3/4/15 Health News:E.coli in two Elementary Schools ♦ Food poisoning hits 175 ♦ Infection rates Lower with more Public health spending ♦ Bans don't help smokers quit♦ High-salt diet protects against microbes

E. COLI CONFIRMED IN TWO CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS  Two students at Reese Elementary School in Lodi, CA, have reportedly tested positive for E. coli, and a seven-year-old boy was hospitalized. Lab tests are being done to identify other potential cases. According to the San Joaquin County Health Department in Stockton, CA, an inspection of the school was inconclusive. Questionnaires to pinpoint a common... Continue Reading

Food poisoning hits 175 Queensland school principals  Queensland Health is investigating an outbreak of food poisoning. Photo: Supplied Salmonella is believed to be the culprit behind one of Queensland's worst mass food poisonings. Queensland Health says 175 school principals have contracted food poisoning after attending a conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Continue Reading

 STUDY: INFECTION RATES CORRELATE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH SPENDING  Local government spending on food safety and sanitation programs may significantly influence the number of illnesses occurring in the surrounding areas, according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Washington School of Nursing. Continue Reading

Bans don't help smokers quit.  No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from having friends or family who set an example by giving up cigarettes themselves, the authors write. Continue Reading

High-salt diet could protect against invading microbes   Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary salt could have a biological advantage: Defending the body against invading microbes. A high-salt diet increased sodium accumulation in the skin of mice, thereby boosting their immune response to a skin-infecting parasite. Continue Reading

Seniors Health News:Low sugar in brain exacerbates Alzheimer's ♦ Lycopene may ward off kidney cancer ♦ Unexpected outcomes for elderly couples who stop driving ♦ Plus More

Low sugar uptake in brain appears to exacerbate Alzheimer's disease  A deficiency in the protein responsible for moving glucose across the brain's protective blood-brain barrier appears to intensify the neurodegenerative effects of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new mouse study. The research suggests that targeting the protein called GLUT1 could help prevent or slow the effects of Alzheimer's, especially among those at risk for the disease Continue Reading

Lycopene may ward off kidney cancer in older women  A higher intake by postmenopausal women of the natural antioxidant lycopene, found in foods like tomatoes, watermelon and papaya, may lower the risk of renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, scientists report. Continue Reading

Unexpected outcomes for elderly couples who stop driving  Even if just one member of a couple stops driving, negative consequences result for both the driver and non-driver, a study concludes. The researcher recommends that the elderly and their adult children carefully discuss and plan for the transition to driving cessation.Continue Reading

Neuroscientists identify new way several brain areas communicate  Neuroscientists have identified a new pathway by which several brain areas communicate within the brain's striatum. The findings illustrate structural and functional connections that allow the brain to use reinforcement learning to make spatial decisions. Knowing how these specific pathways work together provides crucial insight into how learning occurs. It also could lead to improved treatments for Parkinson's disease. Continue Reading

Poor heart function could be major risk for Alzheimer's disease   Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to three times more likely to develop significant memory loss over the follow-up period Continue Reading

Obesity Research: Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise ♦ Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning ♦ Molecular Link between Obesity,Type 2 Diabetes ♦ Plus More

Newly discovered hormone mimics the effects of exercise Scientists have discovered a new hormone that fights the weight gain caused by a high-fat Western diet and normalizes the metabolism -- effects commonly associated with exercising. Continue Reading

Reducing energy efficiency boosts calorie burning in muscle  targeted approach that overrides muscles' intrinsic energy efficiency and allows muscle to burn more energy, even during low to moderate exercise, has been developed by scientists. The new findings might provide the basis of a therapy that could help people get a head start on losing weight by helping to overcome the body's natural resistance to weight loss. Continue Reading

Molecular Link between Obesity,Type 2 Diabetes Reveals Potential Therapy   The inflammatory molecule LTB4 promotes insulin resistance, a first step in developing type 2 diabetes, researchers have discovered. What's more, the team found that genetically removing the cell receptor that responds to LTB4, or blocking it with a drug, improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice ,Continue Reading

Level of pollutants accumulated in the body linked to obesity levels Scientists have confirmed that there is a relation between the levels of certain environmental pollutants that a person accumulates in his or her body and his or her level of obesity. Subjects with more pollutants in their bodies tend to have higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Continue Reading

Psychology of food choice: Challenging the status quo  Researchers are challenging conventional beliefs about the effectiveness of traditional strategies for encouraging healthy eating. Researchers tackle issues such as the harmfulness of weight stigma, encouraging healthy choices, and strategies to help children and teens  Continue Reading

Great Britain Updated Recall: Finest Ground Egusi (Melon Seeds) because of salmonella

The FSA is issuing an updated Recall Information Notice on the Wanis Ltd recall of Africa's Finest Ground Egusi (Melon Seeds) because salmonella has been detected in another batch of the product (batch code 10/290). Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.

The products being recalled are:

1. Product: Africa's Finest Ground Egusi (Melon Seeds) Pack size: 100g Batch code: 10/290 'Best before' end: December 2016

2. Product: Africa's Finest Ground Egusi (Melon Seeds) Pack size: 100g Batch code: 06/155 'Best before' end: 31 July 2016

No other Wanis Ltd products are known to be affected.

If you have bought the above product, do not consume it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

Canada: Updated Recall: Candy Smoked Salmon due to Listeria contamination.

The food recall warning issued on February 21, 2015 has been updated to include additional product information. This additional information was identified during the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) food safety investigation.

Industry is recalling Salish Seafoods brand Candy Smoked Salmon from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Consumers, food service establishments, retailers, and distributors should not consume, serve, use, or sell the recalled product, sold refrigerated, described below.

The following product has been sold in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan and may have been sold in other provinces and territories.

Please note that some product packages may not bear the same brand, product name or lot code as the product described below, or a brand at all. Also, this product may have been sold clerk-served from deli counters with or without a label or coding. Consumers who are unsure if they have purchased the affected product are advised to contact their retailer.

Recalled products

Brand Name	Common Name	Code(s) on Product
Salish Seafoods	Candy Smoked Salmon	Lot # 6919, Lot # 6920, Lot # 6932 and Lot # 6949

Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

Seat Belt Use Among Long-Haul Truck Drivers

Seat Belt Use Among Long-Haul Truck Drivers

In 2012, motor vehicle crash fatalities (1,153) accounted for 25% of all occupational fatalities (4,628) in the United States. Of these motor vehicle crash fatalities, 46% of the decedents were truck drivers. In 2012, 2.6 million truck drivers were employed in the United States; 1.7 million drove heavy trucks and tractor-trailers with gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) >26,000 pounds, and another 840,000 drove medium-sized trucks with GVWR between 10,001 and 26,000 pounds.† The majority of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers were long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs), meaning they delivered goods over intercity routes that can span more than one state.

After decreasing to the lowest level ever in 2009, large-truck (GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds 0 occupant deaths have been increasing. In 2012, 697 occupants of large trucks died in crashes, and another 26,000 were injured . About 41% of truck drivers who lost ≥1 work day from a motor vehicle crash in 2012 missed ≥31 days

Federal regulations require drivers of large trucks to wear a seatbelt But at least 35% of the truck drivers who died in 2012 were not wearing a seatbelt). This report estimates the prevalence of seat belt use and identifies factors associated with nonuse of seat belts among LHTDs.

Using a seatbelt has been proven to reduce injury and death in the event of a motor vehicle crash for drivers of passenger vehicles and trucks, and LHTDs are required by federal regulations to use a seat belt

Findings from this survey suggest, however, that approximately 14% of LHTDs never or only sometimes use a seat belt. This, coupled with the fact that 34.9% of LHTDs had been involved in at least one U.S. Department of Transportation recordable crash while working as an LHTD and 11.9% had been involved in two or more crashes, underscores the importance of wearing a seat belt.

Never using a seatbelt was significantly associated with the absence of a primary enforcement seat belt law in the LHTD's state of residence. As more states have added primary enforcement seat belt laws, observed seat belt use for drivers of large trucks and buses also has increased (48% in 2003 to 84% in 2013). Similar findings have also been reported for belt use by auto drivers by state . Belt use among LHTDs might increase further if all states were to adopt primary enforcement belt laws.

Results of this survey also showed a significant association between never using a seat belt and the absence of a written employer safety program. A requirement that drivers and all passengers use their seat belts is an important component of a comprehensive motor vehicle safety management program. Companies can establish and enforce belt-use requirements and give incentives or recognition for compliance or consequences for noncompliance. Involving workers in development and implementation of these programs can increase their effectiveness. In a 2005 survey of truck drivers, 44% reported that their employer imposed no penalties for nonuse of seat belts, and 43% indicated that their employer offered no educational or incentive programs to promote seat belt use. Comprehensive safety programs also can address unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding and other moving violations, both of which were found in this survey to be associated with never using a seat belt.

Engineering and design changes also might increase seat belt use among LHTDs. Previous studies identified personal choice and discomfort related to belt positioning, tightness, range of motion, and rubbing as primary reasons not to wear a seatbelt. It was also reported that seat belts in trucks were uncomfortable for women and shorter drivers. CDC recently collected anthropometric data from a nationally representative sample of 1,950 truck drivers (1,779 males and 171 females). These new data can be used by vehicle manufacturers to develop better fitting and more comfortable seat belt systems. Improvements in belt design might help increase belt use among LHTDs, especially female truck drivers, who were shown in this survey to be more likely than males to never use a seat belt.

In addition to nonuse of seat belts, other risk factors, notably drowsy and distracted driving, have been linked to fatal large-truck crashes.

A case-control study comparing fatal and nonfatal truck crashes using collision reports for 1998–2002 in Kentucky found that the odds of a fatal crash were 8.2 times higher when the truck driver was unbelted, 3.2 times higher when the truck driver was distracted, and 21 times higher when the truck driver was fatigued or fell asleep. In addition to ensuring that truck drivers follow federal regulations that limit hours of driving, employers can help reduce drowsy driving by allowing enough time for regular rest. Employers can provide education to increase drivers' awareness of the impact of long work hours and driving at night on driver fatigue. Free online fatigue management training is available for managers and drivers.

Childrens Health: BPA exposure linked to autism ♦ 2 hours of TV a day increases high blood pressure ♦ Why debunked autism treatment persist ♦ Secondhand smoke risk for infants

BPA exposure linked to autism spectrum disorder, study reports  A newly published study is the first to report an association between bisphenol-A (BPA), a common plasticizer used in a variety of consumer food and beverage containers, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Continue Reading

More than two hours of TV a day increases high blood pressure in children by 30%  A study on European children concludes that spending more than two hours a day in front of a screen increases the probability of high blood pressure by 30%. The article also points out that doing no daily physical activity or less than an hour a day increases this risk by 50%. Continue reading

Why debunked autism treatment fads persist  The communication struggles of children with autism spectrum disorder can drive parents and educators to try anything. Authors describe treatments for autism that have been attempted with little or no success.including gluten- and casein-free diets, antifungal interventions, chelation therapy, magnetic shoe inserts, hyperbaric oxygen sessions, weighted vests, bleach enemas, sheep-stem-cell injections and many more. Continue Reading

High stress for new mothers increases secondhand smoke risk for infants Mothers with a high level of prenatal social stressors -- including possibly less control over their own housing situation or economic distress -- had 2.5 times higher odds to have only a partial or no restriction on smoking in their home than those with no stressors, which increases secondhand smoke risk, a study has found. Continue Reading