Streptococcal disease warning issued

There's growing concern that a deadly outbreak of streptococcus in Thunder Bay could spread.

The bacteria can cause serious lung infections, and health officials in that city say 10 people died and 75 became infected in the past year.

Toronto microbiologist Dr. Donald Low says it's likely the strain found in Thunder Bay migrated from Western Canada and may still be on the move eastward.

About half of the Group A streptococcal cases in the region belong to a strain that was unknown in the province until last year. Low says that strain, called M-59, spiked in Alberta and British Columbia last year and was likely carried east.

Nerf Blaster recalled due to pinching, bruising

Hasbro Inc. has announced a voluntary recall of a model of its Nerf Blasters because a child's skin could get caught in moving parts. Hasbro says a movable plunger on the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Blaster could pull the user's skin during firing of the toy. There have been two reported pinching incidents in Canada and more than 40 incidents of bruising, abrasions and pinching in the United States. The toy bears a model number of 63552 (and a UPC code of 653569272021) on the packaging.

The toy is made in China and sold at Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Zellers, discount stores and toy stores from November 2007 to August 2008. Consumers are asked to take the toy away from children and contact Hasbro for a free cylindrical cover.

More adverse reactions to Botox injections

Health Canada has received 13 reports describing adverse reactions in people who received Botox. All but one patient had the injections for therapeutic rather than cosmetic reasons. Health Canada has approved new labelling for the product. Botox blocks nerve impulses to muscles, causing them to relax. In rare cases, the toxin may spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body and result in problems such as paralysis of respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing.

Fan in baby's room lessens SIDS risk

New research suggests keeping the air moving around a bedroom seems to dramatically reduce a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome. California researchers say if an infant had a fan in its bedroom, the infant's risk of SIDS was reduced by 72 per cent compared to no fan in the room. The prevailing theory is that SIDS occurs because an infant rebreathes carbon dioxide.

Wash your hands as flu, cold season coming

With cold and flu season not far away, public health experts want Canadians to do basic things to keep disease-causing germs at bay. Health and Hygiene Council of Canada says a big step is hand washing. The council says it's not good enough that only 40 per cent of children wash their hands before eating.

Old vaccine with new adds to bird flu protection

British researchers say priming people with an old vaccine would make any new vaccine work faster and better against a potential avian flu epidemic. A letter in yesterday's New England Journal of Medicine says the strategy is scientifically sound. A study of 24 people who got a now-outdated avian flu vaccine seven years ago shows the strategy works. The recipients quickly developed flu-fighting antibodies.

-- compiled by Carmelina Prete from Hamilton Spectator wire services