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Week starting 9/12/11
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9/16/11
Gulf War Syndrome is brain damage caused by nerve gas. There’s no denying it now: Gulf War Syndrome, characterized by memory loss, lack of concentration, neuropathic pain and depression, is a physiological illness, not a psychological one. Victims have measurable abnormalities in brain function. Dallas Observer, Texas.
More Americans believe world is warming, poll finds. More Americans than last year believe the world is warming and the change is likely influenced by the Republican presidential debates, a Reuters/Ipsos poll said on Thursday. Reuters
Meeting brings attention but little action on chronic diseases. Just days before the September 19th UN meeting on the pandemic of non-communicable disease, some public health experts and advocates who had high hopes are finding their enthusiasm a bit quashed. Science [Subscription Required]
9/15/11
Engineer sues US health agency over response to allegations about lead in drinking water. An engineer who believes the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fudged a study of lead in drinking water is suing the agency under the US Freedom of Information Act. Nature
U.S. falls short on tracking antibiotic resistance, GAO says. Federal officials are doing a poor job monitoring how antibiotics are used by livestock producers, making it impossible to properly examine the development of bacterial resistance to the drugs and the impact on Americans, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Wall Street Journal [Subscription Required]
9/14/11
New global killers: Heart, lung disease and cancer. Next week, the U.N. General Assembly will hold its first summit on chronic diseases — cancer, diabetes and heart and lung disease. Those account for nearly two-thirds of deaths worldwide, or about 36 million. In the United States, they kill nearly 9 out of 10 people. San Francisco Chronicle, California.
Ocean bacteria could infect seafoods and cause serious illnesses costing us millions. According to new research the rising temperatures in oceans are causing greater numbers of Vibrio bacteria, known to cause food poisoning, serious gastroenteritis, septicemia and cholera. London Daily Mail, United Kingdom.
Pakistan is hit by dengue fever epidemic. The government in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab is struggling to control a growing dengue fever epidemic, according to officials, who say that the illness is thriving because of poor hygiene, an absence of control measures and the fact that recent heavy monsoon rainfall has provided ideal conditions for dengue-carrying mosquitoes. BBC
10 given Heinz awards for work on environment. Alaska composer John Luther Adams is one of 10 winners of the Heinz Award, which this year recognized those whose work benefited the environment. Associated Press
9/13/11
Ban on E. coli in ground beef is to extend to 6 more strains. The federal government will ban the sale of ground beef tainted with six toxic strains of E. coli bacteria that are increasingly showing up as the cause of severe illness from food. New York Times [Registration Required]
Antibiotics in pork draw more scrutiny by inspectors. US inspectors on Monday started using more sensitive tests to detect antibiotics in pork – part of a stepped-up effort to ensure meat safety after a government report last year suggested consumers might be at risk from harmful drug residues. Wall Street Journal [Subscription Required]
BPA, methylparaben block breast cancer drugs. San Francisco researchers have discovered that two chemicals commonly used in consumer products - bisphenol A and methylparaben - can interfere with the effectiveness of drugs used to fight breast cancer. San Francisco Chronicle, California.
New research on safety of storing carbon underground is questioned. One question that critics want answered is what happens if mass quantities of CO2 leak out and collect in communities’ air or water. InsideClimate News
9/12/11
More ground turkey is recalled over salmonella. The Minnesota food company that recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey last month linked to a salmonella outbreak – one of the largest meat recalls in US history – is pulling an additional 185,000 pounds of turkey for the same reason. Los Angeles Times, California. [Registration Required]
9/11/11
In Manhattan, children still battle 9/11-related illnesses. The day the Twin Towers crumbled, more than 25,000 kids inhaled toxic substances. Ten years later, many of them are suffering from health problems that still haven’t gone away. Atlantic Monthly
Brazilian Blowout gets blowback from the FDA. The FDA has sent a warning letter to the makers of Brazilian Blowout confirming that the product is \“adulterated\” with the liquid form of formaldehyde, \“which, under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling,\” releases dangerous levels of the chemical – a known carcinogen – into the air to be inhaled. Time Magazine
Making the case for Health Impact Assessments. A report released yesterday by the National Academies’ National Research Council provides a ringing endorsement of Health Impact Assessments. The report not only provides guidelines for conducting these analyses, but also argues for their value on both public and private construction projects. Science
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