Chalk River reactor resumes isotope production after long shutdown

OTTAWA - The first batches of medical isotopes to come out of the Chalk River nuclear reactor in more than a year should start arriving at clinics within days. The shipments can't come soon enough for patients waiting for tests....More

Alberta Health Services reports spike in viral meningitis cases in Edmonton area

EDMONTON - Alberta Health Services is warning people to avoid sharing water bottles, soft drinks, lipstick and cigarettes because of an outbreak of viral meningitis in the province....More

Chalk River reactor resumes isotope production after long shutdown

OTTAWA - The first batches of medical isotopes to come out of the Chalk River nuclear reactor in more than a year should start arriving at clinics within days. The shipments can't come soon enough for patients waiting for tests....More

Bureaucracy stymies efforts to help veterans, ombudsman charges

OTTAWA - The country's soon-to-be former veterans ombudsman is accusing federal bureaucrats of "cheating" war widows and saying it's better for the country if soldiers die in Afghanistan rather than come home wounded to be a burden on the treasury....More

Manitoba health minister calls for national trials of controversial MS procedure

WINNIPEG - Manitoba's health minister called Monday for a national clinical trial of a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis that has lured some Canadian sufferers overseas....More

Intense testing under way to assure safety of Gulf seafood following oil spill

WASHINGTON - Fish, shrimp and other catches from the Gulf of Mexico are being ground up to hunt for minute traces of oil in what's considered unprecedented safety testing — sort of a "CSI" for seafood that's far more reassuring than the sniff test that made all the...More

Home care lowers deaths among elderly patients following hip surgery: study

TORONTO - Elderly patients given formal home care after a hip replacement due to a fall have a lower risk of dying within a few months after leaving hospital compared to those who don't get such follow-up services, a study suggests....More

HEALTHBEAT: Intense testing under way to assure safety of Gulf seafood

WASHINGTON - Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is being put under the microscope like no other kind on the market, with fish, shrimp and other catches ground up to hunt for minute traces of oil — far more reassuring than that sniff test that made all the headlines....More

Family comes to grips with snip of son's tip in circumcision film

OTTAWA - A snip of the tip wasn't on Danae Elon's mind when her husband walked into the kitchen with a question: "What are we going to do if it's a boy?" It was two months into her pregnancy and the couple hadn't really talked about circumcising their first...More

Cancer is world's top 'economic killer' as well as its leading cause of death, report finds

Cancer is the world's top "economic killer" as well as its likely leading cause of death, the American Cancer Society contends in a new report it will present at a global cancer conference in China this week....More

Breadwinners beware? Men dependent on women's income more likely to cheat: study

TORONTO - They may have success in bringing home the bucks, but new research suggests female breadwinners may be less victorious in the love department when it comes to their male partners staying faithful....More

Study finds less lead in Canadians' blood, but chemicals in their urine

OTTAWA - It's found in some plastic bottles and in the linings of tin cans — and probably in your urine, too. Most Canadians have low levels of a chemical called bisphenol A in their urine, a new federal study has found....More

Toddler Maddox Flynn home in Alberta after surgery to remove growth from face

EDMONTON - An Edmonton toddler who underwent a second operation in New York to remove a severe swelling on his face is back home in Canada. Maddox Flynn arrived in Edmonton this morning with his parents....More

Ministry of Health reports outbreak of Salmonella Oranienberg in Ontario

The Ministry of Health is reporting an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienberg in Ontario. Salmonella Oranienberg is a rare form of Salmonella that causes acute intestinal infection in humans....More

Toddler Maddox Flynn home in Alberta after surgery to remove growth from face

EDMONTON - An Edmonton toddler who underwent a second operation in New York to remove a malformation on his face is back home in Canada. Maddox Flynn arrived in Edmonton Saturday morning with his parents....More

Study: Teen flings bad for grades, but sex in relationship doesn't affect school performance

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - There's good news for parents who worry that their teenagers' sex lives are affecting their school performance: A provocative new study has found that teens in committed relationships do no better or worse in school than those who don't have sex....More

Parents at 14 Barrie, Ont.-area schools say Wi-Fi is making their kids sick

TORONTO - A group of central Ontario parents is demanding their children's schools turn off wireless Internet before they head back to school next month, fearing the technology is making the kids sick. Some parents in the Barrie, Ont....More

Green onions sold in Ontario may be contaminated with salmonella:CFIA

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning consumers not to consume some green onions sold in the Toronto area since they may be contaminated with salmonella....More

HEALTHBEAT: Intense testing under way to assure safety of Gulf seafood

WASHINGTON - Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is being put under the microscope like no other kind on the market, with fish, shrimp and other catches ground up to hunt for minute traces of oil _ far more reassuring than that sniff test that made all the headlines....More

Breadwinners beware? Men dependent on women's income more likely to cheat: study

TORONTO - They may have success in bringing home the bucks, but new research suggests female breadwinners may be less victorious in the love department when it comes to their male partners staying faithful....More

Poultry, beef, leafy greens named top culprits in food poisoning outbreaks

ATLANTA - Cooking chicken on the grill this summer? Be careful. Poultry is still the leading culprit in food poisoning outbreaks, U.S. health officials said Thursday....More

Omar Khadr's defence lawyer collapses in court; in hospital on morphine

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The war-crimes trial of Omar Khadr was thrown into disarray late Thursday after his defence lawyer collapsed in front of shocked participants in the courtroom and was taken to hospital. Lt. Col....More

New gel currently being tested could speed wound healing, British scientists say

LONDON - For three years, Connie McPherson had debilitating leg ulcers that were so painful she sometimes couldn't sleep. Despite repeated surgery, antibiotics, steroids and other treatments, nothing helped....More

McGuinty defends local health agencies but admits they need to be more open

SUDBURY, Ont. - Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks are an important way to get local input on critical health care decisions, but they need to do a better job of consulting their communities, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Thursday....More

Keep tabs on alcohol use among women of child-bearing age, doctors told

TORONTO - Health providers should routinely ask women of child-bearing age about their alcohol consumption as a first step in trying to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children, says the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada....More

Getting along with dad? Relationship may play role in later-life stress: study

TORONTO - The father-son relationship may affect how sons, when they've grown into adults, deal with day-to-day stress in their lives, a new study suggests....More

Frozen fruit pulp used in smoothies tied to rare US outbreak of typhoid fever in West

ATLANTA - A rare U.S. outbreak of typhoid fever has been linked to a frozen tropical fruit product used to make smoothies, health officials reported Thursday. Seven cases have been confirmed — three in California and four in Nevada....More

Shopsy's Jumbo Franks recalled over undeclared wheat; no illnesses reported

OTTAWA - People with wheat allergies are being asked not to eat Shopsy’s Original Recipe brand Jumbo Franks. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Maple Leaf Consumer Foods say the affected product contains wheat which is not declared on the label....More

All provinces should have helmet laws for cyclists: university study

WINNIPEG - A new study is calling on provincial governments to pass laws that force cyclists to wear helmets....More

Woman accused of faking cancer faces a new fraud charge

MILTON, Ont. - An Ontario woman accused of faking terminal cancer and taking money raised to help her is facing another fraud charge. Police allege Ashley Kirilow, of Burlington, Ont....More

Stem cells offer hope for treating rare but deadly genetic skin disease

TORONTO - As children's diseases go, it is surely one of the most cruel. Skin that blisters and turns into gaping sores with the merest bump or pressure. Open wounds in the mouth and digestive tract that make eating painful or even impossible....More

Pump up for less: Heavy weights not needed to help build muscle, study suggests

HAMILTON - For individuals looking to build some brawn, pumping up your muscles may be possible without the heavy lifting, according to new research....More

Ontario delays review of health agencies that dole out $21 billion until 2012

TORONTO - Health care advocates and opposition parties cried foul Wednesday after an overdue review of controversial provincial agencies that dole out $21.5 billion a year in health funding was postponed until after next year's Ontario election....More

Gov't building closed in N.B. after mould found near ventilation system

SHEDIAC, N.B. - A government building in Shediac, N.B., has been closed indefinitely after the discovery of mould near an air intake to the building's ventilation system. Place Pascal was closed last Thursday as a preventative measure....More

British doctors warn new superbug gene from India could spread widely

LONDON - People travelling to India for medical procedures have brought back to Britain a new gene that allows any bacteria to become a superbug, and scientists are warning this type of drug resistance could soon appear worldwide....More

Superbug was brought to Canada and treated, with no spread: official

TORONTO - A single case has turned up in Canada of a person affected by a new strain of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics, a health official said Wednesday....More

Flooding blamed for anthrax outbreak in bison in southern Saskatchewan

REGINA - Severe flooding across a wide swath of the Prairies is being blamed for an anthrax outbreak in bison in southern Saskatchewan....More

Evolution under way to learn when mild memory loss signals later-in-life dementia

WASHINGTON - Doctors cannot tell if Leif Utoft Bollesen's mild memory loss will remain an annoyance or worsen, but experimental checks of the man's aging brain may offer clues....More

Drug-resistant staph infections linked with health care decline: US report

CHICAGO - U.S. government research shows hard-to-treat staph infections caught in hospitals or through medical treatment are becoming scarcer....More

Chretien released from hospital, headed home to recover in Shawinigan

MONTREAL - Jean Chretien was apparently raring to get out of the hospital when he was discharged Monday, just three days after undergoing brain surgery....More

Biochip weds brain cells and electronics, should prove boon for drug testing

TORONTO - It seems like the stuff of science fiction, but Canadian researchers have created a microchip embedded with brain cells that allows them to "listen in" as the neurons communicate with each other....More

All provinces should have helmet laws for cyclists: university study

WINNIPEG - A new study is calling on provincial governments to pass laws that force cyclists to wear helmets....More

Woman accused of faking cancer due in court today to continue bail hearing

MILTON, Ont. - A woman accused of faking terminal cancer and taking money raised to help her is due back in court today in Milton, Ont., to continue her bail hearing. Police allege Ashley Kirilow, of Burlington, Ont....More

Gov't building closed in N.B. after mould found near ventilation system

SHEDIAC, N.B. - A government building in Shediac, N.B., has been closed indefinitely after the discovery of mould near an air intake to the building's ventilation system. Place Pascal was closed last Thursday as a preventative measure....More

FDA warns about filters meant to trap deadly blood clots; 900 problems reported

CHICAGO - Medical filters that stop blood clots from reaching the lungs can move or break and cause life-threatening problems for patients, the U.S. government and a medical journal report said Monday....More

Farmers, cottagers told to be careful after hantavirus reported in Saskatchewan

REGINA - Health officials in Saskatchewan are urging farmers, grain handlers and cottagers to take precautions after a case of hantavirus was reported....More

Evolution under way to learn when mild memory loss signals later-life dementia

WASHINGTON - Doctors can't tell if Leif Utoft Bollesen's mild memory loss will remain an annoyance or worsen, but experimental checks of the Minnesota man's aging brain may offer clues....More

Death in sauna competition sparks reminder of extreme heat dangers

TORONTO - The death of a Russian contestant in the World Sauna Competition in Finland is providing a cautionary tale for more casual users of the centuries-old heat therapy designed for relaxation and other health benefits....More

B.C. researchers say personalized treatments coming for rare cancers

VANCOUVER - Researchers at the B.C. Cancer Agency say they're working on a new technique that may one day provide custom-made treatments for people with rare cancers....More

WHO says decision on whether to downgrade swine flu pandemic is likely Tuesday

GENEVA - The World Health Organization said it will likely decide Tuesday whether to declare the swine flu pandemic over, months after many national authorities started cancelling vaccine orders and shutting down hotlines as the disease ebbed from the headlines....More

Forces closes book on officer's suicide, but troubling questions persist

OTTAWA - The Canadian Forces has quietly closed the book on the case of Maj. Michelle Mendes and officially ruled the death of the rising military star as a suicide....More

Chretien released from hospital, headed home to recover in Shawinigan

MONTREAL - Jean Chretien was apparently raring to get out of the hospital when he was discharged Monday, just three days after undergoing brain surgery....More

Giant hogweed finds itself on the radar of Canadians coast-to-coast

MONTREAL - It's tall, pretty and impressive and it has been living quietly in Canadian yards and hiding out in lush green space for decades....More

Nova Scotia nursing home residents were hit, spat on, reports reveal

HALIFAX - Nursing home staff hit, spit and in one instance used a pen to draw on a resident, according to Nova Scotia government summaries of abuse at homes over the past 20 months....More

Lessons on bullying, cyberstalking and defibrillators coming this fall

TORONTO - Bullying, cyberstalking, drug abuse and defibrillators are among the new subjects coming this fall to elementary school classrooms across Ontario....More

End is nigh for H1N1 pandemic: WHO head hints declaration could come this week

TORONTO - The H1N1 pandemic is likely to be officially consigned to the history books in the next week or so, says Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization....More

Anti-abortion sniper won't face Canuck justice for suspected attacks on doctors

OTTAWA - A notorious anti-abortion sniper serving a murder sentence in the U.S. will not face justice in Canada for suspicion of attacks on three doctors here, The Canadian Press has learned....More

50-per-cent spike in older inmates carries cost implications for prison policy

MONTREAL - The number of federal inmates older than 50 surged by almost half in less than a decade as prisons undergo a demographic trend with wide-ranging implications for Canada's correctional system....More

Woman who allegedly faked cancer to appear in court Monday

TORONTO - An Ontario woman who police say pretended to have cancer to raise money for herself is set to appear in court today. A bail hearing will be held in Toronto for Ashley Anne Kirilow of Burlington, Ont....More

Pet food may be making kids sick; agency calls kibble an under-recognized salmonella source

CHICAGO - Fido's food may be making kids sick, a government report warns, detailing the first known salmonella outbreak in humans, mostly young children, linked to pet food. The outbreak sickened 79 people in 21 mostly eastern states, between 2006 and 2008....More

Aging hearts: Over-80s may benefit from angioplasty, bypass surgery too

TORONTO - More octogenarians are surviving heart attacks and part of the credit may rest with revascularization procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty, a new Canadian study suggests....More

Women who have miscarriage need not wait before trying for another baby: study

LONDON - Women who suffer a miscarriage may have the best chance of having a baby if they get pregnant again within six months, new research says....More

U.S. doctors advised to avoid one flu shot brand for young kids

ATLANTA - A government panel is recommending doctors steer clear of giving one brand of flu vaccine to young children this year because of problems with it in Australia and New Zealand. At issue is a flu shot made by CSL Biotherapies, an Australian company....More

Saskatchewan premier tries to bolster support for trials of MS surgery

WINNIPEG - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says he won't push other provinces to follow his government's lead and commit to funding clinical trials of a new operation giving hope to people with multiple sclerosis....More

Opposition blames Liberals for growing wait for long-term care beds in Ontario

TORONTO - Ontario's Liberal government wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on another level of bureaucracy instead of addressing the growing shortage of long-term care beds, the Opposition charged Thursday. The government's $1....More

Ontario investigators find 'significant concerns' with work of pathologist

TORONTO - Ontario's Health Minister is vowing to implement the recommendations of a report into mistakes at three Windsor, Ont.-area hospitals....More

Fisher-Price recalls figure from campsite toy due to choking hazard

Fisher-Price is voluntarily recalling a figure in a six-piece campsite playset because it poses a choking hazard, Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission said Thursday....More

Cancer care advocates urge government to develop plan to cover effective drugs

TORONTO - Groups that advocate for cancer patients are using a new report from the United Kingdom to bolster their call for greater access to cancer drugs in Canada....More

Report on unnecessary surgeries at Windsor-area hospitals to be released today

WINDSOR, Ont. - Provincial investigators trying to find out why unnecessary surgeries were performed at three Windsor-area hospitals are releasing their report today. The findings are expected to be delivered at a news conference in Windsor....More

Preliminary study suggests deep brain stimulation may slow Alzheimer's in some

TORONTO - Deep brain stimulation may help slow progression of Alzheimer's disease in some patients, a new study suggests. The notion, while intriguing, is still very much in experimental territory....More

Overeating for 2 could create a baby more likely to be obese, study finds

LONDON - Women who gain too much weight during pregnancy have big babies, putting their children at risk of becoming heavy later on, a new study says. American researchers followed all births in Michigan and New Jersey between 1989 and 2003....More

Ontario investigators find 'significant concerns' with work of pathologist

TORONTO - Ontario's battered pathology system received another blow Wednesday after a provincial probe into mistakes at three Windsor-area hospitals uncovered "significant concerns" with the work of a pathologist....More

New Brunswick premier calls for more federal stimulus, questions census decision

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham is calling on the federal government to continue providing stimulus money ahead of a meeting with other provincial and territorial leaders this week in Winnipeg....More

Michelle Obama on health: she beats up on beets, likes dietary cleanses

WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama dishes on her family's health and eating habits in a new magazine interview, admitting she can't stand beets and that she does an occasional dietary "cleanse" to clear her palate and change her mindset....More

Aging hearts: Over-80s may benefit from angioplasty, bypass surgery too

TORONTO - More octogenarians are surviving heart attacks and part of the credit may rest with revascularization procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty, a new Canadian study suggests....More

Ontario investigators find 'significant concerns' with work of pathologist

TORONTO - Ontario's Health Minister is vowing to implement the recommendations of a report into mistakes at three Windsor, Ont.-area hospitals....More

Consumers try to sift through growing health claims about probiotics

Kathleen Goldhar tried for years to figure out what was causing her young daughter to suffer from persistent, sometimes agonizing stomach pains....More

Cancer conundrum: Poorer Canadians less likely to survive cancer

TORONTO - Cancer patients from poor neighbourhoods have a greater chance of dying prematurely than their wealthier counterparts, says a new study, describing a problem that persists despite universal health care in Canada....More

Obesity rates: Gap closing between what Americans say they weigh and what measurements show

ATLANTA - Are Americans becoming more honest about their weight? That theory could explain why the gap appears to be closing in what people say they weigh and what actual measurements report....More

New Brunswick government promises to finish Trans Canada Trail by 2017

FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government is promising it will complete the Trans Canada Trail through the province by 2017....More

Doctors group sets out vision for improving Canada's health care system

TORONTO - Canada's largest doctors group has created a framework for overhauling the health-care system to make it more patient-centred, improve quality of care and increase efficiency....More

Constipation drug used in palliative care linked to GI wall weakening

TORONTO - Health Canada and the drug company Wyeth Canada are warning about a potentially serious side-effect of a drug called Relistor....More

Aging hearts: Over-80s may benefit from angioplasty, bypass surgery too

TORONTO - More octogenarians are surviving heart attacks and part of the credit may rest with revascularization procedures such as bypass surgery and angioplasty, a new Canadian study suggests....More

Report on unnecessary surgeries at Windsor-area hospitals to be released today

WINDSOR, Ont. - Provincial investigators trying to find out why unnecessary surgeries were performed at three Windsor-area hospitals are releasing their report today. The findings are expected to be delivered at a news conference in Windsor....More

Love the Glove: Glove use in hospitals appears to cut risk of needlestick injury

TORONTO - Wearing surgical gloves may substantially lower a health-care worker's risk of experiencing a needlestick injury or injury with another type of instrument capable of breaking the skin, a new study suggests. The work, by Canadian and U.S....More

Brandt Meat Packers issues recall on meats, closes Mississauga plant temporarily

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - A suspected salmonella outbreak from headcheese produced at a Toronto-area plant that sickened two dozen people this month has prompted a recall of a variety of processed meats produced at the same facility....More

Adult stem cell studies abound for heart, diabetes, MS; far ahead of embryonic research

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A few months ago, Dr. Thomas Einhorn was treating a patient with a broken ankle that would not heal, even with multiple surgeries. So he sought help from the man's own body....More

Low-carb diet better at boosting 'good' cholesterol than low-fat; weight loss same, study says

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Over the long term, a low-carb diet works just as well as a low-fat diet at taking off the pounds — and it might be better for your heart, new research suggests....More

Lack of doctors leads to pair of emergency room closures in Nova Scotia

PUGWASH, N.S. - A doctor shortage is closing a pair of emergency rooms Tuesday in facilities in Nova Scotia's Cumberland Health Authority. In Pugwash, the North Cumberland Memorial Hospital's emergency room is closing for 36 hours starting at 8 a.m....More

Doctor learns little-known option to try to help leaky lung that just will not heal

WASHINGTON - The final straw came when Guy Vance's chest, neck and face ballooned, little air bubbles in his skin crackling to the touch — all because of a leak somewhere in his lung....More

Consumers try to sift through growing health claims about probiotics

Kathleen Goldhar tried for years to figure out what was causing her young daughter to suffer from persistent, sometimes agonizing stomach pains....More

Cancer conundrum: Poorer Canadians less likely to survive cancer

TORONTO - Cancer patients from poor neighbourhoods have a greater chance of dying prematurely than their wealthier counterparts, says a new study, describing a problem that persists despite universal health care in Canada....More

Chicken producers debate 'natural' label for poultry injected with salt, water

SAN FRANCISCO - A disagreement among poultry producers in the United States about whether chicken injected with salt, water and other ingredients can be promoted as "natural" has prompted federal officials to consider changing labelling guidelines. The U.S....More

Calgary psychiatrist now faces 21 sex assault charges involving patients

CALGARY - A Calgary psychiatrist who frequently provided expert opinions in court now faces 21 charges of sexual assault, most of which allegedly took place during court-ordered visits. Dr....More

Que. health agency denies link between toxin and cancer rates in Shannon

MONTREAL - A Quebec public health agency is disputing a link between a toxin from a Canadian military base and unusually high levels of cancer in a town near the province's capital....More

Love the Glove: Glove use in hospitals appears to cut risk of needlestick injury

TORONTO - Wearing surgical gloves may substantially lower a health-care worker's risk of experiencing a needlestick injury or injury with another type of instrument capable of breaking the skin, a new study suggests. The work, by Canadian and U.S....More

Brandt Meat Packers issues recall on meats, closes Mississauga plant temporarily

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - A suspected salmonella outbreak from headcheese produced at a Toronto-area plant that sickened two dozen people this month has prompted a recall of a variety of processed meats produced at the same facility....More

Adult stem cell studies abound for heart, diabetes, MS; far ahead of embryonic research

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A few months ago, Dr. Thomas Einhorn was treating a patient with a broken ankle that would not heal, even with multiple surgeries. So he sought help from the man's own body....More

Lack of doctors leads to pair of emergency room closures in Nova Scotia

PUGWASH, N.S. - A doctor shortage is closing a pair of emergency rooms Tuesday in facilities in Nova Scotia's Cumberland Health Authority. In Pugwash, the North Cumberland Memorial Hospital's emergency room is closing for 36 hours starting at 8 a.m....More

Cancer conundrum: Poorer Canadians less likely to survive cancer

TORONTO - Cancer patients from poor neighbourhoods have a greater chance of dying prematurely than their wealthier counterparts, says a new study, describing a problem that persists despite universal health care in Canada....More