Hundreds of Quebec women may have received flawed breast cancer tests: study

MONTREAL - Health officials in Quebec say flawed breast cancer tests may have put the lives of hundreds of women in the province at risk. The situation is drawing comparisons to the botched testing scandal in Newfoundland and Labrador....More

Flaws in breast cancer testing puts all Quebec cancer patients at risk: MDs

MONTREAL - Quebec health officials are demanding that the provincial government react quickly after a study revealed faults in its breast cancer testing, a situation they are comparing to Newfoundland's botched cancer exams....More

European journal says it's time to find a better name for swine flu

TORONTO - A European public health journal says it's time to find a better name for swine flu and the disease it causes. An unsigned editorial in Eurosurveillance suggests none of the currently used names for the new flu virus are workable....More

Errors in breast cancer testing endanger all Quebec cancer patients: MDs

MONTREAL - Quebec health officials are demanding that the provincial government react quickly after a study revealed faults in its breast cancer testing, a situation they are comparing to Newfoundland's botched cancer exams....More

Daily drinking of alcohol can lead to binge drinking, new study concludes

MONTREAL - Regular alcohol consumption can lead to binge drinking among all gender and age groups, a new study suggests....More

CDC says October soonest for swine flu shots

ATLANTA - A U.S. health official says a swine flu vaccine could be available as early as October, but only if vaccine production and testing run smoothly this summer. Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S....More

American stroke group expands time for clot-busting drugs

DALLAS - A change to stroke treatment guidelines is expanding the time that some patients can get clot-busting drugs. Current recommendations limit the use of the medicine to within three hours after the start of stroke symptoms....More

'Bacterial census' finds a zoo full of critters on human skin

WASHINGTON - Eeeww. There's a zoo full of critters living on your skin - a bacterial zoo, that is. Consider your underarm a rain forest. Healthy skin is home to a much wider variety of bacteria than scientists ever knew, says the first big census of our co-inhabitants....More

Seed strains for swine flu vaccine sent out to pharmaceutical companies

TORONTO - At least one flu vaccine manufacturer has received and others will be receiving shortly swine flu seed strains, the basic building block for the production of influenza vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and some vaccine makers confirmed Wednesday....More

Sask. health minister says there have 'lots of offers' to help review 70,000 exams

REGINA - Offers of aid are pouring into Saskatchewan as health officials review 70,000 X-rays, CT scans, mammography or ultrasound tests for possible errors....More

Sanofi receives swine flu seed strain needed to start vaccine production

TORONTO - The world's largest flu vaccine manufacturer says it has received the starting material needed to make swine flu vaccine. Sanofi pasteur of Swiftwater, Pa....More

Ont. confirms 143 new cases of swine flu; provincial total at 495

TORONTO - Ontario is confirming 143 new cases of the swine flu, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 495. Health officials say almost all of the cases reported to date are considered mild. Six people with the virus were in hospital as of Tuesday....More

Mixed-race patients with cancer struggle to find marrow donors

HAYWARD, Calif. - If Nick Glasgow were white, he would have a nearly 90 per cent chance of finding a matching bone marrow donor who could cure his leukemia. But because the 28-year-old bodybuilder is one-quarter Japanese, his doctor warned him the outlook was grim....More

Deaths linked to swine flu hit 101 worldwide

CHICAGO - A second person in Illinois has died from complications of swine flu - pushing the world's death toll past 100....More

Chalk River reactor down for at least three months

OTTAWA - The Chalk River reactor will be down for at least three months. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. says it needs the time to make repairs to the aging National Research Universal reactor....More

$2 million for family of woman who died on New York hospital floor

NEW YORK - The family of a woman who died on a New York City hospital floor, struggling to get up while staffers ignored her, has settled a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city for $2 million....More

Government hiding 10-year plan for health care, Opposition charges

TORONTO - The Progressive Conservatives say the government is hiding a long-delayed 10-year plan for health care in Ontario. The plan, which the government promised to release in 2007, is supposed to outline the province's strategy for public health care over the long-term....More

Genome research takes next step for blood test to replace transplant biopsy

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Imagine going to hospital and plugging in an information device that reveals your own genome sequence, allowing doctors to plan a course of treatment just for your unique genetic make-up. Experts say it will happen in our lifetime....More

Former Ont. judge enlisted to mediate N.L. breast cancer testing error lawsuit

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A former Ontario judge will oversee the mediation of a class action lawsuit launched after hundreds of breast cancer tests were botched in Newfoundland and Labrador....More

EPA announces dioxin review, plans for Dow cleanup

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - The U.S. government will speed up a long-delayed assessment of how dioxins affect human health, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday....More

Earliest evidence found for leprosy

WASHINGTON - Leprosy is one of mankind's most ancient scourges, mentioned in writing from ancient India to the Bible to the Middle Ages. Now researchers have uncovered what they say is the oldest case of the disease yet found....More

Alberta's privacy commissioner wants health care providers to get fax straight

EDMONTON - Alberta's privacy commissioner wants health care providers in the province to get their fax straight. The commissioner's office said Tuesday that staff at Edmonton's Misericordia Hospital mistakenly faxed personal medical information of a patient to someone....More

World Health Organization wins prestigious Spanish prize

MADRID, Spain - The World Health Organization won Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias prize on Wednesday for its work fighting global killers such as AIDS, polio and tuberculosis....More

Test for early Alzheimer's in late development

TRENTON, N.J. - A research institute devoted to Alzheimer's and related diseases has teamed up with a major maker of diagnostic tests to speed development of what could be the first test to detect Alzheimer's in its early stages....More

Manufacture of stair-climbing wheelchair discontinued by Johnson & Johnson

WASHINGTON - A stair-climbing wheelchair hit the market with a bang but disappeared with a whimper, a casualty of price that raises a big question: How much will society agree to pay for high-tech help for the disabled? Johnson & Johnson quietly sold the last iBOTs this...More

German states ban Red Bull after discovery of cocaine in the drink

BERLIN - Six German states have told retailers to stop selling Red Bull Cola energy drinks after a test found a trace amount of cocaine. The bans started Friday after a sample test conducted by authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia state found 0....More

Chicago reports 12th U.S. death from swine flu

CHICAGO - Illinois health officials say a person in the Chicago area has died of swine flu. It's the 12th confirmed death from the illness in the United States. Illinois Department of Public Health director, Dr....More

Cabinet tweaks medical marijuana rules after losing court case

OTTAWA - The federal cabinet has responded to an adverse court ruling by increasing the number of medical marijuana users a licensed grower may supply - to two from one....More

Boy who fled chemo returns to Minnesota, sheriff says

MINNEAPOLIS - A sheriff's office in Minnesota says a 13-year-old cancer patient and his mother who fled the state to avoid chemotherapy have returned....More

Baby Kaylee Vitelli headed back to Toronto hospital for treatment

TORONTO - Baby Kaylee Vitelli is being rushed back to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children Monday for treatment. The public relations firm speaking on behalf of the family says the infant girl is suffering from an infection and fever....More

AECL rival offers to help Canada through Chalk River shutdown

OTTAWA - Atomic Energy of Canada's chief rival to build a nuclear power plant in Ontario has offered to help the federal government through the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor....More

Vaccine refusal boosts kids' whooping cough risks: study

CHICAGO - Children who don't get the shots to prevent whooping cough are 23 times more likely to get the disease than vaccinated kids, a Colorado study suggests....More

Pig populations need to be monitored for emerging flu viruses in future: study

TORONTO - Pig populations will need to be closely monitored in future for emerging influenza viruses, an international team of researchers warned as they published the first in-depth analysis looking for the origins of the swine flu virus. The researchers, from the U.S....More

Fall flu season could be more intense in N.S. due to H1N1: health officer

HALIFAX, N.S. - There could be more flu cases this fall and the strain itself could be more virulent in the wake of the H1N1 outbreak, health officials in Nova Scotia said Friday....More

Cigarette makers lose appeal in landmark case

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court on Friday agreed with the major elements of a 2006 landmark ruling that found the top U.S. tobacco companies guilty of racketeering and fraud for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking. The U.S....More

WHO under pressure from member states to rewrite pandemic requirement

TORONTO - The World Health Organization, under pressure from member states not to declare the swine flu outbreak a pandemic, said Friday it will rework the criteria by which a pandemic is called....More

Fax machine glitch may have prevented doctors from getting patient reports

SASKATOON - The Saskatoon Health Region is reviewing the files of 1,380 patients after discovering a fax machine glitch may have prevented diagnostic test results from reaching their doctors....More

'Jet-lagged moms' more likely to develop postpartum blues, says Ontario doctor

MONTREAL - A group of Canadian clinicians say they think the incidence of postpartum depression could be reduced by a simple remedy - sleep. A few years ago, Dr....More

Woman in 50s is NY's 2nd swine flu death, US' 11th

NEW YORK - A woman died over the weekend of swine flu, becoming New York's second victim and the 11th in the U.S. The woman, who was in her 50s, had other health conditions, Department of Health spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti said....More

Still not enough federal meat inspectors on job: union

OTTAWA - Nine months after a deadly listeriosis outbreak, the union representing federal food inspectors says there's still a critical shortage of staff to oversee meat processing plants....More

Tennessee woman faces federal charge of faking breast cancer

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - A former Tennessee city employee accused of faking breast cancer and duping her employer and others out of more than $100,000 now faces a federal fraud charge....More

Study finds that diabetes drug lowers risk of amputation

LONDON - Doctors who gave diabetics a drug originally intended to lower patients' cholesterol found it reduced their risk of so-called minor amputation by 36 per cent, a new analysis of research says....More

Some adults protected against swine flu but seasonal flu shots don't help: study

TORONTO - A new study suggests a portion of older adults may have some immune protection against the swine flu virus. The study also confirms that seasonal flu shots probably don't protect against the new virus. The work, done at the U.S....More

Saskatchewan radiologist under review shares concern about patients

YORKTON, Sask. - The Saskatchewan radiologist whose work has sparked a review of 70,000 exams says he shares the worry over his patients' health. In an email statement sent Thursday by his wife, Dr. Darius Tsatsi said his "main concern is patient safety....More

Risk factors for Inuit kids with respiratory infections identified: study

TORONTO - Public health interventions and vaccination to prevent respiratory tract infections could reduce the rates of hospital admission for Inuit children, two new studies suggest....More

Reason behind possible partial immunity of older adults to swine flu unclear

TORONTO - Flu viruses that circulated decades ago may be protecting older adults from the new swine flu virus, scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggested Thursday. Blood samples from U.S....More

Pro athletes, outdoor outings part of group's mission to get girls active

TORONTO - Laurie Otis Aubut has been skiing since she was three years old, but an outing this past winter was hardly an average day on the slopes....More

Minnesota dad in chemo dispute pleads for son's return

SLEEPY EYE, Minn. - The father of a 13-year-old cancer-stricken boy who went on the run with his mother to avoid chemotherapy treatment pleaded Thursday for the return of his son, asking his wife to "do what's best for Danny....More

Union taking Saskatchewan health region to court to get 'essential' missing info

REGINA - A Saskatchewan union is going to court in an effort to get some "essential" information from the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region....More

Study commissioned by plastics industry says reusable grocery bags dangerous

TORONTO - The growing popularity of reusable grocery bags could pose a health risk to Canadians by increasing their exposure to dangerous bacteria, says a study commissioned by the plastics industry released Wednesday....More

N.L. nurses, gov't reach tentative deal hours before planned work stoppage

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador struck a tentative agreement with the provincial government early Wednesday, hours before a planned work stoppage threatened to curtail health care services across the province....More

Largest emergency room in Atlantic Canada to open in Halifax next month

HALIFAX, N.S. - The largest emergency and trauma centre in Atlantic Canada will accept its first patients next month in Halifax. The Charles V. Keating Emergency and Trauma Centre will open June 24 at the Halifax Infirmary site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre....More

Is swine flu a pandemic or pandemic-in-the-making? Experts offer varying opinions

TORONTO - Even among microbiologists and virologists, characterizing an influenza pandemic is a bit like, well, defining pornography. "The old saying is: 'What's the definition of a pandemic strain?' 'Well, you can't really be sure but you'll know when you see one,"' says Dr....More

Cuban newspaper says Canadian toddler hospitalized with swine flu

HAVANA - A Canadian toddler is the latest person to be diagnosed in Cuba with swine flu. The official Granma newspaper says the unidentified 14-month-old was hospitalized after exhibiting fever and respiratory symptoms following his arrival from Toronto with his parents....More

Clinics paying more for isotopes after supplier hikes prices

OTTAWA - Clinics are paying two to three times more for medical isotopes after a supplier abruptly hiked its prices this month - just before the Chalk River reactor shut down and caused an isotope shortage....More

Angioplasty, bypass can safely be delayed for some heart attack patients: study

HAMILTON, Ont. - Researchers say some patients can safely wait more than a day to have an angioplasty or bypass surgery after arriving at hospital with a threatened or mild heart attack....More

N.L. nurses protesting outside legislature; work stoppage could begin Wednesday

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses threw copies of their collective agreement on the steps of the Newfoundland and Labrador legislature Tuesday as a strike or lockout in hospitals across the province appeared imminent....More

N.L. nurses poised to hit picket lines Wednesday in contract dispute with gov’t

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses across Newfoundland and Labrador are poised to hit the picket lines Wednesday in an increasingly bitter labour dispute that prompted some of them to throw copies of their expired collective bargaining agreements on the front steps of the provincial legislature in...More

Meeting between UN, WHO heads and vaccine makers leads to few donations

A summit between flu vaccine makers and the heads of the UN and the World Health Organization produced no new concrete offers of donated vaccine, the WHO said Tuesday....More

Medical community could face isotope shortage after reactor shutdown

CHALK RIVER, Ont. - Canada's medical community could be faced with another shortage of diagnostic isotopes after another shutdown of a nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ont. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd....More

Isotope shortage could delay medical tests

OTTAWA - Patients in line for medical tests to diagnose cancer and heart ailments may have a longer wait as hospitals try to conserve a scarce supply of isotopes, doctors say. The latest shutdown of an Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ont....More

Drug for enlarged prostate can cause complications after cataract surgery: study

TORONTO - Men taking a commonly prescribed medication for enlarged prostate have an increased risk of potentially serious complications following cataract surgery, a study suggests....More

Australian doctor uses household drill to save boy

MELBOURNE, Australia - A doctor in rural Australia used a household drill to bore a hole into the skull of a boy with a severe head injury, saving his life....More

N.L. government reaches tentative deal with nurses to avert work disruption

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Newfoundland government says a tentative agreement has been reached to avoid a labour disruption by the province's nurses....More

WHO annual meeting dominated by swine flu

GENEVA - Swine flu and the possibility of a vaccine topped the agenda Monday as the World Health Organization opened its annual meeting amid concern the virus continues to spread - and kill - around the globe....More

Study links cigarette changes to rising lung risk

WASHINGTON - It may be riskier to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago - at least in the United States, says new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fuelling a certain type of lung cancer. Up to one-half of U.S....More

Chief public health officer says Canada over worst of swine flu

OTTAWA - Canada's chief public health officer says the country has seen the worst of the swine flu - for now. Dr. David Butler-Jones said Monday it appears that spread of the virus is waning....More

British study says postponing retirement may delay dementia

LONDON - Working a few years beyond retirement could help stave off Alzheimer's disease, according to a new British study published Monday. Experts from King's College London analyzed data from more than 1,300 people with dementia....More

1-stop shopping: Clinic's specialists treat patients with multiple health issues

Albert Hammill likes to refer to his medical appointment at the new integrated care clinic at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver as his "three-in-one....More

N.L. nurses to be locked out after breakdown in last-ditch contract talks

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A lockout begins Wednesday morning for nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador after last-minute talks failed to resolve a contract dispute. The lockout comes on the same day that the nurses were set to go on strike....More

N.L. nurses say they'll be locked out after breakdown in last-ditch talks

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador say they'll be locked out Wednesday morning after last-minute talks failed to resolve a contract dispute. The lockout would come on the same day that the nurses were set to go on strike....More

Medical community could face isotope shortage after reactor shutdown

CHALK RIVER, Ont. - Canada's medical community could be faced with another shortage of diagnostic isotopes after another shutdown of a nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ont. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd....More

Swine flu spread in North America may extend into summer, experts say

TORONTO - Spread of swine flu in North America may not dampen down in coming weeks as was first expected, some health officials and flu experts are now suggesting....More

Swine flu closes more New York schools, spreads in Asia

NEW YORK - Swine flu virus continues spreading in New York City - closing more schools and showing up in a jail - while the disease also reached farther into Asia among travellers returning from the United States....More

New study shows male sex-trade workers need more support

CALGARY - Matthew Taylor is one of the lucky ones. After eight years selling his body on the streets of Vancouver, he was able to find the support he needed to get out of the sex trade and now he runs an outreach program for male prostitutes....More

Montreal doc says Quebec women getting shortchanged on breast implant options

MONTREAL - After years of yo-yo dieting, Kerry McCarthy had seen her breasts become a "deflated D....More

Assistant principal is 1st NYC swine flu death

NEW YORK - A hospital official says a school assistant principal has become the first death in New York City linked to the swine flu virus. Flushing Hospital Medical Center spokesman Andrew Rubin says Mitchell Wiener died Sunday evening....More

Assistant principal is 1st NYC swine flu death

NEW YORK - A school assistant principal who was sick for several days with swine flu died on Sunday, New York City's first death linked to the virus and the sixth in the U.S....More

WHO annual meeting dominated by swine flu

GENEVA - Swine flu and the possibility of a vaccine topped the agenda Monday as the World Health Organization opened its annual meeting amid concern the virus continues to spread - and kill - around the globe....More

Study links cigarette changes to rising lung risk

WASHINGTON - It may be riskier to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago - at least in the United States, says new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fuelling a certain type of lung cancer. Up to one-half of U.S....More

McGuinty defends eHealth agency for spending millions on consultants

TORONTO - Spending $67 million over two years on consultants is part of the "expensive undertaking" tasked to a government agency that's developing electronic health records in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday....More

Harvard scientists find virus spurred high blood pressure in mice

WASHINGTON - Provocative new research suggests that a common virus might play a role in high blood pressure. The work, by Harvard scientists, so far is only in mice - and the usually symptomless infection is so widespread that proving an effect in people will be tough....More

Expert panel meets to advise WHO on whether to order swine flu vaccine production

TORONTO - An expert panel convened by the World Health Organization is meeting today to debate questions related to the production of swine flu vaccine....More

Drug giant Pfizer offers free medications for the jobless

TRENTON, N.J. - Pfizer Inc. is unveiling a new program Thursday that will let people who have lost their jobs and health insurance keep taking some widely prescribed Pfizer medications - including Lipitor and Viagra - for free for up to a year....More

Baby Kaylee leaves hospital for first time since birth to begin life at home

BRADFORD, Ont. - No one expected baby Kaylee Vitelli to live - not her doctors at the world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and certainly not her parents....More

Alberta to consult with rural communities before closing any health facilities

EDMONTON - Alberta will consult with people in rural communities before closing or changing any of their medical facilities, Health Minister Ron Liepert says....More

'Double burn' of heart tissue may be best way to treat irregular heartbeat: study

TORONTO - Performing a "double burn" of heart tissue may be the most effective way to treat patients with the potentially life-threatening irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation, a Canadian-led international study suggests....More

Obama taps NYC health commissioner to head CDC

NEW YORK - President Barack Obama has selected New York City's health commissioner to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Thomas Frieden has served as health commissioner for the past seven years....More

Ontario to fund use of Velcade for patients with fatal form of blood cancer

TORONTO - A company which manufactures a treatment for multiple myeloma says the medication Velcade will now be covered by Ontario's drug plan. Ortho Biotech says Velcade is a first-line therapy for patients who are not candidates for stem cell transplants....More

Military says it's prepared if swine flu strikes in Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canada's military says it will be prepared if swine flu strikes soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Canadian military personnel have put in place testing procedures at the hospital inside the base at Kandahar Airfield....More

Lawyers say Alberta's plan to sue criminals for health costs is unenforceable

EDMONTON - Alberta's groundbreaking attempt to force criminals to pay their victims' medical costs is a political stunt that is "all sizzle but no steak," says two law groups....More

Food industry calls on government to update regulations on fortifying foods

TORONTO - Canada's food industry says it's concerned about its ability to bring new products to market and blames an out-of-date regulatory regime for making it difficult to keep pace with what's occurring in other countries....More

Feds to pay for military vets medical marijuana

OTTAWA - The military may strictly forbid marijuana use by its soldiers, but the federal government has decided to pay for medical cannabis for some veterans....More

Eli Manning and his wife, Abby, donate to New York City birthing centre

NEW YORK - Giants quarterback Eli Manning and his wife Abby have made a donation to a New York City birthing centre bearing their names. The couple were scheduled to make the announcement Wednesday in the Smith Lobby of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan....More

Baby Kaylee's homecoming to include chopper ride, police escort

TORONTO - The saga of an infant girl no one expected to live is turning a new page as her parents prepare to fly her home from hospital....More

McGuinty defends eHealth agency for spending millions on consultants

TORONTO - Spending $67 million over two years on consultants is part of the "expensive undertaking" tasked to a government agency that's developing electronic health records in Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday....More

Nurses in N.L. to refuse overtime in contract dispute with province

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Unionized nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador will stop working overtime beginning May 20 because of a dispute over a final contract offer from the provincial government....More

N.S. Liberals promise free tuition to 100 med students to solve doctor shortage

HALIFAX, N.S. - Every Nova Scotian will have access to a family doctor if the Liberal party is elected to govern the province on June 9, party leader Stephen McNeil promised Tuesday as he unveiled a $6-million plan to lure doctors to under-serviced areas....More

Folic acid may protect against fetal heart defects, study suggests

TORONTO - Since Canada introduced mandatory fortification of grain products with folic acid more than a decade ago, the number of babies born with severe congenital heart defects has dropped significantly in Quebec, researchers say....More

Flu drug advised for pregnant women with swine flu

ATLANTA - Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said Tuesday....More

FDA takes issue with Cheerios health claims

WASHINGTON - U.S. federal regulators have scolded the maker of Cheerios, saying the company made inappropriate claims about the popular cereal's ability to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease....More

Baby Kaylee to be discharged Thursday from Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children

TORONTO - A representative for the family of a baby at the centre of a heart transplant drama in Toronto says he's looking for a helicopter ride home for the infant girl....More

Ontario to fund use of Velcade for patients with fatal form of blood cancer

TORONTO - A company which manufactures a treatment for multiple myeloma says the medication Velcade will now be covered by Ontario's drug plan. Ortho Biotch says Velcade is a first-line therapy for patients who are not candidates for stem cell transplants....More

Food industry calls on government to update regulations on fortifying foods

TORONTO - Canada's food industry says it's concerned about its ability to bring new products to market and blames an out-of-date regulatory regime for making it difficult to keep pace with what's occurring in other countries....More

Manitoba government defends naming of nurses who abuse drugs, alcohol

WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government is defending the practice of publishing the names of nurses who repeatedly abuse drugs or alcohol. Health Minister Theresa Oswald says public protection is the top priority....More

Killam Prizes awarded to profs from McGill, Queen's and University of Toronto

Three professors from Montreal's McGill University and one each from Queen's and the University of Toronto were named Monday as recipients of Killam Prizes worth $100,000 each....More

Educated, tech-savvy young adults most likely to be high-risk drinkers: study

TORONTO - Affluent, highly educated and tech-savvy young adults are more likely to engage in binge drinking than many of their peers who are older, poorer and less educated, a new study suggests....More

Another case of swine flu in Nova Scotia brings total to 57

Another case of swine flu has been reported in Nova Scotia, bringing the total to 57 since the outbreak began on April 26. The latest case is within the Annapolis Valley District Health Authority....More

Alta. could sue criminals to recover health-care costs resulting from their crimes

EDMONTON - Alberta has introduced legislation that would allow the province to sue law breakers to recover any health-care costs related to their crimes....More

Acupuncture, even simulated form, beats usual care for low back pain: study

TORONTO - Acupuncture - even simulated acupuncture using toothpicks pushed against the skin - appears to relieve symptoms of chronic low back pain better than standard medical treatment, a large patient trial has found....More

Roche donates over 5M packs of anti-viral to WHO

BASEL, Switzerland - Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche Holding AG said Tuesday it is donating 5.65 million packets of Tamiflu, one of two anti-viral drugs known to be effective against swine flu, to the World Health Organization....More

Roche donates more than five million packs of anti-viral medication to WHO

BASEL, Switzerland - Swiss drug maker Roche says it is donating 5.65 million packets of its anti-viral medicine Tamiflu to the World Health Organization. Each packet of Tamiflu - also known as oseltamivir - is enough for one course of treatment for viral infection....More

Flu outbreak exposes flaws in Mexico's health care system

MEXICO CITY - Mexicans will do almost anything to avoid a public hospital emergency room, where ailing patients may languish for hours slumped on cracked linoleum floors that smell of sweat, sickness and pine-scented disinfectant....More

Costa Rica sees 1st death from H1N1 flu outside North American mainland

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - Costa Rica reported the death of a 53-year-old patient with swine flu on Saturday, the first death from the epidemic outside of the North American mainland, while a third death was reported in the U.S....More

Circumstantial evidence the only proof of person-to-pig H1N1 infection: CFIA

TORONTO - There is no smoking gun in the case of the H1N1 infected pigs - and authorities investigating the first known infections of pigs with this new swine flu virus may not be able to unearth one, a senior Canadian Food Inspection Agency official admits....More

Alberta farm quarantined due to flu virus culls 500 pigs to ease overcrowding

EDMONTON - Alberta's chief veterinarian says just under 500 hogs have been culled on the pig farm where the new swine flu virus was detected but not because the animals were sick. The decision to cull the herd was to ease overcrowding, Dr. Gerald Hauer said Saturday....More

Two children with mild symptoms become latest in Saskatchewan with swine flu

REGINA - Two children with mild symptoms have become the latest to test positive for the swine flu virus in Saskatchewan. That brings the total number of cases in the province to four....More

Three new cases of swine flu surface in Alberta, all with mild symptoms

EDMONTON - Three new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Alberta, bringing the province's total number of cases to 49. A man from central Alberta and two women from the Edmonton area have tested positive....More

Ont. health-care professionals to get new powers under government bill

TORONTO - Physiotherapists ordering X-rays and pharmacists renewing prescriptions. Those are some of the new powers that Ontario health-care professionals may soon gain under new legislation....More

Ont. health-care professionals to get new powers under government bill

TORONTO - Physiotherapists ordering X-rays and pharmacists writing prescriptions. Those are some of the new powers that Ontario health-care professionals may soon gain under new legislation....More

Saskatchewan has first two confirmed cases of swine flu; three more in Alberta

REGINA - Saskatchewan has its first two cases of swine flu. Health officials say a teenage girl in the Saskatoon Health Region and a woman in her mid-20s from the Regina area have mild symptoms of the H1N1 virus. They say both had travelled to Mexico....More

Ont. top court dismisses lawsuits against province over SARS outbreak

TORONTO - Ontario's top court has thrown out lawsuits alleging the provincial government put economic interests ahead of public safety during the SARS outbreak in 2003....More

More exercise in school won't help fat kids: study

AMSTERDAM - The problem of overweight children won't be solved by piling on exercise in school, according to new research presented Thursday. Youngsters who have a lot of physical activity during school hours tend to wilt when they get home....More

Kids at risk from testosterone gel, U.S. federal officials warn

WASHINGTON - A little testosterone might be good for adults, but it can cause serious harm to children, federal health officials warned Thursday....More

Foreign scientists question Canada's swine flu decoding claim

OTTAWA - Some scientists outside Canada are scoffing at the federal government's claim that its research lab was the first to fully decode the swine flu virus. "The silly thing is ... I think this race to be first is almost, well, people start doing silly things to be first....More

Flu overhyped? Some say yes, but officials worry about complacency

CHICAGO - Did government health officials "cry swine" when they sounded the alarm on what looked like a threatening new flu? The so-far mild swine flu outbreak has many people saying all the talk about a devastating global epidemic was just fear-mongering hype....More

Dutch company eyes medical marijuana market in Canada

WINNIPEG - A Dutch company that wants to supply marijuana for Canada's medical pot users has some advice for the federal government - offer users a variety of weed that would give them anything from a relaxing sedative to a higher-concentration kick. Bedrocan B.V....More

As case counts rise and virus spreads, specific numbers become less helpful

TORONTO - Are there roughly 200 swine flu cases in Canada? Or about 1,800 cases in the United States? Or nearly 2,400 cases globally? Do the numbers really matter? With the new swine flu virus spreading quickly through many parts of North America and beyond, firm...More

Facing the world: Woman shot by husband in 2004 1st US face transplant patient

CLEVELAND - Five years ago, a shotgun blast left a ghastly hole where the middle of her face had been. Five months ago, she received a new face from a dead woman. Connie Culp stepped forward Tuesday to show off the results of the first face transplant in the U.S....More

Developing countries should share first batches of swine flu vaccine: WHO

TORONTO - Vaccine makers and countries with standing orders for pandemic flu vaccine will be asked to share with developing countries from the moment the first batches are ready if an H1N1 vaccine is made, the World Health Organization said Wednesday....More

Canada's caseload climbs again; flu-ravaged Mexico prepares to rebuild

The only serious case among Canada's 165 swine-flu diagnoses was showing signs of improvement Tuesday, as was life in the country where it all began - a muted Cinco de Mayo holiday marking the start of Mexico's long struggle to rebuild its shattered economy....More

Canada says pork safe to eat despite WHO warning

OTTAWA - The government says pork is safe to eat despite a warning by the World Health Organization that the swine flu virus could survive in slaughtered pigs. "Canadian pork is safe....More

Australian designer blends art, science in clothing with therapeutic functions

MELBOURNE, Australia - Designer Leah Heiss doesn't just want to make you look good. She wants you to feel good at the same time....More

15 is median age of U.S. swine flu hospital cases, officials say

ATLANTA - People hospitalized in the United States for swine flu are turning out to be younger than is typical for regular flu. U.S. health officials say the median age for confirmed hospital cases is 15. Dr....More

Toenails part of study on link between N.S. cancer rates and arsenic in water

TORONTO - To most of us, the idea of handing over our toenail clippings in the cause of science might seem, well, a little weird....More

More exercise in school won't help fat kids: study

AMSTERDAM - The problem of overweight children won't be solved by piling on exercise in school, according to new research presented Thursday. Youngsters who have a lot of physical activity during school hours tend to wilt when they get home....More

Experts in Mexico see more mild flu cases; disparity with elsewhere less striking

ATLANTA - The acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says it appears the pattern of disease in Mexico from the new H1N1 swine flu virus may not be as dramatically different from elsewhere as was first thought. Dr....More

Computerized telephone reminders help blood pressure patients: study

TORONTO - A computer-based telephone reminder system helped patients who need to lower their blood pressure stay on top of the problem, suggests a study published Tuesday in the journal Circulation. After the one-year study, conducted in Laval, Que....More

Baseball player's injury is nothing to sneeze at, say sports therapists

TORONTO - It hasn't led to broken bones or sprained wrists, but it's still nothing to sneeze at. Athletes and amateurs have suffered sidelining injuries when a simple ah-choo causes problems ranging from back spasms to - in severe cases - torn muscles....More

Alberta girl with serious case of flu 'recovering well' in hospital: doctor

CALGARY - A top health official says a young Alberta girl with Canada's only serious case of swine flu is "recovering well." Dr....More

Toenails part of study on link between N.S. cancer rates and arsenic in water

TORONTO - To most of us, the idea of handing over our toenail clippings in the cause of science might seem, well, a little weird....More

Ontario government to introduce drug-dispensing machines

TORONTO - Ontario residents will soon be able to skip the pharmacy when they need a prescription filled. Health Minister David Caplan is set to introduce legislation next week that will allow special drug-dispensing machines to do all the work....More

Facing the world: Woman shot by husband in 2004 1st US face transplant patient

CLEVELAND - Five years ago, a shotgun blast left a ghastly hole where the middle of her face had been. Five months ago, she received a new face from a dead woman. Connie Culp stepped forward Tuesday to show off the results of the first face transplant in the U.S....More

Canada's caseload climbs again; flu-ravaged Mexico prepares to rebuild

The only serious case among Canada's 165 swine-flu diagnoses was showing signs of improvement Tuesday, as was life in the country where it all began - a muted Cinco de Mayo holiday marking the start of Mexico's long struggle to rebuild its shattered economy....More

Production of masks ramped up to meet increased demand in light of swine flu

TORONTO - Makers and vendors of surgical masks and other products designed to curb the spread of disease are struggling to keep up with "significant" demand as flu fears persist in Canada and around the world....More

N.L. health board apologizes after woman given chemotherapy by mistake

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health board apologized Monday after a nurse mistakenly gave chemotherapy to a woman during scheduled treatment for a skin disease. Nancy Mojica-Fisher went to the Dr. G.B....More

Infants' pain response to vaccines depends on which shot given first: study

TORONTO - Giving infants their scheduled vaccinations in a particular order during a visit to the doctor appears to lessen the overall pain they feel from the inoculations, a Canadian study suggests....More

Edmonton girl hospitalized with severe case of swine flu, first in Canada

been hospitalized with a severe case of swine flu - the first such case reported in Canada. Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health, declined to give specific information about the girl's symptoms, or whether she is school-aged....More

Doctors urged to ask patients about drug, alcohol problems

WASHINGTON - If more doctors started asking, would more drug and alcohol abusers 'fess up so they could get help? It's a huge irony of health care: Go to the emergency room and you'll be asked about a tetanus shot, even though "most of us have never seen a case of tetanus," says...More

Company recalls 11 Hydroxycut dietary supplement products in Canada

TORONTO - The company that makes Hydroxycut dietary supplements is voluntarily recalling 11 of its products from store shelves in Canada following a warning about the products south of the border, Health Canada says....More

CFIA wants names of staff who may have been exposed to swine flu

OTTAWA - Canada's food-safety watchdog wants the names of staff who have recently been out of the country and may have been exposed to swine flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency contacted its managers Monday asking for a list of employees who have travelled since March 30....More

Canada hit with first severe case of swine flu

An Alberta girl with no apparent link to Mexico is in hospital with Canada's first reported severe case of swine flu - a sign the nasty bug is now spreading here at home....More

Woman wants more people to know about perinatal obsessive-compulsive disorder

MONTREAL - Carla O'Reilly had always wanted to be the perfect mother. At 26, the educated O'Reilly was in a good marriage and was at home caring for her newborn son in a small Alberta town....More

WHO says pork is safe to eat, following Alta. pigs infection with flu virus

OTTAWA - Pork is perfectly safe to eat, the World Health Organization and Canadian pork producers insisted Sunday after Canadian officials confirmed that pigs at an Alberta farm were infected with the H1N1 influenza A virus....More

US flu tally jumps to 241 as labs catch up

NEW YORK - The tally of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States jumped Sunday to 241 in 34 states, but officials said that's largely from catching up on a backlog of lab tests rather than a sudden spurt in new infections....More

U.S. now has 226 confirmed cases of swine flu in 30 states

NEW YORK - The government's tally of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States jumped Sunday to 226, but officials said that's largely from catching up on a backlog of lab tests rather than a sudden spurt in new infections....More

Health officials in Nova Scotia report two new cases of swine flu

HALIFAX, N.S. - The number of swine flu cases in Nova Scotia continued to grow on the weekend as health officials confirmed 17 new cases on Saturday and another two on Sunday, bringing the province's total to 33 - the highest in Canada....More

Family doctors fear patients with possible H1N1 flu could swamp waiting rooms

TORONTO - Canada's family doctors are gearing up for a potential onslaught of patients with suspected H1N1 influenza. But if cases reach pandemicproportions, the physicians warn they will not be able to bear the load on their own. Dr....More

Discovery of new swine flu in Alta. pigs raises spectre that worries experts

The discovery of the new swine flu in pigs on an Alberta farm raises a spectre that worries influenza experts: the possibility of the virus moving back and forth between humans and pigs, giving it more chances to mutate along the way....More

China stops imports of Alberta pork: Canadian Pork Council president

MAYERTHORPE, Alta. - China stopped imports of Alberta pork Sunday because of the presence of swine flu in a herd of pigs, a move the head of a Canadian industry group called a "knee-jerk reaction....More

Recent developments and details in the ongoing global swine flu outbreak

The latest swine flu developments: Death toll: 168 in Mexico, most of them suspected cases; one confirmed in the U.S. Confirmed cases in Canada: 19 (four in Nova Scotia, seven in Ontario, six in B.C....More

Rare botulism risk when Botox used for off-label treatment of muscle spasms: FDA

WASHINGTON - Health officials warned doctors and patients Thursday about potentially deadly risks of using the anti-wrinkle drug Botox and similar drugs for unapproved uses to treat certain types of muscle spasms....More

Little-known hydrosurgery technique helped balloon crash survivor heal faster

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The horror was captured forever on amateur video. On a gorgeous summer day, a hot air balloon, fully ablaze, plummeted to the ground in suburban Vancouver with a woman and her daughter still on board....More

CSA-approved ski helmets could be on slopes this fall if makers act promptly

MONTREAL - The Canadians Standards Association can't say if Natasha Richardson would have survived if she had been wearing a CSA-approved helmet during her fatal ski accident last month....More

Bacon products face voluntary recall over Listeria concerns: CFIA

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is advising of a voluntary recall of two bacon products over concerns about Listeria contamination....More

B.C.'s first pediatric heart transplant patient passes away at age 11

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. - Seven years after receiving a life-saving heart transplant, young Chelsea Scott has lost her battle. The 11-year-old Prince Rupert, B.C. girl died Sunday morning in that north coastal B.C. city....More

WHO cautions Mexico against saying swine flu is stabilizing; Cda has 34 cases

On a day when Canadian cases of swine flu surged to 34, officials here moved to reassure the public while world health officials cautioned Mexico against pronouncements that the deadly spread of swine flu was stabilizing....More

Mexico's top epidemiologist wants probe of WHO response to swine flu

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's top epidemiologist says the World Health Organization was slow to react to an outbreak of atypical pneumonia that grew into the swine flu epidemic, and wants a probe. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Dr....More