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Traces of Arsenic in Drinking Water May Increase Risk of Diabetes

Air Pollution Could Be Damaging Your Lungs

Free radicals that are attached to small particles of air pollution may cause lung damage, including the possibility of lung cancer. This discovery may explain why nonsmokers develop tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer.

Cost of Prescription Medications Rising

While Americans continue to feel the effects of soaring fuel prices, there is another consumer good enjoying a "quiet" price explosion-prescription drugs. We are accustomed to slight increases each year in the price of medication, along with everything else, but during the first half of this year alone the average wholesale price of 17 brand-name drugs increased 100 percent or more in a single cost adjustment, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota.

Traveler's Warning: Yellow Fever Outbreak in Brazil

The CDC has released an alert for yellow fever in Brazil. As of June 11th, there have been 45 confirmed cases of yellow fever this year in this South American country, including 25 deaths. Among the most recent cases, two human yellow fever cases have been reported in the State of São Paulo near the ecologic reserve of Jataí, specifically in the rural areas of Luiz Antônio and São Carlos. Additionally, there have been two cases of human yellow fever reported from rural areas in central west Parana State (in the rural area of Laranjal).

Overdoses From Illegal Fentanyl on the Rise in the U.S.

You expect to hear about heroin overdoses and deaths from crack cocaine, but it is surprising to hear about a prescription drug being widely available on the street and being misused to the point of death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,013 Americans have died after overdosing on an illegal version of the powerful painkiller fentanyl. Published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly, the report on fentanyl focused on the overdoses that were fatal between April 2005 and March 2007.

Scented Air Fresheners and Laundry Products May Be Toxic

Choosing to use fresh-scented air fresheners and laundry products may be hazardous to your health, according to a group of researchers at the University of Washington. Researchers analyzed six popular products including fabric softeners, detergents, and dryer sheets, as well as a liquid spray air freshener, a plug-in air freshener, and a solid disc deodorizer used in commercial-airplane toilets. They found that all of them contained dozens of chemicals and that all six products gave off at least one chemical regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.

Salmonella Found on Jalapeno

In what one official called a "significant break" in the ongoing search for the source of a salmonella outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced they have found a jalapeno pepper contaminated with the same strain that has sickened 1,251 people. While the agency had previously discouraged people at high risk—the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems—from eating Serrano and jalapeno peppers, they are now extending the warning to all consumers.

Food Recall: Lean Pockets Spinach Artichoke Chicken Sandwich

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Nestle Prepared Foods Company is recalling frozen pocket sandwiches due to two consumer complaints. Small bits of plastic may be embedded in the product, which can cause injury.

Officials Continue Their Search for Source of Salmonella Outbreak

The source of a Salmonella outbreak that began in April and has sickened at least 1,148 people in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada has yet to be identified. Consumers were first warned not to eat red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes from certain states, and that warning remains in effect. However, officials say there may be other foods to blame, such as jalapeno and serrano peppers, cilantro and basil. As the list of foods continues to mount, so does the frustrations and the industry losses, estimated at $250 million for the initially implicated tomatoes alone.

Asia’s Outbreak Of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease on the Decline

After a seemingly unremitting increase in the number of cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) throughout several areas of Asia since March, the CDC has now published an update reporting that the outbreak situation appears to have peaked and begun its decline.