Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Another U.S. Company Recalls Heparin

Another company has announced a U.S.-wide recall of the blood thinner heparin. B. Braun Medical Inc. said it's recalling 23 lots of heparin as a precautionary measure, but added that no adverse events have been reported in connection with its product, the Associated Press reported.

Contaminated heparin distributed by a different company, Baxter International Inc., has been associated with 19 deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions. The heparin was contaminated with a chemical called oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, which does not occur naturally.

Braun decided to issue the recall after one of its suppliers, Scientific Protein Laboratories in Wisconsin, warned that a Chinese-sourced ingredient it supplied to Braun contained oversulfated chondroitin sulfate.

Scientific Protein Laboratories is also a suppler to Baxter International Inc., which has recalled nearly all of its heparin distributed in the United States. There have been similar heparin recalls in Germany and Japan, the AP reported.

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Hyperactive Girls Have More Problems Later in Life: Study

Young girls who are hyperactive are more likely than other girls to have major problems when they're older, such as teen pregnancy, abusive relationships, and poor job prospects, says a study by Canadian and British researchers.

The researchers assessed more than 800 girls yearly between the ages of 6 and 12 for hyperactive behavior -- such as restlessness, fidgeting, jumping up and down -- and signs of physical aggression. When the girls were in their early 20s, those with both hyperactivity and aggression were more likely to report early pregnancy, welfare dependence and physical and psychological aggression toward partners, BBC News reported.

The study was published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

The researchers noted that most research on the lasting impact of childhood hyperactivity has focused on boys, BBC News reported.

"Hyperactivity is less common in girls than in boys but there are girls with this behavior which can lead to serious problems in later life," said study leader Dr. Nathalie Fontaine, a researcher at University College London.

She and her colleagues said hyperactive young girls should be targeted early in life to help them do better in school.

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More Than 200 Suspected Salmonella Cases in Alamosa, Colo.

As of Sunday, there were 68 confirmed and 148 suspected salmonella cases in the southern Colorado town of Alamosa in an outbreak believed to be linked to municipal tap water. Nine people have been hospitalized during the outbreak, but only one person was believed to still be in a hospital, said public information officer Jim Shires.

Beginning Tuesday morning, officials plan to start flushing the water system with a chlorine solution, the Associated Press reported. The flushing could take several days.

Residents were told last Wednesday to stop drinking and cooking with municipal water after bacterial contamination was detected in tap water samples. Bottled water is available and residents can fill large containers at water-distribution centers set up around the town.

On Friday, Gov. Bill Ritter declared a public health emergency, which made available $300,000 in aid and activated the Colorado National Guard to help distribute safe water, the AP.

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Man Brings Horse to Visit Hospital Patient

Did you hear the one about a man and his horse? Well, officials at a hospital in Hawaii did and certainly weren't laughing.

A man walked a horse through the lobby of the Wilcox Memorial Hospital, got on an elevator and made it to the third floor before being stopped by security guards, BBC News reported.

The man brought what he believed to be a sick relative's favorite horse to cheer up the patient. Hospital spokeswoman Lani Yukimura said there is a visitation policy for "cats and dogs, but not for horses," BBC News reported.

"We just hope people understand this is not a place for a horse," Yukimura said. "It's a very dangerous thing. Our greatest concern is patient care."

The horse did leave a few scuff marks but caused no damage or injuries, BBC News reported.

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Life Span Gap Continues to Grow Between Richer, Poorer Americans

The disparity in life expectancy has almost doubled between more affluent Americans and the nation's poorest residents over an 18-year period, The New York Times reported.

Citing new government data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 project, the newspaper said that U.S. residents at top income levels can expect to live an average of 4.5 years longer than the poorest Americans -- 79.2 years vs. 74.7 years. What's even more troubling, the Times reported, is that the information from 1998-2000 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows a dramatic increase from the same information from 1980-1982. During that period, the longevity disparity between the richest and poorest Americans was 2.8 years -- 75.8 vs. 73.

Why is this gap widening, despite advances in medical knowledge and better treatment options? According to the Times, medical experts give these explanations, among others:

  • Better-educated, more affluent people can take advantage of the latest advances in heart disease and cancer treatment.
  • Better-educated, more affluent people smoke less than poorer people.
  • Poorer people are exposed to unhealthier foods and more dangerous living conditions, than better-educated, affluent people.
  • Poorer people are less likely to have health insurance and less likely to receive checkups and engage in measures to prevent the onset of some diseases.

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50 Cases of Salmonella Poisoning Linked to Imported Cantaloupes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is attributing 50 cases of salmonella poisoning in 16 states to cantaloupes imported from Honduras.

In a March 22 news release, the FDA said it has advised U.S. grocery companies, produce wholesalers and food service operators to remove cantaloupes from the Honduran grower and packer Agropecuaria Montelibano, because of the possibility they contain the bacterium Salmonella Litchfield, which can cause intestinal illness in humans. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

While it's difficult for consumers to determine the origin of fruit they buy, the FDA is asking people who have recently bought cantaloupes to check with the place of purchase to determine if the fruit came from the Honduran grower in question. If it did, consumers should throw away the cantaloupes, the FDA said.

Fifty cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported in 16 states with 14 hospitalizations, the FDA said. There have been no fatalities. The affected states span the country: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The FDA also has issued the following tips for making sure the cantaloupes you buy are fresh: Purchase cantaloupes that are not bruised or damaged; if buying fresh-cut cantaloupe, be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice; after purchase, refrigerate cantaloupes promptly; wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling fresh cantaloupes; scrub whole cantaloupes by using a clean produce brush and cool tap water immediately before eating; if there happens to be a bruised or damaged area on a cantaloupe, cut away those parts before eating it.