Salt, a tasty killer? The CDC's VitalSigns today has a new report this month that warns Americans that 90% of us are eating too much sodium in our diet—and the number one source of that sodium, as they say on the 10 o'clock news shows, might surprise you. That's because the answer is bread. Yup, the lowly loaf you bought last night is currently sitting in your kitchen, plotting your demise. more ›

Nanny Bloomberg had some relatively good news to brag about today. Bucking national trends, the overall obesity rate among NYC kindergartners through eighth graders has dropped 5.5 percent in the last five years. Of course it has gone from 21.9 percent obese in 2006-07 to 20.7 percent in 2010-11, but still! Notably, the sharpest decline has been seen in kids aged 5-6, which has good implications for the long term. So naturally hizzoner took the news as proof that "years of pioneering policies to improve child nutrition and encourage exercise" (and maybe scary ads!) were behind the drop. more ›

Hey, you over there in the corner barstool: Have you ever stopped backwashing into that pint glass for long enough to consider how your drinking is affecting the economy? Of course not, neither have we. But do you know who has? The CDC! And they are not happy with what your drinking habit is doing to good taxpaying Americans. more ›

Health officials say a NY man has died from a listeria infection from tainted cantaloupes—and they warn that the outbreak will likely spread even more. Altogether, 21 people have died from the infection, and 109 people have become seriously ill in 23 states. The western NY man who died, whose name hasn't been released, was the first in the state to die from the infection. more ›

Careful with the cantaloupes! Though no cases have been reported in New York, yet, the CDC says that as many as 16 people have died from listeria-related illnesses traced to cantaloupes grown in Colorado, making it the deadliest food-related outbreak in more than a decade. more ›

Tonight, just before you drift off to sleep, as the breeze from your fan makes the sheets gently kiss your weary cheeks, that slight tingling sensation on your foot that you thought was restless leg syndrome may in fact be a VAMPIRE BAT. more ›

Your bologna has a first name, it's l-i-s-t-e-r-i-a. It's been discovered that the nasty little bacteria that can cause food poisoning (and possibly death) has adapted to survive refrigerator temperatures! According to Boing Boing, cold cuts are basically hostels for listeria, and "all it takes is some improper handling of the meat, somewhere along the production chain, and a little listeria can bloom—inside your fridge—into a potentially serious problem." The scienticians at Bovine University never mentioned this... more ›

According to research from the Centers for Disease Control, more Americans than ever are suffering from asthma. About one in 12 adults and one in 10 children suffer from the condition, and between 2001 and 2009 there was a 50 percent increase in asthma diagnoses for black children. Does that mean that Bloomberg's allergy-causing tree initiative is...racist? more ›

First they recall our Skippy peanut butter and now they take away our hazelnuts? After seven cases of E. coli were reported in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin a California-based company (DeFranco & Sons) has voluntarily recalled a number of its in-shell hazelnut and mixed-nut products. So far no deaths have been connected to the contaminated nuts, but three people have been hospitalized according to the CDC. more ›

Nearly a year after a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti and, among other things, sent a wave of cholera throughout the country, three New Yorkers have been diagnosed with the disease. City health officials say the three adults contracted the disease while in the Dominican Republic for a wedding, and though all of them have already recovered, health officials will test them to see if the strain they caught was the same strain that has ravaged Haiti. more ›

With Bed Bug Plague 2010 raging on, entomologists are facing mounting pressure to figure out where the bugs come from and how the hell to kill them. And at this point, they're looking even more resilient than Twinkies. In an attempt to see if the bugs may be able to transmit disease, South African researchers fed the insects blood containing the AIDS virus. The virus died. Time to panic? more ›

GLAAD, the Black AIDS Institute and the National Black Justice Coalition are really not happy with the ladies of "The View," taking out a full page ad in Variety blasting them for their ignorance. On the June 22 episode, Sherri Sheperd and co-host D.L. Hughley said that closeted black men are to blame for increased HIV rates among straight black women. Hughley said, "When you look at the prevalence of HIV in the African American community, it's primarily young women who are getting it from men who are on the down low." But GLAAD and, you know, science disagree. more ›

After the CDC announced that over 1,500 cases of the mumps have been reported in the NY-NJ area—the majority in the Orthodox Jewish community—the NYC Health Department has announced mumps vaccination clinics. About half of the cases are in NYC (44% in Brooklyn), and the Health Department says, "Young men in Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Borough Park have experienced high levels of mumps for several months. Most cases have occurred in males and an increasing number of cases have been in young adults, ages 18 to 30." Details for clinics are here. more ›

With many cases stemming from an outbreak at a Jewish boys' summer camp upstate, more than 1,000 in New York and New Jersey are infected with the mumps, most of them Orthodox Jews. One camper—who caught the old-fashioned childhood disease in England where more than 4,000 are infected—spread the sickness to 25 of his bunk-mates, who then brought it home to their Orthodox communities. Many came from Borough Park, Brooklyn, where in October, 79 mumps sufferers were counted, reports CNN. But the numbers keep growing! more ›

The Center for Disease Control, of all people, says that New Yorkers are the unhappiest people in the entire country... with New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan and Indiana rounding out the Top 5. On the other side of the spectrum, Hawaii, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and Tennessee are filled with the happiest folks. All in all 1.3 million people were surveyed over the course of four years, and the least miserable were those residing in states that do well in quality-of-life studies. more ›

This Thanksgiving, the CDC has been concerned that the H1N1 virus may spread further, what with holiday-related travel. The CDC's Dr. Beth Bell said, "It's important to remember the things that everybody can do to stay healthy," as in not traveling if you're sick, washing your hands frequently, and covering your sneezes and coughs—not to mention getting the vaccine. But what about coughing relatives already parked in your home? Long Island College Hospital's Dr. Clifford Bassett tells WCBS 2, "Without causing a political crisis within your family, you really want to quarantine anybody that's ill from an area where the people are congregating. If someone is ill, keep them away from the food preparation area - that's very important." more ›

Yesterday, the CDC said that about 3,900 Americans have died from the swine flu while 22 million had become sick from it in the past six months. The Washington Post reports that the new estimates are based on "detailed surveillance and record-checking in 10 states." Unlike the seasonal flu, in which 90% of the deaths are of people 65 and over (and many are very sick), for the swine flu, "The vast majority of deaths -- about 2,920 -- have been in people age 18 to 64." more ›

Swine flu has spread nationwide, and cases are rapidly rising in many parts of the country, according to an announcement yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is significant flu activity in virtually all states," says Dr. Anne Schuch at the CDC. "It's quite unusual for this time of year." It was also announced yesterday that a 23-year-old recruit in basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C., has become the Army’s first swine flu death. Specialist Christopher M. Hog died of pneumonia on September 10th, and swine flu was found on autopsy. more ›

While the city's Health Department has emphasized that cases of swine flu are declining, the Daily News reports that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data suggests "half a million New Yorkers have been infected by swine flu." The CDC thinks there are actually 50 times more cases of swine flu than what's been reported to health authorities: "The CDC study was not based on laboratory evidence. Instead, researchers relied on mathematical modelling of surveys conducted in areas, like New York City, that have had high levels of H1N1 infections." Hmm. The Health Department had no comment; so far, the city has had 32 deaths and 804 hospitalizations due to swine flu. The next Health Department update will be on July 1. more ›

Raw cookie dough is soooo yummy, but some people with weak immune systems have gotten E. coli poisoning from it, and now we all have to suffer because Nestle is recalling their Toll House cookie dough products, even though some 66 reported illnesses haven't been linked directly to Toll House. The voluntary recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, seasonal cookie dough and—it gets worse—Ultimates cookie bar dough! We don't know what that is, but it's the Ultimates so we want it in our mouth holes. The Toll House products do have warnings on their packaging about the dangers of raw dough, but with the FDA and CDC now investigating the E. coli/cookie dough connection, the company decided it would be best to just take it out of harm's way, like we're irresponsible children who'll eat whatever's in front of us. And in other corporate food product news, Pizza Hut execs would like you to start calling their company "The Hut," which they think "ties in nicely with (today's) texting generation." cu@hut l8r? more ›

A ninth person has died from swine flu, according to the NYC Health Department: "The death occurred in a person in their mid-50s with an underlying condition that increased the risk of severe illness from flu." So far, 428 New Yorkers have been hospitalized and there are 694 confirmed cases of swine flu. Yesterday, acting director of the CDC Dr. Richard Besser said that people could very well be getting two flu shots—one for the regular flu, another for the H1N1 virus—this fall, because health officials expect the swine flu to come back, "My biggest concern is complacency, a sense that we dodged a bullet here. I don't think we can let our guard down." He added that the CDC would take the summer to examine the effect of the school closures, "Clearly, schools can be seen as an area where there's a multiplier effect. But you also have to understand what happens when the schools close. Where do the children go? Do they become less of a multiplier or more of a multiplier? I don't know that we have the answers to any of that." more ›

President Obama is expected to announce today that he's appointing Dr. Thomas Frieden, NYC's health commissioner, as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frieden, who will take office next month, is respected in the public health field for focusing on threats that affect the largest numbers of people—during the Bush years, for example, he found himself at odds with an administration that was funneling billions into bioterrorism initiatives while he was focused on stopping cigarette smoking in NYC. The Times offers a telling anecdote that underscores his agenda: more ›

Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short. more ›

The Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first American death from the swine flu—a 23-month-old child from Texas died. The CDC also said the child had recently traveled to Mexico. Acting CDC chief Dr. Richard Besser told the Today Show, "Even though we've been expecting [that there would be some deaths], it is very, very sad. As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family." He added, "I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain. We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms... It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action...it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear." Here's the CDC's Swine Flu & You website, which points out, "Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods." (Children are also very vulnerable to the seasonal flu.) more ›

As the swine flu death toll in Mexico rose to 149 yesterday (with 2,000 hospitalized), for the first time ever the World Health Organization raised its global epidemic threat level to Phase IV. That's two phases below a full blown pandemic, and the alert means there is sustained human-to-human transmission, with containment is no longer possible. more ›

In case you can't get enough swine flu information, be sure to follow the Centers for Disease Control's Twitter accounts. CNET has the scoop: "@CDCemergency... is posting new recommendations, bulletins on confirmed cases, and information on antiviral drugs and other ways to deal with or prevent the disease" and "@CDC-eHealth, is updated less often but has some good advice including this link to a CDC site where you can send family and friends a 'handwashing eCard.'" And, naturally, outside of the CDC, there's the all-purpose #swineflu—example, "My grandpa says he did his part to combat #swineflu by having a pork sandwich today." more ›

In addition to sorting out the emerging swine flu crisis, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control are today warning the public not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts (and sprout blends containing alfalfa), after determining that 31 incidents of illness across six states were linked to sprouts contaminated with Salmonella Saintpaul. This is the same kind of salmonella related to some 1300 cases of fresh produce-related foodborne illness last year. So far New York is not among the mostly Midwestern states reporting salmonella infection; the FDA and CDC have issued a general advisory, however, “because suspect lots of seeds may be sold around the country and may account for a large proportion of the alfalfa seeds currently being used by sprout growers.” More information can be found in the FDA’s news release. In the meantime, cook your sprouts thoroughly. more ›

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into...any place serving food, a new outbreak of Salmonella has brought back the fear, sickening at least 372 people in 42 states, and possibly felling an elderly woman in Minnesota who had the infection when she died. The Centers for Disease Control [CDC] says 18% of the Salmonella victims have been hospitalized since this outbreak was first noticed back in the beginning of September. more ›

The NY Times reports that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will give $30 million "to hospitals and clinics that monitor and treat residents, students and other so-called nonresponders who were exposed to dust and smoke at ground zero." The money will come in three installments of $10 million each, and hospitals and clinics can apply for grants. NY lawmakers are glad the money is coming, but think it's long overdue (it's true--it's going to be the seventh anniversary of attacks this year). And this comes a few weeks after President Bush declined to reappoint "World Trade Center health czar" Dr. John Howard to another term, even despite the pleas of NY lawmakers like Governor Paterson and Representative Carolyn Maloney. more ›

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Center for Disease Control is looking into other causes of the salmonella outbreak that has affected hundreds of Americans across the country. more ›