Public Health in the News – March 30

Global

• India, along with the Southeast Asian region, has been declared free of polio!
• A guest blog post over at Scientific American talks about the fight against tuberculosis – both the current scientific research being done and the organizational strategies needed around the world.
• The Global Health Technologies Coalition has released its annual report, which warns against underfunding the National Institutes of Health in order to make sure necessary global health projects can continue.
• The cholera epidemic in Haiti demonstrates why it’s important to invest in infrastructure such as water treatment.
• Ed Yong has written a fantastic long piece about the fight against drug-resistant malaria in Southeast Asia.

National

• The 2012 flu vaccine was less effective than usual. A study shows this may be due to the way that vaccines are produced – they have to be altered slightly in order to be grown in chicken eggs.
• Most people know that Salmonella infections can be contracted from improperly cooked food, but not as many know that reptiles can pass on the bacteria as well.
• Compounds found in marijuana may help treat a variety of different disorders, such as epilepsy or PTSD. But federal regulations are limiting the research that can be done.
• Weight loss surgery can increase the chance that diabetic patients will get rid of their disease.
• People with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases are allowed to be detained under some circumstances, which may be “marginalizing the already marginalized,” according to a post on The Last Word on Nothing blog.
• A new study shows that e-cigarettes may not help people quit smoking.

Illinois

• An outbreak of Salmonella infections in Will County has been linked to Mexican-style cheese from an unlicensed dairy manufacturer.
• The deadline to enroll in health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is approaching, and Governor Pat Quinn is urging people to sign up.

Chicago

• The CountyCare health system is entering into a deal with an insurance company to have that company run its daily operations.

Northwestern

• NU football players were recently granted the right to unionize. The Motley Fool discusses what this means for things such as health care.

Cover Photo by Tookapic via Pexels: Creative Commons