Governor Spitzer said that the NY State Department of Health's response regarding the Nassau County doctor exposed over 600 patients to hepatitis C and HIV was "unacceptably slow" and ordered an investigation. Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, an anesthesiologist, reused syringes and multiple-dose medicine vials between January 2000 and January 2005; some patients learned they had contracted hepatitis in 2005, but the state and Nassau County officials waited 34 months to contact other patients. It turns out... more ›

With Halloween right around the dark, dank corner, the minds of small children are populated with blood thirsty vampires, hairy knuckled werewolves, and nebulous bogeymen. But as they try to sleep and shudder with thoughts of what's hiding in their closet and lurking under their beds, real monsters are on the loose: drug-resistant bacteria! And these so-called "superbugs" - including a bacterium linked to childhood ear infections that is resistant to up to 18 antibiotics - are on the rise. Boo! more ›

Souvenirs are usually inanimate doodads, so we must update the story of the man who smuggled a pygmy marmoset from Peru under his hat. The monkey attracted attention not from airport screeners in Lima or in Fort Lauderdale (where Spirit Airlines Flight 180 connected) but from passengers on the flight to Laguardia who noticed the monkey hanging from the man's ponytail. more ›

A man being treated for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis and who was advised by the Centers for Disease Control not to travel was briefly quarantined at Bellevue Hospital after he sneaked back into the U.S. in an effort to evade a travel embargo. He is now being detained under armed guard in an Atlanta hospital. The patient, who was in consultation with the CDC prior to traveling to Europe and scheduled to receive advanced life-saving treatment in Denver, had left the U.S. with his wife on their honeymoon to Greece. The CDC had attempted to hand-deliver an official directive barring him from traveling, but were unable to contact him before his departure. more ›

That's the abbreviated version of WABC's recommendations. We suggest reading the whole list, because if you try calling in sick the Tuesday after Memorial Day, your boss probably isn't going to buy it. more ›

It shouldn't be a shock to anyone to hear that an executive at Starbucks has a better work environment than a lowly barista. Other than higher pay and a far sweeter benies package, Gothamist imagines the Starbucks executive enjoys a quiter, less asshole-ridden workday (maybe). While to hear that there is a 2-class system for nursing moms on the job there is not surprising, it is still disturbing. Whereas the executive has a comfy and well-equipped lactation room at her disposal, the coffehouse worker has to use the bathroom during her break (assuming their isn't some undesirable in there clogging up the works). more ›

Now that the transit strike is over, the city is asking various businesses if they have contingency plans for the next potential catastrophe - the avian flu. The Post reports that the Office of Emergency Management and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are surveying various companies to see if they have a "pandemic-flu plan" or if they will allow telecommuting. Man, is this another thing Gothaimst has to ask our bosses about? The city wants to help out businesses to see, as the deputy Health Department comissioner Dr. Issac Weisfuse says, "For example, how would they deal with getting their critical functions done in the setting of a pandemic when there is a larger absentee rate above normal. How would they decrease transmission of flu in the workplace to protect their employees and their clients?" Yes, happy day-after-Christmas, happy second day of Hanukkah, and and happy Kwanzaa - it's time to think about the bird flu at work. more ›

On Sundays, Gothamist runs opinion pieces, mostly to amuse ourselves. Don't blame us for anything written below. more ›

Rivera has now blown 3 saves in the season, Saturday against the Red Sox and the first one on May 11th against the Angels. While Rivera might seem "hittable" right now, there is no doubt that come the post-season, Rivera will be back to his normal form - lights out. more ›

The CDC on hand hygiene. more ›

The Mayor got a flu shot during his visit to a retirement home in Sunnyside Queens last week. The city has been encouraging New Yorkers to get their flu shots. You can get a flu shot from your doctor or a free one from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - call 1 866 FLU LINE (358 5463). more ›

Also, to think that authorities are "chasing down prairie dogs that may have been infected"...
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There are reportedly 20 cases of monkeypox, a smallpox like virus though less deadly and infectious, found in the Midwest. The Times reports that "several patients in the American outbreak work for veterinarians or pet stores that sold prairie dogs and Gambian rats." Pet prairie dogs, okay, Gothamist knows what those are, though we're iffy on the idea of having them as pets. But Gambian rats? The article says these rats "grow to the size of small cats, eat pet food as well as fruits, vegetables and cooked meats." Rats the size of small cats. Gothamist thinks Gambian rats are a bad idea or they are in severe need of some rebranding - the "rat" in the name isn't doing anything for them. more ›

Unfortunately, more cases of SARS are being reported and planes are being diverted and quarantined. Plus the Hong Kong Film Forum is now postponed. The Times details the economic and emotional panic the atypical flu is causing in Hong Kong. Yesterday, it had a clear graphic showing, Outbreak style, the spread of the SARS. more ›