Health News: Nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws ♦ Food processing impact on chlorate residue ♦ Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs

California approved one of nation's strictest mandatory vaccine laws  The California Assembly passed a bill - 5 - June 25 restricting exemptions for mandatory vaccination schedules, negating the State’s personal belief exemption allowing only children with serious health problems to opt out.

More Information of food processing impact on chlorate residue needed An EFSA panel has called for more data on the impact of processing on chlorate residues in food but said total daily intake at the highest estimated amount is unlikely to exceed safe levels. The panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain said the impact of the uncertainties on the risk assessment is large.

Updated guidance on use of hepatitis C drugs The online Recommendations for Testing, Managing, and Treating Hepatitis C has been updated to aid practitioners treating patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is a blood-borne virus that infects the liver and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). In the past 25 years HCV has gone from an undiagnosed disease to an epidemic level, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that up to 150 million people worldwide live with chronic disease.

Fatalistic beliefs may prevent Appalachian women from completing HPV vaccination series Could a fatalistic attitude toward cervical cancer serve as a barrier to prevention of the disease? A recent study suggests a link between fatalistic beliefs and completion of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine series among a sample of young Appalachian Kentucky women.

Scientists identify 'decoy' molecule that may sharply reduce risk of flu death The flu virus can be lethal. But what is often just as dangerous is the body's own reaction to the invader. The immune counterattack can end up harming the body's own tissues, causing deadly damage. Now, a researcher has, for the first time, uncovered new details about how this response plays out. And he has identified a 'decoy' molecule that can rein in this runaway inflammatory response.

Cancer Research: Starving cancer instead of feeding it poison ♦ Drug micro-factory engineered to attack tumors ♦ Men benefit from vaccinating girls against HPV

Starving cancer instead of feeding it poison An enzyme drug can remove asparagine, an essential nutrient for some cancers, but it also degrades glutamine, necessary for all human cells. But an induced mutation in the drug permits it to reduce asparagine without affecting glutamine.

Men benefit from vaccinating girls against HPV but remain at risk of some cancers Men benefit indirectly from vaccinating girls against human papillomavirus, but remain at risk of cancers associated with the virus. Human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and many countries vaccinate girls to protect them against cervical cancer in later life.

Campaign increases mouth and throat cancer screenings among low-income rural Floridians Raising awareness of the dangers of mouth and throat cancer increased the number of black men in some of Florida's poorest counties who sought screening opening the door to improved survival rates through early detection and treatment

Drug micro-factory engineered to attack tumors A team of investigators has engineered therapeutic cells encapsulated in nanoporous capsules to secrete antitumor molecules from within the tumor.

Scientists discover new molecules that kill cancer cells and protect healthy cells Molecules could treat cervical, breast, ovarian, and lung cancers, new research in mice suggests. Scientists have found a new family of molecules that kill cancer cells and protect healthy cells, which could be used to treat a number of different cancers. Research shows that as well as targeting and killing cancer cells, the molecules generate a protective effect against toxic chemicals in healthy cells

Cancer Research:Viral gene therapy eradicates prostate cancer ♦ 80% of cervical cancers preventable ♦ Comprehensively identify anti-cancer drug targets

Discovery accelerates targeted cancer treatment When DNA is damaged, several different proteins start pouring in to repair the damage; their types depend on the damage done. Up until now, it has been common practice to study one protein at a time, but by way of so-called mass spectrometry, researchers are now able to simultaneously see all the proteins that help repair damaged DNA.

80% of cervical cancers preventable with latest 9-valent HPV vaccine The new 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine, can potentially prevent 80 percent of cervical cancers in the United States, if given to all 11- or 12-year-old children before they are exposed to the virus. The study also found the 9-Valent vaccine, under the trademark of Gardasil-9, has the potential to protect against an additional 8 percent of oropharyngeal cancers, which include the base of the tongue and tonsils.

Study links father's age, baby's risk of blood cancer as an adult The proportion of parents who delay having children until age 35 or older continues to increase, but the long-term health consequences for these children are still emerging. A father's age at his infant's birth is linked to the risk that his child will develop blood and immune system cancers as an adult.

Using CRISPR, biologists find a way to comprehensively identify anti-cancer drug targets Imagine having a complete catalog of the best drug targets to hit in a deadly form of cancer. Imagine having a master catalog of such targets for all major cancers. Scientists have now published a method of doing precisely this, using the revolutionary gene-editing technology called CRISPR.

Advanced viral gene therapy eradicates prostate cancer in preclinical experiments Even with the best available treatments, the median survival of patients with metastatic, hormone refractory prostate cancer is only two to three years. Driven by the need for more effective therapies for these patients, researchers have developed a unique approach that uses microscopic gas bubbles to deliver directly to the cancer a viral gene therapy in combination with an experimental drug that targets a specific gene driving the cancer's growth

Food Research: FDA Doesn't Really Know What’s in Your Food ♦ Buffet: All-You-Can-Eat Illness ♦ Curcumin offers potential therapy for cancers caused by HPV

Why the FDA Doesn’t Really Know What’s in Your Food A massive legal loophole means companies can add new ingredients to foods with no government safety review. Rebecca Fattell was enjoying breakfast at a hotel in Berlin last summer when, after a few bites of a roll, her mouth started to itch, her gums started to hurt and before long, hives covered her skin. "My face, trunk, arms, legs," Fattell said, "they were all

Buffet: All-You-Can-Eat Illness Disease prevention specialists warn against shaking hands as a form of greeting since this is a common way people spread disease. Eating at a buffet exposes people to the hands of everyone who came to the restaurant and touched the common serving utensils

New method to detect most common bacteria contaminating oysters In a major breakthrough in shellfish management and disease prevention, researchers have discovered a new method to detect a bacterium that has contaminated New England oyster beds and sickened consumers who ate the contaminated shellfish. The new patent-pending detection method - which is available for immediate use to identify contaminated shellfish -- is a significant advance in efforts to identify shellfish harboring disease-carrying strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Curry: Curcumin offers potential therapy for cancers caused by HPV Curcumin, an antioxidant found in the curry spice turmeric, has been found to slow or limit the activity of the HPV virus, which causes oral and cervical cancers.

Cancer Preventing Vaccine (HPV) Underutilized by Adolescents

Healthcare professionals should eliminate missed opportunities by giving a strong recommendation for HPV vaccine during the same visit they recommend Tdap and meningococcal vaccines for preteens (ages 11-12 years); bundling the recommendations for all of the adolescent vaccines—thus giving HPV vaccine recommendation the same weight and importance as the others—helps parents make the decision to get HPV vaccine for their children.

With only a modest increase in coverage, HPV vaccination rates among adolescents remained low for another year. The vaccine is safe, effective, and prevents cancer, but it continues to be underutilized and missed opportunities are common. Had HPV vaccine been administered during health care visits when another vaccine was administered, vaccination coverage for ≥1 dose could have reached 91.3 percent by age 13 years for adolescent girls born in 2000.  Only 64.4 percent of parents of girls and 41.6 percent of parents of boys reported receiving a recommendation.  

More parents of teens who received the HPV vaccine reported getting a vaccine recommendation, confirming findings from other research that a recommendation from a healthcare professional is extremely influential in determining whether or not parents get HPV vaccine for their preteen.

6/4/14 Health News: MERCURY IN SEAFOOD DANGEROUS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN ♦ Legionnaires in Windshield Washer Fluid ♦ Two Thirds of Americans Harbor HPV

MERCURY IN SEAFOOD GUIDANCE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is responding to a lawsuit concerning the levels of mercury in seafood by updating its guidance for pregnant women and young children. “It’s an advisory, not an effort to mandate labeling,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the Associated Press last week. In July 2011, the Center for Science in... Continue Reading

VIRUS SCARE CAUSES RUSSIA TO SUSPEND U.S. PIG IMPORTS

Concerned over the spread of of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) in U.S. pig populations, Russia announced last week it was suspending U.S. imports of live pigs effective May 30, Reuters reports. The disease has already killed roughly 10 percent of the U.S. pig population and is reportedly spreading across other countries such as Mexico, Canada, China... Continue Reading

Windshield Washer Fluid a Source of Legionnaires

A form of bacteria responsible for respiratory illness, including the deadly pneumonia known as Legionnaire’s disease, may be able to grow in windshield washer fluid and was isolated from nearly 75% of school buses tested in one district in Arizona, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. “Washer fluid spray can release potentially dangerous numbers of these bacteria into the air. Source: Continue Reading

Over Two Thirds of Americans Harbor HPV, Genomics Study Reveals

More than two thirds of healthy US residents harbor at least 1 type of human papillomavirus (HPV), most of which are undetectable by widely used commercial screening kits, a large genetic analysis shows. However, the relevance of this is at present unclear, commented an expert not connected with the study. The study identified 109 different HPV types in tissue samples taken from 103 men and women whose tissue DNA was made available through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Microbiome Project. Only 4 individuals carried either HPV 16 or 18, considered to be among the most oncogenic HPV types and associated in particular with cervical cancer.Continue Reading

2/21/14 Health News: US is Failing to Protect Children - Test for Toxic Genes - Measles Deaths Plunge 78% - Mercury Pollution Closes Part of Maine Coast to Lobster Fishing

Contamination closes part of Maine coast to lobster fishing

PORTLAND ME – State officials were briefed about high levels of mercury contamination in lobsters caught around the mouth of the Penobscot River more than three years before the Department of Marine Resources shut the area down for fishing this week, according to a group of scientists involved in studying the contamination. Continue Reading

West Virginians: We don't drink the water

Health officials say the tap water near Charleston, West Virginia, is alright to drink. But many residents aren't buying it.When he runs the hot water, Joe Merchant said, "within a couple of minutes, I'll have a headache from the steam." Continue Reading

Report: U.S. Failing to Protect Kids From HPV

The US is failing to protect children from preventable cancers that afflict 22,000 Americans a year by not vaccinating enough of them against HPV, a new report says. Although a safe and effective HPV vaccine has been available for eight years, only one-third of girls have been fully immunized with all three recommended doses, according to a report from the President's Cancer Panel, which has advised the White House on cancer since 1971. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a family of viruses that causes cancer throughout the body, including cancers that predominantly affect men, such as a type of throat cancer. Only 7% of boys are fully vaccinated, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the shots for them since 2011. Raising vaccination rates to at least 80% of teen girls could prevent 53,000 future cases of cervical cancer in girls alive today, according to the CDC.Continue Reading

A Digital Test for Toxic Genes

Allon Wagner, Uri Gophna, and Eytan Ruppin of Tel Aviv University's Blavatnik School of Computer Science and Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, along with researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, have developed a computer algorithm that predicts which metabolic genes are lethal to cells when overexpressed. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help guide metabolic engineering to produce new chemicals in more cost-effective ways..Continue Reading

Measles Deaths Plunge 78% Since 2000 as Elimination Target Nears

Deaths from measles have dropped 78 percent since 2000 as global vaccination campaigns curb outbreaks of the pneumonia-causing disease, the World Health Organization said.  About 122,000 people died globally from measles in 2012, down from 562,000 in 2000, the Geneva-based WHO said in a statement today. Reported cases fell by a similar proportion. The decline is a result of a program supported by the WHO, the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others to cut deaths from the illness by 95 percent by 2015 and eliminate it from three of the WHO’s six regions by 2020.Continue Reading

2/12/2014 Health News: Chick-Fil-A ~ No Antibiotics - Kraft singles~ NO Preservatives - Calls For FDA ~ Ban Carcinogens in Bread - HPV doesn't Lead to Teen SEX

CHICK-FIL-A PLANS TO STOP SERVING CHICKENS RAISED WITH ANTIBIOTICS

Chick-fil-A announced Tuesday that it plans to phase out serving chickens raised with antibiotics. The fast food chain is calling for the changes along their supply chain to happen within five years. “We are asking suppliers to work with the USDA to verify that antibiotics are never administered from the hatchery to the processing plant,”... Continue Reading

Kraft Singles Ditch Artificial Preservatives

Good news!Kraft Singles cheese product slices are ditching artificial preservatives, substituting sorbic acid with natamycin as a mold-fighter  Continue Reading

FOOD ADVOCATES CALL ON FDA TO BAN POTENTIALLY CARCINOGENIC BREAD ADDITIVE

Subway made headlines last week when the fast food chain announced it was going to stop using a chemical in its bread that is also used to make yoga mats and shoe rubber. On Monday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban azodicarbonamide from all foods because... Continue Reading

Concerns Unfounded: HPV Shot Doesn't Lead Teens to Sex

Add another study to a growing body of research showing that despite some parents' concerns, HPV vaccination does not lead teen girls to start having sex or to engage in unsafe sex.Continue Reading

Hospitals vs. MRSA: Pros and Cons of Screening All Patients

Should hospitals screen all inpatients for the potentially deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) superbug? Some infection control advocates say yes, pointing to the success of Veterans Affairs medical centers in controlling MRSA infections. Others argue that there are less costly ways ....Continue Reading