New Bug Has Gene From Pandemic Swine Flu; No Sign Yet of Human Spread

Two U.S. kids -- an Indiana boy and a Pennsylvania girl -- are the first human cases of a new swine flu bug.

Both kids fully recovered after suffering usual flu symptoms.

The two children had no contact with each other. Each caught the new flu in separate transmission events. The boy's case was reported on Aug. 17; the girl's on Aug. 24.

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Blind people may have their sight returned thanks to a light sensitive gene taken from algae, claims scientists.

Researchers believe they may be able to replace damaged cells in the retina with similar ones found in algae.

The technique has worked in mice and now scientists believe they can begin human trials within two years.

"The idea is to develop a treatment for blindness," Alan Horsager, at the University of southern California, told the New Scientist.

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Researchers Say Parents Need to Be Aware of Potential Side Effects of Alternative Medicine

The growing numbers of parents who turn toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their children’s illnesses may often assume that “natural” means safe and harmless.

But new research in the Archives of Childhood Diseases suggests that many complementary and alternative remedies can have significant -- even fatal -- side effects.

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JEDDAH — “The Jeddah Psychiatric Hospital is aging and is suffering from a host of problems, including an acute shortage of medicines, and this reflects on the condition of the patients who could pose a real threat to the hospital’s staff.” These were the words of the hospital’s director who explained the state of affairs at the facility.

 

There have been innumerable complaints from patients and their relatives about substandard services and poor facilities at the hospital. Al-Watan Arabic newspaper recently visited the hospital to understand the reality of the situation.

 

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RIYADH - The Ministry of Health announced Tuesday that 12 new cases of swine flu had been registered in the Kingdom.

 

The virus was detected, according to the ministry, in four male and two female Saudi nationals, and six foreign nationals, five of them female plus one male, bringing the total number of registered cases to 137.

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A Cure for Tinnitus? Hope for Millions Tormented by Ringing in Ears as Scientists Edge Closer to Developing First Drug Treatments

The first drug treatments to prevent the onset of tinnitus could soon be developed after doctors discovered how to tone down overactive neurons in the brain.

Researchers from the University Of Leicester have identified a key cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of ringing in the ears following exposure to loud noises.

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New Findings May Ease Fears for Parents and Patients

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Study: Someone at Low Risk for Heart Disease in the Short-Term May Be at High Risk Later in Life, if They Have Just One or Two Risk Factors

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Statins, prescribed to millions of people in Britain to lower cholesterol, could be used to treat breast cancer in some women.

Scientists have found evidence that women with breast cancer who carry a particular gene mutation could benefit from statin therapy.

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Acetaminophen in Pregnancy: Link to Baby's Asthma?

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