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AP Health NewsBrief at 12:39 a.m. EST
(AP Online Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) America abortion debate reaches into African slumsNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) _ Nairobi's sprawling Kibera slum is far from America but not from America's battle over abortion. Aid workers and experts say President Barack Obama's decision to allow aid money to flow again to international groups that offer abortion counseling will help restart programs desperately needed in Africa, the continent hardest hit by a so-called "gag rule."
Feds rarely file charges in tainted food casesATLANTA (AP) _ As federal officials launch a criminal investigation into a Georgia peanut processor at the center of a deadly salmonella outbreak, food safety experts say they hope it's a signal that the government plans to be more aggressive in prosecuting other cases in the future. Food safety watchdogs and legal experts say criminal charges have only been brought against a handful of companies involved in high-profile outbreaks though federal law allows cases to be prosecuted without proof the company knew it was distributing contaminated food. They say the law is not used often because there has been little will to pursue criminal charges in all but the most noteworthy and outrageous cases, and that has put the public at risk.
Farmer in central China sick with bird fluBEIJING (AP) _ A 21-year-old woman in central China has been sickened with the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the country's eight reported case of the disease this year, the Health Ministry said. The woman, a farmer surnamed Shu in the central province of Hunan, fell ill Jan. 23 after handling poultry that had died from disease, the ministry said on its Web site late Saturday without giving more details. She was hospitalized three days later and was in stable condition and recovering, it said.
Grandma: Octuplets mom obsessed with having kidsLOS ANGELES (AP) _ The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week conceived all 14 of her children through in vitro fertilization, is not married and has been obsessed with having children since she was a teenager, her mother said. Angela Suleman told The Associated Press she was not supportive when her daughter, Nadya Suleman, decided to have more embryos implanted last year.
Gov't launches criminal probe in peanut recallWASHINGTON (AP) _ Federal health officials opened a criminal investigation Friday into the Georgia peanut-processing plant at the center of the national salmonella outbreak. President Barack Obama pledged stricter oversight of food safety to prevent breakdowns in inspections. The investigation into Peanut Corp. of America follows reports of shoddy sanitation practices and inspections that found the company sold contaminated peanut products to food makers.
FDA panel recommends ban on the painkiller DarvonWASHINGTON (AP) _ Government medical advisers Friday recommended a ban on Darvon, a prescription medicine that's been used to treat pain for more than 50 years but left a trail of problems such as addiction and suicide. A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 14-12 to recommend withdrawing Darvon after a daylong hearing examining its risks and benefits. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisers, but often does so.
Air Force to train combat docs to use acupunctureWASHINGTON (AP) _ Chief Warrant Officer James Brad Smith broke five ribs, punctured a lung and shattered bones in his hand and thigh after falling more than 20 feet from a Black Hawk helicopter in Baghdad last month. While he was recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, his doctor suggested he add acupuncture to his treatment to help with the pain.
Congress to hold hearing on peanut butter recallWASHINGTON (AP) _ A congressman has announced the first public hearing on the salmonella outbreak that's being blamed on tainted peanut butter. California Democrat Henry Waxman says he wants to focus on the Georgia peanut processing plant at the center of the investigation, which has led to a massive recall. More than 500 people have gotten sick in the outbreak, and at least eight may have died because of salmonella infections.
Democrats near win on child health billWASHINGTON (AP) _ Democrats are edging closer to giving President Barack Obama a big victory on health care. The Senate was expected to vote Thursday on legislation that would spend $31.5 billion more on a children's health insurance program over the next 4 1/2 years. The additional money would help about 4 million uninsured children get coverage and draw 2.4 million more kids into the program who otherwise could get private coverage.
In peanut checks, gaps for salmonella to sneak byATLANTA (AP) _ Food regulators didn't consider salmonella a threat to most peanut products before they traced an outbreak to a peanut butter plant in Georgia two years ago. Officials in the nation's top peanut-producing state promptly began checking for the bacteria during routine inspections, and everything went fine for about a year. Then this month, investigators zeroed in on another Georgia plant while probing a second bout of salmonella that began in the fall and has sickened some 500 people in 43 states, and may have contributed to at least eight deaths.
Copyright ? 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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