Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Multistate E. Coli Outbreak Traced To Organic Carrots From California
CNN: E. Coli Outbreak Linked To Organic Carrots Leaves 1 Dead And Dozens Sickened Across The US
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak in at least 18 states linked to some organic carrots, which has led to at least one death. At least 39 cases of E. coli have been linked to the carrots since early September, leading to 15 hospitalizations and one death, according to the CDC. (Mascarenhas, 11/17)
In other health and wellness news —
Fox News: Online Vape Sellers Exposed For Failing To Comply With Safety Restrictions
Online e-cigarette and vape retailers are under fire for not complying with sales restrictions. Regulations are in place to help prevent the sale of vape products to minors, including age verification, shipping methods and flavor restrictions. Researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego put those regulations to the test. (Stabile, 11/17)
Stat: With Rising Cancer Rates In Younger Adults, Experts Focus On Better Testing
Cancer cases are on the rise among people under 50 — and researchers aren’t sure why. A recent study by the American Cancer Society found that 17 out of 34 cancer types were increasing among younger people. At the Milken Institute’s Future of Health Summit on Thursday, researchers and health care executives talked about efforts to detect cancers earlier, save lives, and get to the root of why cancers have begun to rise in this population. (Oza, 11/18)
San Francisco Chronicle: MeRT Therapy For Autism: One Family Decides To Find Out If It Can Work
On a sunny day in July, while other Bay Area kids were playing at camps or water parks, 8-year-old Charlotte O’Neill was leaning back in a reclining chair in a small, carpeted San Jose office room. Her eyes were fixed on a television playing her favorite cartoon, “Bluey.” Maureen and Bill O’Neill, her parents, sat beside her in the room at Summit Brain Health, where a neuro-technician had placed a large, figure-eight-shaped magnetic coil on her forehead. Every 28 seconds, the coil sent a magnetic pulse to her brain, which required Charlotte’s eyes to be closed for five seconds at a time. (Vainshtein, 11/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Can You Permanently Change Your Eye Color? The Controversial Surgery That Makes It Possible Is Growing In Popularity.
Jason Jimenez had brown eyes when he walked into a New York clinic last month. When he emerged a few hours later, they were light gray. The 39-year-old real-estate agent is among a growing number of people who have permanently changed their eye color through cosmetic surgery. Many doctors say the surgery hasn’t been proven safe and warn it could cause lasting damage. (Mosbergen, 11/17)
The Washington Post: The Latest Skincare Trend: Beef Fat. Yes, Beef Fat.
Would you put beef fat on your face? Beef tallow, a pale paste rendered from cow fat, is usually used as a cooking fat due to its high smoke point. It was once McDonald’s fat-of-choice to cook fries. Now, companies are pitching beef tallow as the skincare solution of our ancestors and claim their ointments can soothe dry skin and alleviate acne. And they’re reporting a spike in sales. Amallow, a beef tallow-based skincare brand in Cincinnati, sold 400 units in May, when the company launched. In October, it sold about 15,000. (Amenabar, 11/15)
