Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Want To Use Smell That Attracts Mosquitoes To Malaria Patients As A Trap
Scientists may have figured out part of the reason why mosquitoes are drawn to people infected with malaria. Mosquitoes prefer biting people already sickened by malaria, apparently attracted by some kind of odor. Now, Swedish researchers say they鈥檝e identified a substance pumped out by malaria parasites that triggers that smell, noticeable only to mosquitoes. (2/9)
California health officials are again warning winter travelers headed for Mexico to take precautions against the Zika virus, after an Ensenada man was reported testing positive for the mosquito-borne disease...聽Many Mexican states with popular tourist destinations, including Baja California and Sonora, near the Arizona border, continue to see reports of local Zika transmissions. The case in Ensenada, which is about 76 miles south of San Diego, was reported by Mexican officials this week. (Buck, 2/9)
Residents of the New Mexico village of Tularosa have long said those living near the site of the world's first atomic bomb test in 1945 weren't told about the dangers or compensated for their resulting health problems. Since then, they say, descendants have been plagued with cancer and other illnesses while the federal government ignored their plight. (2/9)
Hundreds of people with bullet fragments lodged in their bodies have suffered lead poisoning from the slugs, including several people who have extremely elevated levels of the highly toxic metal in their blood, health authorities reported Thursday. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 457 gunshot-wound victims with elevated levels of lead in their blood when they looked at reports from 41 states between 2003 and 2012. Seventeen people had blood lead levels more than 16 times the limit recommended by the CDC. (Bernstein, 2/9)
Lung cancer screening rates have barely budged in recent years, according to a new study, even though under the health law many people don鈥檛 have to pay anything out-of-pocket for them because the test is recommended by a panel of prevention experts. In 2010, just 3.3 percent of eligible smokers surveyed said they had received a low-dose computed tomography scan in the past year to check for lung cancer. In 2015, the percentage had inched up to 3.9 percent, or 262,700 people out of 6.8 million who were eligible. (Andrews, 2/10)
Two weeks 聽after New Jersey announced it was the first state to embark on an effort to make safe-sleep baby boxes available to all new and expectant parents, program leaders say nearly 12,000 people have visited the informational website that is at the heart of the initiative. The website, BabyBoxUniversity.com, includes articles about safe infant sleeping practices as well as information聽from several states, including New Jersey's safe sleeping syllabus. By 聽taking about 15 minutes 聽to review the course and complete a short quiz, Garden State parents qualify for a free baby box that serves as a portable crib and comes stocked with infant supplies. They can have it sent to their home or pick it up at locations including Cooper University Hospital. (Giordano, 2/10)
If a suspicious mammogram turns out to be a false alarm, the experience can change the woman's attitude toward breast cancer screening. A number of studies have found that women follow screening recommendations even more closely after a "false positive" mammogram, though ruling out cancer requires them to return for additional breast X-rays and, occasionally, a biopsy. But a large new study by Chicago researchers found just the opposite reaction. Compared with women whose mammograms correctly detected no cancer, those with false positives were more likely to delay their next breast-squishing exam -- or to stop showing up. (McCullough, 2/9)
