Blog

The threat of bird flu to humans appears to be growing. As outbreaks of H5N1—a dangerous strain of avian influenza—continue to affect cows in the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, and Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on June 5 the first-ever case of a human infection with H5N2, a different strain of avian influenza. The infection was fatal.The case was first reported to the WHO on May 23 by health officials in Mexico City, where a 59-year-old man with several other health conditions was hospitalized. Before reporting shortness of breath, diarrhea, and nausea, the man had been bedridden for three weeks. Testing by the national lab showed that the man had H5N2, and further genetic sequencing confirmed the strain. Unlike the recent U.S. cases of H5N1 in people, the patien...

Washington — Senate Republicans have blocked legislation designed to protect women’s access to contraception, arguing that the bill was just a political stunt as Democrats mount an election-year effort to put GOP senators on the record on reproductive rights issues,The test vote won a 51-39 majority, but that was well short of the 60 votes to move ahead on the legislation.It came as the Senate has abandoned hopes of doing serious bipartisan legislation before the election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrats are trying to instead spotlight issues they believe can help them win the presidency and keep the Senate in November. A similar vote on ensuring nationwide access to in vitro fertilization is expected next week.That bill is expected to similarly stall in the Senate, ...

Updated: June 5, 2024 4:35 PM EDT | Originally published: June 5, 2024 4:22 PM EDTA person in Mexico died after contracting a strain of bird flu that hasn’t been confirmed in humans before, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The virus was detected in a 59-year-old who had been hospitalized in Mexico City. The person died one week after developing a fever, shortness of breath and diarrhea. It’s the first lab-confirmed case of a person contracting a form of bird flu known as H5N2, the WHO said in a statement, raising questions about a strain that has largely been under the radar. The current bird flu outbreak in US dairy cows is being driven by a different strain — H5N1. The patient, who lived in Central Mexico, had no history of exposure to poultry or other animals and had underl...

Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. is recalling whole cucumbers shipped to 14 states from May 17 through May 21 because they may have been contaminated with salmonella.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a notice from the Florida-based company Saturday. The company said in the press release that the recalled cucumbers were shipped in bulk cartons to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.The recalled cucumbers are dark green, with a diameter of about 1.5 to 2 inches and a length of about 5 to 9 inches, according to Fresh Start Produce Sales. Neither mini cucumbers nor English cucumb...