Canada.com Health takes a look at a few stories you may have missed this week.
Mumps: Childhood illness, adult consequences
Screenshot of Sydney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins being interviewed when it appears he has the mumps. (Screenshot/Calgary Herald)
For those of us born after 1980, mumps is the kind of disease we only knew about from books. Most of us were vaccinated against it, so it was extremely rare to see anyone fall ill to something like mumps. But here we are in 2014, a year which has already seen numerous outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough, and we’re watching with disbelief as the NHL struggles to contain a mumps outbreak among its players.
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The Globe’s Andre Picard does a good job of explaining how we got to this point. Since vaccines themselves are never 100 per cent effective, we need to generate “herd immunity” – where enough of the population is vaccinated that the collective chances of contracting these diseases are greatly reduced. Picard blames recent efforts by anti-vaccination activists for hindering our ability to reach the necessary mass immunization levels, thereby leaving us vulnerable to the kinds of outbreaks we’ve been seeing.
HPV vaccine: it’s not about morality
University of Miami pediatrician Judith L. Schaechter, M.D. (L) gives an HPV vaccination to a 13-year-old girl in her office. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Also in the Globe this week, Carly Weeks asks a good question: just how, exactly, does making the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine available to 12-year-old girls in schools equate to promoting sexual promiscuity? It’s a notion that’s once again been raised, this time by the chair of the Toronto Catholic School Board, Mike Del Grande. It’s time, Weeks argues, to do away with this “moral” argument that continues to get in the way of addressing an important public health concern.
Related:
- Top 10 things you need to know about HPV vaccination
- Frequently asked questions about HPV
- More information: HPV Infection
HPV is a common sexually transmitted virus, most often associated with causing cervical cancer in women. Public health officials say it’s best prevented through vaccination before a girl becomes sexually active. But since vaccination programs are aimed at pre-teens, it continues to raise “moral” objections among some parents and religious groups. As Weeks says, there’s no basis for the claim that the vaccine has any bearing on whether someone will become sexually active or not. In fact, she adds, it may actually help raise awareness about HPV and thereby lead to a greater understanding of the risks of sexually transmitted infections.
Mould on corn, some nuts, carries carcinogenic toxin
Don’t eat that corn! It’s mouldy and rotten. (Photo: vittavat/Fotolia.com)
The next time you’re about to eat corn, pistachios or peanuts, and you think you see mould on it, put it down! There’s a good chance that mould contains a carcinogenic toxin known as aflatoxin, and it’s a known risk factor for liver cancer. In fact, it’s been blamed for as much as 28 per cent of liver cancer cases (roughly 155,000 in total) worldwide.
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The key, according to researcher Felicia Wu at Michigan State University, is finding methods of prevention to reduce exposure to aflatoxin, particularly in developing countries where it’s more likely to be a problem. Vaccination against Hepatitis B reduces susceptibility to liver cancer, while introducing a more varied diet can reduce dependency on foods that contain the toxin and boost the body’s ability to counteract it. Maintaining a healthy field of crops also helps guard against the spread of mould, as well as promoting proper storage methods, since aflatoxins proliferate under damp conditions.
Happy (allergy-free) holidays!
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We’ve been reading countless articles about eating healthy during the holidays, not drinking too much and staying home from parties and family dinners if you’ve got the flu (so as not to sneeze or cough on the turkey). But the erstwhile “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” actually happens to be much less wonderful for allergy sufferers.
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And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. You’ve got dust from all of those ornaments and lights you’re pulling out from the crawlspace. And the tree itself, if you’re allergic to pine, can be the source of considerable misery this time of year. Thankfully, in addition to an array of medications, there’s a few simple preventative steps you can take: store your decorations in closed boxes so they’re not going to gather dust – and, if necessary, consider buying an artificial tree.
Source:: canada.com
