NDP demands regular tests after lead found in drinking water at Ont. legislature

TORONTO (CP) - Politicians and staff are being advised not to drink the tap water at the Ontario legislature because of lead contamination....More

Man with rare strain of TB under 1st U.S. quarantine order in over 40 years

ATLANTA (CP) - A Georgia man with a form of tuberculosis so dangerous he is under the first U.S.-ordered quarantine in more than 40 years says he took one transatlantic flight for his wedding and honeymoon and another because he feared for his life....More

Hundreds of Quebec bars close due to anti-smoking legislation: bar owners

MONTREAL (CP) - The head of a coalition of Quebec bar owners claims hundreds of bars have been forced to close over the past year since tough provincial anti-smoking legislation went into effect....More

Health officials in Edmonton seeking infants to test new vaccine

EDMONTON (CP) - Health officials in Edmonton need infants to test a new vaccine designed to fight bacteria that cause illnesses such as pneumonia, meningitis, ear infections and blood poisoning....More

Fisher Price recalls swing set amid reports of infants becoming trapped

TORONTO (CP) - Fisher Price and U.S. consumer safety officials are recalling one of the company's children's swings, including nearly 3,700 units in Canada....More

Canadian authorities locate 16 of 28 passengers sought from TB exposure flight

TORONTO (CP) - Public health officials in the United States and Canada revealed Wednesday they have narrowed down to roughly 70 to 80 the number of people on two recent transatlantic flights who were seated in close proximity to a man infected with a rare and potentially deadly form of...More

Beancounters feel more moral responsibility to OK workplace health programs

CALGARY (CP) - The warm fuzzies that employees expect from their human resources departments may be better placed with the company beancounters, a new study indicates....More

Authorities hunting 70-80 passengers who sat near TB patient on flights

TORONTO (CP) - Public health officials in the United States and Canada revealed Wednesday they are looking for roughly 70 to 80 people on two recent transatlantic flights who were seated in close proximity to a man infected with a rare and potentially deadly form of tuberculosis....More

Generex sees progress toward approval of insulin mouth spray

TORONTO (CP) - Generex Biotechnology Corp. is on the verge of obtaining government approvals for its Oral-lyn insulin mouth spray in jurisdictions other than Ecuador, the first country that approved the product for use by diabetics, CEO Anna Gluskin says....More

Five-year-old boy to fly over Moncton, N.B., to raise money for hospital

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - A five-year-old New Brunswick boy will be taking to the skies over Moncton on Wednesday, flying a plane above the city to raise money for the region's largest children's hospital....More

Contestants to vie for kidney transplant on controversial Dutch reality TV show

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention to a shortage of organ donors said Tuesday it would go ahead with a program in which a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys....More

Cancer drug Avastin battleground in debate over fairness versus costs

HALIFAX (CP) - Two middle-aged women living on opposite sides of the country, both battling the spread of colorectal cancer, believe a medicine called Avastin separates their fates....More

BC Centre for Disease Control issues alert for possible cases of measles

VANCOUVER (CP) - The B.C. Centre for Disease Control wants health-care professionals and the public to be on alert for possible cases of measles after a visiting Japanese student came down with the disease....More

BC aims to attract doctors to deal with chronic conditions that cost big bucks

VANCOUVER (CP) - The B.C. government is hoping to chop costs by improving access to family doctors for people with chronic conditions like diabetes and kidney disease - ailments which take the biggest bite out of an overburdened health-care system....More

Authorities look for travellers exposed to man infected with XDR-TB

(CP) - Public health authorities in the United States, Canada and other countries are looking for international travellers and others who may have been exposed to an individual infected with a dangerous and highly drug resistant form of tuberculosis. Officials of the U.S....More

Advanced Medical: Contact lens solution recall not due to manufacturing problem

ATLANTA (AP) - The company involved in a voluntary recall of a contact lens solution said Tuesday it stands by its product, blaming improper handling of contact lenses for the eye infections that forced the product to be pulled from the shelves....More

Nova Scotia Liberals declare crisis in emergency health care

HALIFAX (CP) - The Nova Scotia Liberals say there's a crisis in the province's emergency health-care system. Health critic Dave Wilson says emergency rooms have been closed for a total of more than 1,947 hours so far this year, compared to 460 hours in the same period last year....More

Health activists look to religion to make the case against female genital mutilation

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Trying to stop a bloody ritual undergone by millions of Muslim women in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab world, health activists are trying a new appeal - they're citing the Qur'an....More

Japanese waist-watchers use cellphone cameras to get diet advice

TOKYO (AP) - Wondering how much of a diet-buster that big bowl of noodles is? In the United States, some restaurants could give you a calorie count. In Japan, you might take a picture of it with your cellphone and ask an expert....More

Costa Rica seizes Chinese toothpaste that contains deadly chemical

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) - Health officials said Friday they have seized more than 350 tubes of Chinese-made toothpaste tainted with a deadly chemical reportedly found in tubes sold elsewhere in the world....More

B.C. autism group visits Halifax, pushes for treatment funding across Canada

DARTMOUTH, N.S. (CP) - A British Columbia-based group pushing to have costly treatments for autistic children covered under medicare brought its fight Sunday to the East Coast. Representatives from Families for Early Autism Treatment of B.C....More

Virus sharing debate raises intellectual property concerns

The dispute over whether countries afflicted with H5N1 avian flu are owed some compensation for sharing viruses with the World Health Organization's collaborating laboratory network could derail a decades-old system that is the cornerstone of seasonal flu vaccine production, experts fear....More

Nicaragua seizes Chinese-made toothpaste, sounds safety alarm

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - Nicaraguan police seized 6,000 tubes of a Chinese-made toothpaste suspected of containing a chemical that killed at least 51 people in nearby Panama last year, the health minister said Sunday. All U.S....More

Cancer drug Avastin battleground in debate over fairness versus costs

HALIFAX (CP) - Two middle-aged women living on opposite sides of the country, both battling the spread of colorectal cancer, believe a medicine called Avastin separates their fates. Ruth Tremblay of Vancouver says she's now "cancer free" because the drug is part of her treatment....More

Canadian-made 'bioactive' paper would detect and destroy disease organisms

TORONTO (CP) - Imagine masks and gowns for hospital workers that could detect and destroy various infectious diseases, or a paper towel that would change colour when it comes in contact with a surface contaminated with potentially deadly bacteria like E. coli....More

U.S. drug agency study also showed diabetes drug risks: U.S. senator

(AP) - The U.S. government's own evaluation of the diabetes pill Avandia confirms heart risks reported in a study earlier this week and suggests as many as 60,000 to 100,000 heart attacks might be linked to its use since it came on the market eight years ago, a leading member of Congress...More

Toronto health official issues city's first heat alert of season

TORONTO (CP) - The City of Toronto has issued its first heat alert of the season - four days earlier than the first such alert in 2006. The temperature is expected to hit around 32 C this afternoon as the city remains under a smog alert for a second day. Dr....More

Study suggests closing some neonatal intensive care units could save more preemies

NEW YORK (AP) - Thousands of sickly newborns could be saved each year if officials closed some smaller neonatal intensive care units, according to a new study that suggests larger hospitals are better able to treat the infants....More

Safe injection users more likely to go through detox, start methodone: study

TORONTO (CP) - Drug addicts who visit Vancouver's embattled safe injection site are more likely to enter detox programs, more likely to start methadone therapy and reduce their number of monthly visits to the facility, a new study reports....More

Quebec C. diff rates climbed slightly over winter; still below outbreak levels

TORONTO (CP) - C. difficile rates in Quebec hospitals climbed a little this past winter, though they remain significantly below where they were during the worst of the province's C....More

New technology gives doctors and researchers a clearer view of the human body

CALGARY (CP) - University of Calgary scientists say new virtual-reality technology will allow medical researchers to look deeper inside the human body than ever before....More

N.L. orders health authority to finish radiologist review in 2 weeks

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The Newfoundland and Labrador government has ordered a provincial health authority to conclude a review of a suspended radiologist's work within two weeks....More

China investigating toothpaste containing potentially deadly chemical

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The maker of a Chinese toothpaste found to contain a potentially deadly chemical said Tuesday that he is under investigation, but claimed his product was safe. Chen Yaozu, general manager of Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co....More

Birth-control pill that eliminates women's periods wins FDA approval

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women's monthly periods indefinitely has won federal approval in the United States, the manufacturer said Tuesday....More

Vioxx, Avandia, what next? How drugs become blockbusters, then set off alarms

(AP) - How does a drug go from blockbuster to bust? How can big safety issues go undetected in medicines taken by millions of people for many years, as happened this week with the diabetes pill Avandia and a few years ago with the painkiller Vioxx? Or with devices...More

School, homework, jobs, volunteerism: Canadian teens busiest in OECD

OTTAWA (CP) - A new study says many teens carry a heavier load than people give them credit for, despite the stereotypical image of nonchalant teenage loungers....More

Radiology review may not have been public until next week: N.L. health board

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - A Newfoundland health authority announced the suspension of a radiologist under review for his handling of patients much earlier than it planned to because of "heightened sensitivity" over a separate case of botched breast cancer tests, the authority's CEO said...More

New technology allows doctors and researchers clearer view of human body

CALGARY (CP) - University of Calgary scientists say new technology will allow medical researchers to look deep inside the human body. In a cube-shaped virtual reality room, doctors use holographic images to zero in on body parts at 10 times the resolution previously available....More

N.L. health authority lacked quality controls: lawyer in breast cancer suit

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - A lawyer representing breast cancer patients behind a lawsuit against a Newfoundland health authority says a lack of quality controls, among other things, justifies the class action against the organization....More

Canadian-made 'bioactive' paper would detect and destroy disease organisms

TORONTO (CP) - Imagine masks and gowns for hospital workers that could detect and destroy various infectious diseases, or a paper towel that would change colour when it comes in contact with a surface contaminated with potentially deadly bacteria like E. coli....More

Men more prone to depression after a divorce, study finds

TORONTO (CP) - The stereotype might be that a man relishes trading his wife for a fast car or a younger woman, but a new study finds that men appear to take separation harder than women....More

Linking disease surveillance to climate could lead to 'pre-emptive' medicine

TORONTO (CP) - Linking disease surveillance with environmental studies could bring into focus patterns of emerging diseases and shine a spotlight on where problems are about to occur in time for public health officials to practise "pre-emptive" medicine, infectious disease experts said...More

In marketing weight loss pill, drugmaker touts diet and exercise

NEW YORK (AP) - You won't lose weight in your sleep or shed pounds while eating anything you want - that's the sobering message from the maker of a weight loss pill poised to hit shelves in the United States next month....More

Health Canada advises diabetics taking Avandia to consult their doctors

TORONTO (CP) - Health Canada says Canadians who are taking the diabetes medication Avandia should not discontinue their medication without first talking to their doctor....More

Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis like bird flu 'running in molasses'

TORONTO (CP) - Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis - a strain of the TB bug that is effectively immune to the power of most antibiotics - is a looming crisis that is underappreciated by much of the world, experts at a major infectious diseases conference suggested Tuesday....More

Diabetes patients weigh options after possible drug risk is revealed

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Pat Russo tried different drugs to control her diabetes before settling on Avandia, a widely prescribed diabetes pill now under scrutiny....More

China investigating toothpaste containing potentially deadly chemical

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The maker of a Chinese toothpaste found to contain a potentially deadly chemical said Tuesday that he is under investigation, but claimed his product was safe. Chen Yaozu, general manager of Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co....More

Birth-control pill that eliminates women's periods wins FDA approval

WASHINGTON (AP) - The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women's monthly periods indefinitely has won federal approval in the United States, the manufacturer said Tuesday....More

Mother of dead U.S. soldier seeks better health screening for military

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Barbara Damon-Day, the mother of a Maine Army National Guard captain who died of unexplained causes while serving in Afghanistan, has been on a mission of her own....More

Hollywood hospital to adopt new guidelines for discharging homeless

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, whose discharge of a paraplegic man onto skid row earlier this year was widely publicized, says it will adopt new guidelines meant to end the dumping of homeless patients....More

393 people in eastern China sickened by viral disease but outbreak contained

BEIJING (AP) - An outbreak of a viral disease common in children has sickened almost 900 people in eastern China but the outbreak has been contained, state media said Saturday....More

Donors hope their plastinated bodies educate beyond death

DALLAS (AP) - Stace Owens has no intention of leaving this world when he dies. He plans to stick around for decades or longer, preserved in plastic and displayed in a museum or medical school....More

Veteran country singer Dolly Parton's benefit raises $500G for new hospital

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Dolly Parton told thousands of fans at a benefit concert Sunday that she was not as important as her cause - a new hospital for her native county in Tennessee....More

Diabetes drug Avandia raises the risk of heart attacks, study suggests

(AP) - The widely prescribed diabetes drug Avandia is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and possibly death, a new scientific analysis revealed, and the U.S. government issued a safety alert Monday....More

Chronic gum disease linked to risk of tongue cancer, study finds

TORONTO (CP) - If the risk of losing all your teeth to gum disease isn't incentive enough, researchers have found another preventative reason to brush and floss religiously - tongue cancer....More

China investigating toothpaste containing potentially deadly chemical

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - The maker of a Chinese toothpaste found to contain a potentially deadly chemical said Tuesday that he is under investigation, but claimed his product was safe. Chen Yaozu, general manager of Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co....More

Slipping for science: Some labs invite volunteers to lose their footing

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Richard Grove, 73 years old and a robust six feet tall, set out with confident strides across a laboratory floor the other day. His first five steps went great. Then his left foot hit a slippery patch and skidded....More

Renewed wave of mumps in N.S. no cause for alarm, say health officials

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia has seen a new wave of infected patients in its growing mumps outbreak with 50 new cases reported in the past week alone, though health officials cautioned Friday that the increase isn't cause for alarm. Dr....More

Newfoundland health authority apologizes for confusion over faulty cancer tests

ST. JOHNS, N.L. (CP) - A local health authority in Newfoundland has apologized for the confusion it created when it failed to fully disclose results of a review that found 317 women received the wrong results from faulty breast cancer tests....More

N.L. health authority apologizes for 'confusion' over faulty cancer tests

ST. JOHNS, N.L. (CP) - The chief of a Newfoundland health authority apologized Friday for the "confusion" created when it failed to fully disclose results of a review that found more than 300 patients received the wrong results from botched breast cancer tests....More

Mother of dead U.S. soldier seeks better health screening for military

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Barbara Damon-Day, the mother of a Maine Army National Guard captain who died of unexplained causes while serving in Afghanistan, has been on a mission of her own....More

Hollywood hospital to adopt new guidelines for discharging homeless

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, whose discharge of a paraplegic man onto skid row earlier this year was widely publicized, says it will adopt new guidelines meant to end the dumping of homeless patients....More

393 people in eastern China sickened by viral disease but outbreak contained

BEIJING (AP) - An outbreak of a viral disease common in children has sickened almost 900 people in eastern China but the outbreak has been contained, state media said Saturday....More

Donors hope their plastinated bodies educate beyond death

DALLAS (AP) - Stace Owens has no intention of leaving this world when he dies. He plans to stick around for decades or longer, preserved in plastic and displayed in a museum or medical school....More

Work-related suicides, insanity, soar in Japan

TOKYO (AP) - The number of Japanese who killed themselves because of work jumped by 52 per cent last year, while work-induced mental illness also hit a record high, a health official said Thursday....More

Teen pregnancy rate at all-time low, sexually transmitted infections up

TORONTO (CP) - A study has found Canada's teenage pregnancy rate is at an all-time low, and teen abortions have also dropped dramatically. But sexually transmitted infections are up....More

Slipping for science: Labs research how we fall in search for ways to prevent it

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Richard Grove, 73 years old and a robust 6 feet tall, set out with confident strides across a laboratory floor the other day. His first five steps went great. Then his left foot hit a slippery patch and skidded....More

Ontario government putting $6 million into autism initiatives

TORONTO (CP) - The Ontario government is putting $6 million into a number of autism initiatives and is directing all school boards to make specialized treatment available in schools....More

Newfoundland government promising review of faulty breast cancer tests

ST. JOHNS, N.L. (CP) - At least three dozen women in Newfoundland and Labrador who received a false negative on a faulty breast cancer test have died, a senior medical examiner says, but it's not known how many of them died as a direct result of their cancer....More

N.S. family frustrated by limited treatment of son charged in killings: friends

HALIFAX (CP) - The parents of a Nova Scotia man facing multiple murder charges in Canada and the United States were deeply frustrated he wasn't receiving consistent treatment for his worsening mental illness, say close friends and neighbours....More

36 women given faulty breast cancer test have died: medical examiner

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - A senior medical examiner says at least three dozen women in Newfoundland and Labrador who received a false negative on a faulty breast cancer test have died, although it's not clear if any of them died as a direct result of their cancer....More

Slipping for science: Some labs invite volunteers to lose their footing

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Richard Grove, 73 years old and a robust six feet tall, set out with confident strides across a laboratory floor the other day. His first five steps went great. Then his left foot hit a slippery patch and skidded....More

Studies show experimental smallpox vaccine nearly as good as older vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) - An experimental smallpox vaccine appears to work nearly as well as an older vaccine in protecting against the deadly virus, according to U.S. federal documents released Tuesday....More

N.L. knew of cancer test errors, but didn't tell due to suit: minister

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - The Newfoundland and Labrador government knew for half a year that more than 300 women did not receive the proper treatment for their breast cancer because of a faulty test, but did not inform the public....More

Hundreds of Canadians killed every year by fatigued drivers, researchers say

TORONTO (CP) - If police could lay their hands on a device that would tell them how much sleep drivers had before getting behind the wheel, more than four million Canadians would have reason to worry. Research shows at least 20 per cent of Canadians - an estimated 4....More

Fast-food chain Burger King responds to suit over trans-fat cooking oil

MIAMI (AP) - Burger King Holdings Inc. said in response to a lawsuit Wednesday that it is testing a cooking oil blend that, if successful, could be used to replace trans fats in its restaurants by the end of the year, earlier than it previously indicated....More

Ethical concerns raised over test to reveal sex of fetus after 6 weeks

LONDON (AP) - A new test dubbed "Pink or Blue" promises to tell parents the sex of their fetus just six weeks into pregnancy, but critics question its reliability and say it could pose an array of ethical issues....More

Doctors trying to diagnose autism and other mental disorders in babies

CHICAGO (AP) - Within days of their birth, healthy babies will look you in the eye. By four months, they will delight in others. And by nine months, they will exchange smiles. Jacob Day did none of those things....More

Canada stockpiling avian flu vaccines as hedge against outbreak in poultry

TORONTO (CP) - Canada is putting together a stockpile of 10 million doses of avian flu vaccine. But this one isn't for people....More

Work-related suicides, insanity, soar in Japan

TOKYO (AP) - The number of Japanese who killed themselves because of work jumped by 52 per cent last year, while work-induced mental illness also hit a record high, a health official said Thursday....More

Ongoing mumps outbreak hits Toronto; three cases diagnosed in city

TORONTO (CP) - Canada's ongoing mumps outbreak has hit the country's biggest city. And Toronto's public health officials expect the current case count of three infections to climb before the outbreak subsides. "I think we may see more cases," Dr....More

Japan investigates more flu drugs for inducing abnormal behaviour

TOKYO (CP) - Japan's Health Ministry is investigating two anti-influenza drugs for possible links to abnormal, sometimes dangerous, behaviour similar to that reported by some patients taking the flu medicine Tamiflu, a news report said Tuesday....More

Indonesia sends three bird flu sample viruses to WHO but impasse not solved

(CP) - After refusing to share H5N1 avian flu viruses with the World Health Organization since the start of the year, Indonesian officials revealed Tuesday that virus samples were sent to a WHO collaborating laboratory earlier this month....More

Indonesia sends 3 bird flu specimens to WHO but impasse not solved

(CP) - After refusing to share H5N1 avian flu viruses with the World Health Organization since the start of the year, Indonesian officials revealed Tuesday the country sent clinical specimens to a WHO collaborating laboratory earlier this month....More

Canada's labour minister bans smoking rooms in federal buildings

OTTAWA (CP) - Smoking lounges in all federal government offices and federally-regulated buildings were slated for closure Tuesday on the orders of Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn, who painted the move as an important health measure....More

After months of stonewalling, Indonesia sends three bird flu sample viruses to WHO

(CP) - After refusing to share H5N1 avian flu viruses with the World Health Organization for months, Indonesian officials announced Tuesday that their country has resumed sending virus samples to a WHO collaborating laboratory....More

317 breast cancer patients in N.L. received wrong treatment: affidavit

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - Court documents show that more than 300 breast cancer patients in Newfoundland and Labrador were given the wrong treatment because of faulty testing....More

300 breast cancer patients in N.L. received wrong treatment: affidavit

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. (CP) - More than 300 women in Newfoundland and Labrador were disqualified from receiving critically important treatment for their breast cancer because of a faulty test, according to documents filed in the province's Supreme Court....More

Amid bird flu vaccine debate, scientists aren't sure what dose will protect

(CP) - Concerns about the developing world's access to affordable pandemic vaccines are expected to take centre stage this week at the World Health Organization's annual general meeting, the World Health Assembly....More

Standup desk that fits over treadmill lets workers walk while they work

TORONTO (CP) - There's no doubt that sitting on one's butt all day at a desk or in front of a computer is hardly conducive to weight loss....More

People, including medical practitioners, try miscellany of tricks to cure warts

TORONTO (CP) - Eye of newt and toe of frog. Wool of bat and tongue of dog. OK, so maybe people don't quite go to the lengths of concocting the witches' brew from "MacBeth" when trying to rid themselves of warts....More

Experts call it 'cruel joke' to urge moms to breastfeed without training

TORONTO (CP) - Thousands of new mothers in Ontario go through unnecessary pain and frustration because society is playing a "cruel joke" by telling them to breastfeed their babies without giving them proper training, some health professionals charged Monday....More

Court says man left paralyzed by West Nile virus entitled to insurance payout

TORONTO (CP) - A man who was left paralyzed by West Nile virus is entitled to receive an insurance payout, Ontario's highest court ruled Monday....More

Coca-Cola reaches settlement in lawsuits over claims of benzene in drinks

ATLANTA (AP) - The Coca-Cola Co. has agreed to offer replacements to people who purchased two soft drinks to settle lawsuits over ingredients that can form cancer-causing benzene, the plaintiffs said Monday....More

Blood pressure rising around the globe, not just in Western world

WASHINGTON (AP) - The numbers are a shock: Almost one billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, and over half a billion more will harbour this silent killer by 2025. It's not just a problem for the ever-fattening Western world....More

Japan investigates more flu drugs for inducing abnormal behaviour

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's Health Ministry is investigating two anti-influenza drugs for possible links to abnormal, sometimes dangerous, behaviour similar to that reported by some patients taking the flu medicine Tamiflu, a news report said Tuesday....More

Nova Scotia to begin mumps immunization for health-care workers

HALIFAX (CP) - Nova Scotia is starting a mumps immunization program for health-care workers as an outbreak of the virus in the province climbed in the last week by 19 confirmed cases to 222 on Friday....More

N.S to immunize health-care workers against mumps, B.C. reports first case

HALIFAX (CP) - With the number of mumps cases rising in the province, the Nova Scotia government announced Friday it will begin immunizing thousands of health-care workers against the virus as early as next week....More

Federal NDP leader wants universal drug coverage for Canadians

VICTORIA (CP) - Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton says there must be universal prescription drug coverage for all Canadians. Speaking at CUPE British Columbia's annual convention in Victoria, Layton launched a national campaign to get universal coverage....More

Evenflo recalls infant car seat-carriers; handle unexpectedly releases

WASHINGTON (CP) - About 450,000 combination car-seat carriers for infants, including 27,000 in Canada, are being recalled by the manufacturer, Evenflo. The U.S....More

Montreal-area home for Alzheimer's patients latest target for metal robbers

LAVAL, Que. (CP) - A home for Alzheimer's patients being built on generosity is the latest place to learn nothing is sacred to thieves trying to make a buck off pricey metals. Robbers recently stripped the half-finished building of most of its copper wiring, setting back the $2....More

Basketball star tries to change attitudes towards disabled athletes

EDMONTON (CP) - One of Canada's top basketball players is speaking out about public attitudes towards disabled athletes, cautioning that it hurts to be reminded that she won her medals "despite being confined to a wheelchair....More

Shields promotes bill aimed at helping mothers fight postpartum depression

WASHINGTON (AP) - Brooke Shields says postpartum depression is more prevalent than anyone wants to admit, and that it's time for legislators to pass legislation to help new mothers....More

Amid bird flu vaccine debate, scientists aren't sure what dose will protect

(CP) - Concerns about the developing world's access to affordable pandemic vaccines are expected to take centre stage this week at the World Health Organization's annual general meeting, the World Health Assembly....More

Ag minister says possibly tainted fish feed was exported, not sold in B.C.

VICTORIA (CP) - British Columbia's agriculture minister says it appears suspect fishmeal from a Vancouver-area animal food producer was exported and did not make its way to Canadian fish farms....More

Thin people may be fat on the inside, doctors warn; exercise is key

LONDON (AP) - If it really is what's on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble....More

OxyContin executives plead to misleading public about addiction risks

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin and three of its current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to misleading the public about the drug's risk of addiction, a federal prosecutor and the company said....More

Ontario spends $5.5 million to reduce surgical wait times for children

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario will spend $5.5 million to shorten surgical wait times for children, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Thursday....More

Ontario adding 1,200 new full-time nurses in long-term care sector

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's long-term care homes can expect new staff under a $60-million funding commitment to add 1,200 new full-time registered practical nursing positions across the province, the government said Wednesday....More

Documents expose flaws in cost comparison of P3 hospital financing: coalition

TORONTO (CP) - The province approved a controversial private-public financing scheme for the construction of a Brampton hospital despite being told by independent consultants that it could potentially cost millions more than if the project was publicly funded, the Ontario Health Coalition...More

Class action launched for nursing infants whose mothers took Tylenol 3

TORONTO (CP) - A Toronto law firm says a class action suit has been started on behalf of infants who allegedly ingested "potentially lethal components" of Tylenol 3 through breast milk....More

Evenflo recalls infant car seat-carriers; handle unexpectedly releases

WASHINGTON (CP) - About 450,000 combination car-seat carriers for infants, including 27,000 in Canada, are being recalled by the manufacturer, Evenflo. The U.S....More

Seniors account for disproportionate number of pedestrian injuries: study

TORONTO (CP) - Pedestrian accidents serious enough to send people to hospital declined dramatically in the decade after 1994, with children being the main beneficiaries of this welcome trend, a new report released Wednesday shows....More

Ontario adding 1,200 new full-time nurses in long-term care sector

TORONTO (CP) - Another 1,200 new full-time registered nursing positions are being added to the long-term care sector in Ontario. Health and Minister George Smitherman says in a release the province will invest $57.7 million in annual funding to create the positions....More

Hospital overcrowding and antibiotics factors in Sault C. difficile outbreak

TORONTO (CP) - An Ontario coroner's investigation into a rash of deaths at a Sault Ste. Marie hospital has determined 10 of them were caused by C. difficile, while the bacteria was a contributing factor in another eight deaths. Deputy chief coroner Dr. Bonita Porter says C....More

Hospital admits breaking law in sterilizing girl whose growth deliberately stunted

SEATTLE (AP) - A hospital has acknowledged breaking state law when doctors performed a hysterectomy on a severely developmentally disabled girl whose growth was medically stunted to make caring for her easier for her parents....More

Health minister says 'discussions' ongoing with health centre over billing

VICTORIA (CP) - Health Minister George Abbott says talks are ongoing with a Vancouver private care clinic over its billing practices....More

Drug in patch form approved in U.S. to treat early Parkinson's symptoms

WASHINGTON (AP) - The treatment options for patients with early Parkinson's expanded Wednesday with the approval of a new drug in patch form, a first for medicines to treat symptoms of the disease....More

Biomedical ethics expert says Body Worlds exhibition pushes the limits

MONTREAL (CP) - An expert in biomedical ethics says parts of the controversial Body Worlds 2 exhibition opening Thursday "push the limits" when it comes to treating people's dead bodies with dignity. More than 20 million people around the world have already seen Dr....More

Ag minister says possibly tainted fish feed was exported, not sold in B.C.

VICTORIA (CP) - British Columbia's agriculture minister says it appears suspect fishmeal from a Vancouver-area animal food producer was exported and did not make its way to Canadian fish farms....More

U.S. study questions idea that kids who drink pure juice put on extra pounds

TORONTO (CP) - Contrary to what some people believe, drinking pure fruit juice does not contribute to weight gain among young children - and it may even help to keep them at a healthy weight, a U.S. study suggests....More

Report into Alberta woman's chemo drug overdose death released by cancer board

EDMONTON (CP) - Pumps used to administer chemotherapy drugs should be simplifed to prevent overdoses such as the one that killed an Alberta woman last summer, says a report into her death....More

Halving salt intake could slash number of Canadians with high blood pressure

TORONTO (CP) - Cutting the average Canadian's salt intake in half would dramatically reduce the toll - human and economic - that hypertension or high blood pressure exacts in this country, a new study suggests....More

Farmed fish in U.S. fed contaminated material linked to pet food recall

WASHINGTON (AP) - Farmed fish were fed meal spiked with an industrial chemical linked to the ongoing recall of pet foods, though the contamination level was probably too low to pose a danger to any humans who may have eaten the fish, U.S. health officials said Tuesday....More

Cracker Barrel pulls burgers after S.Carolina woman cut by metal object

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Cracker Barrel pulled hamburgers from hundreds of restaurants after a patron in South Carolina reported cutting her mouth on a piece of metal embedded in a patty, authorities and the restaurant chain said Tuesday....More

Clinton Foundation deal to offer AIDS pill for less than $1 a day

NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton announced agreements with drug companies Tuesday to lower the price in the developing world of AIDS drugs resistant to initial treatments and to make a once-a-day AIDS pill available for less than $1 a day....More

Canada's ranking plunges on international scale measuring children's outlook

TORONTO (CP) - On the eve of Mother's Day, a new report from an international charity shows Canada is plunging on a scale assessing the outlook for children in the world's countries....More

Briton misdiagnosed with terminal cancer spent savings, wants compensation

LONDON (AP) - A man who spent his life savings after being told he had months to live is seeking compensation after doctors in Britain conceded they had the diagnosis wrong. John Brandrick, 62, was told two years ago he had terminal pancreatic cancer....More

Michael J. Fox urges speedier therapies for diseases like Parkinson's

BOSTON (AP) - Actor Michael J. Fox appealed to scientists and investors Monday to aggressively translate scientific research into creative treatments for debilitating diseases, including the Parkinson's disease he has fought for more than a decade....More

Medical journal criticizes WHO for neglecting evidence when issuing health advice

LONDON (AP) - When developing "evidence-based" guidelines, the World Health Organization routinely forgets one key ingredient: evidence. That's the verdict from a study published in The Lancet online Tuesday....More

Hogs, chickens that ate contaminated feed pose low health risk to humans

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government scientists in the U.S. say consumers face little risk from eating pork, chicken and eggs from farm animals that ate feed contaminated by the industrial chemical melamine....More

Expert panel recommends against general use of new meningitis vaccine

TORONTO (CP) - A national expert panel has recommended provincial and territorial governments not add a new meningitis vaccine to their childhood immunization programs, saying the additional strains of bacteria it protects against rarely cause disease in Canada....More

Antihistamines, shots and nasal sprays are among hay fever treatment options

(CP) - Those who suffer from seasonal allergies have a range of treatment options to deal with itchy eyes, sneezing and runny noses. Dr....More

Halving salt intake could slash number of Canadians with high blood pressure

TORONTO (CP) - Cutting the average Canadian's salt intake in half would dramatically reduce the toll - human and economic - that hypertension or high blood pressure exacts in this country, a new study suggests....More

Clinton Foundation deal to offer AIDS pill for less than $1 a day

NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton announced agreements with drug companies Tuesday to lower the price in the developing world of AIDS drugs resistant to initial treatments and to make a once-a-day AIDS pill available for less than $1 a day....More

Briton misdiagnosed with terminal cancer spent savings, wants compensation

LONDON (AP) - A man who spent his life savings after being told he had months to live is seeking compensation after doctors in Britain conceded they had the diagnosis wrong. John Brandrick, 62, was told two years ago he had terminal pancreatic cancer....More

Brazil issues compulsory 'licence' to override U.S. patent on AIDS drug

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva issued a "compulsory licence" Friday to override the patent of an AIDS drug made by the U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck....More

BC researcher outraged that study concludes safe injection site is a failure

VANCOUVER (CP) - A scientist who has published several studies on the positive impact of Vancouver's safe-injection site is outraged that the author of a report has hailed the facility a failure without any evidence through medical research. Dr....More

200 cases of the mumps reported in Nova Scotia since outbreak began

HALIFAX (CP) - The number of mumps cases in Nova Scotia has been growing since the beginning of the outbreak in February. The province's medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Strang, says there have now been 203 cases reported....More

Gravity machines make play for space in crowded health clubs

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (CP) - North America might not need yet another exercise machine. Treadmills, weights and resistance equipment already jam the health clubs. Yet Gravity machines have found a niche at the YMCA in Saratoga Springs, a resort town....More

Get Prepared!, Canadian Red Cross says as Emergency Preparedness Week begins

TORONTO (CP) - Disaster can strike at any time - are you and your family ready? Sunday marks the start of Emergency Preparedness Week across Canada....More

Cord blood banking called 'biological insurance' - but is it worth the cost?

(CP) - Tania and Michael Gurr are expecting their first child in July, and among the decisions the soon-to-be parents must make - from what colour to paint the nursery to the best car seat to buy - is one born from the promise of medical technology....More

FDA asks antidepressant makers to warn young adults about suicide risks

WASHINGTON (AP) - Young adults beginning treatment with antidepressants should be warned about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour, U.S. federal health officials said Wednesday....More

Children with chronic pain find relief at Toronto rehab centre for kids

TORONTO (CP) - It began with a flu and a few missed days of school. Months later, Brooke Alexander had difficulty following the plot lines of her favourite movies, suffered from debilitating migraine headaches, and would be physically exhausted after climbing a flight of stairs...More

B.C. casino workers familiar with problem gamblers, says Lottery Corp. survey

VICTORIA (CP) - B.C. casino workers say they regularly see problem gambling up close, including people who wear diapers into casinos so they don't have to leave the machines to use the washroom. Many of the employees who responded to a survey by the B.C....More

U.S. Senate courting veto as drug imports measure survives challenge

WASHINGTON (CP) - The U.S. Senate is courting a presidential veto on prescription drug imports from Canada. The latest bid to legalize imports survived a major challenge Thursday in the upper house, where senators endorsed the idea by a vote of 63-28....More

Should people plan to wear medical masks during a pandemic? CDC says maybe

TORONTO (CP) - Should the general public consider wearing medical masks during a flu pandemic to reduce their risk of infection? The U.S. Centres for Disease Control says the answer to that question is perhaps....More

Researchers link DNA variation to heart disease, boosts risk by 40 per cent

TORONTO (CP) - Researchers have pinpointed a genetic variation that appears to boost susceptibility to premature heart disease by up to 40 per cent, regardless of other known risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure....More

Pathologist public inquiry panel announced by new commissioner

TORONTO (CP) - The commissioner appointed to lead an public inquiry into the work of a discredited former forensic pathologist says his primary job is to restore public confidence in the system....More

Ont., firefighters to get compensation for job-related cancers back to 1960

TORONTO (CP) - Firefighters are always there when society needs them and now it's "our turn" to be there for them, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday as the province passed legislation it considers to be this country's furthest reaching recognition of the link between battling...More

FDA inspectors checking food manufacturers while pet food recall expands

WASHINGTON (AP) - Government inspectors are checking food makers who use protein concentrates to make sure none of the contaminated products found in pet food have reached other products, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday....More

BC researcher outraged that study concludes safe injection site is a failure

VANCOUVER (CP) - A scientist who has published several studies on the positive impact of Vancouver's safe-injection site is outraged that the author of a report has hailed the facility a failure without any evidence through medical research. Dr....More