-year-old boy in Vietnam has died of bird flu, bringing the number of people in the country killed by the virus to 21, a doctor said Wednesday....More

Health Canada defends drug-approval process, denies 'built-in bias'

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada officials defended the government's drug-approval process Wednesday following harsh criticism of the agency in the country's leading medical journal....More

Malaysia declares itself free of bird flu after weeks without infections

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia has officially declared itself free of bird flu, more than six weeks after the disease was last detected in northern villages, officials said Thursday....More

Avian flu death of 6-year-old Vietnamese boy second reported in week

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A six-year-old boy from southern Vietnam has died of avian flu, a doctor said Thursday, in the second report this week of a death from the virus. The boy died Dec....More

Cameras and computers enable doctors to watch over patients from afar

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Lucille Lamarca could feel her heart begin to beat at a worrisome pace as she lay there alone in the intensive care unit at Buffalo General Hospital with a heart condition. Then from a speaker came a reassuring voice....More

Tsunami too much for some survivors; psychiatrists worry more will suffer

GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) - Some banged their heads against the hospital wall. Some, wide-eyed, just stared vacantly, while others mumbled "the sea is coming," reliving the horrors of the massive tsunami that took with it their families and homes....More

Some kids requiring 'urgent care' leave emergency without treatment: study

TORONTO (CP) - Children showing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and fever are leaving hospital emergency rooms before being treated because their families are tired of waiting to see a doctor, a new study suggests....More

Polish twins in ICU after successful separation surgery in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Polish twin girls who were separated by Saudi doctors in an 18-hour operation are recovering in the intensive care unit and will be roused from general anesthesia in less than 48 hours, the official Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday....More

Nurses at Montreal English hospital fail French test, lose licences

MONTREAL (CP) - Two nurses at an English hospital have had their licences revoked after failing a written French test even though Quebec faces a nursing shortage....More

More effort needed to diagnose malaria in newcomers to Canada: study

TORONTO (CP) - More effort is needed to diagnose and care for people with malaria who arrive in Canada from parts of the world where the infection is common, says the co-author of a study of Tanzanian refugees who settled in Quebec....More

NIH whistleblower says government bungled AIDS study in Uganda

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials involved in a U.S.-funded study in Uganda endangered the lives of hundreds of patients testing an AIDS drug because of careless and negligent research practices, a government whistleblower said Tuesday. Dr....More

Med school grads from small towns more likely to set up rural practices

HALIFAX (CP) - Rural communities are suffering from a shortage of family doctors, but the solution may be right in their own backyards....More

Report: documents show drug manufacturer Eli Lily aware of Prozac risks

LONDON (AP) - A British medical journal said Friday it had given U.S. regulators confidential drug company documents suggesting a link between the popular anti-depressant Prozac and a heightened risk of suicide attempts and violence....More

B.C. man awarded $296,000 as judge rules doctor negligent after appendectomy

VANCOUVER (CP) - A Fraser Valley man has been awarded $296,000 in damages in a malpractice suit related to his appendectomy. John Miller, now in his early 70s, had his appendix removed at Abbotsford's MSA Hospital by Dr....More

Transplant surgery brings U.S. man to tears - for first time in 22 years

ST. LOUIS (AP) - For the first time in 22 years, a tear came to the eye of Roger Beck. The 29-year-old man has a rare disease that cost him one eye and left him legally blind and unable to make tears in the other. But on Thursday, Dr....More

Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod dies at 92; studied nerve cell communication

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - Julius Axelrod, a U.S. National Institutes of Health neuroscientist who won the Nobel Prize for his work on how nerve cells communicate and affect behaviour, has died. He was 92....More

Minnesota governor urges Canada to keep prescription drug export rules

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CP) - Gov. Tim Pawlenty called on the Canadian government Friday not to "slam the door on American consumers" through a proposed rule change to restrict the export of less-expensive drugs to the United States....More

Wisconsin teen first person known to have survived rabies without shots

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin teenager who became the first person known to survive rabies without a vaccination went home Saturday after nearly 11 weeks in the hospital, officials said....More

FDA gives whistle-blower scientist permission to publish Vioxx safety data

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given a whistle-blower scientist permission to publish data indicating that as many as 139,000 people had heart attacks that may be linked to Vioxx, the scientist's lawyer said Monday. Dr....More

Cameras and computers enable doctors to watch over patients from afar

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Lucille Lamarca could feel her heart begin to beat at a worrisome pace as she lay there alone in the intensive care unit at Buffalo General Hospital with a heart condition. Then from a speaker came a reassuring voice....More

Obesity is rising sharply among U.S. preschoolers

DALLAS (AP) - The obesity epidemic is reaching down to the playpen: more than 10 per cent of U.S. children ages two to five are overweight, the American Heart Association reported Thursday....More

Report: documents show drug manufacturer Eli Lily aware of Prozac risks

LONDON (AP) - A British medical journal said Friday it had given U.S. regulators confidential drug company documents suggesting a link between the popular anti-depressant Prozac and a heightened risk of suicide attempts and violence....More

Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod dies at 92; studied nerve cell communication

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - Julius Axelrod, a U.S. National Institutes of Health neuroscientist who won the Nobel Prize for his work on how nerve cells communicate and affect behaviour, has died. He was 92....More

Wisconsin teen first person known to have survived rabies without shots

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin teenager who became the first person known to survive rabies without a vaccination went home Saturday after nearly 11 weeks in the hospital, officials said....More

Study: Eating fast food frequently does supersize you

LONDON (AP) - A new study gives scientific clout to a conclusion many already see as obvious: eating lots of fast food makes you fat and increases the chance of developing diabetes....More

Transplant surgery brings U.S. man to tears - for first time in 22 years

ST. LOUIS (AP) - For the first time in 22 years, a tear came to the eye of Roger Beck. The 29-year-old man has a rare disease that cost him one eye and left him legally blind and unable to make tears in the other. But on Thursday, Dr....More

Minnesota governor urges Canada to keep prescription drug export rules

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CP) - Gov. Tim Pawlenty called on the Canadian government Friday not to "slam the door on American consumers" through a proposed rule change to restrict the export of less-expensive drugs to the United States....More