Saskatchewan sees plunge in number of West Nile virus cases in 2008

REGINA - Health officials are pointing to a cool spring as a key reason for a sharp drop in the number of West Nile virus cases in Saskatchewan this year. There were 19 cases and no deaths across the province in 2008, compared to 1,454 and four deaths last year....More

Saskatchewan investigating after hospital found to be reusing syringes

REGINA - Saskatchewan public health officials tried to ease the fears of patients across the province Thursday after learning that at least one health region has been reusing syringes during surgical operations. Dr....More

Newspapers in Minneapolis and Boston get suspicious packages

SAN FRANCISCO - The Star Tribune of Minneapolis and the Boston Herald are the latest news organizations to receive a package labelled "anthrax" - a day after the FBI arrested a man on charges of sending anthrax hoax letters to the media....More

China's animal feed tainted with melamine, media reports say

BEIJING - Animal feed producers in China commonly add the industrial chemical melamine to their products to make them appear higher in protein, state media reported Thursday, an indication that the scope of the country's latest food safety scandal could extend beyond milk and eggs....More

U.S. consumer group asks government to ban diabetes drug Avandia

WASHINGTON - The government should ban the diabetes drug Avandia because of a wide variety of life-threatening risks, including heart and liver damage, a consumer group said Thursday....More

Tips on kids' anxiety symptoms, when to seek help

CHICAGO - How do you know your child's fear or anxiety is a reason to see a doctor? It usually involves extreme behaviour. Experts offer these tips: -Separation anxiety: This is not the clinginess often seen in toddlers....More

Therapy plus Zoloft helps kids with anxiety, new study suggests

CHICAGO - A popular antidepressant plus three months of psychotherapy dramatically helped children with anxiety disorders, the most common psychiatric illnesses in kids, the biggest study of its kind found....More

Ont. should stop using sewage sludge as fertilizer until health impact clear: NDP

TORONTO - Ontario's food supply may become increasingly tainted by drugs like Valium and other hazardous chemicals as long as sewage sludge continues to be used as crop fertilizer, critics charged Thursday....More

Former health minister enraged by $125 fee for dermatologist appointment

TORONTO - A $125 fee to schedule an appointment to see a dermatologist is proof some people in Ontario are facing "illegal" charges to access health services that should be covered for all citizens, Progressive Conservative Jim Wilson charged Wednesday....More

Extra hour of sleep from turning clock back may help the heart

NEW YORK - Turning your clock back on Sunday may be good for your heart. Swedish researchers looked at 20 years of records and discovered that the number of heart attacks dipped on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour, possibly because people got an extra hour of sleep....More

Doorknobs and TV remotes are germ hotbeds, virology researchers report

WASHINGTON - Someone in your house have the sniffles? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. The TV remote, too. A new study finds that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer....More

China investigates tainted eggs in new food scare

BEIJING - Chinese authorities said Wednesday they were investigating how eggs came to be contaminated with the same industrial chemical at the center of a milk scandal that sickened thousands of babies, as more tainted eggs turned up in Hong Kong and the mainland....More

Canadian Blood Services says reserves low, asks for more donors

OTTAWA - Canadian Blood Services is putting out a call for more blood donors, saying its inventory has dropped 40 per cent in the last two months. At one point this week - on Tuesday - the emergency reserve had dropped to two days on hand for the most common blood types....More

Canada barely bitten by West Nile this year, unlike 2007 season

TORONTO - Cases of West Nile infection among Canadians during this year's mosquito season plunged dramatically compared with last year, and experts suggest cooler, wet weather is likely the reason....More

Saskatchewan sees plunge in number of West Nile virus cases in 2008

REGINA - Health officials are pointing to a cool spring as a key reason for a sharp drop in the number of West Nile virus cases in Saskatchewan this year. There were 19 cases and no deaths across the province in 2008, compared to 1,454 and four deaths last year....More

China's animal feed tainted with melamine, media reports say

BEIJING - Animal feed producers in China commonly add the industrial chemical melamine to their products to make them appear higher in protein, state media reported Thursday, an indication that the scope of the country's latest food safety scandal could extend beyond milk and eggs....More

FDA's conclusion that chemical is safe is flawed, scientists say

WASHINGTON - An independent panel of science advisers is taking issue with the FDA's assessment that a controversial chemical is safe. In a report to the U.S. agency, the panel concluded: "The margins of safety identified by FDA as 'adequate' are, in fact, inadequate....More

Drug-resistant staph germs harder than ever to treat, new studies say

WASHINGTON - Drug-resistant staph bacteria picked up in ordinary community settings are increasingly acquiring "superbug" powers and causing far more serious illnesses than they have in the past, doctors reported Monday....More

China pulls tainted eggs from store shelves in new food safety scare

BEIJING - Wal-Mart pulled a brand of eggs from all its stores in China on Tuesday after tests in Hong Kong found they were tainted with the same toxic chemical blamed for sickening tens of thousands of babies....More

Canada places 10th out of 16 countries in health performance

OTTAWA - A new study ranking countries' health performance puts Canada in the middle of the pack. A Conference Board of Canada study released Tuesday placed Canada 10th out of 16 countries in health and quality of health services....More

B.C. court issues injunction in class-action over sperm, egg donor births

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A British Columbia judge hearing the case of a woman who wants to know the identity of her sperm donor father has issued an injunction against the destruction or transfer of any records concerning artificial insemination....More

Americans' diabetes drug costs soaring, top US$12B last year

CHICAGO - Americans with diabetes nearly doubled their spending on drugs for the disease in just six years, with the bill last year climbing to an eye-popping US$12.5 billion....More

2 vitamin C products found to contain potentially toxic vitamin A: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Health Canada is warning consumers, especially expectant mothers, not to use two vitamin C products sold under the brand names New Roots Herbal Vitamin C8 and Vitazan Professional Vitamin C Advanced Ascorbate....More

U.S. feedlot owners oppose beef labeling law requiring disclosure of source country

PASCO, Washington - Cody Easterday estimates that some 25 per cent of the cattle at his 30,000-head feedlot come from Canada, with maybe a few cattle from Mexico in the pens....More

Crown appealing case of woman convicted of two counts of infanticide

GUELPH, Ont. - The Crown has launched an appeal of the case of an Ontario mother convicted of infanticide for suffocating two of her infant sons. Crown attorneys want Ontario's highest court to examine the woman's acquittal on two counts of first-degree murder....More

Court upholds decision that loosens Ottawa's grip on medical marijuana access

TORONTO - A court decision that effectively loosens Ottawa's tight grip on access to medical marijuana has been upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal....More

Avoid natural health supplements for kids on drug-thinner warfarin: doctors

TORONTO - Giving herbs, vitamins and other natural health products to children taking the blood-thinning drug warfarin for congenital heart defects could increase their risk of clots and bleeding, the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress was told Monday....More

Are flu shots worth the effort? Shots not perfect but worth the momentary pain

TORONTO - There's no denying it: The reputation of the flu shot has taken a bit of a beating over the past year....More

Williams tells N.L. breast cancer inquiry that lessons have been learned

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams says he has asked members of his staff to bring urgent problems to his attention in the aftermath of perceived delays in getting information out about botched breast cancer tests in Newfoundland....More

People with anxiety disorders at risk for high blood pressure: researcher

TORONTO - People with anxiety disorders are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure and should have their heart health carefully monitored, doctors attending the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress were told Monday....More

Drug-resistant staph germs harder than ever to treat, new studies say

WASHINGTON - Drug-resistant staph bacteria picked up in ordinary community settings are increasingly acquiring "superbug" powers and causing far more serious illnesses than they have in the past, doctors reported Monday....More

Americans' diabetes drug costs soaring, top US$12B last year

CHICAGO - Americans with diabetes nearly doubled their spending on drugs for the disease in just six years, with the bill last year climbing to an eye-popping US$12.5 billion....More

Diarrhea vaccine leads to sharp drop in infant hospitalization and ER visits

WASHINGTON - A vaccine against rotavirus, the leading cause of diarrhea in infants, has led to a dramatic drop in hospitalization and emergency room visits since it came on the market two years ago, doctors reported Saturday....More

Canadian Food Inspection Agency issues warning about sandwiches, meat

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people not to eat ready-to-eat roast beef and sandwiches sold at certain stores in Atlantic Canada because the product may be contaminated with Listeria. The products are made by Les Salaisons Desco Inc. of Boisbriand, Que....More

U.S. study suggests delaying AIDS treatment is not a good idea

WASHINGTON - People who have the AIDS virus should start drug treatments sooner than current guidelines recommend, suggests a large new study that could change the care of hundreds of thousands of Americans....More

Immigrants to Canada more likely to suffer heart problems: study

TORONTO - The stressful process of settling down in a new country may be putting Canadian immigrants at risk for health problems down the road, according to a new study to be presented Monday at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress....More

Having a heart attack? Forget about driving to the ER and call 911, doctors say

TORONTO - Doctors have some simple advice for anyone with symptoms of a heart attack who needs to get to the hospital emergency room: leave the car in the garage and call 911....More

Study suggests drinking water may be source of winter norovirus outbreaks

TORONTO - Why do nasty norovirus outbreaks seem to happen more often in winter? A new study suggests drinking water supplies may be playing a role....More

Sextuplets born to NY couple

NEW YORK - A couple in New York spent seven years raising their only child, a son - until the city's second sextuplets arrived....More

Hospitals ease ER crowding with ward beds in halls

CHICAGO - There's no phone and no television. Only a screen offers privacy. But heart patient Edward Gray understands why the hospital put him in a cardiac unit hallway....More

Scientists find 26 genes promoting lung cancer

NEW YORK - In the largest effort of its kind, scientists have identified 26 genes that, when damaged, appear to promote lung cancer. It's a step toward developing new treatments that can be tailored to specific patients....More

Food allergies increasing in US kids, study says; parents more aware

ATLANTA - Food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise, now affecting about three million kids, according to the first federal study of the problem. Experts said that might be because parents are more aware and quicker to have their kids checked out by a doctor....More

Family of B.C. twins joined at head set to celebrate girls' second birthday

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Krista and Tatiana Hogan have been a curiosity since the day they came into the world joined at the head, drawing astonished stares and sometimes even sneers from people who say they should never have been born....More

Doctors prescribing placebos to patients, not worried about ethics: study

TORONTO - We may be in the era of evidence-based medicine, but a new study suggests doctors are still falling back on a habit of yore - prescribing placebos. And they may be doing it with surprising frequency. The study, based on a survey of U.S....More

China arrests 6 for role in contaminating milk

BEIJING - China arrested six people Thursday for their role in supplying contaminated milk to the country's dairy companies, as the health ministry said more than 3,600 Chinese children remain hospitalized after consuming compromised products....More

Child in North Bay, Ont., E. coli outbreak 'very ill' in hospital

NORTH BAY, Ont. - A child infected with a deadly strain of E. coli linked to a Harvey's restaurant in northern Ontario is "very ill" in hospital with complications from the bacterial infection, health officials said Thursday as the number of suspected and confirmed cases rose to 207....More

Warning out after Toronto restaurant worker tests positive for hepatitis A

TORONTO - Toronto Public Health has issued a warning after a restaurant worker tested positive for hepatitis A. A food handler at the Sushi Haru restaurant at 635 College St. has the virus....More

Nova Scotia-made sandwiches recalled because of Listeria concerns

HALIFAX, N.S. - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a food hazard alert for sandwiches made in Nova Scotia that might be contaminated with Listeria....More

Confirmed E. coli cases up again in North Bay, Ont., Harvey's outbreak

NORTH BAY, Ont. - The number of confirmed E. coli cases stemming from a Harvey's restaurant in North Bay, Ont., has risen to 35. That's seven more than reported Monday....More

Better information systems post-Walkerton tragedy help in new E. coli outbreak

TORONTO - Better communication and availability of information, legacies of the tainted-water tragedy in Walkerton, Ont., helped improve the response to an E. coli outbreak linked to a Harvey's restaurant in northern Ontario, health and civic officials said Tuesday....More

UN says China's food safety system needs reform

BEIJING - China must urgently reform its food safety system to increase oversight and hold businesses responsible for their products, United Nations officials said Wednesday....More

Study warns that safety a problem for new generation biological drugs, too

CHICAGO - Nearly a fourth of widely used new-generation biological drugs for several common diseases produce serious side effects that lead to safety warnings soon after they go on the market, the first major study of its kind found....More

U.S. government panel calls for vaccine for adult smokers

ATLANTA - For the first time, an influential government panel in the United States is recommending a vaccination specifically for smokers. The panel decided Wednesday that adult smokers under 65 should get pneumococcal vaccine....More

Scientists find 26 genes promoting lung cancer

NEW YORK - In the largest effort of its kind, scientists have identified 26 genes that, when damaged, appear to promote lung cancer. It's a step toward developing new treatments that can be tailored to specific patients....More

Food allergies increasing in US kids, study says; parents more aware

ATLANTA - Food allergies in American children seem to be on the rise, now affecting about three million kids, according to the first federal study of the problem. Experts said that might be because parents are more aware and quicker to have their kids checked out by a doctor....More

China arrests 6 for role in contaminating milk

BEIJING - China arrested six people Thursday for their role in supplying contaminated milk to the country's dairy companies, as the health ministry said more than 3,600 Chinese children remain hospitalized after consuming compromised products....More

Private sector could help public health system provide better care: CMA head

TORONTO - Canada's ailing medicare system is in need of aggressive treatment, says the head of the Canadian Medical Association, which is planning a fact-finding mission to Europe to see up close and personal how other countries deliver health care. CMA president Dr....More

Meat from Maple Leaf plant at centre of listeriosis outbreak given the OK

TORONTO - Products from the Maple Leaf Foods plant at the centre of a listeriosis outbreak have been approved to be distributed to the public. The food producer shut down a meat processing plant in Toronto on Aug....More

Industry, not scathing editorial, must guide Canada's stance on asbestos: expert

MONTREAL - When world leaders meet next week to decide whether chrysotile asbestos should be added to a list of dangerous substances, they should do so with an open mind, proponents of the mineral said Tuesday....More

Health workers in Alberta ratify three-year deal recommended by mediator

EDMONTON - More than 11,000 Alberta provincial government employees who work in the health-care system have ratified new contracts that include a 15 per cent pay raise over three years....More

Confirmed E. coli cases up again in North Bay, Ont., Harvey's outbreak

NORTH BAY, Ont. - The number of confirmed E. coli cases stemming from a Harvey's restaurant in North Bay, Ont., has risen to 35. That's seven more than reported Monday....More

Better information systems post-Walkerton tragedy help in new E. coli outbreak

TORONTO - Better communication and availability of information, legacies of the tainted-water tragedy in Walkerton, Ont., helped improve the response to an E. coli outbreak linked to a Harvey's restaurant in northern Ontario, health and civic officials said Tuesday....More

UN says China's food safety system needs reform

BEIJING - China must urgently reform its food safety system to increase oversight and hold businesses responsible for their products, United Nations officials said Wednesday....More

Study warns that safety a problem for new generation biological drugs, too

CHICAGO - Nearly a fourth of widely used new-generation biological drugs for several common diseases produce serious side effects that lead to safety warnings soon after they go on the market, the first major study of its kind found....More

Nobel laureate whose discovery led to HPV vaccine dismayed by opposition to it

TORONTO - The trepidation and distrust HPV vaccines have faced from some quarters are a disappointment to the scientist whose discovery of the link between human papillomaviruses and cervical cancer laid the groundwork for the vaccines. Dr....More

N.L. premier urges nurses to take wage offer while economy sound

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams says nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador should take the current wage offer from the province before any serious downturn in the economy....More

HIV carrier failed to warn sex partners with fatal results for two women: Crown

HAMILTON - The unprecedented murder trial of a man accused of having unprotected sex with numerous women despite knowing he carried the virus that can lead to AIDS began Monday with the prosecution saying he lied to his partners about his health status....More

Heart failure patients have higher risk of fractures than other cardiac patients

TORONTO - Heart failure is associated with a higher risk of subsequent broken bones, particularly hip fractures, in patients 65 and older who were studied in Alberta....More

Health officials report drop in number of E. coli cases in North Bay outbreak

NORTH BAY, Ont. - Health officials scaled back the number of suspected E. coli cases in an outbreak stemming from a local Harvey's restaurant as some residents expressed frustration Monday at how the potentially life-threatening infection has disrupted their lives....More

Canadian doctor named president of World Medical Association

OTTAWA - A Canadian doctor has been named the next president of the World Medical Association. Dr....More

1,500 dogs die from tainted feed in China

BEIJING - Some 1,500 dogs in northeast China have died after eating animal feed tainted with the same chemical that contaminated dairy products and sickened tens of thousands of babies nationwide, a veterinarian said Monday....More

Health workers in Alberta ratify three-year deal recommended by mediator

EDMONTON - More than 11,000 Alberta provincial government employees who work in the health-care system have ratified new contracts that include a 15 per cent pay raise over three years....More

An US$894 million deal ends pain of Pfizer's lawsuits

TRENTON, N.J. - Drug giant Pfizer Inc. has reached an $894 million deal to end most of the lawsuits over its two prescription pain relievers, the popular Celebrex and a similar drug, Bextra, no longer on the market....More

Ottawa to ban baby bottles containing controversial chemical

OTTAWA - Canada became the first country to limit the use of bisphenol A on Saturday when it formally declared the chemical a hazardous substance....More

Ontario Medical Association ratifies new deal between doctors, province

TORONTO - Without a contract since the end of March, the Ontario Medical Association has ratified a $1-billion deal with the province after 79 per cent of its members voted in favour of the agreement....More

Officials at Regina hospital say outbreak of C. difficile over in neonatal ICU

REGINA - Health officials say a neonatal intensive care unit in the Regina General Hospital has been given the all-clear and a C. difficile outbreak is over. Earlier this week, the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region said nine babies had tested positive for Clostridium difficile....More

Running for my life: One woman's race against time

PHILADELPHIA - The routine was the same as always - the exact way I have grown accustomed to dealing with the hours before a big race. But on that November morning last year, everything else was different....More

Man sickened in northern Ont. E. coli outbreak says it felt like razors in stomach

NORTH BAY, Ont. - Steve Carleton has dubbed himself "Number 6" because when he was overcome with fierce stomach cramps last week and admitted to a northern Ontario hospital, health-care workers started numbering the beds....More

N.L. premier urges nurses to take wage offer while economy sound

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Danny Williams says nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador should take the current wage offer from the province before any serious downturn in the economy....More

1,500 dogs die from tainted feed in China

BEIJING - Some 1,500 dogs in northeast China have died after eating animal feed tainted with the same chemical that contaminated dairy products and sickened tens of thousands of babies nationwide, a veterinarian said Monday....More

Up to 93 possible E. coli cases in Ontario linked to Harvey's as outbreak spreads

TORONTO - As many as 93 people in Ontario could be afflicted with a potentially deadly strain of E. coli linked to a popular fast-food restaurant, health authorities reported Thursday....More

New book 'iBrain' looks at good and bad of technology, its impact on brain

TORONTO - Technology isn't just changing our lives, but it also means "change in our brains," says an expert on aging and the brain who has written a book entitled "iBrain." Dr....More

Matching tempo of disco classic 'Stayin' Alive' may do the trick in CPR

TORONTO - When it comes to performing CPR, the trick may be in channelling your inner Bee Gee....More

Flu shots a tough sell to health care workers; campaign promotes shots

DES MOINES, Iowa - Operating room nurse Pauline Taylor knows her refusal to get a flu shot is based on faulty logic. But ever since she got sick after getting a shot a few years ago, she's sworn off the vaccine. "I rarely get sick....More

Canadian, Japanese scientists team up to accelerate work on stem cell therapies

TORONTO - Canadian and Japanese stem cell researchers are joining forces in a bid to more quickly translate scientific discoveries from the lab into treatments for people with such diseases as autism and cystic fibrosis....More

CFIA issues warning about burgers with undeclared sesame seeds and/or soy

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning people with allergies to sesame seeds and/or soy not to consume New World Natural Foods Tofu Burgers, Vegi Burgers and Lentil Burgers. The affected products contain sesame seeds or soy which is not declared on the label....More

Brain's reaction to yummy food may predict weight, study suggests

WASHINGTON - Drink a milkshake and the pleasure centre in your brain gets a hit of happy - unless you're overweight. It sounds counterintuitive....More

Big Chinese dairies discuss fate of Sanlu, chief culprit in tainted-milk scandal

BEIJING - China summoned five of its major dairy companies to a meeting Friday over the fate of Sanlu Group Co., the company at the centre of a tainted milk scandal....More

CFIA updates warning about no name flour distributed in Ontario

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is updating a warning issued on Oct. 10 urging the public not to eat no name brand all-purpose flour. The product may contain excessively high levels of folic acid, iron, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine....More

Babies at Regina hospital diagnosed with potentially deadly infection

REGINA - There has been an outbreak of a potentially deadly disease in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Regina General Hospital. Roy Derrick of the Regina-Qu'Appelle Health Region said five babies were treated for Clostridium difficile - known as C. difficile. Symptoms of C....More

University of Calgary to become home to centre for biomedical engineering

CALGARY - The University of Calgary will soon be home to a national innovation centre for biomedical engineering....More

Health officials hope for all-clear after 9 babies positive for C. difficile

REGINA - Nine babies have tested positive for C. difficile after an outbreak in the Regina General Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit, but health authorities said Wednesday that the infants are on the road to recovery....More

Brain signals revive paralyzed muscles in monkeys: study

NEW YORK - Monkeys taught to play a computer game were able to overcome wrist paralysis with an experimental device that might lead to new treatments for patients with stroke and spinal cord injury....More

Bottled water has contaminants too, U.S. study finds

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California's health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group....More

Aging parents fear autistic adults will be 'forgotten' in 'piecemeal' system

TORONTO - Ontario has a "piecemeal" approach to treating autistic adults that must be dramatically changed to support the estimated 50,000 adults suffering from the developmental disorder, an advocacy group said in a discussion paper released Wednesday....More

Beleaguered Chinese dairies pledge high standards

HOHHOT, China - Chinese dairy executives trying to shore up their beleaguered industry pledged Thursday to implement higher standards, while nearly 6,000 babies remained hospitalized with kidney problems from contaminated milk....More

Thailand's S&P recalls cookies nationwide

BANGKOK, Thailand - One of Thailand's most popular bakery chains, S&P, said Tuesday it was recalling all its packaged cookies from stores nationwide after Swiss authorities said they found high concentrations of melamine in the Thai biscuits....More

Smoking boosts women's risk of often-fatal aortic aneurysm: study

TORONTO - Women who smoke have a dramatically higher risk of developing an abdominal aortic aneurysm than those who never used tobacco, say researchers, adding yet another reason to the long list of reasons for butting out or avoiding getting hooked in the first place....More

Quebec to forge ties with fashion industry to tackle issue of ultra-thin models

MONTREAL - Concerns over ultra-thin models shifted from the runway to the political stage Tuesday as a Quebec minister revealed plans to forge ties with the fashion industry to tackle the issue in the province....More

China dairy sued over infant's toxic milk death

BEIJING - The family of a baby whose death has been blamed on toxic milk filed suit against one of China's largest dairies, while another dairy ensnared in the scandal said it was a victim of unscrupulous subcontractors....More

China blames tainted ginseng injections for causing 3 deaths

BEIJING - China's state media says contaminated ginseng injections are responsible for the deaths of three people in Yunnan province. The official Xinhua news agency says three others were sickened by the injections, which are used to treat thrombosis and heart disease....More

CFIA updates warning about no name flour distributed in Ontario

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is updating a warning issued on Oct. 10 urging the public not to eat no name brand all-purpose flour. The product may contain excessively high levels of folic acid, iron, niacin, riboflavin and thiamine....More

Babies at Regina hospital diagnosed with potentially deadly infection

REGINA - There has been an outbreak of a potentially deadly disease in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Regina General Hospital. Roy Derrick of the Regina-Qu'Appelle Health Region said five babies were treated for Clostridium difficile - known as C. difficile. Symptoms of C....More

Bottled water has contaminants too, U.S. study finds

Tests on leading brands of bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants, including cancer-linked chemicals three times higher than California's health standard, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group....More

Health Canada approves use of preservative that could stem growth of Listeria

TORONTO - Maple Leaf Foods is assessing a recently approved preservative for meat products that inhibits the growth of Listeria following a deadly outbreak linked to one of its plants that's claimed 20 lives across the country. Health Canada gave the go-ahead on Sept....More

U.S. pediatricians double vitamin D recommendations for children

CHICAGO - America's leading pediatricians' group says children from newborns to teens should get double the usually recommended amount of vitamin D because of evidence that it may help prevent serious diseases....More

Therapy helps hard-to-transplant get a new kidney in the U.S.

WASHINGTON - Many patients who need kidney transplants may never get them because their bodies are abnormally primed to attack donated organs....More

Health reforms a hot issue as Alberta legislature reconvenes on election day

EDMONTON - Most Canadians will be waiting for federal election results as Alberta politicians file into the legislature Tuesday for what Premier Ed Stelmach expects will be a relatively ho-hum sitting....More

Health Canada approves use of preservative that could stem growth of Listeria

TORONTO - Maple Leaf Foods is assessing a recently approved preservative for meat products that inhibits the growth of Listeria following a deadly outbreak linked to one of its plants that's claimed 20 lives across the country. Health Canada gave the go-ahead on Sept....More

Alberta tries to deal with Catholic backlash against HPV vaccine in schools

EDMONTON - Alberta is scrambling to come up with a backup plan to vaccinate girls against a virus that causes cervical cancer as more Catholic school boards opt out over a program they say condones premarital sex....More

Thailand's S&P recalls cookies nationwide

BANGKOK, Thailand - One of Thailand's most popular bakery chains, S&P, said Tuesday it was recalling all its packaged cookies from stores nationwide after Swiss authorities said they found high concentrations of melamine in the Thai biscuits....More

China dairy sued over infant's toxic milk death

BEIJING - The family of a baby whose death has been blamed on toxic milk filed suit against one of China's largest dairies, while another dairy ensnared in the scandal said it was a victim of unscrupulous subcontractors....More

Second lawsuit filed in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING - A second lawsuit has been filed against a Chinese dairy company at the heart of the tainted milk crisis, an attorney said Friday, as more than 10,000 children remained hospitalized after drinking milk powder laced with an industrial chemical....More

Heroin drug study results to be released in Vancouver despite election freeze

VANCOUVER - Advocates of drug reform say they will release results from a trial drug program that provided prescription heroin to addicts at a news conference Friday, in defiance of efforts to silence the study in the midst of the federal election campaign....More

B.C. boy believed to be youngest patient to receive tiny heart pump

VANCOUVER - A 13-year-old boy from the Vancouver-area has survived a potentially fatal heart condition by becoming the youngest patient in the world to receive the world's smallest heart pump. Sikander Sahota had the heart pump inserted last weekend at St....More

Alberta tries to deal with Catholic backlash against HPV vaccine in schools

EDMONTON - Alberta is scrambling to come up with a backup plan to vaccinate girls against a virus that causes cervical cancer as more Catholic school boards opt out over a program they say condones premarital sex....More

Prominent Tory wants more private delivery of medicare

OTTAWA - A Conservative candidate's suggestion that a private clinic be used as a model for health delivery across Canada prompted opposition charges that Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants to expand for-profit health care outside the public system....More

New DNA region linked to male pattern baldness in 1 in 7 men

TORONTO - A new genetic discovery suggests that some men's hair loss may not be all mom's fault after all....More

Health Canada approves use of preservative that could stem growth of Listeria

TORONTO - Maple Leaf Foods is assessing a recently approved preservative for meat products that inhibits the growth of Listeria following a deadly outbreak linked to one of its plants that's claimed 20 lives across the country. Health Canada gave the go-ahead on Sept....More

U.S. pediatricians double vitamin D recommendations for children

CHICAGO - America's leading pediatricians' group says children from newborns to teens should get double the usually recommended amount of vitamin D because of evidence that it may help prevent serious diseases....More

Four more samples of Listeria at closed Maple Leaf plant

TORONTO - Despite a massive clean-up effort and a tightly controlled reopening, a Maple Leaf Foods Inc. plant at the centre of a deadly listeriosis outbreak has produced more contaminated meat samples, according to both the company and Canada's food safety watchdog....More

Food safety expert says there are several ways to get rid of Listeria

TORONTO - A Maple Leaf Foods facility at the centre of a deadly listeriosis outbreak is still producing contaminated meat, but a food safety expert says while Listeria is quite pervasive, there are ways to get rid of it....More

Deadly strep outbreak in northern Ont. largely impacting homeless community

TORONTO - A deadly outbreak of streptococcal infections that's killed 10 people in northern Ontario and likely to spread shouldn't alarm the general public because it's largely confined to the homeless and other marginalized groups, the province's chief medical officer of health said...More

Chinese herbal injection suspended after three deaths

BEIJING - China has suspended the sale and use of an injectable herbal remedy after six people suffered adverse reactions, including three who died....More

BCAA drops health wait list insurance following outcry from members

VICTORIA - The B.C. Automobile Association has dropped plans to offer members a form of medical wait-list insurance after thousands of members voiced their opposition....More

10,000 Chinese children still sick from tainted milk, health officials say

BEIJING - Chinese health officials say more than 10,000 children remain hospitalized in the country's tainted milk scandal. But China defended its dairy products during a meeting of the World Trade Organization in Geneva....More

1 in 4 U.S. teen girls got new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer

ATLANTA - One in four teen girls in the United States have rolled up their sleeves for the relatively new vaccine against cervical cancer, federal health officials said Thursday....More

Second lawsuit filed in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING - A second lawsuit has been filed against a Chinese dairy company at the heart of the tainted milk crisis, an attorney said Friday, as more than 10,000 children remained hospitalized after drinking milk powder laced with an industrial chemical....More

German doctors say world's first double-arm transplant patient doing well

MUNICH, Germany - A German farmer is doing well more than two months after undergoing what doctors say is the world's first complete double arm transplant. Doctors in Munich spent 15 hours on July 25-26 grafting donor arms onto the body of 54-year-old Karl Merk....More

Doctors get update on proper use of Botox, possible adverse events

TORONTO - Health Canada has received 13 reports describing adverse events in people who received Botox, according to the agency's latest adverse reaction newsletter....More

Chinese government sets melamine levels for milk products

BEIJING - China on Wednesday announced standards for levels of the industrial chemical melamine permitted in milk and food products as it seeks to rein in a festering safety scare....More

10 dead after Group A strep outbreak sickens 75 in Thunder Bay

THUNDER BAY, Ont. - An outbreak of Group A streptococcal infection has killed 10 people in the Thunder Bay area but health officials say the risk to the general public is still low....More

Hasbro Inc. recalling Nerf Blasters toy due to possibility of injury

LONGUEUIL, Que - Hasbro Inc. has announced a voluntary recall of a model of its Nerf Blasters because a child's skin could get caught in moving parts. Hasbro says a movable plunger on the NerfN.S.trike Recon CS-6 Blaster could pull the user's skin during firing of the toy....More

Four more samples of Listeria at closed Maple Leaf plant

TORONTO - Despite a massive clean-up effort and a tightly controlled reopening, a Maple Leaf Foods Inc. plant at the centre of a deadly listeriosis outbreak has produced more contaminated meat samples, according to both the company and Canada's food safety watchdog....More

Chinese herbal injection suspended after three deaths

BEIJING - China has suspended the sale and use of an injectable herbal remedy after six people suffered adverse reactions, including three who died....More

BCAA drops health wait list insurance following outcry from members

VICTORIA - The B.C. Automobile Association has dropped plans to offer members a form of medical wait-list insurance after thousands of members voiced their opposition....More

Ontario says it will consider Cdn Cancer Society call to regulate tanning beds

TORONTO - Ontario's health minister says he's willing to consider a call by the Canadian Cancer Society for legislation to regulate tanning facilities. David Caplan says the group has an important message about the need for children and youth to take caution with the devices....More

New exercise guidelines in the U.S. aim to get Americans moving

WASHINGTON - New exercise guidelines for Americans set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2 1/2 hours a week. How much physical activity a person needs depends largely on age and level of fitness....More

Legislation needed to regulate tanning facilities: Canadian Cancer Society

TORONTO - The Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario is again calling for legislation to regulate tanning facilities in the province. It says many artificial tanning sites are not following Health Canada's voluntary safety guidelines, including those related to youth....More

Halloween candy causes fright for chubby children; some parents give toys instead

NEW YORK - It wasn't the gruesome costumes or gory masks turning up at Lisa Bruno's front door that spooked her on Halloween. It was the pudge lurking beneath the costumes. "The kids were just so huge," Bruno says....More

Chinese lawyers say they are facing pressure to drop tainted milk cases

BEIJING - Lawyers advising the families of children sickened in China's tainted milk scandal say they are facing growing official pressure to withdraw from the cases....More

University says 2001 stem-cell study used falsified data

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota has concluded that falsified data were used in a 2001 article published by one of its researchers on adult stem cells. The school is asking that the article be retracted....More

Nursing shortage partly to blame for rescheduling OR sessions at N.L. hospital

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A Newfoundland health authority admits a nursing shortage is partly to blame for the rescheduling of some operations at the Janeway children's hospital in St. John's....More

Chinese government sets melamine levels for milk products

BEIJING - China on Wednesday announced standards for levels of the industrial chemical melamine permitted in milk and food products as it seeks to rein in a festering safety scare....More

Factors other than antibiotics may raise risk of C. difficile infection: study

TORONTO - Infection with potentially deadly Clostridium difficile is often linked to antibiotic use, but new research suggests the drugs may be getting too much of the bad rap for the illness and that other factors may also be to blame. In a study of C....More

Dry, itchy skin? Hydration is key to alleviating eczema, dermatologists say

TORONTO - As the temperature begins to drop and the moisture is seemingly sucked out of the indoor air, people who suffer from eczema need to start paying more attention to their skin, doctors say....More

China detains 6 more suspects in milk scandal

BEIJING (- China pledged to improve food safety after authorities detained six more people in the country's contaminated milk scandal as the government increases efforts to restore public trust in Chinese-made food products....More

Catholic school division in southern Alberta rescinds HPV vaccine decision

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - A Catholic school division in southern Alberta says it won't be offering the HPV vaccine that protects girls from a virus that causes cervical cancer....More

Vietnam finds tainted milk from China

HANOI, Vietnam - Melamine contamination has been found in 23 milk products imported into Vietnam from China, officials said Tuesday, intensifying consumer worries about tainted milk products....More

Vietnam finds melamine contamination in 5 new products imported from China

HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam says melamine contamination has been found in five more milk products imported from China. Vietnamese health officials say they have now found contamination from the industrial chemical in 23 of 400 samples of milk and milk products....More

Robot suit for rent in Japan to help people walk

TSUKUBA, Japan - A robotic suit that reads brain signals and helps people with mobility problems will be available to rent in Japan for US$2,200 a month starting Friday - an invention that may have far-reaching benefits for the disabled and elderly....More

Legislation needed to regulate tanning facilities: Canadian Cancer Society

TORONTO - The Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario is again calling for legislation to regulate tanning facilities in the province. It says many artificial tanning sites are not following Health Canada's voluntary safety guidelines, including those related to youth....More

U.S. urges consumers to cook chicken well after salmonella sickens 32

WASHINGTON - The U.S. government is urging consumers to thoroughly cook frozen chicken dinners after 32 people in 12 states were sickened with salmonella poisoning. The warning by the U.S....More

Technology helps Florida group home residents maintain some independencel

PLANTATION, Fla. - From the outside, the one-storey pink house on the quiet, tree-lined street looks like any other in south Florida's suburbia. But once you go through the glass double doors, it's obvious: This home is different....More

Obesity linked to higher risk of death from prostate cancer: study

TORONTO - Men with prostate cancer who are overweight or obese are more than twice as likely as men of normal weight to die of the disease - and increased levels of insulin may be a major reason, researchers say....More

Ship visiting Labrador communities for survey of Inuit health

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A comprehensive survey of the health of Labrador's Inuit gets underway Monday in Nunatsiavut. A specially outfitted coast guard ship will carry the survey crew to Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet....More

Jump seen in staph-linked influenza deaths in children, U.S. report says

CHICAGO - More children have died from flu because they also had staph infections, according to a new government report that urges parents to have their kids get the flu shot....More

German, two French researchers share Nobel medicine prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Three European scientists shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for separate discoveries of viruses that cause AIDS and cervical cancer, breakthroughs that helped doctors fight the deadly diseases....More

German, 2 French share Nobel medicine prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Germany's Harald zur Hausen and French researchers Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier have shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in medicine....More

China detains 6 more suspects in milk scandal

BEIJING (- China pledged to improve food safety after authorities detained six more people in the country's contaminated milk scandal as the government increases efforts to restore public trust in Chinese-made food products....More

Facts about tuberculosis and treatment

TORONTO - What is tuberculosis? Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is spread through the air. A healthy immune system may kill the germs, otherwise a person can become infected or develop a latent infection....More

Computer can help doctors spot breast cancer on mammograms

NEW YORK - A computer is as good as a second pair of eyes for helping a radiologist spot breast cancer on a mammogram, one of the largest and most rigorous tests of computer-aided detection found....More

Colonoscopy less effective for upper colon than lower colon, study suggests

TORONTO - The risk of getting cancer in the upper colon is greater than in the lower colon in the years after a negative colonoscopy, a new study suggests....More

Burger King switches to trans fat free oil

NEW YORK - Burger King Corp. said Thursday it is now cooking with trans fat free cooking oils at all of its restaurants nationwide. The No. 2 hamburger chain also said all of its menu ingredients, including its baked goods, will contain zero grams of trans fat by Nov. 1....More

Alberta man joins $500M lawsuit against chiropractor, regulator, province

EDMONTON - A man who says he suffered a near-stroke after having his neck adjusted has joined a $500-million class-action lawsuit against a chiropractor, the agency that regulates his profession and the Alberta government....More

Vietnam finds tainted milk from China

HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam's health ministry has discovered the toxin at the heart of China's tainted milk scandal in 18 products and has ordered importers to recall and destroy them....More

Insecticides still best treatment for head lice, pediatricians advise

TORONTO - They're common, contagious and dreaded by parents of school-aged children, but head lice are not a health hazard, the Canadian Paediatric Society says. Still, social myths persist about the little critters, which can lead to misdiagnosis and overreaction, the CPS says....More

Caesar salad dressing which may contain undeclared fish being recalled

TORONTO - People with allergies to fish are being advised to avoid consuming a Caesar salad dressing manufactured in Ontario. The product being recalled is Western Family Light Creamy Caesar, which contains fish which is not declared on the label....More

U.S. researchers say 13 car booster seats do poor job of protecting children

WASHINGTON - Several car booster seats do a poor job of positioning children to fit in their seat belts, according to a review by the insurance industry and researchers....More

Study in journal Nature traces AIDS virus origin to 100 years ago

NEW YORK - The AIDS virus has been circulating among people for about 100 years, decades longer than scientists had thought, a new study suggests. Genetic analysis pushes the estimated origin of HIV back to between 1884 and 1924, with a more focused estimate at 1908....More

Parent files what is believed to be China's 1st lawsuit in tainted milk scandal

BEIJING - One of the parents of a baby allegedly sickened by tainted infant formula has reportedly filed China's first lawsuit in scandal. Details of the suit are contained in a report by Caijing, a leading Chinese business magazine....More

Ontario to work on compensation for victims of faulty child forensic pathology

TORONTO - An arrogant, unprofessional child forensic pathologist along with overseers who failed in their ill-defined supervisory responsibilities are at the heart of horrendous miscarriages of justice in Ontario, a judicial inquiry concluded Wednesday....More

New tests find melamine in 31 Chinese milk batches, Japanese cheesecake brand

BEIJING - An additional 31 batches of Chinese milk powder were found contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, China's government said Wednesday, further broadening a scandal affecting products ranging from baby formula to chocolate....More

CFIA recalls cookies because of tainted milk scandal in China

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recall of Chinese products linked to the tainted milk scandal in China continued Tuesday. The CFIA is warning people not to consume Lotte brand Koala's March filled cookies which may contain melamine....More

Taiwan says melamine found in Nestle milk powder made in China

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Tests in Taiwan have found minor doses of the industrial chemical melamine in milk powders produced in China by the European food giant Nestle, and those products are being withdrawn, Taiwan's health minister said Thursday....More

Computer can help doctors spot breast cancer on mammograms

NEW YORK - A computer is as good as a second pair of eyes for helping a radiologist spot breast cancer on a mammogram, one of the largest and most rigorous tests of computer-aided detection found....More

Doctors' aid group calls for free malaria tests and treatment

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Making tests and treatment for malaria free dramatically increases the number of people who seek treatment for the disease that kills one million people a year, an international medical aid group said Tuesday....More

Dispute over anti-syphilis campaign blamed for departure of public health doctors

EDMONTON - The departure of three of Alberta's senior public health officials last spring may have been partly the result of a disagreement over how to alert the public about a major outbreak of syphilis....More

Americans shoppers see more foods getting labelled as U.S. or foreign-grown

WASHINGTON - No more wondering where the hamburger came from, or where the lettuce and tomatoes were grown: starting this week, American shoppers will see lots more foods labelled with the country of origin....More

Yum Brands to add calorie info to menu boards

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Want to know how many calories are packed into that burrito or fried chicken you're ordering? Fast-food company Yum Brands Inc. says it's taking the guesswork out of counting calories....More

Unionized nurses in N.L. refuse specific duties in contract dispute

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador have launched a job action to pressure the government on their contract demands....More

U.S. researchers say 13 car booster seats do poor job of protecting children

WASHINGTON - Several car booster seats do a poor job of positioning children to fit in their seat belts, according to a review by the insurance industry and researchers....More

New tests find melamine in 31 Chinese milk batches, Japanese cheesecake brand

BEIJING - An additional 31 batches of Chinese milk powder were found contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine, China's government said Wednesday, further broadening a scandal affecting products ranging from baby formula to chocolate....More

CFIA recalls cookies because of tainted milk scandal in China

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recall of Chinese products linked to the tainted milk scandal in China continued Tuesday. The CFIA is warning people not to consume Lotte brand Koala's March filled cookies which may contain melamine....More