Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Scientists Discover Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Soil
Hundreds of types of bacteria in soil that can eat antibiotics have been discovered by Harvard University researchers.
The discovery, published Friday in the journal Science, was made by scientists who collected soil samples from 11 locations in Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, the Associated Press reported.
Many of the bacteria from the soil samples could survive when put in laboratory dishes where antibiotics (18 different types) were the only source of nutrition. Some of the bacteria could survive levels of antibiotics 50 to 100 times greater than what would be given to a patient.
Researchers are now trying to learn more about how these soil bacteria can survive exposure to antibiotics, the AP reported.
Learning more about these bacteria is important because more and more disease-causing bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, and there's concern that some infections may soon become untreatable.
-----
Binge-Drinking Teens Have Memory Problems: Study
Days after binge drinking, teens suffer forgetfulness and absent-mindedness, say British researchers who suggest binge drinking may harm teens' developing brains.
The team from Northumbria and Keele Universities compared 26 binge drinkers and 34 non-bingers, ages 17 to 19, and found that the binge drinkers did worse on memory tests, BBC News reported. The teens were tested three to four days after their last drinking session.
Binge drinking was defined as at least eight units of alcohol per drinking session for a man and six for a woman, once or twice a week.
"There is evidence that excess alcohol and binge drinking in particular damages parts of the brain that underpin everyday memory," said study leader Dr. Thomas Heffernan of the University of Northumbria, BBC News reported. "Not only may these teenagers be harming their memory, if their brains are still developing, they could be storing up problems for the future."
The study was presented at a British Psychological Society conference.
-----
U.S.
Identifies New Toys That Pose Choking Hazard
About 16,400 Imaginarium Multi-Sided Activity Centers and Jungle Activity Centers sold by Toys "R" Us are being recalled in the United States because small parts can detach from the toys and pose a choking hazard to young children.
There have been 12 reports of small parts detaching from the toys, but no reports of injuries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
The Chinese-made toys were sold by Toys "R" Us from August 2007 through February 2008 for between $20 and $50. The recalled products have item numbers 69042 (multi-sided) and 69083 (jungle) printed on the back of the box, near the bar code.
These activity centers should be taken away from children and returned to the nearest Toys "R" Us store for a refund or store credit. For more information, contact Toys "R" Us at 800-869-7787.
-----
Two Million Children Were Living With HIV in 2007
In 2007, more than 2 million children worldwide were living with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), about 290,000 children under age 15 died of AIDS, and 12.1 million children in sub-Saharan Africa lost one or both parents to AIDS, says a joint study released Thursday by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNAIDS.
"Today's children and young people have never known a world free of AIDS," said UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman, who added that children "must be at the heart of the global AIDS agenda," Agence France-Presse reported.
The authors of the "Children and AIDS" study said children listed four major areas that need to be addressed to combat the epidemic: prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to children; prevention of infection among adolescents and young people; providing pediatric treatment; and protecting and supporting children affected by AIDS.
While there are significant challenges, progress is being made in some areas, the study said. For example, 21 countries are now on track to reach 80 percent coverage to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission by 2010, compared to only 11 countries in 2005, AFP reported.
From 2005 to 2006, the number of HIV-positive children in low- and middle-income nations receiving retroviral drugs climbed from 75,000 to 127,000 -- a 70 percent increase.
-----
No Health Benefit From Drinking 8 Glasses of Water a Day: Study
A new study pours cold water on the popular belief that drinking eight glasses of water a day provides a range of health benefits ranging from improving skin tone to keeping organs healthy and preventing weight gain.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia reviewed published clinical studies and found no evidence that average, healthy people need to drink that much water, United Press International reported.
The review authors did find evidence that increased water intake improves kidney function, but there was no indication of any sort of clinical benefit.
Studies on water and weight control were inconclusive and no studies have shown a link between increased water intake and clinical benefit to skin tone, UPI reported.
The findings appear in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
-----
Children's Sunglasses Recalled Due to Lead Hazard
About 144,000 "Main Street Drag" children's sunglasses distributed by StyleMark Inc. of Ormond Beach, Fla. are being recalled due to excessive levels of lead paint in lettering on the sunglasses' frames.
The Chinese-made sunglasses have dark blue or dark metallic red fronts and gray checkered sides. Main Street Drag characters are printed on the bottom of one lens and "Main Street Drag" is printed in orange at the temples. Style number DI25K711 is printed on the left temple, United Press International reported.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Association said the sunglasses were sold at Walgreen's, Academy Sports, and CVS stores across the United States from October 2007 through March 2008 for between $6 and $9.
Consumers can call StyleMark at 866-928-1913 to find out how to return the sunglasses and receive a free replacement pair.
-----
Icelandic Men Have Longest Male Life Expectancy
Men in Iceland have a longer life expectancy (79.4 years in 2007) than males anywhere else in the world, according to Statistics Iceland.
An agency spokeswoman could offer no explanation for the finding, Agence France-Presse reported.
Iceland, one of the richest countries in the world, has a population of 313,400. Women in Iceland have a life expectancy of 82.9 years, which isn't as long as Japanese women, with an average nearly 86 years. Life expectancy for Japanese men is 78.6 years.
According to United Nations statistics, the combined life expectancy for women and men in Japan in 2007 was 82 years, followed by Iceland at more than 81 years, and France at almost 81 years, AFP reported.
