FDA: Traces of Melamine in U.S. Infant Formula
from Time magazine
Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe. The Food and Drug Administration said last month it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe for infants, but a top official said it would be a "dangerous overreaction" for parents to stop feeding infant formula to babies who depend on it. More

Working in Health Care Can be Risky, Study Hints
from Reuters
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that health care workers are more likely to die from bloodborne infections and related illnesses than people working in other occupations. More

Sex Life of Killer Fungus Finally Revealed
from Science Daily
Biologists at The University of Nottingham and University College Dublin have announced a major breakthrough in our understanding of the sex life of a microscopic fungus which is a major cause of death in immune deficient patients and also a cause of severe asthma. More

New Statistical Model Could Help Reduce Breast Lesion Biopsies
from Health Imaging & IT
A new method of characterizing breast lesions found during an MRI exam could result in fewer biopsies of benign tumors with the benefits of reduced pain and expense for patients and providers, according to a study presented today at the 94th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. More

Experimental TB Drug Explodes Bacteria from the Inside Out
from Infection Control Today
An international team of biochemists has discovered how an experimental drug unleashes its destructive force inside the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The finding could help scientists develop ways to treat dormant TB infections, and suggests a strategy for drug development against other bacteria as well. More

Our Country is Failing the AIDS Test
from The Washington Post
About half of the just over 1 million Americans living with HIV or AIDS are black, statistics show. Yet the disaster of AIDS in black or white America does not have to be this way. The answer lies in the unwillingness of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to adopt control measures, including routine mandatory testing among broad age groups. More

FDA Investigates Genetic Link to Phenytoin Skin Reactions
from WebMD via Medscape Medical News
Patients positive for the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) may be at increased risk for phenytoin-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), the US Food and Drug Administration found. Clinicians are advised to consider avoiding phenytoin and fosphenytoin as alternatives to carbamazepine therapy in patients who test positive for the allele. More

Why Are So Many Infectious Diseases Jumping From Animals To Humans?
from Science Daily
Why are so many infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans? Why do we have so little capacity to predict epidemics, or avoid them? Some answers, and possible solutions, can be found in the first trench-to-bench guide to wild primate infectious diseases, to be published in the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology. More

Birth Defects Multiplied With in Vitro Fertilization Technique
from Bloomberg
Certain birth defects multiplied and in some cases more than quadrupled when children were conceived through in vitro fertilization and similar techniques, according to the largest U.S. study of the abnormalities. More