China expects 48,000 new HIV cases this year

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Essential News from The Associated PressAAA  Nov. 30, 2011 7:12 AM ET
China expects 48,000 new HIV cases this year
AP    Sun Ya from Henan, left, shows a copy of an official document on HIV-infected children as he and others speak to journalists inside a medical clinic near the Ministry of Finance in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. A handful of relatives of HIV or AIDS patients who contracted the virus through tainted transfusions planned to protest in front of the Ministry of Finance but abandoned the plan because of the tight security. China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Sun Ya from Henan, left, shows a copy of an official document on HIV-infected children as he and others speak to journalists inside a medical clinic near the Ministry of Finance in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. A handful of relatives of HIV or AIDS patients who contracted the virus through tainted transfusions planned to protest in front of the Ministry of Finance but abandoned the plan because of the tight security. China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) A woman from Henan in central China shows cards bearing a photo of her son and the words "I'm an AIDS victim, we want to live, we want safeguard judicial justice" while speaking to journalists inside a medical clinic near the Ministry of Finance in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. A handful of relatives of HIV or AIDS patients who contracted the virus through tainted transfusions planned to protest in front of the Ministry of Finance but abandoned the plan because of the tight security. China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Petitioners prepare to shows a protest banner which reads "affected by AIDS" to journalists inside a medical clinic near the Ministry of Finance in Beijing Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. A handful of relatives of HIV or AIDS patients who contracted the virus through tainted transfusions planned to protest in front of the Ministry of Finance but abandoned the plan because of the tight security. China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Students prepare red ribbons for an AIDS themed art exhibition at a college in Suining, in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex. (AP Photo) CHINA OUTeval("var currentItemd57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9ff = 1;");eval("var nextd57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9ff = 0;");eval("var previousd57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9ff = 0;"); BEIJING (AP) — China will have about 780,000 people infected with the AIDS virus by the end of this year, state media reported Wednesday, with most having contracted it through heterosexual sex.

The official Xinhua News Agency said a report from the Ministry of Health and the United Nations estimates there will be about 48,000 new HIV infections in China this year. Xinhua quoted the report as saying the virus remains "mildly prevalent" in China.

HIV gained a foothold in China largely because of unsanitary blood plasma buying schemes and tainted transfusions in hospitals. Health authorities say heterosexual sex has now overtaken drug abuse as the main method of transmission.

After ignoring or demonizing people with AIDS for much of the 1980s and 1990s, China's authoritarian government has taken a more compassionate line on the disease and combating its spread in recent years. But people with AIDS still face difficulties in getting treatment and compensation, and authorities remain deeply suspicious of independent activists.

On Wednesday, a handful of relatives of HIV or AIDS patients who contracted the virus through tainted transfusions planned to protest in front of the Ministry of Finance in Beijing but abandoned the plan because of the tight security there.

Organizer Sun Ya said the group was demanding government compensation. Sun's 15-year-old son contracted HIV from a tainted blood transfusion in 2002 at the Peking University Dental Hospital in Beijing.

Sun said he and others have tried to use the legal system to fight for compensation but courts have declined to take their cases, so they have resorted to sporadic protests in the capital.

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Cancer cases 'up by 45% by 2030'

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27 October 2011 Last updated at 23:28 GMT By Adam Brimelow Health Correspondent, BBC News Big projected rise in new cancer cases The number of new cancer cases in the UK could rise by 45% by 2030 to more than 430,000 a year, research suggests.

The rise is explained almost entirely by the expected increase in the number of people living in the UK and the ageing population.

Cancer Research UK, which funded the study published in the British Journal of Cancer, says the NHS must act now to avoid being "overwhelmed".

The Department of Health said it was already responding to the challenge.

The research presents projections for 23 different types of cancer. The results are based on taking figures from cancer registries going back to 1975, and then projected forwards to 2030, taking into account expected changes in population.

The study suggests that the number of new cases could rise from about 298,000 in 2007 to 432,000 by 2030 - an increase of 45%. The increase in men is forecast to be 55%, and 35% in women.

Drawing on data from the Office for National Statistics, the authors assume a rise in the population from 61m in 2007 to nearly 71m by 2030.

The proportion of elderly people is projected to grow at a faster rate. The figure for over 65s stood at 16% in 2007. By 2030 it is expected to reach 22%.

The impact of ageing is starkly reflected in the projected increase in the figures for prostate cancer, which is especially common in older men.

Cases are projected to increase from about 36,000 in 2007 to more than 61,000 by 2030. The authors say even this is probably an under-estimate because in future more men are likely to be tested for the disease.

Although the overall number of cancer cases appears set to rise, the authors conclude that after adjusting for the growing and ageing population, cancer rates are likely to remain "broadly stable". But there are variations within this.

The rate of breast cancer is projected to fall by 7%. The authors attribute this to a recent reduction in the use of hormone replacement therapy, which is a risk factor for the disease.

However the rates of malignant melanoma and kidney cancer are forecast to rise sharply in men and women.

One of the authors, Prof Peter Sasieni acknowledged that the figures should be treated with caution, but said they provided a framework.

"Projections of cancer cases are important for planning health services so we can understand where the future burden is on the NHS and also where health awareness messages need to be raised."

Cancer Research UK chief executive Harpal Kumar added: "At a time when the finances of the health service are being squeezed, it is absolutely crucial that health commissioners plan now for a massive increase in demand for cancer services, to ensure we provide high quality care to all."

The charity's director of health information, Sara Hiom, said: "Smoking and drinking alcohol are two of the biggest things that increase the chance of developing oral, liver and kidney cancer - so by stopping smoking and cutting back on alcohol, we can lower our risk of these cancers as well as other diseases.

"Maintaining a healthy bodyweight is also important in cutting the risk of liver and kidney cancers."

A spokesman for England's Department of Health said the NHS was already responding to the challenge of an ageing population and increases in cancer cases.

"That is why we are investing more than £750m over the next four years to make sure people are diagnosed with cancer earlier and have better access to the latest treatments," he added.

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WHO: New TB Cases Worldwide Drop for the First Time

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Number of new cases of tuberculosis in 2010, down from a high of 9 million in 2005, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) — marking the first drop in new infections worldwide. Deaths from TB also fell to 1.4 million last year, from 1.8 million deaths in 2003. Efforts to find and treat people with TB have paid off, with many countries, including Brazil, Cambodia and Uganda, slashing mortality rates over the last two decades. China has made substantial progress — its TB death rates have dropped nearly 80% from 1990 to 2010. But a $1 billion shortfall in 2012 funding to fight TB jeopardizes these advances, especially as drug-resistant forms of the disease spread, the WHO said. Only 16% of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis received treatment in 2010. [via WHO]

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Leek soil linked to E. coli cases

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30 September 2011 Last updated at 00:31 GMT By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News Richard Westcott reports on the findings

Soil stuck on leeks and potatoes may have been the source of an E. coli outbreak in the UK earlier this year, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

There were 250 cases scattered across England, Wales and Scotland between December 2010 and July 2011.

The Food Standards Agency said it was a "myth" that dirt did no harm.

The HPA stressed that the vegetables were safe to eat, but reminded people to ensure their food was washed.

Most of the cases were mild, but 74 people needed to go to hospital and one patient, who had underlying health problems, died.

Details of the outbreak were reported weekly to health professionals, but have only just been publicised to the general public.

A spokesperson said: "At the outset it was not clear what was causing the outbreak and we had no information that would have enabled the public to take any steps to protect themselves."

The disease was caused by a rare strain of E. coli called O157 PT8 which is different from the strain that caused the widespread outbreak in Germany.

'Timely reminder'

Infected people were 40 times more likely to have been in a household where loose leeks were handled and 12 times more likely to have been in a household which bought sacked potatoes than people who stayed infection-free.

Dr Bob Adak, head of the HPA's outbreak control team, said: "The vegetables could have carried traces of contaminated soil.

"It is possible people caught the infection from cross-contamination in storage, inadequate washing of loose vegetables, insufficient hand washing after handling the vegetables or by failing to thoroughly clean kitchen equipment, utensils or surfaces after preparing the vegetables."

Dr Andrew Wadge, chief scientist at the Food Standards Agency, said: "It's sadly a myth that a little bit of dirt doesn't do you any harm.

"Soil can sometimes carry harmful bacteria and, although food producers have good systems in place to clean vegetables, the risk can never be entirely eliminated.

"This outbreak is a timely reminder that it is essential to wash all fruits and vegetables, including salad, before you eat them."

Leek and potato soil linked to E. coli outbreak

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Leek soil linked to E. coli cases

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30 September 2011 Last updated at 00:31 GMT By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News Richard Westcott reports on the findings

Soil stuck on leeks and potatoes may have been the source of an E. coli outbreak in the UK earlier this year, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

There were 250 cases scattered across England, Wales and Scotland between December 2010 and July 2011.

The Food Standards Agency said it was a "myth" that dirt did no harm.

The HPA stressed that the vegetables were safe to eat, but reminded people to ensure their food was washed.

Most of the cases were mild, but 74 people needed to go to hospital and one patient, who had underlying health problems, died.

Details of the outbreak were reported weekly to health professionals, but have only just been publicised to the general public.

A spokesperson said: "At the outset it was not clear what was causing the outbreak and we had no information that would have enabled the public to take any steps to protect themselves."

The disease was caused by a rare strain of E. coli called O157 PT8 which is different from the strain that caused the widespread outbreak in Germany.

'Timely reminder'

Infected people were 40 times more likely to have been in a household where loose leeks were handled and 12 times more likely to have been in a household which bought sacked potatoes than people who stayed infection-free.

Dr Bob Adak, head of the HPA's outbreak control team, said: "The vegetables could have carried traces of contaminated soil.

"It is possible people caught the infection from cross-contamination in storage, inadequate washing of loose vegetables, insufficient hand washing after handling the vegetables or by failing to thoroughly clean kitchen equipment, utensils or surfaces after preparing the vegetables."

Dr Andrew Wadge, chief scientist at the Food Standards Agency, said: "It's sadly a myth that a little bit of dirt doesn't do you any harm.

"Soil can sometimes carry harmful bacteria and, although food producers have good systems in place to clean vegetables, the risk can never be entirely eliminated.

"This outbreak is a timely reminder that it is essential to wash all fruits and vegetables, including salad, before you eat them."

Leek and potato soil linked to E. coli outbreak

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Listeria cases likely to rise through October: officials

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Listeria bacteria in a microscopic image courtesy of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Credit: Reuters/Handout

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO | Wed Sep 28, 2011 6:15pm EDT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Cases of illness in the U.S. listeria outbreak linked to tainted cantaloupes -- already the deadliest in a decade -- likely will rise in the next month as more people who have been infected with the bacteria begin to develop symptoms, health officials said on Wednesday.

To date, 13 people have died and 72 people have been infected in the outbreak in 18 states, including two pregnant women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (For a graphic on the outbreak, click here: link.reuters.com/nax93s)

Unlike E. coli and salmonella, two common causes of foodborne disease, listeria bacteria can cause illness as long as two months after a person has consumed contaminated food, making these outbreaks especially vexing.

"We will see more cases likely through October," U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a telephone briefing.

Dr. Barbara Mahon of the CDC said the agency is only reporting on laboratory-confirmed illnesses and deaths.

"We do expect the number of cases will increase and the number of deaths may well increase," Mahon told the briefing.

Health officials have traced the source of the outbreak to cantaloupes grown by Jensen Farms in Colorado shipped between July 29 and September 10. Such outbreaks are far more common in processed meats and cheeses and it is not yet clear how listeria bacteria got into the fruit.

"Listeria is a very common organism, which means it is very easily introduced into food at any point in a food chain -- in the field, at home and anywhere in between," said Martin Wiedmann, a professor of food science and a listeria expert at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

After consumption, symptoms of E. coli and salmonella usually take one to three days to emerge but listeria's symptoms are not noticed for one to eight weeks.

"That also makes it very difficult to trace back the source of outbreaks, particularly if they are small," Wiedmann said. "Most people don't remember what they ate in the last two months."

HIGH LEVELS OF CONSUMPTION

Listeria rarely causes serious illness. For listeria to do so, it needs to get onto the food and grow to levels where it can cause disease. Because it can grow at low temperatures, that can happen anywhere along the food chain.

"You need very high levels of listeria to get sick," Wiedmann said. "With listeria, we're talking about people having to ingest in excess of a million organisms."

Wiedmann said the reason there are not more outbreaks is that even when people are exposed to the bacteria, the numbers of organisms are usually too low to cause illness.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said the infected cantaloupe is being pulled off store shelves but there is still a risk of infection from fruit in people's refrigerators.

He said people should check with their grocery store if they are not sure of the source of their cantaloupe, and if they are in doubt, "throw it out."

Frieden said those most at risk are the elderly, the pregnant and people with a weakened immune system, such as people who have had an organ transplant or cancer.

Gene Grabowski, a food crisis expert at Levick Strategic Communications who handled an outbreak of tainted spinach in 2006-2007, said fresh produce is increasingly becoming a source of foodborne disease because more people are eating fruits and vegetables at every meal.

"People were not eating cantaloupes or blueberries for breakfast 10 to 15 years ago," Grabowski said.

Frieden said multi-state foodborne illnesses have increased in recent years. So far, there have been 12 in 2011.

"It is not that food is getting riskier but we are getting better at identifying problems," he said.

Grabowski said the cantaloupe outbreak underscores the challenges for all distributors of fresh produce.

And it is likely to renew perennial fears about the safety of the food supply, said Chris Waldrop, director of the food policy institute at the Consumer Federation of America.

Waldrop said some of these concerns should be addressed by the Food Safety Modernization Act, which gives the FDA more authority to regulate outbreaks. Hamburg said the FDA is working to release guidelines and regulations for the production of safe produce.

(Additional reporting by Anna Yukhananov in Washington; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Eric Beech and Bill Trott)

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