Typhoid Mamey and DNA Backpedaling: The ReportingonHealth Daily Briefing
August 13, 2010
From DNA backpedaling to irrational nonsense to Typhoid Mamey, here's what we're reading about this morning:
College DNA: The University of California-Berkeley backs off on a controversial plan to provide personal genetic information to incoming freshman who sent in DNA-containing saliva samples, according a story by the San Jose Mercury News' Lisa M. Krieger. Seems California health officials told the university needed a physician's order for each student, not to mention analysis at a state-approved lab.
Avandia: If you haven't been paying enough attention to the Avandia story, Time magazine's Massimo Calabresi and Alice Park lay it all out for you in a tale of industry influence and regulatory missteps. They ask: was the FDA on drugs when it kept the problematic diabetes medication on the market?
Quackery: We are enchanted with this Periodic Table of Irrational Nonsense, which includes a hefty selection of health related "elements" like Hv (HIV/AIDS denial), Fa (faith healing) and Ffs (cupping). Funny, but offensive. You've been warned. (Hat tip: Respectful Insolence)
Typhoid Mamey: Frozen mamey? Stay away. A rare outbreak of typhoid fever in California and Nevada has been linked to the tropical fruit, which is used to make smoothies, according to the Associated Press' Mike Stobbe. The CDC is investigating.
Produce Prescription: Doctors in Massachusetts are "prescribing" produce to families as a way to reduce obesity, giving them vouchers worth about $30 a month for fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets, according to a story in the New York Times.
