Health 

Several West Nile Virus Infections And Deaths In Greece, Other Parts Of Europe Also Affected - Cases of human infection of West Nile virus (WNV) have been reported in Greece where 13 people have died and at least 140 have become ill, according to the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Greek authorities say 32 patients are currently hospitalized. Several other countries in Europe are also affected, especially Central Europe and the Mediterranean area, according to the latest issue of Eurosurveillance. The publication adds that numerous animal cases have also been documented. A "single probable case" was reported in Portugal in July this year...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:00 PDT

BARDA Funds Development Of New Way To Treat Illness From Acute Radiation - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a $153 million contract to Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. of San Carlos, Calif., to continue developing a new way to treat an illness caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation which can damage the body's cells - the type of radiation that would come from a nuclear blast. Under the contract, the company will continue development of a medication called CLT-008 that uses a special kind of cells called myeloid progenitor cells...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

California Firm Recalls Cooked Shredded Pork Skin Products Produced Without Inspection - Trinh Company, a San Jose, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,070 pounds of cooked shredded pork skin products because the products were produced without the benefit of federal inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The following products are subject to recall: [View Labels] - 8-ounce clear plastic bags of "TRINH CO. BI TUOI COOKED SHREDDED PORK SKIN, THUONG HANG BI TUOI V.N. HOP VE SINH." - 10-ounce clear plastic bags of "TRINH CO. BI TUOI COOKED SHREDDED PORK SKIN, THUONG HANG BI TUOI V.N...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Diabetes 2 Drug Metformin May Protect Against Lung Cancer In Smokers - Two studies reveal that smokers may have a significantly lower risk of developing lung cancer and colorectal cancer with the drug metformin, which is commonly prescribed for diabetes type 2 treatment, the medical journal Cancer Prevention Research informs. Metformin, originally sold as Glucophage, is the first-line drug of choice for diabetes type 2 patients, especially those who are obese or overweight, as well as diabetes patients with normal kidney function. Metformin may have the following brand names: Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, or Riomet...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Together Teens And Neutrogena Raise $200,000 To Benefit Disaster Relief, Education And Environmental Charities - Neutrogena, the #1 dermatologist-recommended skin care brand, announced today that, with the help of teens across America, the Wave for Change campaign achieved its goal of raising $200,000 for communities in need. The donation will be divided among three causes in the US and globally, as determined by teens on Neutrogena's Facebook Page. Understanding their passion for positive social change, Neutrogena invited teens to show their support for the campaign by purchasing Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit products and the Wave® Sonic Power-Cleanser...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

Macmillan Responds To The New Energy Bill Announced In The Queen's Speech, UK - Responding to the new energy bill announced in the Queen's Speech, Mike Hobday, Head of Campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support said: 'Whilst the mandatory support from energy companies will help some vulnerable people struggling with their fuel bills, it is vital that cancer patients are not left out in the cold. Cancer patients undergoing treatment are twice as likely to fall into fuel poverty as the general population and must be included in any new support schemes...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT