Jameela Barnette sent monkey stuffed with Fake 'virus' to senator is shot dead by police - 26th Dec 2011

A woman who was facing federal charges of sending a fake Weapons of Mass Destruction to a New York politician was killed by police officer after attacking him at her apartment in Marietta, Georgia.

In April, Jameela Barnette, 53, mailed a vial of perfume, a hateful letter and a stuffed monkey with a star of David on it to New York state Sen Greg Ball, because she believed he was biased against her Islamic faith.

She also sent a bloody pig's foot and an anti-Semitic letter to Rep Peter King because he was hosting Congressional hearings about 'radicalization' in the American Muslim community.

On Saturday, police were called to Barnette's apartment by a panic alarm. When an officer arrived, police say, Barnette attacked him with a knife and a handgun.

The officer defended himself and shot Barnette, killing her. Read More

Bird flu virus tied to New England seal deaths - 23rd Dec 2011

An influenza virus similar to one found in wild birds but never before seen in seals has been linked to the recent spate of harbor seal deaths off northern New England, scientists said Tuesday.

Since Sept. 1, 162 seals have been found dead from northern Massachusetts to Maine.

The die-off struck young seals and was most intense in September and October, when deaths were about three to four times the normal number, said Charles Innes, the New England Aquarium's health director. The death rate has since slowed to normal levels.

Tests on five of the dead animals - all from New Hampshire - showed they suffered a bacterial pneumonia caused by the influenza virus subtype, H3N8. Tests are continuing to determine what role the virus played in the broader seal die-off, researchers said.

Besides birds, a separate group of H3N8 hits horses and dogs, but those animals generally recover.

Scientists said the virus appears to have low risk for transmission to humans. But Catherine Brown, State Public Health Veterinarian in Massachusetts, said when influenza jumps between species, it's important to try to learn why.

"Every time that happens, the more we can learn about what causes that to happen, the more we can actually work to prevent it from happening and protect human health as well as animal health," she said.

Other influenza viruses have been linked to at least three previous seal die-offs in New England since 1979. Read More

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control step in after baby's death raises questions about formula milk - 23rd Dec 2011

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday they are assisting in the investigation of a newborn baby who died of a rare bacterial infection that could be linked to powder-based infant formula.

The two agencies are also investigating the case of another baby who survived after being infected by the same bacteria. Both cases happened in Missouri within the past month, but it was not clear whether they are connected.

Late Wednesday, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it had pulled from its outlets nationwide all cans of Enfamil Newborn powdered formula that matched the size and lot number of the formula involved in the fatal case.

The retailer said it removed the product "out of an abundance of caution" during the investigation, because it has still not been determined whether the formula caused the baby's death. Read More

Hong Kong finds 2nd dead bird in week with Deadly H5N1 bird flu - 23rd Dec 2011

Hong Kong authorities say a second dead bird in a week has tested positive for a dangerous strain of bird flu, raising health concerns in the city.

The agricultural department said Friday that lab tests confirmed an Oriental magpie robin found dead on Dec. 17 was infected with H5N1 avian influenza.

On Wednesday, workers slaughtered more than 19,000 birds at a Hong Kong market and banned the import and sale of live poultry for three weeks after a chicken carcass tested positive for H5N1.

H5N1 occasionally infects people who have close contact with infected poultry, particularly in parts of Asia. Globally, 331 people have died from bird flu since it was first detected in 2003.

The Oriental magpie robin is commonly found in Hong Kong. Source

Norovirus Outbreak UK: 1,300 patients are struck down by the vomiting bug as figure soars 60% in a week - 23rd Dec 2011

Nearly 1,300 hospital patients have been struck down with the winter vomiting bug, figures show.

More than 50 NHS trusts have been hit by norovirus, and many have shut wards in an attempt to stop it spreading.

The number of victims has risen by 60 per cent in the last week, although the Department of Health claims the rates are ‘normal’ for this time of year.

The worst-hit trust is Doncaster and Bassetlaw, where 176 patients have been struck down across three hospitals. In total 1,293 patients have the bug in 51 NHS trusts across England.

Managers are urging relatives to stay away completely, or call the ward in advance to check it hasn’t been closed if the visit is absolutely necessary.

Michelle Veitch, general manager at Doncaster and Bassetlaw, said: ‘There has been an increase in norovirus but according to my colleagues it is no worse than last year. Read More

Brain Implant Cures Compulsive Tourette's Tics - 23rd Dec 2011

A woman who was disabled by relentless muscle jerks has been fitted with a 'brain pacemaker' that has allowed her to return to normal life.

Jayne Bargent's head and neck were so badly affected by the uncontrollable convulsions of Tourette's syndrome that she could not drive, read, or walk properly.

She is one of the first sufferers to be implanted with electrodes in her brain that fire tiny electric pulses into the region believed to cause the muscle tics.

Sky News exclusively filmed the extraordinary operation, and then - six weeks later - the moment the electrodes were switched on.

Over a period of about 40 minutes the tics almost completely disappeared.

She said: "It is absolutely amazing. I do not feel I am the same person. I have had three years of getting worse. Now I have got my life back."

The technique is called Deep Brain Stimulation. It is already used to treat some other neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease. Read More

H5N1 Bird Flu Appears in Hong Kong

Is it too late to keep details of deadly Man-Made Mutated Bird flu a secret!

A super-strain of bird flu that could infect and wipe out millions will not be published by the virologist developers.

Dutch scientists who created ‘probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make' have agreed to leave out details on how to construct the virus from published reports. But the scientists warned that the data had already been shared with hundreds of researchers.

The decision was made after the US government warned releasing the details could be kill millions of people if it was used as a weapon of biological warfare.

Their research focused on what it took to convert bird flu – which can kill more than half of those infected but does not spread easily – into a highly contagious virus.

Developer Ron Fouchier of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, said this knowledge would be vital for the development of vaccines and drugs to prevent a possible pandemic.

US asks scientific journals to censor bird flu studies

US requests scientific journals publish redacted versions of studies on a version of bird flu that could spread to humans.

The US government has asked the scientific journals Nature and Science to censor data on a laboratory-made version of bird flu that could spread more easily to humans, fearing it could be used as a potential weapon.

The US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity asked the two journals to publish redacted versions of studies by two research groups that created forms of the H5N1 avian flu that could easily jump between ferrets - typically considered a sign the virus could spread quickly among humans.

The journals are objecting to the request, saying it would restrict access to information that might advance the cause of public health.

The request was a first for the expert panel, formed after a series of anthrax attacks on US targets in 2001. It advises the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies about "dual use" research that could serve public health but also be a potential bioterror threat.

"NSABB has never before recommended to restrict communications on research that NSABB has reviewed that has potential dual use implications," Dr Amy Patterson, director of the National Institutes of Health's Office of Biotechnology Activities, said in a statement. Read More

Cancer alert for 50,000 British women with breast implants

Up to 50,000 British women have been advised to consider having cheap breast implants removed after evidence in France showed they could lead to cancer.

French medical authorities are expected this week to order 30,000 women who received faulty breast implants in France to have them removed.

The women are potentially at risk of developing cancer after receiving cheap implants using industrial silicone gel normally destined for the electronics industry instead of the more expensive medical silicone.

It is thought that as many as 50,000 British women may have them.

Official health advice on the subject in Britain remains unchanged, with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency saying there was no firm evidence linking the implants to cancer.

"The MHRA’s current advice to women with breast implants continues to be that women who are concerned about their breasts or think that their implants may have ruptured should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon," a spokeswoman said. Read More

Six in ten dementia sufferers not diagnosed

Six out of ten people with dementia are undiagnosed, it has been found, as MPs launch an investigation into how to pick up missed patients.

The majority of people with the condition have not been diagnosed meaning they are missing out on vital support and treatment, MPs said.

Despite improvements in understanding of dementia, diagnosis rates have only increased by two per cent to reach 43 per cent in the last year.

Now the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia is launching an inquiry into how to improve diagnosis rates.

GPs do not feel equipped to make a diagnosis of dementia and few people understand the differences between normal signs of ageing and signs of dementia.

Dementia affects 750,000 people in Britain and is set to hit one million by 2021 and 1.7m by 2050. Read More

Deaths of Ringed Seals in Alaska an Unusual Mortality Event - 20th Dec 2011

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today declared the recent deaths of ringed seals in the Arctic and Bering Strait regions of Alaska an unusual mortality event, triggering a focused, expert investigation into the cause of these deaths.

Since mid-July, more than 60 dead and 75 diseased seals, most of them ringed seals, have been reported in Alaska, with reports continuing to come in.

During their fall survey, scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also identified diseased and dead walruses at the annual mass haul-out at Point Lay.

A decision by the Service on making an an unusual mortality declaration for Pacific walrus in Alaska is pending.

Seals and walruses suffering from this disease have skin sores, usually on the hind flippers or face, and patchy hair loss. Some of the diseased animals have exhibited labored breathing and appear lethargic and do not flee from humans as they usually do.

Scientists have not yet identified a single cause for this disease, though tests indicate a virus is not the cause. Read More

Hong Kong culls thousands of chickens after bird flu discovered - 21st Dec 2011

The Hong Kong government said Wednesday that more than 17,000 chickens were being culled at a poultry market after a chicken carcass tested positive for avian flu.

The territory's Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation declared the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market an infected place, the government said in a statement.

Local farmers will be prevented from sending chickens to the market for 21 days.

The government said that it was working to trace the origin of the chicken, which was infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus, but that it did not know at this point whether it was from a local farm or imported. Source

Fear of terrorism as university prepares to publish key details of Mutant Killer Bird Flu created by Dutch Scientists

A deadly strain of bird flu with the potential to infect and kill millions of people has been created in a laboratory by European scientists – who now want to publish full details of how they did it.

The discovery has prompted fears within the US Government that the knowledge will fall into the hands of terrorists wanting to use it as a bio-weapon of mass destruction.

Some scientists are questioning whether the research should ever have been undertaken in a university laboratory, instead of at a military facility.

The US Government is now taking advice on whether the information is too dangerous to be published.

To see the graphic: The last outbreak - A deadly virus even before the latest twist

"The fear is that if you create something this deadly and it goes into a global pandemic, the mortality and cost to the world could be massive," a senior scientific adviser to the US Government told The Independent, speaking on condition of anonymity. Read More

Kevin Trudeau fined $38 million for misleading Americans over 'natural cures' for deadly diseases

Infomercial veteran Kevin Trudeau has been slapped with a $38 million fine after allegedly scamming customers for decades.

Trudeau, 48, has made millions flogging what he claims are natural cures for serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision that Trudeau must pay the huge fine.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been after Trudeau, originally from Massachusetts, for several years.

The FTC said that he has made millions of dollars by telling followers that coral calcium can cure cancer among other claims. Read More

Terror Fear As Scientists Create Mutated Killer Bird Flu...Has it Already got Out? - 20th Dec 2011

A Dutch laboratory claiming to have developed a deadly strain of bird flu wants to publish its research, sparking fears that terrorists could use the information.

Scientists at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam say they have been able to mutate the H5N1 virus so that it can be transmitted through the air.

Until now it was thought it could be transmitted between humans only via close physical contact.

The Netherlands team, led by virologist Ron Fouchier, carried out the research to find out how easy it is to genetically mutate the virus into a highly-infectious airborne human flu.

Mr Fouchier said in a statement they discovered that transmission of the virus was possible between humans "and can be carried out more easily than we thought".

"In a laboratory, it was possible to change the H5N1 into a virus... that can easily be spread through the air. This process could also happen naturally," he said.

Mr Fouchier argues that any knowledge gained could be vital in the development of new vaccines. Read More

Victims of Myanmar's HIV/AIDS struggle

Ma Soe Soe Kyi's skeletal frame is visible above her blanket; she is too weak to keep her eyes open. Her husband waves away the flies and looks on helplessly.

Kyi is HIV positive and finally getting help and medication from a private HIV clinic in Yangon, Myanmar. There are 60 patients here -- the oldest is 70 years old, the youngest just three months.

Ko Yar Zar is one of the founders of the clinic and tells CNN they used to have to move the operation from house to house and stay secret for fear of being shut down by the brutal military junta.

"Without this clinic, these people would die," he says.

The clinic was started by pro-democracy leader Aung San Syi Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy. It relies heavily on donations from private enterprises, individuals and AZG, the Dutch arm of Doctors without borders. Read More

Bird flu death sparks caution in Hong Kong - 20th Dec 2011

An intensive surveillance system is in place for all poultry farms, poultry markets, pet bird shops in Hong Kong following the death of a wild bird infected with H5N1, the OIE has reported.

The H5N1 infected wild bird was detected in the framework of the ongoing surveillance program on wild birds and no spread of disease is evident.

A local school was closed after it emerged that an employee had found and handled the dead bird and developed flu-like symptoms. However a health department spokesman announced that medical tests had cleared her of bird flu. The secondary school will remain closed for an unspecified time for disinfection and while the department traces people who may have had contact with the bird.

The OIE Animal Health Information Department has noted that this outbreak does not change the HPAI free status of Hong Kong and should not affect trade of poultry and their products since the bird involved in this outbreak does not fall within the OIE definition of poultry. Source

Forty hospital trusts and 800 patients fall victim to winter vomiting bug in just one week - 20th Dec 2011

Almost 800 patients have been struck down by the winter vomiting bug in hospitals in the last week.

More than 40 trusts are known to be affected by outbreaks of norovirus and most have closed wards to visitors in an attempt to halt the spread.

Figures from the Health Protection Agency show that the total number of cases so far this season is up a fifth compared with the same time last year.

But officials insist that the weekly rates are no worse than usual – and in fact the number affected in the last week is slightly lower than last year.

Up to a million Britons are struck down with the virus every year and the usual symptoms are sudden vomiting, diarrhoea, headache and temperature. Read More