Effort to curb overuse of antibiotics amid cold, flu seasons
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's cold season and the miserable trudge in seeking antibiotics because of mucus turned green, or the cough has nagged for weeks.
Pregnant women told to avoid countries with Zika outbreaks
NEW YORK (AP) — Pregnant women should avoid traveling to Latin America and Caribbean countries that have outbreaks of a tropical illness linked to birth defects, health officials said Friday.
Celebrate Yourself: Study Links Poor Body Image to Weight Gain in Girls
Overweight female adolescents with a positive body image gain significantly less weight as they become young adults than those with negative feelings about their bodies, according to research from the University of Minnesota published this week. The 10-year-long study looked at the body mass index—a common tool recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that uses height and weight to determine whether someone is overweight or obese—and body satisfaction of about 500 boys and girls who were 14 and 15 years old in 1998 and 1999. Researchers analyzed the BMIs of the young adults again in 2009 and 2010.
Simple coordination to slash ‘superbug’ infections
Simple coordination between hospitals, nursing homes and health authorities could slash the number of drug-resistant “superbug” infections and save thousands of US lives, experts said. Hospitals and nursing homes strive to control infections but rarely report to one another when a patient being transferred is carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, greatly increasing the risk of spreading infections, said a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. “Antibiotic-resistant infections in health care settings are a growing threat in the United States, killing thousands and thousands of people each year,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
Toddler food often has too much salt, sugar, CDC study says
CHICAGO (AP) — Many packaged meals and snacks for toddlers contain worrisome amounts of salt and sugar, potentially creating an early taste for foods that may contribute to obesity and other health risks, according to a new government study.
African Union pledges Ebola fund, as Oxfam calls for ‘Marshall Plan’
The African Union plans to launch an Ebola Solidarity Fund, officials said Wednesday, as aid agency Oxfam warned the continent's leaders needed to keep their promises to boost healthcare. Oxfam called for a “massive post-Ebola Marshall Plan”, referring to the United States aid package to rebuild Europe after World War Two. “This disaster might have been avoided if African governments had made free public health care and spent more on their health systems, under the commitment they made 14 years ago in the Abuja Declaration,” Oxfam said in a statement. “It's clear that Africa’s existing architecture for early disease detection, response and control is wholly inadequate,” Oxfam added, calling for the AU to approve its own plans for an African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.