Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – News Stories About Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Page 18

Feb 4, 2008 9:41 AM CST

Illness Linked to Pig Brains

Slaughterhouse workers report burning, numbness, weakness in limbs

(Newser) - A dozen workers at a Minnesota slaughterhouse are showing symptoms of a new illness linked to inhaling bits of pig brains, the Washington Post reports. Symptoms include sensations of burning, numbness, and weakness in the arms and legs. All of the afflicted worked at or near the Austin packing house’...

Obese US Facing Diabetes Crisis

Jan 24, 2008 3:35 AM CST

Obese US Facing Diabetes Crisis

A million new cases reported a year

(Newser) - America is facing a diabetes epidemic—a health disaster more economically catastrophic than a Hurricane Katrina each year, USA Today reports. The disease killed 284,000 people last year, and a staggering million new cases are diagnosed each year as more Americans become morbidly obese, according to a new study...

Bizarre Skin Disease
Probed

Jan 17, 2008 5:00 AM CST

Bizarre Skin Disease Probed

Feds investigate skin-crawling syndrome linked to fatigue and confusion

(Newser) - Federal disease experts have launched an investigation into the outbreak of a mysterious skin condition that causes a stinging or crawling sensation, confusion and fatique, USA Today reports. Cases of Morgellons disease are on the rise, especially in California and Texas. The condition is so little-known that it was only...

'06 a Mini Baby Boom for US

Jan 16, 2008 10:38 AM CST

'06 a Mini Baby Boom for US

4.3M births highest in 45 years, go against trends in industrialized world

(Newser) - The US experienced a mini baby boom in 2006, with the largest number of children born since the 1960s. The AP reports 4.3 million births that year, giving the US a higher birth rate than Europe, Australia, Canada, or Japan. Hispanics accounted for a quarter of all US births,...

Feds Seek Passengers on TB Jet

Dec 31, 2007 4:43 AM CST

Feds Seek Passengers on TB Jet

They may have been exposed to drug resistant tuberculosis

(Newser) - Federal health officials are searching for passengers and crew who may have been exposed to a rare and potentially deadly form of drug resistant tuberculosis on an American Airlines flight from India. A 30-year-old Nepalese woman, diagnosed with the disease, flew from New Delhi to San Francisco via Chicago on...

'US Ill Prepared for Disaster'

Dec 19, 2007 6:32 AM CST

'US Ill Prepared for Disaster'

Study warns of inability to meet emergencies, funding cuts

(Newser) - The US is not prepared for major disasters, including biological attacks and pandemics, and funding to meet such emergencies is falling, according to a new study. Thirteen states don't have adequate plans to distribute vaccines, 12 states don't have systems to track the spread of diseases and 7 states are...

US AIDS Numbers Adjusted Up

Dec 1, 2007 6:22 AM CST

US AIDS Numbers Adjusted Up

New testing method discovers infection spreading faster

(Newser) - AIDS is spreading faster among Americans than had been thought, the Washington Post reports. A new method of testing that distinguishes recent infections from older ones shows that the number of people becoming infected each year in the US is 50% higher than previously estimated, for an average of 60,...

Women Win One in Battle
of Bulge

Nov 29, 2007 5:30 AM CST

Women Win One in Battle of Bulge

Obesity rates have leveled off, holding at 35% since 1999

(Newser) - Obesity rates among American women have leveled off and remained steady since 1999, while rates among American men may be following suit, the CDC reported today. The study’s lead researcher called the trend “great news” for women. Officials will wait to render a final verdict for men, the...

Lethal Strain
of Cold Virus Spreads in US

Nov 15, 2007 6:59 PM CST

Lethal Strain of Cold Virus Spreads in US

Bug has killed 10, hospitalized dozens in last 18 months

(Newser) - A virulent strain of adenovirus, a prevalent cause of the common cold and other respiratory infections, has been identified in parts of the US, including New York, Oregon, Washington state, and Texas, Reuters reports. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the new strain—adenovirus 14—has killed 10 people,...

Chlamydia Cases Hit Record High

Nov 14, 2007 4:22 AM CST

Chlamydia Cases Hit Record High

Doctors worry number of hidden cases could be much higher

(Newser) - Known cases of chlamydia in the US have topped a million for the first time, with the highest rates among adolescent girls, USA Today reports. Under-reporting of the sexually transmitted disease means the real number could be nearly three times higher. Syphilis and gonorrhea are also on the rise, partly...

US Faces Tooth Decay Crisis

Oct 11, 2007 8:02 AM CDT

US Faces Tooth Decay Crisis

Millions of uninsured leave cavities untreated

(Newser) - American dentists are getting richer—but teeth are getting worse. A half century of improvement in dental health is being thrown into reverse because 100 million Americans have no dental insurance and can't afford care, reports the New York Times. It's far more than a cosmetic issue. Two children died...

The Beef Stops Here, but Why?

Oct 7, 2007 7:47 PM CDT

The Beef Stops Here, but Why?

Health agents ask why E. coli outbreak toppled Topps and led to huge recall

(Newser) - The latest E. coli outbreak, which toppled Topps Meat and led to millions of recalled burgers, has stumped health agents. Muckrakers blame feedlots and abattoirs, saying bad animal diets increase infections when the meat mingles with innards, but others aren't so worried: "The reality is if you cook the...

Fellow Airline Passengers Sue TB Lawyer

Jul 13, 2007 4:37 AM CDT

Fellow Airline Passengers Sue TB Lawyer

They're just after my money, says newlywed

(Newser) - Nine airline passengers are suing the Atlanta lawyer infected with a rare TB strain who flew to Europe for his wedding despite CDC warnings not to travel. The $1.3 million suit filed in Montreal claims Andrew Speaker recklessly exposed them to a deadly disease. The passengers, seven Canadians and...

Americans Pop Happy Pills in Record Numbers

Jul 9, 2007 6:28 PM CDT

Americans Pop Happy Pills in Record Numbers

Antidepressants are most-prescribed drug in the US

(Newser) - Antidepressants are America's most prescribed drugs, according to a new CDC report, clocking in more scripts than meds for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or asthma. Prescriptions for antidepressants rose 48% between 1995 and 2002, accounting for 118 million of the 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in 2005.

Salmonella Prompts Recall
of Veggie Booty

Jun 29, 2007 1:13 PM CDT

Salmonella Prompts Recall of Veggie Booty

Company yanks 'healthy' snack after dozens, including kids, fall ill

(Newser) - A snack popular with health-conscious junk-food fans because it contains kale and spinach may also contain salmonella, according to the FDA and CDC, and the manufacturer of Veggie Booty has issued a nationwide recall. Fifty-one people, many of whom had eaten the green-colored rice and corn curlicues, reported symptoms consistent...

TB Patient, Family Ties Revealed

May 31, 2007 4:04 PM CDT

TB Patient, Family Ties Revealed

Atlanta lawyer's father-in-law is a CDC researcher

(Newser) - The quarantined tuberculosis patient is an Atlanta lawyer who recently married the daughter of a CDC TB researcher, CNN reports. Andrew Speaker, 31, took a private plane to Denver today to be treated for extremely drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB. Microbiologist Robert Cooksey says he knew of his son-in-law's infection...

Eye-Care Recall Reverberates
on Wall Street

May 29, 2007 1:24 PM CDT

Eye-Care Recall Reverberates on Wall Street

Product problem seen influencing bids for Bausch & Lomb

(Newser) - In the wake of reports linking its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution to a rare eye infection that can lead to blindness, Advanced Medical Optics has recalled the product. Competitor Bausch & Lomb's stock price dropped on the news, since the recall may put AMO's plans to enter the bidding...

Vaccine May
Not Prevent
Cervical Cancer

Apr 16, 2007 8:43 AM CDT

Vaccine May Not Prevent Cervical Cancer

Mandated for all girls in some states, HPV vaccine fails to deliver

(Newser) - Pharma behemoth Merck is defending what it touted as a miracle cervical-cancer vaccine against charges of ineffectiveness. Merck lobbied states to mandate Gardasil for young girls—Texas and Virginia did—and got a glowing endorsement from the CDC. But new studies show that it works only to prevent sexually-transmitted HPV,...

Chemicals Linked to Obesity

Mar 12, 2007 10:46 AM CDT

Chemicals Linked to Obesity

In mice, common chemicals trigger fat cells and "feed me" hormones

(Newser) - Chemicals found in everything from baby bottles to cleaning agents might be triggering the obesity epidemic, causing fat cells to grow and multiply out of control. A Centers for Disease Control study suggests that exposure of mice to chemicals like tributyltin—used in fungicides and plastics—increases fat cells, which...