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Waiting for the cows to come home
Mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE) remains in the news, with two more cases reported in cattle this month in Alberta.
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Why Children will suffer the most
All the ingredients for a potential health calamity are present The tsunami survivors face great health challenges. To date there have not been reports of epidemics of cholera or other infectious diseases. However, the massive aid pouring into the affected regions is designed to address the health risks that have the potential to cause further…
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Stroke out the numbers
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, stroke accounted for 20 per cent of the 79,389 deaths from cardiovascular diseases in 1998. The Canadian statistics are indeed disconcerting, reflecting tremendous suffering and financial burdens to families and society.
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It's vital to know how drugs interact
What is a drug interaction? Many believe it occurs when one or more medications directly affect the effectiveness of another. But how does it happen?
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Protecting immune system from attack
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen Friday, November 12, 2004 Original Title: Infection control for dummies Infection control can be a complicated matter, especially for viruses that spread as easily as the flu. The flu can spread through direct hand-to-hand contact, via airborne droplets (fomites) after a sneeze, and with contact with recently touched surfaces…
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Prepare now for the flu season
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 18, 2004 Original Title: The HN factor New information and reports of bird flu have shifted attention to the possibility of a new flu pandemic. The most lethal pandemic in our history occurred from 1917 to 1919 killing an estimated 20 million to 50 million people.
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Early detection of melanoma vital
On Oct. 3, I reviewed why hyperpigmentation (dark skin spots) occurs, as well as some of the common causes and conditions. But it does not end there. Indeed, there are more skin conditions that raise many questions from concerned patients.
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Skin pigment changes have many causes
Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 3, 2004 Original title: Out, Out Damn Spot: Part 1 The formation of dark skin spots, or hyperpigmentation, can either be a benign condition or the development of a serious local or systemic disease. In this two-part series, we will look at the causes and types of hyperpigmented…