Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
14 People in U.S. Sickened by Tainted Dog Food
At least 14 people across nine states have been sickened by dog food tainted by Salmonella, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday.
“Multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods at a single manufacturing facility in South Carolina have been linked to some of the human Salmonella infections,” the CDC said in a news release.
No deaths have been reported, the agency said, but five people have been hospitalized in connection with the recalled dog.
By state, the number of cases is as follows — Alabama (1), Connecticut (1), Michigan (1), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (1), and Virginia (1).
“Consumers should check their homes for recalled dog food products and discard them promptly,” the CDC said. “People who think they might have become ill after contact with dry pet food or with an animal that has eaten dry pet food should consult their health care providers.”
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Studies Say Parents Happier Than Non-Parents
Parents today are happier than non-parents, suggest two new studies.
Based on earlier research, the widely-held belief for the past few decades is that parents were less happy, more depressed and had less satisfying marriages than adults without children, USA Today reported.
But the two studies presented at the Population Association of America’s annual meeting challenge that idea. One study looked at British and German parents and the other study looked at American parents.
The European study did find that people who become parents at a younger age have reduced levels of happiness, while those who become parents at a later age have a higher happiness level after the birth of a child, USA Today reported.
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Smuggled Capsules Contain Flesh of Dead Babies: S. Korean Officials
Thousands of capsules filled with powdered flesh from dead babies have been seized by the South Korean Customs Service since last August.
More than 17,000 capsules have been confiscated by the service as it thwarted 35 smuggling attempts. Customs officials said people take the capsules — which come from China and are disguised as stamina boosters — because they believe they are a cure-all for disease, the Associated Press reported.
The babies’ bodies are chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves before being turned into powder, according to the customs service. Citing possible diplomatic problems with China, South Korean officials refused to say where the dead babies came from or who made the capsules.
They officials warned that the capsules contain bacteria and other harmful ingredients, but said there have not been any reported illnesses linked with the capsules.
Last year, Chinese officials ordered an investigation into the production of drugs made from dead fetuses or newborns, the AP reported.
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