Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,
compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
14 People in U.S. Sickened by Tainted Dog
Food
At least 14 people across nine states have been sickened by dog food
tainted by Salmonella, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention reported Monday.
“Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at a
single manufacturing facility in South Carolina have been linked to some
of the human Salmonella infections,” the CDC said in a news release.
No deaths have been reported, the agency said, but five people have
been hospitalized in connection with the recalled dog.
By state, the number of cases is as follows — Alabama (1), Connecticut
(1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio
(2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1).
“Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and
discard them promptly,” the CDC said. “People who think they might have
become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has
eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers.”
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Studies Say Parents Happier Than
Non-Parents
Parents today are happier than non-parents, suggest two new
studies.
Based on earlier research, the widely-held belief for the past few
decades is that parents were less happy, more depressed and had less
satisfying marriages than adults without children, USA Today
reported.
But the two studies presented at the Population Association of
America’s annual meeting challenge that idea. One study looked at British
and German parents and the other study looked at American parents.
The European study did find that people who become parents at a younger
age have reduced levels of happiness, while those who become parents at a
later age have a higher happiness level after the birth of a child, USA
Today reported.
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Smuggled Capsules Contain Flesh of Dead
Babies: S. Korean Officials
Thousands of capsules filled with powdered flesh from dead babies have
been seized by the South Korean Customs Service since last August.
More than 17,000 capsules have been confiscated by the service as it
thwarted 35 smuggling attempts. Customs officials said people take the
capsules — which come from China and are disguised as stamina boosters —
because they believe they are a cure-all for disease, the Associated
Press reported.
The babies’ bodies are chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves
before being turned into powder, according to the customs service. Citing
possible diplomatic problems with China, South Korean officials refused to
say where the dead babies came from or who made the capsules.
They officials warned that the capsules contain bacteria and other
harmful ingredients, but said there have not been any reported illnesses
linked with the capsules.
Last year, Chinese officials ordered an investigation into the
production of drugs made from dead fetuses or newborns, the AP
reported.
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