Environment

Mercury in fish has been a public health issue for some time. The FDA says the metal can build up in the blood stream provoking reproductive problems in women and damaging the development of the nervous system in children.  The US Geological Survey sampled fish in 291 streams across the US and found mercury in every one. About a quarter of the fish were found to contain enough mercury to push consumption of the metal above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended limit of 0.33ppm in people who eat about two fish meals a week.

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Air pollution is a universal problem in industrialized nations, and particulates typically found in air pollution have been implicated in chronic diseases. Robert D. Brook, from University of Michigan (USA), and colleagues tested 83 people as they breathed levels of air pollution similar to those in an urban city near a roadway.

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International experts have moved tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer-risk category, calling them as deadly as tobacco use, arsenic and radon gas. Continue reading…

Breathing isn’t always great for our health, a study on pollution finds. In fact, a team of Italian researchers have found that the DNA of steel workers was altered within just three days of exposure to air pollutants. And such DNA damage is known to increase the risk of cancer and other diseases. Continue reading…

As of 6:00 GMT, May 2, 2009, The World Health Organization (WHO) website states that 15 countries have now officially reported 615 cases of the A(H1N1) virus infections.

Mexico continues to be the "epicenter" reporting 397 confirmed cases and 16 deaths. Yet, according to a USA Today article, the Mexican Government believes the virus us not as severe or prevalent as they originally estimated.

"The attack rate is not as broad as was thought," Mexico's Health Secretary José Córdova told reporters.

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard's statement struck a hopeful tone: "The measures we have been taking are beginning to stabilize the situation," said Ebrard. But Secretary Córdova could not confirm whether the government believed they had the virus under control.

The U.S.Government reports 141 laboratory-confirmed cases. The death tole in the U.S. remains at one.

An updated tally of the reported infection cases by country is also posted on the WHO site:
Austria (1)
Canada (34)
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1)
Denmark (1)
France (1), Germany (4)
Israel (2)
Netherlands (1)
New Zealand (4)
Republic of Korea (1)
Spain (13)
Switzerland (1)
United Kingdom (13).

Reported May 1, 2009:

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control in the US have both officially stopped referring to the flu as “swine flu”, instead adopting it’s virus classification “H1N1” as the name.

As of May 1, the WHO confirms 331 human cases of virus and at least 10 deaths, nine in Mexico and one in the United States.

The WHO list of reports cases in 11 countries :
• 109 in the United States in 17 states (one death).
• 156 in Mexico (nine deaths).
• 34 confirmed cases in Canada.
• 13 in Spain.
• Eight in the United Kingdom.
• Three in Germany.
• Three in New Zealand.
• Two in Israel.
• One in Austria.
• One in the Netherlands.
• One in Switzerland.

WHO advises no travel restrictions or closure of borders, but does recommend that people who are ill delay international travel. It also requests people developing symptoms following international travel seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises U.S. travelers returning from Mexico with at least two of the 2009 N1H1 flu symptoms to stay at home and avoid public places. Symptoms of the flu can include a fever, sore throat, cough, chills, headaches and runny nose.

The CDC advices that people with no symptoms can continue their normal activities, using healthy precautions like hand washing and upon return, should monitor their health for seven days.

In Mexico, the suspected origin of the virus, Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova reports new cases and suspected deaths appear to be leveling off.

At this point, scientists say they believe the H1N1 Virus would need to mutate further before it would cause the mass deaths estimated by some.

Further analysis at the National Institute for Medical Research in the UK to determine the virus’s structure, its origin, and how quickly it could spread is underway.

Professor Jonathan Ball, an expert in molecular virology at the University of Nottingham said, "Many people suspected that H5N1 was the most likely candidate for the next pandemic strain, but now it appears that this was a mistake - but that's not to say H5N1 or another reassortment containing parts of H5N1 may not happen in the future. "That's the trouble - you can't predict."

Yet, the general public concern about the disease remains high. In San Diego County, for instance, The Public Health Lab is inundated with a backlog of about 400 untested possible H1N1 flu. The facility can processing capacity is roughly 20 tests per day.

Those interested in more scientific information about the H1N1 virus, should visit the BBC’s website at the following link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8028371.stm To read earlier reports, follow the link below. Continue reading…

For the first time, researchers have found evidence that pesticides trigger a neurodegenerative process that can lead to Parkinson’s. Continue reading…

Researchers are working to unlock the secrets of longevity by studying a variety of different groups-- from Seventh-Day Adventists to centenarians living in Okinawa--to determine what combination of factors influence life span. Continue reading…

Keeping the thermostat down in these chilly winter months is a great way to save money. But is sleeping under an electric blanket to stay warm worth the risk? Continue reading…

A new study suggests that an increase in average life expectancy of five months is the result of decreases in air pollution between 1980 and 2000. Continue reading…

Study results suggest that taking a friend or relative flowering plants or flowers when they are in hospital could aid their recovery. Continue reading…