WHO seeking information about link between bird flu and girl's death in China

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - World Health Organization experts were seeking confirmation Friday that a girl who died in a bird flu-affected Chinese village did not succumb to a deadly strain of the virus, while Indonesian authorities awaited the outcome of tests on dead chickens found on the...More

Edmonton's Biomira says it needs new funding to continue cancer research

TORONTO (CP) - Biomira Inc. will need to raise additional cash within the next year to fund further clinical research required on its cancer vaccine, the Edmonton-based biotechnology firm said Thursday....More

A-G subpoenas 73 workers from New Orleans hospital over patient deaths

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Scores of doctors, nurses and support staff at Memorial Hospital have been subpoenaed as the state investigates deaths and possible euthanasia at hospitals and nursing homes in the New Orleans area during and after hurricane Katrina....More

EU says dangerous bird flu strain found in Croatia; new outbreak in China

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Union announced Wednesday the dangerous H5N1 strain of avian influenza has been found in Croatia, the latest European country to be hit by the virus....More

British government to introduce bill to ban smoking in pubs Thursday

LONDON (AP) - The British government will publish plans Thursday for a ban on smoking in most public places, including pubs and restaurants....More

Bayer, Johnson & Johnson to develop, market thrombosis drug

FRANKFURT (AP) - Bayer Healthcare, a unit of Bayer AG, said Wednesday it will develop and market a drug to treat blood clots with Johnson & Johnson in a $290-million-US deal. The drug is undergoing phase II clinical trials....More

Baby born after alleged fetus-theft attack is living with adoptive parents

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A woman who was attacked in an alleged attempt to steal her fetus had planned to give the baby up for adoption, and her newborn son is now with his adoptive parents, their lawyer said. The boy was born by emergency caesarean section after the Oct....More

Australia lifts ban on bird imports from Canada; to test all bird imports

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australia lifted a ban on live bird imports from Canada on Wednesday, imposed after three racing pigeons carrying bird flu antibodies were destroyed in quarantine....More

Anesthesiologists adopt guidelines on waking, but don't push use of monitor

ATLANTA (AP) - A national doctors' group adopted new standards Tuesday to help prevent patients from awakening during surgery. But the physicians stopped short of embracing the use of new devices that monitor patient awareness....More

Roche temporarily suspends shipments of Tamiflu to the United States

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Thursday it had temporarily suspended shipments of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu in the United States to ensure that enough treatments will be available for the regular influenza season....More

Three possible human cases of bird flu under investigation in China

BEIJING (AP) - China said Thursday it is taking effective measures to prevent the spread of bird flu and keep it from infecting people as the world's most populous nation reported three outbreaks of the disease in a week....More

Cardiovascular congress presents new research on protecting heart health

MONTREAL (CP) - About 3,000 health professionals are attending the annual Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Montreal this week....More

Canada to increase antiviral stockpile with more Tamiflu, other drugs

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada will be increasing its stockpile of antiviral drugs to protect against a possible flu pandemic, with additional purchases of Tamiflu and new purchases of the drug Relenza, the country's chief medical officer of health said Tuesday. Dr....More

AIDS epidemic fastest growing and getting worse in ex-communist countries: UN

GENEVA (AP) - The former communist countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are suffering the fastest growing AIDS epidemic in the world and the situation there is getting worse, a UN agency said Tuesday. An estimated 1....More

Anesthesiologists adopt guidelines on waking, but don't push use of monitor

ATLANTA (AP) - A national doctors' group adopted new standards Tuesday to help prevent patients from awakening during surgery. But the physicians stopped short of embracing the use of new devices that monitor patient awareness....More

Alberta nurses says staff shortages, quality of care still big issues

EDMONTON (CP) - Staff shortages and heavy workloads remain major issues for the province's nurses, suggests a telephone survey of more than 1,000 members of the United Nurses of Alberta....More

European Union says dangerous H5N1 strain of bird flu found in Croatia

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Union announced Wednesday the dangerous H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in Croatia, the latest European nation to be hit by the virus....More

Australia lifts ban on bird imports from Canada; to test all bird imports

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australia lifted a ban on live bird imports from Canada on Wednesday, imposed after three racing pigeons carrying bird flu antibodies were destroyed in quarantine....More

China reports 3rd bird flu outbreak; bypass of anti-viral drug patents urged

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - China reported its third outbreak of bird flu in a week on Wednesday, as public health groups urged officials to bypass patent laws and mass-produce generic versions of potentially life-saving anti-viral drugs....More

Ottawa, Ontario spent years ignoring water concerns at reserve: critics

TORONTO (CP) - After ignoring years of warnings about contaminated drinking water on a remote northern Ontario reserve, Ottawa and the province are now engaged in "jurisdictional haggling" over how to solve the problem, critics charged Monday....More

Onex to pay $750M for Skilled Healthcare Group of western U.S.

TORONTO (CP) - Onex Corp. is looking for more expansion opportunities in the U.S. health sector after announcing Monday its $750-million acquisition of Skilled Healthcare Group Inc....More

Martin and Layton to discuss NDP concerns about two-tier medicare

OTTAWA (CP) - The prime minister meets NDP Leader Jack Layton on Tuesday to discuss concerns the country is sliding toward a two-tier health system, but both are playing down expectations of any formal deal. "In terms of the discussion with Mr....More

New play explores American women's obsession with improving their bodies

WASHINGTON (AP) - American women have become obsessed with good looks, instead of the good works that preoccupied their grandmothers, says a social historian whose ideas inspired a new play. "It isn't just the search for a mate....More

N.S. pediatric medical community wants children banned from riding ATVs

HALIFAX (CP) - The Nova Scotia government is facing growing pressure from health-care providers who say the province is putting children at risk by failing to ban those under 16 from driving all-terrain vehicles....More

Britain confirms its first case of avian flu since 1992 with dead parrot

LONDON (AP) - Britain confirmed its first case of avian flu since 1992, saying the virus that killed a parrot in quarantine is the same deadly strain that has plagued Asia and recently spread to Europe....More

AIDS epidemic fastest growing and getting worse in ex-communist countries: UN

GENEVA (AP) - The former communist countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are suffering the fastest growing AIDS epidemic in the world and the situation there is getting worse, a UN agency said Tuesday. An estimated 1....More

Dosanjh warns the world needs to deal with Roche patent on key flu drug

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's health minister hinted the world may be heading for a showdown over the antiviral drug Tamiflu, saying it would be morally defensible to break the drug's patent in some situations....More

Scientists try to identify bird flu strains found in Croatia, Sweden, Britain

LONDON (AP) - Scientists were conducting tests Saturday to determine whether bird flu cases discovered in Britain, Sweden and Croatia are the lethal strain that has killed more than 60 people, as countries around the world scrambled to halt the spread of the virus....More

Australian ban on Canadian birds called 'knee-jerk response' to flu fears

TORONTO (CP) - The decision by Australian officials to ban bird imports from Canada after three racing pigeons from this country were found to have antibodies to an unspecified avian flu virus was a "knee-jerk reaction," a senior Canadian official said Friday. But Dr....More

Federal government seeks less-expensive ways to get the lead out

OTTAWA (CP) - The federal Finance Department is struggling with a liquidity crisis. Drinking fountains at the department's downtown headquarters have been pumping out dangerous lead-laced water for more than three years....More

Patients with rare Fabrys disease, MPS-1 will get drugs; govt won't say when

TORONTO (CP) - Sufferers of the rare ailments Fabrys disease and MPS-1 got some good news Sunday with the announcement that they will get expensive drugs and treatment....More

Croatia culls birds, disinfects areas where swans found dead of bird flu

ZDENCI, Croatia (AP) - Authorities in Croatia began killing thousands of domestic birds Saturday and ordered disinfection for a large area near a national park where six swans were found dead from bird flu....More

New play explores American women's obsession with improving their bodies

WASHINGTON (AP) - American women have become obsessed with good looks, instead of the good works that preoccupied their grandmothers, says a social historian whose ideas inspired a new play. "It isn't just the search for a mate....More

Britain says flu strain that killed parrot is deadly H5N1 strain

LONDON (AP) - The British government said Sunday that a strain of bird flu that killed a parrot in quarantine is the deadly H5N1 strain that has plagued Asia and recently spread to Europe....More

European Union to discuss possible ban on imports of wild birds

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - EU bird flu experts will discuss a possible ban on imports of wild birds into the 25-country bloc on Tuesday, the EU head office said Sunday....More

Expert says obesity boom makes baby boomers no healthier than their parents

VANCOUVER (CP) - Canadians are drinking less alcohol, smoking fewer cigarettes and getting more exercise, but the author of a book about aging baby boomers says they are no healthier than their parents were because of growing obesity rates....More

Edmonton diabetes researchers say much work remains on islet transplants

EDMONTON (CP) - Five years ago, a group of Edmonton researchers electrified the medical world with news of a treatment that could free patients with severe diabetes from the need for daily insulin injections....More

Drugmaker Pfizer's Q3 profit falls by half, company cuts outlook

NEW YORK (AP) - Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drugmaker, said Thursday its third-quarter earnings fell by 52 per cent on acquisition-related charges and said sluggish revenue growth drove it to cut profit estimates for this year and withdraw guidance beyond that....More

Drug proves remarkably effective against early breast cancer

(AP) - A drug that targets only diseased cells has proved astonishingly effective against an aggressive form of early breast cancer - a long-sought breakthrough that has doctors talking about curing thousands of women each year in the U.S. alone....More

Clinton Foundation teams with Nickelodeon to fight childhood obesity

NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Clinton is teaming with SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer in a campaign to nudge kids to eat healthy foods and to get up off the couch and move, the former president and Nickelodeon television executives announced Thursday....More

Domestic poultry deaths in southern Russia not tied with bird flu: report

MOSCOW (AP) - The deaths of up to 150 domestic birds in a village in the southern Russian region of Rostov are not tied with bird flu, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Friday, citing a preliminary diagnosis....More

Alberta will have Canada's first law to seize children from addicted parents

RED DEER, Alta. (CP) - Alberta is preparing a new law that will allow the province to seize children from parents who are either reckless addicts or involved in the illegal drug trade....More

Australia bans imports of Canadian birds; pigeons said to have flu antibodies

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Australian authorities said Friday they are banning the import of birds from Canada after three racing pigeons tested positive for bird-flu antibodies. The birds were in a consignment of 102 pigeons that arrived in Australia on Sept....More

Roche's Q3 sales rise 20% on demand for cancer drugs, Tamiflu

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Roche Holding AG's third-quarter sales rose 20 per cent on demand for cancer drugs and Tamiflu, an antiviral being stockpiled by governments and individuals as a defence against a possible flu pandemic. Sales rose to 8.82 billion Swiss francs ($6....More

New Ontario health agency to offer expertise, advice on future outbreaks

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's largest province needs a centralized hub of medical expertise, a report prepared for the Ontario government urged Wednesday as it outined plans for a new public health agency to help officials grapple with the threat of a possible pandemic....More

Man dies after power outage at Edmonton seniors home cuts oxygen supplies

EDMONTON (CP) - One senior died but many others were saved by emergency crews when a power failure cut off their oxygen in a high-rise nursing home. The power at the Kiwanis Place seniors lodge near downtown Edmonton went out when a car snapped a pole....More

Indian Affairs Minister visits remote reserve battling waterborne hazards

OTTAWA (CP) - Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott headed for a remote First Nation plagued for years by dirty water as the Opposition demanded answers for a third straight day....More

Dizzying explosion of 'bird flu' events, coverage create confusion

TORONTO (CP) - To many people trying to make sense of their newspapers or newscasts these days, it must seem like actresses Tippi Hedren (The Birds) and Sandra Bullock (Speed) conspired to write a script for a really bad horror movie....More

Signs of further spread of bird flu; China, Russia, Romania report new cases

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian authorities detected a deadly strain of bird flu south of Moscow on Wednesday and China reported a fresh outbreak in its northern grasslands, signs the deadly virus was spreading across Siberia to the Mediterranean along the pathways of migratory birds....More

Canada considers donating 10 per cent of flu drug stockpile: Dosanjh

(CP) - Canada will endorse and promote a plan to have wealthy nations contribute 10 per cent of their flu drug stockpiles and later vaccines to help less affluent countries weather an influenza pandemic, Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said Wednesday....More

Drugmaker Pfizer's Q3 profit falls by half, company cuts outlook

NEW YORK (AP) - Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drugmaker, said Thursday its third-quarter earnings fell by 52 per cent on acquisition-related charges and said sluggish revenue growth drove it to cut profit estimates for this year and withdraw guidance beyond that....More

UN agency warns of increased risk of bird flu spreading to Middle East, Africa

ROME (AP) - A UN agency warned Wednesday that the risk of bird flu spreading to the Middle East and Africa has markedly increased following the confirmation of outbreaks in Romania and Turkey....More

Suspected cases of bird flu emerge in central Russia: reports

MOSCOW (AP) - Suspected cases of bird flu have emerged in the Tula region of central Russia, about 200 kilometres south of Moscow, Russian media reported Wednesday....More

Sibutramine found to not trigger spike in blood pressure

TORONTO (MRI) - Contrary to previous studies, new research suggests obese people taking the weight management medication sibutramine are not likely to experience a spike in blood pressure....More

Roche's Q3 sales rise 20% on demand for cancer drugs, Tamiflu

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Roche Holding AG's third-quarter sales rose 20 per cent on demand for cancer drugs and Tamiflu, an antiviral being stockpiled by governments and individuals as a defence against a possible flu pandemic. Sales rose to 8.82 billion Swiss francs ($6....More

China reports 2,600 birds dead of bird flu, EU suspects disease in Macedonia

BEIJING (AP) - Some 2,600 birds have been found dead of bird flu in northern China's grasslands, the government said Wednesday. In Brussels, a European Union official said there is a suspicion of bird flu in Macedonia....More

S. Korea opens bank that will make new stem cell lines for global scientists

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - A bank that will create and supply new lines of embryonic stem cells for scientists around the world opened in Seoul on Wednesday as part of a global partnership in the contentious field....More

Bird flu expected to hit other countries but Asia remains biggest threat: WHO

LONDON (AP) - Bird flu can be expected to spread to other countries, but the biggest threat is of it mutating into a human virus that could kill millions remains in Asia, the World Health Organization said Monday....More

Breast cancer patients opt for mastectomy when involved in treatment decisions, study finds

TORONTO (MRI) - When women with breast cancer are involved in making decisions about surgical treatments, they are often opting for mastectomy, a new study has found....More

37% of Albertans report experiencing serious medical errors: health council

EDMONTON (CP) - Don Lemna knew right away that something was horribly wrong. Recovering from surgery in a Calgary hospital, Lemna had a tube going directly into his heart, and the nurse was supposed to inject a benign saline solution to keep it clean....More

Roche to build plant in U.S. to boost Tamiflu production amid flu fears

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Tuesday it was building a new plant in the United States to boost production of its Tamiflu drug amid fears of a global flu pandemic....More

Novartis reports 14 per cent rise in Q3 profit on higher sales

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) - Swiss drug giant Novartis AG reported Tuesday a 14 per cent increase in third-quarter earnings on strong sales growth and lower marketing expenses. Net profit came to $1.67 billion US, up from $1.47 billion in the year-earlier period....More

Dying village in Malawi underscores impact of AIDS on farmers

NAPASHA, Malawi (AP) - It's so quiet you can hear scrawny hens pecking at the dust. A few ragged children peer timidly from the shadow of their mud huts but show no interest in playing. Beyond them lie barren cornfields, abandoned to the blistering heat....More

Losing weight can mean gaining a sex life, researchers report

VANCOUVER, B.C. (AP) - Losing a little weight can do wonders for your sex life. So says Duke University psychologist Martin Binks, who presented a study Monday at a meeting of The Obesity Society showing that shedding a few pounds can improve things in the bedroom....More

EU foreign ministers call spread of bird flu a 'global threat'

LUXEMBOURG (AP) - EU foreign ministers on Tuesday declared the spread of bird flu from Asia into Europe a "global threat" requiring broad international co-operation to contain....More

Further reports of Tamiflu resistance in avian flu virus pending: expert

TORONTO (CP) - There is additional, unpublished evidence of resistance to the anti-flu drug Tamiflu in human cases of H5N1 avian influenza, an U.S. expert in antiviral drugs hinted Saturday. Dr....More

Alta using surplus money to fund 20 health-care projects around the province

CALGARY (CP) - Alberta is working to reduce wait times in the health-care system by using some of its burgeoning oil revenue to fund more than 700 new hospital beds across the province. The government is taking $1....More

Bird flu found in Romania is same deadly strain as detected in Asia, Turkey

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian authorities called for calm Saturday as they quarantined an eastern region where tests confirmed Europe's first appearance of a deadly strain of bird flu that has devastated flocks and killed dozens of people in Asia....More

Authorities say bird flu in Turkish village contained; outbreak risks remain

KIZIKSA, Turkey (AP) - Veterinarians checked about 30 villages near a nature preserve that attracts migratory birds for signs of bird flu and authorities said Saturday that while the virus in a village in western Turkey has been contained there were still risks of new outbreaks in other...More

Warming up is required, even when getting those fall leaves off the lawn

(CP) - This is the time when deciduous trees across Canada don robes of gold, amber and crimson. It's also the time when we have to rake the lawn, stuff all that beauty in large plastic bags and moan about our aching backs....More

Is it OK to eat chicken? Should I report a dead bird? Worries about bird flu

ATLANTA (AP) - Americans fearful of bird flu are peppering health officials with all sorts of questions: Is it safe to have a bird feeder in my yard? If I see a dead bird, should I report it? Is it still OK to have turkey at Thanksgiving? The answers are yes, no, and yes....More

New ways to get stem cells might skirt ethical objections, studies say

NEW YORK (AP) - Two new mouse experiments may show how to obtain human embryonic stem cells without ethical hurdles, a step that could allow U.S. federal funding for such research, scientists reported Sunday....More

37% of Albertans report experiencing serious medical errors: health council

EDMONTON (CP) - Don Lemna knew right away that something was horribly wrong. Recovering from surgery in a Calgary hospital, Lemna had a tube going directly into his heart, and the nurse was supposed to inject a benign saline solution to keep it clean....More

Ontario lab warned years ago legionnaires test not sensitive enough

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's provincial health laboratory was warned more than five years ago the in-house test it developed to detect legionnaires' disease wasn't sensitive enough, the U.S. expert who issued the caution said Thursday. True to Dr....More

Nova Scotia sets out health-care lawsuit proposal against big tobacco

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia's Conservative government began clearing the way Thursday for a lawsuit against the tobacco industry to recover billions dollars spent on smoke-related illnesses in the province....More

No West Nile cases detected in Nova Scotia this summer, province says

HALIFAX (CP) - A dry summer may have helped keep West Nile virus in check in Nova Scotia this summer. The Natural Resources Department tested 190 dead crows, blue jays and ravens, but found no trace of the virus....More

Cases of polio virus infection found in four Minnesota Amish children

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Four children in a Minnesota Amish community have become infected with the polio virus, the first known infections in the U.S. in five years, state health officials said....More

Medical groups attack government backtracking on wait-time benchmarks

OTTAWA (CP) - There is consternation in Canada's medical community over claims by some provinces that it's not possible to set evidence-based benchmarks for medical wait times by year-end, as promised in last year's health accord....More

EU foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting on bird flu, world trade talks

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - European Union veterinary experts were expected to endorse additional precautionary measures Friday to prevent the deadly bird flu virus strain H5N1 spreading from Turkey westward into the EU....More

Bird flu found in Turkey is deadly H5N1 strain; Romanian outbreak being tested

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - The European Union on Thursday said the avian flu virus found in Turkish poultry was the H5N1 strain that scientists worry might mutate into a human virus and spark a pandemic. Turkey's health minister said the outbreak had been contained....More

Avian flu worry: Like SARS, the deadly disease could spread at jet speed

WASHINGTON (AP) - Planes provide the quickest way to get from one part of the world to another - for deadly contagious diseases as well as for people. In the spring of 2003, the respiratory virus SARS journeyed to five countries in 24 hours after emerging in rural China....More

Ottawa hands out $354 million in 1,600 new health research grants

VANCOUVER (CP) - Killing cancer cells, tuning the body's internal clock, figuring out why the blind hear better. They're among the 1,600 research projects being funded by $354 million in grants by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research....More

Pfizer wins key patent challenge on cholesterol drug Lipitor in Britain

NEW YORK (AP) - Pfizer Inc. won a significant victory Wednesday when a British judge upheld a key patent covering its blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor in the United Kingdom but the medication still faces a similar yet more important case in the United States....More

New SIDS policy by U.S. pediatrics academy recommends pacifiers

CHICAGO (AP) - Babies should be offered pacifiers at bedtime, and they should sleep in their parents' room - but not in their beds - in order to lessen the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, says the largest group of pediatricians in the United States....More

More cases of legionnaires' found near site of deadly nursing home outbreak

TORONTO (CP) - Two more cases of legionnaires' disease have been discovered near a Toronto nursing home, but health officials said Wednesday they are not worried about a resurgence of the outbreak that claimed 17 lives in recent weeks....More

Cholesterol levels fall in older Americans; little change in younger adults

CHICAGO (AP) - Americans are heavier now than 40 years ago but have lower cholesterol levels mainly because of the introduction of statin drugs in the late 1980s....More

British judge upholds one patent on cholesterol drug Lipitor, invalidates one

LONDON (AP) - A British judge upheld the exclusivity of a United Kingdom patent covering the active ingredient in Pfizer Inc's blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor on Wednesday, but ruled that a second patent was invalid. Pfizer's shares rose more than three per cent....More

Bird flu confirmed in samples in Romania, agriculture minister says

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Experts have confirmed a bird flu virus has been found in samples taken from dead birds in Romania's Danube Delta, the country's agriculture minister said Thursday. The samples are being sent to Britain to identify the specific strain of the virus....More

1 in 7 hospital admissions involve Canadians with mental illness: report

TORONTO (CP) - Mental illness - either as a primary or associated diagnosis - is responsible for one-third of the total number of days Canadians spend in hospital each year, a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says....More

Little being done to house homeless mentally ill, says B.C. advocate

VANCOUVER (CP) - For Roderick Louis there's a direct connection between the empty residential buildings at Riverview Hospital and some of the lost-looking homeless men and women who people step carefully around on Vancouver's streets....More

Numbers of nurse practitioners in Canada increasing, but roadblocks remain

(CP) - The number of nurse practitioners working in Canada may be slowly increasing, but health officials say there are still significant obstacles to the profession receiving full acceptance in the health-care system....More

Risk of birth defects higher when mom-to-be used Paxil in first trimester

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada has issued a warning about the use of Paxil during pregnancy, based on evidence that suggests the risk of major birth defects is doubled in babies born to women who took the antidepressant during the first trimester of pregnancy. A large U.S....More

Genentech profits surge on drug sales

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Genentech Inc. reported a 56 per cent surge in third-quarter net income, fuelled by strong drug sales of its newest colon cancer drug and its flagship breast cancer fighter....More

Colombia reports its first suspected cases of bird flu; no risk to humans

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombian authorities said Monday they had detected the first suspected cases of bird flu in this South American country, but insisted the strain was not harmful to humans....More

Businesses need to do continuity planning for flu pandemic, report suggests

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian businesses need to devise plans for weathering an influenza pandemic, a leading brokerage firm warns in its second report on the potential economic toll such an event would claim....More

Eating fish slows age-related mental decline, new study suggests

CHICAGO (AP) - Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests. The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp....More

Officials in Turkey and Romania try to contain suspected cases of avian flu

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish authorities on Tuesday ordered poultry farmers in a quarantined area in western Turkey to hand over birds for culling or face fines and possible jail sentences as Turkey tried to contain an outbreak of suspected avian flu....More

Bring on the curry: little science to support most infant feeding assumptions

(AP) - Ditch the rice cereal and mashed peas, and make way for enchiladas, curry and even - gasp! - hot peppers. It's time to discard everything you think you know about feeding babies....More

Romania expands measures to prevent spread of avian flu, no word on virus type

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian authorities expanded measures meant to prevent the spread of avian flu Sunday, including killing thousands of household birds and banning the movement of animals from affected areas in eastern Romania....More

U.S. health secretary warns of a future bird flu pandemic

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Leading a multinational team of medical experts to mobilize Southeast Asian countries against bird flu, Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said Monday the likelihood of a flu pandemic in the future is "very high....More

Numbers of nurse practitioners in Canada increasing, but roadblocks remain

(CP) - The number of nurse practitioners working in Canada may be slowly increasing, but health officials say there are still significant obstacles to the profession receiving full acceptance in the health-care system....More

Little being done to house homeless mentally ill, says B.C. advocate

VANCOUVER (CP) - For Roderick Louis there's a direct connection between the empty residential buildings at Riverview Hospital and some of the lost-looking homeless men and women who people step carefully around on Vancouver's streets....More

Colombia reports its first suspected cases of bird flu; no risk to humans

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombian authorities said Monday they had detected the first suspected cases of bird flu in this South American country, but insisted the strain was not harmful to humans....More

Genentech profits surge on drug sales

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Genentech Inc. reported a 56 per cent surge in third-quarter net income, fuelled by strong drug sales of its newest colon cancer drug and its flagship breast cancer fighter....More

Eating fish slows age-related mental decline, new study suggests

CHICAGO (AP) - Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests. The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp....More

Widespread malnutrition reported among impoverished Chinese children

BEIJING (AP) - Nearly one-third of children living in China's poorest areas suffer from malnutrition, the government said Saturday, underscoring the country's growing economic divide....More

Complex job may prevent Alzheimer's disease

TORONTO (MRI) - Having a challenging job may come with an unexpected payoff: Protection against Alzheimer's disease....More

Cholesterol medications may protect bones too

TORONTO (MRI) - A popular class of cholesterol medication may pack even more punch than just reducing your heart disease risk. Using statin drugs could also lower your risk of broken bones by more than a third, a new study suggests....More

Flu pandemic could kill nearly 2 million Americans: government

WASHINGTON (AP) - A super-flu could kill up to 1.9 million Americans, said a draft of the U.S. government's plan to fight a worldwide epidemic....More

Tory calls for public inquiry into deadly outbreak at Toronto nursing home

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory called Saturday for a full public inquiry into the outbreak of legionnaires' disease that killed 17 people at a Toronto nursing home....More

Bring on the curry: little science to support most infant feeding assumptions

(AP) - Ditch the rice cereal and mashed peas, and make way for enchiladas, curry and even - gasp! - hot peppers. It's time to discard everything you think you know about feeding babies....More

Romania expands measures to prevent spread of avian flu, no word on virus type

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Romanian authorities expanded measures meant to prevent the spread of avian flu Sunday, including killing thousands of household birds and banning the movement of animals from affected areas in eastern Romania....More

Romania: More cases of birds with suspected bird flu virus, authorities say

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Hundreds of birds have been either found dead or killed as a precaution in eastern Romania, but authorities on Saturday said no new cases of bird flu had been confirmed yet....More

Melissa Etheridge and MTVU surprise UCLA cancer biology students

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The 300 UCLA cancer biology students shifted in their seats as they waited for class to begin. Then came a loud knock on the door and in walked a surprise guest professor - Melissa Etheridge....More

Legionnaires' disease can lurk in buildings' water, air-conditioning systems

TORONTO (CP) - Legionnaires' disease, the respiratory illness believed to be responsible for the death of 16 Toronto nursing home residents, is caused by water-borne bacteria that can turn contaminated shower systems, hot tubs and large air-conditioning systems into instruments of infection....More

First large test shows vaccine prevents cervical cancer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The first major study of an experimental vaccine to prevent cervical cancer found it was 100 per cent effective, in the short term, at blocking the disease and lesions likely to turn cancerous, drug maker Merck & Co said....More

Landmark sequencing project makes predicting flu into realm of the possible

TORONTO (CP) - A landmark project to chart the genetic blueprints of thousands of human influenza viruses - essentially taking a genetic census of the flu - has uncovered why the 2003 flu vaccine didn't protect very well against the A/Fujian strain that dominated that winter. U....More

Immunity specialist Trillium Therapeutics acquires Arthron Ltd.

TORONTO (CP) - Trillium Therapeutics Inc., a private firm specializing in immune system therapies, said Thursday it has acquired Arthron Ltd. Pty., a subsidiary of Australia's Prima Biomed Ltd., for cash and stock. Prima will receive an unspecified amount of cash and about 5....More

Bogus heart drugs possibly played role in 4 deaths, coroner says

TORONTO (CP) - A bogus heart drug allegedly dispensed at a Hamilton pharmacy may have played a role in the deaths of four of its customers, but authorities said Thursday they can't say for sure....More

Anti-alcoholism drug leaves ears ringing less

TORONTO (MRI) - While it may not sound like a drug for ear troubles, researchers believe acamprosate (Campral), a medication used for alcohol dependence treatment, is actually effective at improving ringing in the ears....More

Annan says UN will ensure access to medication in case of flu pandemic

GENEVA (AP) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday the United Nations will not let intellectual property rights stand in the way of access to flu treatments and vaccines in case of a pandemic....More

Breast implant class-action settlement approved by B.C. Supreme Court

VANCOUVER (CP) - Settlement of a decade-old, class-action lawsuit involving Canadian women who had silicone gel breast implants means each woman could receive as much as $5,000, a lawyer for the women said Wednesday....More

Cartoon funded by Canadian charity helps children cope with cancer treatment

MUMBAI, India (AP) - Cartoon characters aim missiles and plunge swords into hydra-headed cancer monsters in a Canadian-funded animation film being shown at an Indian hospital to help children cope with cancer treatment....More

AmerisourceBergen paying US$83M for Canadian wholesaler Trent Drugs

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (CP) - AmerisourceBergen Corp. said Wednesday it has acquired Trent Drugs (Wholesale) Ltd. of Kingston, Ont., one of Canada's largest drug distributors, for about $83 million US....More

Biotech firm Chromos licenses immune cell technology to Becton, Dickinson and Co.

BURNABY, B.C. (CP) - Biotech firm Chromos Molecular Systems Inc. said Wednesday it has extended a patent licence to Becton, Dickinson and Co. for the expansion of disease-fighting antigen-specific T-cells. Under the agreement, Franklin Lakes, N.J....More

American researchers recreate 1918 pandemic flu virus for study purposes

TORONTO (CP) - American researchers have recreated the most lethal virus in known history, the influenza strain that caused the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918....More

Protein prevalent in overweight people identified as trigger for heart disease

TORONTO (MRI) - Overweight people may find that the source of their higher risk for heart disease, stroke and inflammation lies in a particular protein produced by fat cells, a new study suggests....More

Anti-alcoholism drug leaves ears ringing less

TORONTO (MRI) - While it may not sound like a drug for ear troubles, researchers believe acamprosate (Campral), a medication used for alcohol dependence treatment, is actually effective at improving ringing in the ears....More

2 New Orleans hospitals too badly damaged, should be torn down: officials

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - New Orleans' two public hospitals should be torn down because hurricane Katrina inflicted hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, leaving them "dangerous, dangerous places," the head of Louisiana's charity hospital system said Wednesday....More

Over the long haul, vast majority of Americans will be fat: long-term study

BALTIMORE (AP) - Just when we thought we couldn't get any fatter, a new study that followed Americans for three decades suggests that over the long haul, nine out of 10 men and seven out of 10 women will become overweight....More

Ontario spending $115 million to improve palliative care

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario is making it easier to receive palliative care at home or in the community. Health Minister George Smitherman says an additional 6,000 people will be able to access end-of-life care by 2007-08....More

Is it time to vaccinate more kids to stop flu's spread?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Preschoolers may signal the arrival of flu season. Thirty days after hacking three- and four-year-olds start showing up in doctors' offices and emergency rooms, flu-ridden adults follow....More

Bush proposes using military to quarantine areas where avian flu breaks out

WASHINGTON (AP) - President George W. Bush, increasingly concerned about a possible avian flu pandemic, said Tuesday that any part of the country where the virus breaks out could likely be quarantined, and he's considering using the military to enforce it....More

Chronic disease prevention could save 36 million lives worldwide by 2015: WHO

TORONTO (CP) - The lives of 36 million people worldwide could be saved in the next 10 years if deaths from chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers were reduced by two per cent a year, the World Health Organization says....More

Breast health calendar gain supporters in its fifth year

TORONTO (CP) - Jennifer Battler fancies herself an outgoing person, but never thought she'd be posing topless in a backyard garden with a sari draped around her head and legs for a calendar that's distributed around the world....More

AmerisourceBergen paying US$83M for Canadian wholesaler Trent Drugs

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (CP) - AmerisourceBergen Corp. said Wednesday it has acquired Trent Drugs (Wholesale) Ltd. of Kingston, Ont., one of Canada's largest drug distributors, for about $83 million US....More

Alda Pharmaceuticals strikes product manufacturing deal with Norwood Packaging

VANCOUVER (CP) - Alda Pharmaceuticals Corp., a maker of infection control products, has struck a product manufacturing deal with Norwood Packaging Ltd....More

U.S. drug standard company to make India hub for certifying drugmakers

NEW DELHI (AP) - A U.S. non-profit company that helps set drug standards in the United States wants to make its soon-to-open Indian laboratory a hub for certifying medicines made in Asia, a company official said Monday. U.S....More

Women wash up more diligently than men: study

TORONTO (MRI) - Lady fingers tend to be more in touch with hygiene than their male counterparts, new research suggests....More

Two more seniors die in 'garden variety' outbreak of mystery flu-like illness

TORONTO (CP) - Two more residents of an Toronto nursing home died Monday after a "garden variety" outbreak of a mysterious illness that has claimed a total of six lives and whose origins and precise nature may never be known, health officials say....More

Labopharm and GlaxoSmithKline team up on tramadol in Latin America

MONTREAL (CP) - Labopharm Inc. announced Monday a licensing and distribution pact with GlaxoSmithKline, the British-based drug goliath, for the once-daily tramadol pain-killer product in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries....More

Hollywood movies fail to show negative consequences of sex, drug use: study

LONDON (AP) - Hollywood might be bad for your health, a new study says. A team of medical researchers has found plenty of sex but only one reference to condoms among the top-grossing films of the past two decades, concluding that blockbuster movies paint a worryingly...More

2 Australians win Nobel Prize in medicine for showing microbe causes ulcers

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Australians Barry Marshall and Robin Warren won the 2005 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for showing that bacterial infection, not stress, is to blame for most painful ulcers in the stomach and intestine....More

European pharmacy firms Boots, Alliance UniChem agree to merge

LONDON (AP) - British drugstore chains Boots Group PLC and Alliance UniChem PLC announced a seven-billion-pound ($12-billion US) merger Monday that will give the combined company a stronger European presence as it competes with supermarket chains....More

FDA warns certain Dole prepackaged salads connected to E. coli outbreak

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration is warning people not to eat certain Dole pre-packaged salads that have been connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota....More

Sixty-two per cent of Canadians change diet to eliminate trans fats: poll

MONTREAL (CP) - Canadians were taking trans fats seriously and 62 per cent of respondents in a new poll have made changes to their diet and food purchases to help eliminate these harmful fats. The Leger Marketing survey, conducted Sept....More

Four residents dead from respiratory illness outbreak at Toronto nursing home

TORONTO (CP) - Public health officials are investigating the deaths of four people from a "typical respiratory illness" at an east-end senior's residence, but say the outbreak is not SARS....More

Medical experts advise care and caution in prescribing anti-depressants

TORONTO (CP) - David Carmichael was on an anti-depressant yet in a psychotic state when he drugged and suffocated his 11-year-old epileptic son in a southern Ontario motel room....More

Incidence of sight-stealing macular degeneration set to explode as population ages: doctors

TORONTO (CP) - Patricia Gill woke up one morning seven years ago, opened her eyes and realized something was very wrong. "I had a black cloud over my left eye," said Gill, a former real estate agent and interior designer who took up landscape painting after retiring....More

Public health enjoys a resurgence as new federal agency celebrates birthday

TORONTO (CP) - Public health in Canada is enjoying a resurgence and people are pointing to the year-old Public Health Agency of Canada as the cause....More

Australians win Nobel medicine prize for finding bacteria behind stomach ulcers

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Australians Barry Marshall and Robin Warren won the 2005 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine on Monday for showing that bacteria was behind painful stomach ulcers in most people and not stress....More

European pharmacy firms Boots, Alliance UniChem agree to merge

LONDON (AP) - The boards of Alliance UniChem PLC and Boots PLC said Monday they have agreed to merge. The new company, to be called Alliance Boots, boasts combined annual sales of 13 billion pounds ($22.9 billion US)....More

Advocates across Canada call for more funding, commitment to end-of-life care

VANCOUVER (CP) - Five years ago when Gary Fish's wife lay dying of cancer, the despair he felt would catapult him into action so others could get the end-of-life care they need....More