Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Nelson Mandela Back in Hospital
Nelson Mandela has been readmitted to hospital for treatment of a recurrent lung infection.
The 94-year-old former South African president was conscious and receiving the best possible medical treatment, a government official told BBC News.
“I think we need to be clear that the doctors are attending to Madiba (Mr Mandela) on a continuous basis,” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said. “They prefer to act on the side of caution, and the moment they felt there was a recurrence of the lung infection, they felt that it warranted immediate hospitalization given his age and given his history.”
Last December, Mandela spent 18 days in hospital while receiving treatment for a lung infection and gallstones, BBC News reported.
Mandela led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and served as the country’s first black president from 1994 to 1999.
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Most Restaurants’ Kids’ Meals Still Unhealthy: Report
Too many kids’ meals served at major chain restaurants in the United States still contain too much salt and fat and too many calories, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The consumer advocacy group analyzed thousands of kids’ meals and found that fried chicken fingers and nuggets, french fries and sodas are the most common items offered to youngsters, USA Today reported.
Some children’s meals contain more than 1,000 calories. Federal government dietary guidelines recommend that children ages 4 to 10 eat 1,200 to 2,200 calories for the entire day.
“This is really disappointing,” Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for CSPI, told USA Today. “Restaurants should be doing better.”
She noted that there has not been much improvement since the group did a similar study in 2008.
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Two More Deaths From SARS-Like Virus: WHO
Two more people have died from a SARS-like virus that was first identified last fall.
The World Health Organization said the recent deaths in Germany and Britain bring to 11 the number of people killed by the new virus, while 6 others have been infected and survived, ABC News reported.
One of the latest deaths included a 73-year-old man from the United Arab Emirates who died in Munich after being flown there for treatment. The other victim was a U.K. resident who traveled to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia before falling ill, the WHO said.
There is concern that the SARS-like virus could come to North America. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have told state and local health departments to watch for suspicious illnesses in people who have recently been in the Middle East, ABC News reported.
Between November 2002 and July 2003, the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus infected about 8,100 people worldwide, resulting in 774 deaths.
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