Health Highlights: June 27, 2013

Lower limits on the amount of fat, calories, sugar and salt in all foods sold in U.S. schools were finalized this week by federal officials.

Included in the new Department of Agriculture restrictions are snacks sold around the school and items on the "a la carte" line in cafeterias, which have never been regulated before, the Associated Press reported.

The new rules, which apply to 100,000 schools nationwide, allow states to regulate student bake sales.

The regulations -- required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010 -- are meant to combat childhood obesity and could lead to major changes in what many children eat at school, according to the AP.

Some schools do provide healthier lunch menus and vending machine choices, but others still sell high-fat, high-calorie foods. The nutritional content of free and low-cost school breakfasts and lunches subsidized by the federal government are already regulated. However, many school lunchrooms also have "a la carte" lines that sell other foods, many of which are unhealthy.

Under the new rules, those "a la carte" lines will have to offer healthier choices, such as low-fat hamburgers, yogurt and fruit cups, the AP reported.

Another major change under the new rule will be a near-ban on high-calorie beverages. Only sports drinks and sodas that contain 60 calories or less per 12-ounce serving will be allowed in high schools. Many companies have already developed low-calorie sports drinks and many diet teas and diet sodas are available.

In elementary and middle schools, beverage choices will be limited to water, carbonated water, 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice, and low fat and fat-free milk, including fat-free flavored milks, the AP reported.

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Kerry Washington’s copper highlights

Want to add some sunshine into dark chocolate or raven locks? DO make like Kerry Washington and add some warm copper highlights into your side-swept curls. Kerry looks flawless, as per. 

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Health Highlights: May 6, 2013

Pfizer Offers Viagra Online; FDA Criticized for OK'ing Combo Cholesterol Pill; Veterans at Higher Risk for Traffic Crashes

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

FDA Warns About Breast Cancer Drug Name Confusion

The generic names of two breast cancer drugs can cause confusion and lead to dosing errors, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.

One drug's brand name is Kadcyla and its generic name is ado-trastuzumab emtansine. The other drug's brand name is Herceptin and its generic name is trastuzumab. Some electronic health record systems pharmacy prescription processing and ordering systems incorrectly use the name trastuzumab emtansine when referring to Kadcyla.

"The dosing and treatment schedules for Kadcyla and Herceptin ... are quite different, so confusion between these products could lead to dosing errors and potential harm to patients," the FDA said.

Since Kadcyla was approved on Feb. 22, 2013, there have not been any reported medication errors related to the confusion between Kadcyla and Herceptin. However, errors did occur during clinical trials for Kadcyla before its approval.

Health care professionals should use both the brand name for Kadcyla and its full generic name when writing medication orders or using computerized order entry systems, the FDA said.

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Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Strain 'Very Dangerous'

The impact of an antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhea could match that of HIV/AIDS, according to some experts.

The strain, called HO41, has been placed in the superbug category along with other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), CNBC reported.

No deaths from HO41 gonorrhea have been reported, but this is "an emergency situation" and "it's getting more hazardous" as time passes, according to William Smith, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

"This might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run because the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly," Alan Christianson, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, told CNBC.

"Getting gonorrhea from this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days," he explained. "This is very dangerous."

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Pfizer Offers Viagra Online

In a first for the drug industry, Pfizer Inc. will start selling Viagra directly to patients on its website.

Men will still need a prescription to buy the erectile dysfunction drug on viagra.com but won't have to deal with a pharmacist, the Associated Press reported.

Pfizer's decision to sell Viagra online is an attempt to counter Internet pharmacies that sell counterfeit versions of the drug for a much cheaper price and with no prescription needed.

Counterfeit versions of many other brand-name drugs are also sold online and other major drug companies will be keeping close tabs on Pfizer's strategy, the AP reported.

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FDA Criticized for OK'ing Combo Cholesterol Pill

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of a new cholesterol-lowering pill called Liptruzet "just doesn't make any sense," an expert says.

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Health Highlights: May 1, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Parents' Efforts Key to Approval of Drug for Rare Kidney Disorder

A new drug to treat a rare and deadly inherited kidney disorder has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the efforts of one patient's parents may have played a key role.

The drug Procysbi is for nephropathic cystinosis. Left untreated, the disease typically destroys the kidneys by age 10. Even with a kidney transplant, the condition can lead to death by early adulthood, The New York Times reported.

Procysbi is not a totally new drug, but rather a more convenient and tolerable version of an existing drug for cystinosis called Cystagon, from Mylan Inc. Cystagon has a strong rotten-egg smell that causes bad breath and body odor, and also causes nausea, vomiting and other abdominal problems. It must be taken every six hours.

Procysbi, from Raptor Pharmaceutical Corporation, has the same active ingredient as Cystagon but can be taken every 12 hours and parents say it causes less severe body odor, bad breath and abdominal problems, The Times reported.

There is a huge price difference between the older and newer medicines: Cystagon costs about $8,000 a year while Procysbi will cost about $250,000 a year.

Still, reductions in the noxious side effects, and the twice-a-day dosing of Procysbi are huge advantages for children with nephropathic cystinosis, said Nancy Stack, a mother from Corona del Mar, Calif.

Her daughter Natalie, 22, has the illness, and parents Nancy and Geoffrey formed the Cystinosis Research Foundation in 2003 to help push for better treatments. Money raised by the foundation was instrumental in the development of Procysbi, The Times said.

Now the challenge is to get Procysbi, with its high price tag, covered by insurers. "It does seem extreme to have [the price] that high," Stack told The Times. "But as a community, our bottom line is getting better treatment for our children. And we know that this will change our kids' lives."

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Ground Turkey Contains Potentially Harmful Bacteria: Report

Potentially dangerous bacteria was found in most samples of randomly tested ground turkey products sold at U.S. stores, and some of the bacteria were antibiotic-resistant, Consumer Reports has found.

The group also discovered that turkey raised without antibiotics had much less antibiotic-resistant bacteria than turkey raised with antibiotics, CBS News reported.

"Our findings strongly suggest that there is a direct relationship between the routine use of antibiotics in animal production and increased antibiotic resistance in bacteria on ground turkey. It's very concerning that antibiotics fed to turkeys are creating resistance to antibiotics used in human medicine," Dr. Urvashi Rangan, director of the food safety and sustainability group at Consumer Reports, said in a news release. "Humans don't consume antibiotics every day to prevent disease and neither should healthy animals."

The group tested 257 kinds of raw ground turkey meat and patties for five contaminants that can cause illness and be fatal in some cases: enterococcus, E. coli, staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, and campylobacter, CBS News reported.

Ninety percent of the samples tested had at least one of the bacteria, Consumer Reports found.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: June 19, 2013

Natura Pet Products is recalling a wide range of dry pet foods and treats due to possible salmonella contamination.

The recall covers all of the following products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014: Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats; EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats; California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats; Healthwise dry dog and cat foods; Karma dry dog foods; Mother Nature biscuits/bars/treats.

Salmonella can cause illness in pets that eat contaminated products and in people who handle the products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. There haven't been any reports of pet or human illnesses related to the recalled products.

The Natura pet food and treats were sold in bags at veterinary clinics, select pet stores, and online in the United States and Canada. People with the recalled products should throw them out.

For more information or to ask for a product replacement or refund, call Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123.

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Health Highlights: April 19, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Dick Van Dyke has Undiagnosed Neurological Disorder

Dick Van Dyke is struggling with fatigue and other symptoms of an unknown neurological disorder and has been ordered to rest at home.

"Tests and scans have yet to reveal a specific diagnosis. Various medications have not diminished the symptoms," Van Dyke's spokesman, Bob Palmer, told USA Today. The 87-year-old actor has canceled a public appearance scheduled for New York next week.

Palmer said that thanks to Van Dyke's "strong constitution and years on a daily fitness regimen Dick is otherwise in good physical condition but the fatigue factor has become acute. Until there is a specific diagnosis and treatment plan he is advised against travel by flight and is resting at home in Malibu."

On Twitter, Van Dyke outlined his situation: "My head bangs every time I lay down. I've had every test come back that I'm perfectly healthy. Anybody got any ideas?"

Possible causes suggested by people included sinus issues, allergies, acid reflux and ear problems, USA Today reported.

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Infection Sends GMA Host Robin Roberts to Hospital

Television host Robin Roberts has been hospitalized with infection.

The "Good Morning America" host was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder about a year ago and had a bone marrow transplant in September. She returned to the show in February but hasn't been on the air this week, USA Today reported.

"Last week, in the middle of my Key West vacation, I began not to feel well. Nothing serious, just under the weather. I contacted my doctors and flew back to NYC. They felt it best to admit me into the hospital for a few days," Roberts said in a Facebook note.

"Seems my young immune system needed a little boost to fight off 'opportunistic infections,' " she explained.

"My doctors assured me that this was NOT because I was working or doing too much, too soon. It's extremely common, post bone marrow transplant, to have complications. I'm blessed that mine have not been severe," Roberts wrote, USA Today reported.

She added: "I'm feeling MUCH better, and will relax at home for the rest of the week. I'll be back on GMA next week...as my sweet momma would say: 'Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise!'"

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No 'Sustained' Evidence of Human-to-Human Transmission of H79N Bird Flu

Four possible cases of human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 bird flu in China are being investigated, but so far there is "no sustained" evidence of the virus being passed between people, according to the World Health Organization.

The investigation involves three families in Shanghai and two young boys in Beijing who may have infected each other, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told The New York Times.

"Even if two family members are positive, it is not necessarily the case they got it from each other. They may have gotten it from the same bird," Hartl noted.

He also said there is growing concern that the H7N9 virus -- which has killed 17 people so far -- may not originate in birds but in other animals and in environmental sources, The Times reported.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 17, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Surgical Complications Profitable for Hospitals: Study

Surgical errors help boost hospitals' profits and some would end up losing money if they took better care of patients, according to a new study.

The researchers explained that mistakes can add cash to hospitals' coffers because insurers pay them for the longer patient stays and extra care associated with surgical complications that could have been prevented, The New York Times reported.

Altering the payment system so that poor care is not rewarded could help reduce surgical complication rates, said the study authors from the Boston Consulting Group, Harvard's schools of medicine and public health, and Texas Health Resources, a nonprofit hospital system.

The team analyzed the records of more than 34,000 patients who had surgery in 2010 at one of 12 hospitals operated by Texas Health Resources. Of those, 1,820 had one or more preventable surgical complications, such as blood clots, pneumonia or infected incisions, The Times reported.

The median length of stay for patients with these complications was 14 days, about four times longer than for patients without complications. Hospital revenue averaged $49,400 for a patient with complications and $18,900 for a patient without complications, according to the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers said they are not suggested that hospitals are trying to make money by deliberately causing surgical complications or refusing to remedy the problem. But they said the current payment system makes it difficult for hospitals to make changes because improvements in patient care can end up costing them money, The Times reported.

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Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Common in Raw Meat: FDA Report

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are present in a significant amount of raw meat sold in the United States, according to a Food and Drug Administration report.

Tests conducted by the agency found antibiotic-resistant bacteria in 81 percent of raw ground turkey, 69 percent of pork chops, 55 percent of ground beef and 39 percent of chicken, CNN reported.

In addition, there were significant amounts of salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria, which cause millions of cases of food poisoning a year in the U.S. Of the chicken samples tested, 53 percent had an antibiotic-resistant form of E. coli.

In livestock, antibiotics are used to prevent disease and to boost growth. In 2011, nearly 30 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for use in meat and poultry, compared with nearly 8 million pounds for human use, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Antibiotic use in animals is out of hand," Dr. Gail Hansen, a veterinarian and senior officer for the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, told CNN. The campaign's goal is to curb the overuse of antibiotics in food production.

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Pet Hedgehogs Linked to Salmonella Outbreak: CDC

Pet hedgehogs have been identified as the cause of a salmonella outbreak that sickened 23 people in 9 states and led to one death, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

The illnesses were reported between December 26, 2011 and March 5, 2013 and occurred in: Alabama (1), Idaho (1), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Michigan (3), Minnesota (3), Ohio (5), Oregon (1), and Washington (7).

Thirty-five percent of people who became ill were hospitalized and one death was reported in Washington. Children age 10 and younger accounted for 39 percent of patients, the CDC said.

Investigators linked the outbreak to contact with pet hedgehogs bought from a number of breeders in different states.

The CDC said people should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching hedgehogs or anything in the area where the animals live and roam. Adults should supervise young children as they wash their hands.

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FDA Should Have Been Tougher With Compounding Pharmacies: Commissioner

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should have taken stronger action against compounding pharmacies like the one linked to a meningitis outbreak last year, agency commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg admitted to Congress Tuesday.

Because it had become overly concerned about avoiding lawsuits, the FDA did not control compounding pharmacies as effectively as it could have, Hamburg said at a hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, The New York Times reported.

"I think we allowed ourselves to be far too cautious because of fears of litigation that might further undermine our authority," she explained. "That should not happen. Public health should not be impeded by those kinds of legal regulatory ambiguities."

Hamburg added: "We weren't as aggressive as we could have been, and I regret that," The Times reported.

The commissioner also repeated concerns that the FDA still lacked the authority to force compounding pharmacies to follow tougher safety standards, but some committee members expressed doubts about that claim.

In the outbreak last fall, more than 50 people died and 680 more became ill with fungal meningitis after receiving injections of a contaminated steroid made by the New England Compounding Center.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 15, 2013

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

FDA Announces Safety Reassessment of Diabetes Drug Avandia

A safety reassessment of the diabetes drug Avandia announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration comes three years after the agency limited the drug's sales due to cardiovascular risks.

In a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday, the FDA said it plans to hold a two-day hearing of outside medical advisers in June to discuss the results of Duke University scientists' re-evaluation of earlier research on Avandia, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The FDA did not say why it scheduled the hearing and said it is too early to know what options it will be considering.

This rare move by the FDA is not expected to make Avandia more widely available to patients, according to WSJ. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the drug, is not seeking to ease restrictions on sales of Avandia, according to a company spokeswoman. She noted that the company commissioned the Duke team's re-evaluation at the request of the FDA.

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La. Company Expands Meat Recall

A recall of meat products due to possible bacterial contamination has been expanded by a Louisiana-based meat packing company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

The recall by the Manda Packing Company now includes 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog headcheese, corned beef and pastrami, the Associated Press reported.

The products, which were recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, were shipped to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the AP.

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Meningitis Case Causes Concern in L.A. Gay Community

Health officials in Los Angeles County are urging people to watch for any symptoms of a potentially deadly strain of meningitis that has left one man brain dead.

Early signs of the disease -- a bacterial infection of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord -- include a severe headache and stiff neck. If treated early, it can be effectively treated with antibiotics.

Only one case has been confirmed in the Los Angeles area but it follows an outbreak of deadly meningitis among gay men in New York City. Since 2010, at least 22 men have contracted the disease and 7 have died, The New York Times reported.

So far, no link between the New York outbreak and the Los Angeles case has been made. However, the disease similarities have led to fears about outbreaks in both locations.

"The lesson we learned 30 years ago in the early days of HIV and AIDS is that people were not alerted to what was going on and a lot of infections occurred that didn't need to occur," John Duran, a West Hollywood city councilman and one of the few openly HIV-positive elected officials in the United States, told The Times. "So even with an isolated case here, we need to sound the alarms, especially given the cases in New York."

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Health Highlights: April 15, 2013

A recall of meat products due to possible bacterial contamination has been expanded by a Louisiana-based meat packing company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

The recall by the Manda Packing Company now includes 468,000 pounds of roast beef, ham, turkey breast, tasso pork, ham shanks, hog headcheese, corned beef and pastrami, the Associated Press reported.

The products, which were recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, were shipped to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

No illnesses have been reported, according to the AP.

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Health Highlights: April 11, 2013

The median annual cost of a private room in a nursing home in the United States rose 24 percent over the past five years, from $67,527 to $83,950, a new survey says.

The price climbed 4 percent from last year to this year, according to Genworth's 2013 Cost of Care Survey, which is based on data from nearly 15,000 long-term care providers, CNN reported.

The cost of a semi-private room at a nursing home has increased 23 percent over the past five years to a median of $75,405 a year. The cost of being in an assisted living facility also rose 23 percent and is now $41,400 a year.

Prices are being pushed up by a number of factors, including food, building maintenance, insurance and labor costs, Bob Bua, vice president of Genworth, told CNN.

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Teen's Death From Chickenpox Highlights Need for Vaccination, CDC Reports

THURSDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- The death from chickenpox of an otherwise healthy 15-year-old Ohio girl should remind parents of the importance of vaccination against the disease, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

The teenager was admitted to the hospital with severe chickenpox, also known as varicella, and died three weeks later because of serious complications, according to a case study provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Varicella can be deadly, even in seemingly normal individuals," said Dr. Kenneth Bromberg, director of the Vaccine Research Center and chairman of pediatrics at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City.

"It is likely that death would have been prevented with prior vaccination," he said.

Chickenpox, which is highly contagious, is usually a mild illness characterized by an uncomfortable, itchy rash. But it sometimes leads to serious illness and death, as this 2009 case demonstrated.

Infants, adults and people with weakened immune systems are at increased risk for severe chickenpox, but most chickenpox-related hospitalizations and deaths occurred among healthy people younger than 20 before the chickenpox vaccine was introduced in 1995, the CDC report said.

"One of the reasons for death is bacterial superinfection of skin lesions with Streptococcus pyogenes [group A strep]," said Bromberg. "The other is disseminated viral infection, which seems to have happened in this case."

The teenager had no underlying conditions that might have raised the odds for severe chickenpox, according to the report.

The article, published in the April 12 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, noted that the chickenpox vaccine is safe and more than 95 percent effective at preventing severe illness and death.

Since the vaccine became available, the number of chickenpox cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the United States has decreased substantially.

The 15-year-old's death demonstrates the importance of routine chickenpox vaccination, as well as catch-up vaccination of older children and teens to prevent chickenpox and its complications later in life when the disease may be more severe, the authors added.

Before chickenpox vaccination was included in routine childhood immunization, the disease caused about 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths in the United States each year. The two dose-vaccine has led to declines of more than 95 percent in chickenpox-related illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths among people who have received routine vaccinations.

The CDC recommends children get the first dose of chickenpox vaccine at age 12 to 15 months and the second dose at age 4 to 6 years. Children, teens and adults who have not had a second dose -- and have not had chickenpox -- should get the catch-up vaccine.

Experts say adult vaccination is critical.

"The varicella vaccine is especially important for healthcare professionals, child care workers, teachers, residents and staff in nursing homes and people who care for or are around others with weakened immune systems," said Dr. Roya Samuels, a pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Kenneth Bromberg, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.I.D.S., director, Vaccine Research Center, and chairman, pediatrics, the Brooklyn Hospital Center, New York City; Roya Samuels, M.D., pediatrician, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, April 11, 2013

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Health Highlights: June 7, 2013

A targeted, localized strategy to convince young people to enroll in the new health care exchanges was highlighted by President Barack Obama on Friday during a visit to California.

"Competition and choice are pushing down costs in the individual market, just like the law is designed to do," Obama said at a stop in San Jose, USA Today reported.

The exchanges are online marketplaces where people can buy health insurance. Enrollment lasts from Oct. 1 2013 through March 2014. Coverage through the exchanges begins in January 2014.

California, Texas and Florida are the focus of Department of Health and Human Service efforts to encourage people -- especially young adults -- to sign up when enrollment in the health exchanges begins. About one-third of expected enrollees live in those three states, USA Today reported.

About 6 million people in California are eligible, and 2.6 million are entitled to receive help paying for their plans. In that state, the federal government is promoting the health exchanges through partnerships with Spanish-language media and The California Endowment, and by providing grants to Community Health Centers.

"Quality, affordable care is not some earned privilege. It's a right," Obama said in his San Jose remarks. He made a similar pitch last month in Texas, USA Today reported.

The government is looking to enroll a total of 30 million people in the exchanges, but is aiming for 7 million in the first year.

In an op-ed article in the San Jose Mercury News published to coincide with Obama's visit, Republicans said the new health care plan will wind up hurting most Americans by increasing their health costs, USA Today reported.

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Health Highlights: June 3, 2013

A frozen berry and pomegranate seed mix sold by Costco has been linked to an outbreak of acute hepatitis A that has sickened at least 30 people in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California, federal health officials say.

The first victims became ill on April 29 and the most recent case was May 17, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention news release issued Friday. The CDC believes there will be more cases, USA Today reported.

A product called The Townsend Farms Organic Anti-oxidant Blend Frozen Berry Mix appears to be linked to the outbreak, officials said. Costco has removed the product from it shelves and notified all customers who purchased it since late February.

It's not yet known if the product was sold at other stores or markets, health officials said. But they noted that frozen berry blends are often used to make smoothies, frozen bar drinks and other types of drinks and desserts. They are concerned that smaller businesses might have bought bulk amounts of the frozen berry mix at Costco and used it in other products, USA Today reported.

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Health Highlights: March 18, 2013

Title: Health Highlights: March 18, 2013
Category: Health News
Created: 3/18/2013 12:56:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/18/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Health Highlights: Feb. 22, 2013

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Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2013

Plus: Britain Identifies World's 10th Case of Virus Linked to SARS; Surgical Mesh Makers Sued by Thousands of Women

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Glass Fragments Spur Recall of Lean Cuisine Products

Reports of glass fragments in some Lean Cuisine ravioli dinners has prompted Nestle Co. to recall certain lots of the product, according to a company press release posted Friday.

The voluntary recall of Lean Cuisine Culinary Collection Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli comes after three consumers reported they "found small fragments of glass in the ravioli portion of the entree," Nestle said in the news release. The company added that no injuries were reported by consumers.

The recall involves products with two production codes: 2311587812 and 2312587812, both carrying "best before dates" of DEC 2013. Since these lots of the product were produced early last November, Nestle believes few remain on store shelves. However, the company is asking consumers hat they check their freezers for the recalled products.

If the recalled meal is found, consumers should not eat it but instead contact Nestle Consumer Services at 866-586-9424 or leancuisine@casupport.com for a replacement coupon, the company said in the news release, which was posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

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Britain Identifies World's 10th Case of Virus Linked to SARS

British health officials say they have identified the world's tenth known case of a viral infection that appears related to the SARS virus.

All of the prior cases of this emerging coronavirus have been located in the Middle East, the Associated Press reported. However, the World Health Organization said in 2012 that the virus is probably more widespread.

The latest case arose in a British resident who had been in the Middle East and Pakistan, the AP said. The patient is currently being treated in the intensive care unit of a Manchester hospital, according to a statement released Monday by Britain's Health Protection Agency.

Coronaviruses include pathogens that can cause the common cold and SARS, an infection that emerged in 2003 and killed 800 people worldwide.

So far, patients with the new virus have typically experienced acute breathing difficulties and kidney failure. There is no proof as of yet that the infection spreads easily between people, and experts suspect humans are catching it from animals such as camels or bats, the AP said.

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Surgical Mesh Makers Sued by Thousands of Women

Lawsuits filed by thousands of women allegedly harmed by surgical mesh implanted in their pelvic region will start being heard this year by a U.S. federal court in West Virginia.

More than 6,000 federal lawsuits have been filed against vaginal-mesh manufacturers by women who claim the porous, plastic implants have caused them severe pain and suffering, the Associated Press reported. Most had the mesh inserted to treat weak pelvic muscles, which can cause a prolapsed uterus, meaning the uterus slips down into the vaginal canal.

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Jessica Biel's sunkissed highlights

Another day, another ‘do for Mrs JT herself. Jessica Biel showed off her new highlighted hue and eyebrow-skimming fringe at the Sundance Film Festival yesterday. See all the hottest celebrity hairstyles, celebrity fringes and celebrity bobs in our Celebrity Hair Styles gallery

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