14 poisoned in China after eating pig's liver

BEIJING - Fourteen people in southern China have been poisoned after eating pig organs suspected of containing an animal-feed additive, Chinese media said Thursday. It was the second such incident this month....More

Scientists are finding genes that make teeth grow all in a row

WASHINGTON - Ever wonder why sharks get several rows of teeth and people only get one? Some geneticists did, and their discovery could spur work to help adults one day grow new teeth when their own wear out....More

Old drugs might give tuberculosis a one-two punch, study shows

WASHINGTON - Scientists might have found a way to deal drug-resistant tuberculosis a one-two punch using two old, safe antibiotics - and studies in ill patients could begin later this year....More

Obama health plan opens tough negotiation

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Barack Obama's budget shows how difficult overhauling the nation's health care system will be. Medicare cuts and tax hikes like the ones he proposes are usually poison pills for legislation....More

Health Canada asks for quarantine of drugs from Indian plant under investigation

TORONTO - An Indian pharmaceutical firm has agreed to a Health Canada request to quarantine all drugs coming into Canada from a manufacturing plant alleged to have falsified data and test results....More

All sectors of society have role in cutting global cancer rates: report

TORONTO - A huge proportion of many common cancers could be prevented through diet, exercise and healthy weight maintenance, but it will take co-ordinated efforts by all sectors of society to reduce the burden of cancer worldwide, a sweeping international report says....More

4 members of assisted suicide group are arrested

ATLANTA - Joining the Final Exit Network costs $50, and the privileges of membership include this: When you're ready to die, the organization will send two "exit guides" to show you how to suffocate yourself using helium tanks and a plastic hood....More

Campaign urges boomers to realize risks of gambling when nearing retirement

TORONTO - Terry Finn led a double life for many years, slipping away from his sales job on weekdays to try his luck at the casino and place bets on horse races....More

Sask. needle exchange program good, but improvements needed: study

REGINA - A study says the Saskatchewan government's needle exchange program for injection drug users is helping to reduce the spread of blood-borne disease. But the six-month review has also found that improvements are needed in cleanup and disposal of discarded needles....More

SARS outbreak shows nurses must be better protected for next pandemic: lawsuits

TORONTO - The actions and "bad faith" of the Ontario government during the SARS outbreak of 2003 show health-care professionals must be better protected for the next pandemic, lawyers argued Wednesday as the province's highest court heard arguments about five lawsuits Ontario faces....More

Officials investigate how bird flu viruses were sent to unsuspecting labs

Officials are trying to get to the bottom of how vaccine manufacturer Baxter International Inc. made "experimental virus material" based on a human flu strain but contaminated with the H5N1 avian flu virus and then distributed it to an Austrian company....More

Low-carb? Low-fat? Study finds calories count more than type of diet

LOS ANGELES - Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn't matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years....More

Breast cancer inquiry report to be released Monday, N.L. gov't says

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Newfoundland and Labrador government is expected to release next week a public inquiry report into hundreds of botched breast cancer tests....More

Blueprint offers strategies to keep older drivers sharp, on the road longer

TORONTO - Older drivers are dismayed by the negative publicity they sometimes get, and they're looking for proactive approaches, such as refresher courses in a non-threatening setting, to keep them sharp behind the wheel and driving longer....More

14 poisoned in China after eating pig's liver

BEIJING - Fourteen people in southern China have been poisoned after eating pig organs suspected of containing an animal-feed additive, Chinese media said Thursday. It was the second such incident this month....More

All sectors of society have role in cutting global cancer rates: report

TORONTO - A huge proportion of many common cancers could be prevented through diet, exercise and healthy weight maintenance, but it will take co-ordinated efforts by all sectors of society to reduce the burden of cancer worldwide, a sweeping international report says....More

Cherry-flavoured malaria drug launched for kids

DAKAR, Senegal - Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is launching a new cherry-flavoured malaria drug that it says children will be less likely to spit out. The child-friendly version of its malaria pill dissolves in water, as well as breast milk, and tastes like fruit juice....More

Bisphenol A can build up in babies and infants, researchers warn

GUELPH, Ont. - Get rid of anything containing bisphenol A (BPA) that will be used by babies or pregnant women, warn researchers at the University of Guelph....More

Scientists find antibodies that target Achilles heel in wide-range of flu viruses

TORONTO - American scientists have found human antibodies that kill a broad range of influenza A viruses, a discovery that raises hopes of both better flu drugs and a more effective, longer lasting flu shot....More

NS nursing home inspections show staff shortages, fears of 'risk' for patients

HALIFAX, N.S. - Inspection reports indicate one third of Nova Scotia's nursing homes were short on medical or caregiver staff last year, with several facilities reporting a lack of employees created a risk to the health of residents....More

Lag in releasing listeriosis notes breaks information law: experts

OTTAWA - The Harper government has delayed for months the release of notes on conference calls held at the height of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak - a lag some experts say breaks Ottawa's own information laws....More

Childhood abuse can alter genetic profile, raising suicide risk: study

TORONTO - Childhood trauma can alter the way genes in the brain work, potentially putting an individual at increased risk for suicide later in life, Canadian researchers have discovered....More

70 sick in China after eating tainted pig organs

BEIJING - At least 70 people in southern China fell ill after eating pig organs contaminated by a banned animal feed additive, news media said Monday....More

Health Council asks for input on getting more bang for buck from health system

TORONTO - The Health Council of Canada has launched a website to solicit views on how to get more value for money out of the health-care system....More

Cherry-flavoured malaria drug launched for kids

DAKAR, Senegal - Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is launching a new cherry-flavoured malaria drug that it says children will be less likely to spit out. The child-friendly version of its malaria pill dissolves in water, as well as breast milk, and tastes like fruit juice....More

Bisphenol A can build up in babies and infants, researchers warn

GUELPH, Ont. - Get rid of anything containing bisphenol A (BPA) that will be used by babies or pregnant women, warn researchers at the University of Guelph....More

Scientists find antibodies that target Achilles heel in wide-range of flu viruses

TORONTO - American scientists have found human antibodies that kill a broad range of influenza A viruses, a discovery that raises hopes of both better flu drugs and a more effective, longer lasting flu shot....More

NS nursing home inspections show staff shortages, fears of 'risk' for patients

HALIFAX, N.S. - Inspection reports indicate one third of Nova Scotia's nursing homes were short on medical or caregiver staff last year, with several facilities reporting a lack of employees created a risk to the health of residents....More

Lag in releasing listeriosis notes breaks information law: experts

OTTAWA - The Harper government has delayed for months the release of notes on conference calls held at the height of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak - a lag some experts say breaks Ottawa's own information laws....More

Childhood abuse can alter genetic profile, raising suicide risk: study

TORONTO - Childhood trauma can alter the way genes in the brain work, potentially putting an individual at increased risk for suicide later in life, Canadian researchers have discovered....More

70 sick in China after eating tainted pig organs

BEIJING - At least 70 people in southern China fell ill after eating pig organs contaminated by a banned animal feed additive, news media said Monday....More

Health Council asks for input on getting more bang for buck from health system

TORONTO - The Health Council of Canada has launched a website to solicit views on how to get more value for money out of the health-care system....More

Cherry-flavoured malaria drug launched for kids

DAKAR, Senegal - Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is launching a new cherry-flavoured malaria drug that it says children will be less likely to spit out. The child-friendly version of its malaria pill dissolves in water, as well as breast milk, and tastes like fruit juice....More

Bisphenol A can build up in babies and infants, researchers warn

GUELPH, Ont. - Get rid of anything containing bisphenol A (BPA) that will be used by babies or pregnant women, warn researchers at the University of Guelph....More

Scientists find antibodies that target Achilles heel in wide-range of flu viruses

TORONTO - American scientists have found human antibodies that kill a broad range of influenza A viruses, a discovery that raises hopes of both better flu drugs and a more effective, longer lasting flu shot....More

NS nursing home inspections show staff shortages, fears of 'risk' for patients

HALIFAX, N.S. - Inspection reports indicate one third of Nova Scotia's nursing homes were short on medical or caregiver staff last year, with several facilities reporting a lack of employees created a risk to the health of residents....More

Lag in releasing listeriosis notes breaks information law: experts

OTTAWA - The Harper government has delayed for months the release of notes on conference calls held at the height of last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak - a lag some experts say breaks Ottawa's own information laws....More

Childhood abuse can alter genetic profile, raising suicide risk: study

TORONTO - Childhood trauma can alter the way genes in the brain work, potentially putting an individual at increased risk for suicide later in life, Canadian researchers have discovered....More

70 sick in China after eating tainted pig organs

BEIJING - At least 70 people in southern China fell ill after eating pig organs contaminated by a banned animal feed additive, news media said Monday....More

Health Council asks for input on getting more bang for buck from health system

TORONTO - The Health Council of Canada has launched a website to solicit views on how to get more value for money out of the health-care system....More

China says AIDS has become country's deadliest infectious disease

BEIJING - AIDS was the top killer among infectious diseases in China for the first time last year, with 6,897 people dying in the nine months through September, the official news agency said....More

Beat the winter blues: 6 ways to boost mind, mood and prevent depression

For years, Sarah Browne couldn't figure out why, when winter started, she'd "turn into a slug." Living in Wisconsin at the time, Browne said the cold temperatures, heavy snow and fewer hours of sunlight would prevent her from leaving the house....More

Toronto Medical Officer calls for $100 food supplement in provincial budget

TORONTO - A Toronto woman says an extra $100 a month in social assistance would be the difference between eating nutritious food and eating whatever is on sale....More

Ontario aims to be first province to set wait-time targets in emergency rooms

TORONTO - Ontario is aiming to be the first province in Canada to cut down on the amount of time patients spend in the emergency room by setting targets for hospitals across the province....More

Nursing homes not doing enough to protect residents from infections: study

TORONTO - Long-term care facilities aren't doing enough to protect residents from infectious diseases, suggest the findings of the first attempt in 20 years to assess infection control efforts in nursing homes across Canada....More

Japanese woman impregnated with wrong egg

TOKYO - Health officials in Japan say a woman was likely impregnated with the fertilized egg of another woman by accident during an in vitro procedure last year....More

Food poisoning strikes 1 in 4 Americans each year, CDC says

ATLANTA - Next time you have a case of diarrhea that lasts a day or more, chances are better than one in three that it was food poisoning....More

China investigating increase in kidney ailments in babies

BEIJING - Chinese health officials are investigating a growing number of cases of kidney stones in babies, state media said Thursday, months after a tainted milk scandal in which hundreds of thousands of children who drank melamine-contaminated formula suffered similar ailments....More

New formula based on gene test helps set accurate blood thinner dose

ATLANTA - People taking warfarin, a leading blood thinner to prevent clots that cause heart attacks and strokes, soon may have a better way to get the tricky dose right....More

Molecular tests shows deadly fungus from B.C. moving into U.S. Northwest

TORONTO - The outbreak of the fungus Cryptococcus gattii that has afflicted Vancouver Island and the B.C. Lower Mainland has definitely moved into Washington State and Oregon, a new study reveals....More

Jury orders Philip Morris to pay $8 million to smoker's widow

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A Florida jury has ordered Philip Morris to pay $8 million in damages to the widow of a smoker who died of lung cancer in a case that could set a standard for some 8,000 similar lawsuits in the state....More

Drugmaker warns of 5 cases of rare brain infection in people taking Tysabri

TORONTO - Health Canada has posted updated safety information from the maker of Tysabri, a drug for people with multiple sclerosis....More

China says AIDS has become country's deadliest infectious disease

BEIJING - AIDS was the top killer among infectious diseases in China for the first time last year, with 6,897 people dying in the nine months through September, the official news agency said....More

Beat the winter blues: 6 ways to boost mind, mood and prevent depression

For years, Sarah Browne couldn't figure out why, when winter started, she'd "turn into a slug." Living in Wisconsin at the time, Browne said the cold temperatures, heavy snow and fewer hours of sunlight would prevent her from leaving the house....More

Japanese woman impregnated with wrong egg

TOKYO - Health officials in Japan say a woman was likely impregnated with the fertilized egg of another woman by accident during an in vitro procedure last year....More

China investigating increase in kidney ailments in babies

BEIJING - Chinese health officials are investigating a growing number of cases of kidney stones in babies, state media said Thursday, months after a tainted milk scandal in which hundreds of thousands of children who drank melamine-contaminated formula suffered similar ailments....More

In the mix: online services allow users to access custom audio workouts

TORONTO - Whether the tunes are streaming through your headphones or blasting from a stereo, music is integral to helping you pump it up during a workout....More

ICUs see big drop in dangerous staph superbugs: U.S. government report

CHICAGO - A U.S. government report says the rate of dangerous staph infections has dropped dramatically in hospital intensive-care units, a rare encouraging sign about a hard-to-treat "superbug....More

Children and teens need help to cope with grief, counsellor says

A grief counsellor who has been helping people for the past 35 years says high schools in Canada should teach teenagers how to cope with death and loss....More

Blister packs of PregVit pregnancy vitamins may be packaged incorrectly

TORONTO - Health Canada is warning women who are taking a brand of pregnancy vitamins to check the product, because some have been packaged incorrectly. The advisory relates to the products PregVit and PregVit Folic 5, which are distributed by Duchesnay Inc....More

Artificial lung kept teen alive until organ transplant; now playing soccer again

TORONTO - Sixteen-year-old Katie Sutherland was close to death from a rare cause of heart failure just seven months ago. But thanks to a little white box and a bold step taken by her doctors, the Toronto-area teen is back to school, playing soccer and planning for her future....More

Appeals court upholds NYC's calories-on-menus rule

NEW YORK - A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld New York City's regulation requiring some chain restaurants to post calories on menus and menu boards. A 2nd U.S....More

Another soldier at Missouri base dies of meningitis; CDC investigates

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. - Officials say a second soldier stationed at Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood army base has died of meningitis. Pte. Randy Stabnick died yesterday at a hospital in Springfield. Another soldier from the base died Feb. 9. His name has not been released....More

Report: Fetal stem cell injections trigger tumours in sick Israeli boy

WASHINGTON - A family desperate to save a child from a lethal brain disease sought highly experimental injections of fetal stem cells - injections that triggered tumours in the boy's brain and spinal cord, Israeli scientists reported Tuesday....More

Studies show little merit in airport temperature screening for disease

TORONTO - Using temperature scanners in airports to try to identify and block entry of sick travellers during a disease outbreak is unlikely to achieve the desired goal, a report by French public health officials suggests....More

Regulate weight-loss clinics that make unproven claims, obesity doctors urge

TORONTO - Governments should be regulating the commercial weight-loss industry to prevent Canadians desperate to shed pounds from being taken in by products and programs promoting scientifically unproven therapies, obesity doctors say....More

Preserving antibiotics like battling climate change: reduce resistance footprint

TORONTO - Experts worried about the growing problem of antibiotic resistance are hoping a concept made familiar by the fight against climate change will help them reduce inappropriate use of the critical drugs....More

Pedunculated or sessile, skin tags are harmless little flaps of excess flesh

TORONTO - Think of them as one of the oddities of the aging human body. The medical world calls them acrochordons but the rest of us call them skin tags. If you don't know the term, chances are you don't have any....More

Ont. cop predicts people will 'snap' for being stopped under new smoking law

PORT HOPE, Ont. - It's only a matter of time before someone "snaps" after being pulled over under Ontario's new law forbidding smoking in a vehicle carrying a minor, a police officer said Monday in response to a quirk in the legislation that was made evident during a weekend incident....More

Medical advances: Push is on to tailor cancer care to tumour's genes

WASHINGTON - The days of one-size-fits-all cancer treatment are numbered: A rush of new research is pointing the way to tailor chemotherapy and other care to what's written in your tumour's genes....More

Fakes of Colgate, Oral B manual toothbrushes found on market: Health Canada

OTTAWA - Consumers and retailers should be cautious when buying toothbrushes after counterfeit products bearing brand names were found on the Canadian market, Health Canada warned Monday....More

CFIA recalls more snack foods because of salmonella concerns

OTTAWA - More snack foods have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency related to the salmonella outbreak in the United States caused by peanut products....More

New paired exchange registry expected to boost number of kidney transplants

TORONTO - A new registry that will make it easier to match live kidney donors with suitable recipients had its official launch Thursday, with two recent donors on hand to explain how the gift of one kidney can create a domino effect that saves several people with end-stage renal disease....More

Chinese court declares dairy bankrupt

BEIJING - The Chinese dairy at the centre of a deadly tainted milk scandal that sickened hundreds of thousands of children and was blamed for killing six was declared bankrupt Thursday. Sanlu Group Co....More

Atlanta hospital finds Legionnaire's bacteria blamed for patient illnesses

ATLANTA - Atlanta's largest hospital has found the bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease in patients' rooms, and officials say it likely sickened four people who were treated there....More

Aging men may be under-prescribed bone-saving drugs, osteoporosis study finds

TORONTO - A new study suggests aging men and their doctors may not be paying enough attention to bone health. The report from the Canadian Institutes for Health Information says older men in Canada are substantially less likely to be taking bisphosphonate drugs than are women....More

Saskatchewan government finds higher mercury levels in Lake Lenore fish

LAKE LENORE, Sask. - The Saskatchewan government is issuing new guidelines for fish consumption from Lake Lenore because of recent testing for mercury in walleye and northern pike....More

U.S. company says regulators have approved new gout treatment

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new treatment for gout in more than 40 years, a company said Saturday. Takeda Inc....More

Top adviser says stem cell order coming soon from President Obama

WASHINGTON - Expect an executive order soon from President Barack Obama on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. That's the word from White House adviser David Axelrod. Under president George W....More

Studies show little merit in airport temperature screening for disease

TORONTO - Using temperature scanners in airports to try to identify and block entry of sick travellers during a disease outbreak is unlikely to achieve the desired goal, a report by French public health officials suggests....More

Scientists decode genomes of all known rhinoviruses, first step towards cure

TORONTO - Scientists have decoded the genetic blueprints of all known strains of rhinoviruses - a.k.a. the common cold. The ambitious project, the results of which were published Thursday, should fast-forward efforts to combat these viral nuisances....More

Ottawa should regulate reduced trans fat levels in food, foundation says

TORONTO - The Heart and Stroke Foundation wants Ottawa to regulate the amount of trans fats that producers can include in foods, instead of relying on companies' voluntary compliance to meet low trans fat targets....More

Ontario touts new service to help Ontarians find an MD, neighbourhood clinics

TORONTO - Ontario is announcing a program aimed easing the pressure on hospital emergency rooms by linking patients with family doctors and clinics close to home....More

New paired exchange registry expected to boost number of kidney transplants

TORONTO - A new registry that will make it easier to match live kidney donors with suitable recipients had its official launch Thursday, with two recent donors on hand to explain how the gift of one kidney can create a domino effect that saves several people with end-stage renal disease....More

Chinese court declares dairy bankrupt

BEIJING - The Chinese dairy at the centre of a deadly tainted milk scandal that sickened hundreds of thousands of children and was blamed for killing six was declared bankrupt Thursday. Sanlu Group Co....More

Atlanta hospital finds Legionnaire's bacteria blamed for patient illnesses

ATLANTA - Atlanta's largest hospital has found the bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease in patients' rooms, and officials say it likely sickened four people who were treated there....More

Aging men may be under-prescribed bone-saving drugs, osteoporosis study finds

TORONTO - A new study suggests aging men and their doctors may not be paying enough attention to bone health. The report from the Canadian Institutes for Health Information says older men in Canada are substantially less likely to be taking bisphosphonate drugs than are women....More

Saskatchewan government finds higher mercury levels in Lake Lenore fish

LAKE LENORE, Sask. - The Saskatchewan government is issuing new guidelines for fish consumption from Lake Lenore because of recent testing for mercury in walleye and northern pike....More

WHO perplexed by Panasonic's move to repatriate staff families over flu fears

A plan by Panasonic Corp. to repatriate families of overseas employees because of fears of a flu pandemic drew a perplexed reaction from the World Health Organization on Tuesday....More

Study finds that paying smokers to quit boosts success rate

Dangling enough dollars in front of smokers who want to quit helps many more succeed, an experiment with hundreds of General Electric Co. workers indicates. Among those paid up to US$750 to quit and stay off cigarettes, 15 per cent were still tobacco-free about a year later....More

Second Fraser Valley poultry property confirmed to have avian influenza

VANCOUVER, B.C. - An outbreak of avian flu has been detected on a second farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Wednesday....More

Owner of peanut company in U.S. salmonella outbreak refuses to testify to Congress

WASHINGTON - The owner of a peanut company refused to testify to Congress on Wednesday amid reports that he urged his workers to ship bacteria-tainted products and pleaded with U.S. health officials that he be allowed "turn the raw peanuts on the floor into money....More

New round-the-clock access to organ donor database benefiting the desperately ill

TORONTO - Unprecedented access to a database of Ontario organ donors is dramatically changing the way hospitals are getting life-saving donations to desperately ill people, says the head of the province's organ and tissue donation agency....More

Food Inspection Agency recalls more peanut products

TORONTO - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added three more U.S.-made peanut products to its recall list related to the Salmonella outbreak in the United States....More

California octuplets' mom says no one can care for 14 kids alone

NEW YORK - The mother of octuplets born in California last month says she's "not living off taxpayer money," but that she has been receiving about US$490 worth of food stamps....More

Chinese court declares dairy bankrupt

BEIJING - The Chinese dairy at the centre of a deadly tainted milk scandal that sickened hundreds of thousands of children and was blamed for killing six was declared bankrupt Thursday. Sanlu Group Co....More

WHO perplexed by Panasonic's move to repatriate staff families over flu fears

A plan by Panasonic Corp. to repatriate families of overseas employees because of fears of a flu pandemic drew a perplexed reaction from the World Health Organization on Tuesday....More

Probe launched into possible fertility guideline breach in octuplets' conception

LOS ANGELES - An investigation is underway into whether fertility treatment guidelines were broken in the case of a Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets last month, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine says....More

Octuplet mom says she's done having babies

LOS ANGELES - The Southern California mother of octuplets who already had six other children says she's done having babies. In an NBC "Dateline" interview aired Tuesday night, 33-year-old Nadya Suleman says the octuplets were a sign from God that she should stop having children....More

Hospital board refuses province's request to release report into man's ER death

WINNIPEG - The public has a right to know soon why a homeless man died of a preventable bladder infection during a 34-hour wait in a Winnipeg hospital emergency room, Premier Gary Doer said Tuesday....More

Federal government announces funding for new water system for Shannon, Que.

MONTREAL - The federal government says it will spend $13.3 million to build a new sewer system in Shannon, where the toxic chemical solvent trichloroethylene had been leeching from the nearby military base and into the town's water supply....More

Concussion panel recommends hockey ban fighting at all levels

LONDON, Ont. - Fighting should be eliminated from hockey at all levels of the game, according to recommendations released Tuesday from an expert panel dealing with concussions in hockey....More

Access to electronic health records would help cancer patients: report

TORONTO - Many Canadians with cancer have yet to benefit from advances in electronic information technology that could improve how their disease is treated and managed, the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada says in its annual report card....More

'Mind-reading' scan aimed at helping kids who can't speak or move

TORONTO - Imagine being imprisoned in a body without the ability to move or speak, unable to communicate even the simplest of choices. Orange juice, not milk. Turkey sandwich, not tuna. Blue T-shirt, not red....More

More than 200 peanut-related products now on Canada's recall list

TORONTO - The number of snack foods being recalled in Canada because of the deadly salmonella outbreak from tainted peanut products in the U.S. now tops 200....More

Huge study on cancer, heart disease boosts disappointment in multivitamins

CHICAGO - The largest study ever of multivitamin use in older women found the pills did nothing to prevent common cancers or heart disease. The eight-year study in 161,808 postmenopausal women echoes recent disappointing vitamin studies in men....More

Food costs vary widely across Canada, forcing some to forgo healthy choices

TORONTO - The cost of healthy food items varies widely across the country, with some communities paying double and sometimes even six times more for the same product than others, a report released Monday by the Heart and Stroke Foundation suggests....More

Early study shows some hope for new AIDS-fighting vaginal gel

ATLANTA - An experimental vaginal gel has shown some promise in preventing infection from the AIDS virus - the first study to offer hope that a microbicide may soon join the medical arsenal in the international battle against HIV, scientists announced Monday....More

Doctor who helped discover HIV says race for cure taken over push for prevention

CALGARY - When Dr. Luc Montagnier painstakingly teased out the source of the new mysterious AIDS syndrome in a Paris laboratory 25 years ago, the very concept of the disease sparked panic in many people....More

Doctor resignation in N.L. exposes infectious disease specialist shortage

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador is scrambling to find a replacement for the province's only infectious disease specialist, who will be leaving next month. Two months after Dr....More

B.C. program allows kidney disease patients to get overnight hospital treatment

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Patients with chronic kidney disease can now sleep while administering their own treatment during overnight hospital stays as part of a pilot project unique to B.C....More

Concussion panel recommends hockey ban fighting at all levels

LONDON, Ont. - Fighting should be eliminated from hockey at all levels of the game, according to recommendations released Tuesday from an expert panel dealing with concussions in hockey....More

Surrey hospital expansion to include more beds, bigger ER, but cost uncertain

SURREY, B.C. - Surrey Memorial Hospital is getting a new building that will include 30 per cent more acute-care beds and a new emergency department almost five times the size of the old one....More

More than 200 peanut-related products now on Canada's recall list

TORONTO - The number of snack foods being recalled in Canada because of the deadly salmonella outbreak from tainted peanut products in the U.S. now tops 200....More

List of products in CFIA health hazard alert concerning peanuts

Here is the updated list of products recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that contain peanut products and may have been contaminated with salmonella: Products manufactured in Canada: -Atkins Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour Bars 15...More

U.S. drugmakers' push boosts sales of drugs for 'murky' ailment

WASHINGTON - Two drugmakers spent hundreds of millions of dollars last year to raise awareness of a murky illness, helping boost sales of pills recently approved as treatments and drowning out unresolved questions - including whether it's a real disease at all....More

Marburg fever in Colo. woman reminder bad bugs can cross oceans

A Colorado woman who contracted Marburg fever while in Uganda should serve as a reminder to health-care workers that diseases that were once just exotic names in medical textbooks can show up in emergency departments in North American hospitals, experts say....More

Timeline of events in salmonella outbreak

A timeline of important events in the salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanuts at a Blakely, Ga., plant. -2006 - Four inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture cite numerous, repeated violations at the Blakely, Ga., plant of the Peanut Corp....More

Strike vote set to begin among 5,000 nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A strike vote is set to begin Monday among the 5,000 nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador. The nurses' union has said there's no point in returning to the bargaining table....More

Q&A on computer network that warned of salmonella

ATLANTA - U.S. health officials were first alerted to the current peanut-based salmonella outbreak through a government computer network called PulseNet. But the system relies on doctors testing patients and it takes interviews with patients to identify the food source....More

In colon cancer drug study, combining two newer drugs wasn’t better

NEW YORK - Doctors thought that combining two newer drugs that more precisely attack cancer would help people with advanced colon cancer. Instead, it made the cancer worse and made the patients more miserable, a study found....More

Car seats a danger to sleeping babies, can cause asphyxiation: Que coroner

MONTREAL - Allowing infants to sleep in car seats can lead to serious breathing problems and should be discouraged, a Quebec coroner said Wednesday, a year after a two-month-old boy died after his mother placed him in the seated position in an effort to prevent colic....More

Black AIDS group in New York urges President Obama to address the disease

NEW YORK - The head of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS says it plans to call on President Barack Obama to develop a strategy to reverse disproportionate infection rates among blacks. C....More

Another reason not to smoke in hospitals: Open windows let in cockroaches

TORONTO - It sounds like a plot concocted by Alfred Hitchcock: cockroaches nestling inside oxygen masks in a hospital intensive care unit and crawling around in the light panels hanging from the ceiling. But this was no horror film....More

Alberta doctors speaking out against wider sharing of patient health records

EDMONTON - The group representing Alberta's doctors is speaking out against a proposed law that would allow more sharing of patient health records through an electronic database....More

List of products in CFIA health hazard alert concerning peanuts

Here is the updated list of products recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that contain peanut products and may have been contaminated with salmonella: Products manufactured in Canada: -Atkins Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour Bars 15...More

Calif. octuplets' mom's veil of secrecy vanishes as past details emerge

WHITTIER, Calif. - The veil of secrecy octuplets' mother Nadya Suleman shrouded herself in for more than a week was lifted Thursday with the release of public documents showing that the 33-year-old struggled with depression for years until she finally began to realize her childhood dream of...More

Alta health minister won't confirm report that some treatments will be de-listed

CALGARY - Albertans will have to wait a few more months until the provincial budget to find out what health treatments may be cut from medicare coverage, says Health Minister Ron Liepert....More

Mumps immunization clinics being held across Ontario to prevent outbreak

TORONTO - The Ontario Health Ministry is ramping up efforts to immunize young adults against a disease many thought was no longer a threat - mumps....More

Massachusetts man pledges US$100 million for AIDS vaccine research

BOSTON - A Massachusetts businessman is pledging US$100 million to create a new institute that will search for vaccines for AIDS and other diseases. Phillip T. Ragon is scheduled to announce the gift to Massachusetts General Hospital today....More

Injured man dies after rejection by 14 hospitals

TOKYO - After getting struck by a motorcycle, an elderly Japanese man with head injuries waited in an ambulance as paramedics phoned 14 hospitals, each refusing to treat him....More

In colon cancer drug study, combining two newer drugs wasn’t better

NEW YORK - Doctors thought that combining two newer drugs that more precisely attack cancer would help people with advanced colon cancer. Instead, it made the cancer worse and made the patients more miserable, a study found....More

Car seats a danger to sleeping babies, can cause asphyxiation: Que coroner

MONTREAL - Allowing infants to sleep in car seats can lead to serious breathing problems and should be discouraged, a Quebec coroner said Wednesday, a year after a two-month-old boy died after his mother placed him in the seated position in an effort to prevent colic....More

Black AIDS group in New York urges President Obama to address the disease

NEW YORK - The head of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS says it plans to call on President Barack Obama to develop a strategy to reverse disproportionate infection rates among blacks. C....More

Another reason not to smoke in hospitals: Open windows let in cockroaches

TORONTO - It sounds like a plot concocted by Alfred Hitchcock: cockroaches nestling inside oxygen masks in a hospital intensive care unit and crawling around in the light panels hanging from the ceiling. But this was no horror film....More

List of products in CFIA health hazard alert concerning peanuts

Here is the updated list of products recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that contain peanut products and may have been contaminated with salmonella: Products manufactured in Canada: -Atkins Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour Bars 15...More

Treating high blood pressure: Fewer Canadians dying and being hospitalized: study

Cardiovascular death and hospitalization rates have declined in Canada, a new study shows, and doctors suggest the credit should go to better treatment and awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure....More

Ottawa moves to stop company using banned insulation

OTTAWA - The federal government has issued a cease-and-desist order against Retrofoam Canada to stop the company from installing insulation that contains urea formaldehyde....More

List of products in CFIA health hazard alert concerning peanuts

Here is the updated list of products recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that contain peanut products and may have been contaminated with salmonella: Products manufactured in Canada: -Atkins Advantage Chocolate Peanut Butter flavour Bars 15...More

Firm tied to salmonella outbreak ran unlicensed Texas plant

WASHINGTON - A peanut processing plant in Texas run by the same company blamed for a national salmonella outbreak operated for years uninspected and unlicensed by government health officials, The Associated Press has learned. The Peanut Corp....More

Doctors test latest attempt at artificial liver, a machine dubbed ELAD

WASHINGTON - There's help for failing kidneys and failing hearts. But there's no fix for a dying liver. Doctors are trying to change that at a few hospitals, testing a machine packed with human liver cells as a last-ditch chance to survive sudden liver failure....More

Bird flu virus - most lethal flu virus ever - still major concern: WHO

TORONTO - The danger posed by H5N1 avian flu specifically and a flu pandemic in general may no longer dominate news headlines but it has not subsided, experts warned Tuesday at an international scientific conference on influenza....More

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea rates soar in Ontario; national surveillance needed

TORONTO - There has been a sharp increase in the percentage of gonorrhea cases in Ontario resistant to a class of antibiotics that until recently was potent and simple-to-use weapon against the sexually transmitted infection, a new study published Tuesday reveals....More

Mumps immunization clinics being held across Ontario to prevent outbreak

TORONTO - The Ontario Health Ministry is ramping up efforts to immunize young adults against a disease many thought was no longer a threat - mumps....More

Earliest chocolate use found in what is now United States

WASHINGTON - Chocolate for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? Folks may be surprised to know how far back chocolate goes - perhaps 1,000 years in what is now the United States. Evidence of chocolate was been found in Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, N.M....More

Despite scientific debunking, in Japan you are what your blood type is

TOKYO - In Japan, "What's your type?" is much more than small talk; it can be a paramount question in everything from matchmaking to getting a job. By type, the Japanese mean blood type, and no amount of scientific debunking can kill a widely held notion that blood tells all....More

California octuplets become longest-living set in United States

BELLFLOWER, Calif. - The octuplets born to a Southern California woman have become the longest-surviving bunch in U.S. history. The six boys and two girls - whose names have not been released - turned a week old Monday at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center....More

Atomic veterans file class-action lawsuit against Ottawa for more compensation

SASKATOON - Canadian soldiers who participated in atomic weapons testing during the Cold War have filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government....More

As many as 10,000 could file claims in Maple Leaf lawsuit: administrator

TORONTO - Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX:MFI) has agreed to pay up to $125,000 to individuals with serious and long-lasting physical injuries resulting from last year's listeriosis outbreak....More

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea rates soar in Ontario; national surveillance needed

TORONTO - There has been a sharp increase in the percentage of gonorrhea cases in Ontario that are resistant to antibiotics that until recently were potent and simple-to-use weapons against the sexually transmitted infection, a new study published Tuesday reveals....More

Firm tied to salmonella outbreak ran unlicensed Texas plant

WASHINGTON - A peanut processing plant in Texas run by the same company blamed for a national salmonella outbreak operated for years uninspected and unlicensed by government health officials, The Associated Press has learned. The Peanut Corp....More

Doctors test latest attempt at artificial liver, a machine dubbed ELAD

WASHINGTON - There's help for failing kidneys and failing hearts. But there's no fix for a dying liver. Doctors are trying to change that at a few hospitals, testing a machine packed with human liver cells as a last-ditch chance to survive sudden liver failure....More

2 units at Regina hospital closed to new patients, visitors due to norovirus virus

REGINA - An outbreak of norovirus is spreading at a Regina hospital. Two units of Regina General Hospital have been closed to new patients and visitors due to the gastrointestinal virus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea....More

Raw milk safe and nutritious when locally produced, say its advocates

TORONTO - Recent debate over whether raw milk is healthy or hazardous has been a lot like comparing apples and oranges, say advocates who argue how safe it is all depends on the size of the herd....More

Raw milk advocates argue science backs their thirst for the illegal beverage

TORONTO - Experts gathered in Toronto Saturday argue that raw milk can not only be safe, it provides myriad health benefits that are otherwise lost in the pasteurization process....More

Make that 14: Octuplet mom already had six kids

WHITTIER, Calif. - How in the world does a woman with six children get a fertility doctor to help her have more - eight more? An ethical debate erupted Friday after it was learned that the Southern California woman who gave birth to octuplets this week had six children already....More

New technology holds promise for better breast cancer treatment

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have developed a technology that analyzes breast cancer tumours in a new way, allowing them to predict with more than 80 per cent accuracy a patient's chance of recovering....More

List of Canadian recalled products grows in salmonella peanut probe

TORONTO - Dozens more peanut products have been recalled in Canada over fears they could be contaminated with salmonella linked to an outbreak in the U.S. that has sickened hundreds and may have led to at least eight deaths....More

Experts can't explain three avian flu outbreaks in B.C.'s Fraser Valley

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Three of four of the most recent avian flu outbreaks in Canada have broken out in British Columbia's Fraser Valley but despite years of trying to figure it out, they still can't explain why the valley attracts the virus....More

Despite scientific debunking, in Japan you are what your blood type is

TOKYO - In Japan, "What's your type?" is much more than small talk; it can be a paramount question in everything from matchmaking to getting a job. By type, the Japanese mean blood type, and no amount of scientific debunking can kill a widely held notion that blood tells all....More