Bioterrorism: Food Contamination

Where food-borne illness does not fit usual patterns, investigators should consider the possibility of deliberate contamination, according to two articles in this week's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). One report focuses on deliberate contamination of salad bars with a strain of Salmonella bacteria in 1984; the second reports on a 1996 case where laboratory workers developed gastroenteritis caused by Shigella bacteria after eating food that had been tampered with.

Biological Weapons A Threat

Biological weapons are relatively easy to make, easy to hide and can be dispersed with something as simple as a purse-sized perfume atomizer. And Iraq still has all of the elements in place that made biological warfare a real threat during the Persian Gulf War, according to two reports in a special issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. Both reports seem to be on the mark, said Andrew Krepinevich, executive director of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a nonpartisan, nonprofit Washington, D.C.-based think tank that examines issues pertaining to U.S. defense strategy and defense budgets.

Infant Walkers Can Cause Injury

Infant walkers have been called a "lethal form of transportation" by the American Medical Association, and a new study supports that description. Researchers at The Ohio State University College of Medicine at Children's Hospital in Columbus are calling for a ban on the manufacture and sale of mobile babywalkers in the U.S., or at least the manufacture of babywalkers that are too wide to fit through doorways. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association support the ban.

Safer Hormone Replacement Therapy

Women who take estrogen after menopause reduce the risk of bone thinning and heart disease, but need to take a second hormone, called progestin, to combat estrogen's cancer promoting-effect on the uterus. Now a new study suggests that progestin must be taken at least for 10 days every month to get that benefit. Any less, and a woman's risk of cancer of the uterine lining is still nearly twice the risk seen in women not taking hormones, according to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Dioxin Causes Reproductive Defects

Scientists have found that exposure to the toxic chemical dioxin causes a vaginal defect in unborn rats. The abnormality is a web of tissue that partially blocks the vaginal opening and may impair the rat's ability to reproduce. The discovery raises concern that the chemical may also cause reproductive system defects in humans.

Nerve-Sparing Prostate Surgery Risks

Men whose prostate cancer is treated with surgery meant to spare bundles of nerves and blood vessels near the gland may still become impotent after the operation, a study shows. The nerve-sparing procedure may also increase the risk of urinary incontinence.

Sex Can Trigger Amnesia

If your paramour doesn't remember to call you after a night of passion, you may be able to chalk it up as a simple case of amnesia. While it might sound like a plot twist in a soap opera, in reality it's a problem called transient global amnesia (TGA). This type of amnesia can occur during physical or emotional stress, and in at least one case, during sex, according to a letter in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. A 64-year-old man was diagnosed with TGA after his wife reported that on five different occasions he appeared confused after intercourse repeatedly asking "What are we doing?" or "What time of year is it?"

Fewer Bacteria Found on Money

Cash may be getting cleaner -- not because it's "laundered," but because fewer germs appear to lurk among the bills and coins, a new study reports. A small study conducted on 100 notes and 102 coins collected from staff in one hospital found that just 3% of coins and 11% of bills were contaminated with potentially disease-provoking bacteria (Staphylococcus, Bacillus species and Corynebacterium species). The study is published in the July issue of Infections in Medicine.

Smoking Increases SIDS Risk

Smoking intervention programs could lead to a drop in the number of deaths due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), say an international team of researchers. SIDS is the leading cause of death for infants in the U.S., Sweden, and other developed countries. Researchers think there are many factors that might cause SIDS, including how much smoke a fetus or infant is exposed to. Now, a new study confirms this theory. Maternal smoking is "one of the most important preventable risk factors" for sudden infant death syndrome, conclude U.S., Canadian, and Swedish researchers.

Sex and the Female Condom

Women who use the female condom regularly report that they experience more pleasure during sex using the device than with the traditional male condom. Women who used the female condom regularly were more likely to report that the device was "pleasant," "enhanced mood," or was "stimulating," than women who used it less regularly. "This suggests that obstacles to use of the female condom may resemble those posed by the male condom..." conclude researchers.

< Back > < Contents >  < Home >