Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2015

Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2015

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

Two More Measles Cases Linked to Chicago Day Care Center

The total number of measles cases in Illinois is now 10 after two more infants from a suburban Chicago day care center were found to have the disease, local health officials said Tuesday.

Nine of the cases are associated with a KinderCare Learning Center in Palatine, and all 10 infant and adult patients were unvaccinated, according to Chicago and Cook County officials, the Associated Press reported.

Public health nurses are closely monitoring families of infants who attend the day care and may have been exposed to the measles virus.

The situation highlights the importance of high levels of vaccination, according to Dr. Julie Morita of the Chicago Department of Health, the AP reported.

Nationwide, there have been 121 measles cases in 17 states and D.C., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Most U.S. Military Personnel Being Withdrawn from Ebola Zone

Nearly all of the American military personnel sent to West Africa to help contain the Ebola outbreak will return home within a few months, according to White House officials.

The announcement is to be made Wednesday by President Barack Obama, who will also outline new measures to eradicate the deadly disease, the administration officials told The New York Times.

By the end of April, all but 100 of the 3,000 U.S. military personnel involved in the fight against Ebola in West Africa will be home.

The announcement will be made at a White House ceremony where Obama will meet with six of the eight American Ebola survivors, along with health care workers, civilians, and soldiers involved in the effort to contain the Ebola outbreak that began last year, The Times reported.

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Whole Food Markets Recalls Products With Undeclared Peanut Ingredients

About 33,000 pounds of chili and other ready-to-eat products are being recalled by Whole Food Markets, Inc. because they could trigger a deadly allergic reaction in some people.

The products contain peanut, but the ingredient is not listed on their labels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said. A full list of the recalled products can be found on the FSIS website.

The products were produced between Jan. 14, 2015 and Feb. 5, 2015, and have the establishment number “20234” and “18768” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The products were distributed to retail outlets in Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

So far, FSIS and the company have received no reports of illnesses caused by these products.