A major Hurricane Katrina flooding trial ended with a win for plaintiffs yesterday, as a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ failure to properly maintain the Mississippi River Gulf Coast Outlet (known popularly as MRGO) was partly to blame for the flooding that followed the historic storm.

Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr’s. landmark decision awarded over $719,000 to four different sets of plaintiffs. However, the ruling could set a precedent for over 400,000 other residents of New Orleans and St. Bernard parish who have filed similar damage claims against the Corps. Continue »

It looks like the Salmonella outbreak in Alamosa, Colorado last year was the result of a faulty drinking water storage tank and animal waste.

A report from the state of Colorado’s Department of Public Health and Environment indicates that the city of Alamosa neglected to act on a long-standing recommendation to inspect a deteriorating drinking water tank, said 9News. The recommendation was made years prior to the 2008 Salmonella outbreak that caused hundreds to fall ill and resulted in one death. The report was released yesterday. Continue »

Device maker giant, Medtronic, Inc., just announced that it received a warning letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the Twin Cities Business Journal, the letter came after an inspection of Medtronic’s Mounds View Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management site and concerned: “Corrective and preventative action and field-action timeliness, review and documentation of field action recommendations, supplier qualification and controls, and medical-device reporting timeliness,” said the Business Journal. Medtronic has 15 days to respond to the warning letter. Continue »

The maker of OptiMARK gadolinium contrast agent is modifying the product’s label to contraindicate its use in patients with severe kidney impairment because of its association with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Mallinckrodt Inc., a Covidien company, has submitted this label change to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and says it is implementing the new label in the U.S. effective immediately.

Gadolinium contrast dyes are approved for use in MRI procedures, and are sometimes used off-label in MRA studies. These agents were first introduced in the 1980s, and there are currently five such dyes on the market. In addition OptiMARK, other agents on the market include Prohance and Multihance, both by Bracco Diagnostics, Bayer Healthcare’s Magnevist and GE Healthcare’s Omniscan. Continue »

Fairbury Steaks, Inc. a Fairbury, Nebraska, establishment, is recalling approximately 90 pounds of fresh ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) just announced. The products subject to recall include 10-pound packages of “BULK FRESH GROUND BEEF.”

This recall has been classified as a Class I Recall, which means this is a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death. Continue »

RockHard Laboratories is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall of specific lots of its dietary supplement sold under the name RockHard Weekend (RHW), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) just announced.

RockHard Laboratories is conducting the recall after being informed by the FDA that voluntary lab analysis found that RHW, specific to the affected lot numbers, contains sulfoaildenfil, an analogue of Sildenfil, an FDA-approved drug used as treatment for male Erectile Dysfunction (ED). This makes RockHard Weekend an unapproved drug. The active drug ingredient is not listed on the product label. Continue »

Three gadolinium contrast dyes – Bayer Healthcare’s Magnevist, GE Healthcare’s Omniscan, and Covidien ’s OptiMARK -carry a higher risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) than other agents on the market, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Though the agency’s drug safety unit said the risk associated with the gadolinium contrast dyes “does not compel removal of specific (imaging agents) from the U.S. market”, it has recommended that the drug labels note the varying levels of risks with each product. An outside panel of experts will take up the issue in December.

Gadolinium contrast dyes are approved for use in MRI procedures, and are sometimes used off-label in MRA studies. These agents were first introduced in the 1980s, and there are currently five such dyes on the market. In addition to Omniscan, Magnevist and OptiMARK, other agents on the market include Prohance and Multihance, both by Bracco Diagnotics. Continue »

Gardasil or other HPV vaccination will no longer be a requirement for immigrant girls and women seeking a green card, according to the Associated Press (AP). Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires that all immigrants filing for a green card must receive a variety of shots; the HPV vaccine is currently among those required.

Effective December 14, the HPV vaccination will not be required, said the AP, in an effort to not single out immigrants. The requirement to receive at least the first dose of the HPV vaccine, which is administered in three doses, was implemented by the CDC for female immigrants between the ages of 11 and 26 in July 2008. Continue »

We have long been writing that exposure to lead in children can cause brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, headaches, mental and physical retardation, and behavioral and other health problems. Now, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting that some toys bearing Barbie and Disney logos have tested with high lead levels, citing the Center for Environmental Health, an advocacy group located in California.

The Center tested some 250 children’s products that were purchased at popular retailers, said AP. Lead levels were found to exceed federal limits in seven of the toys tested, including a Barbie Bike Flair Accessory Kit and a Disney Tinkerbell Water Lily necklace. The Center also found “excessive lead” levels in a “Dora the Explorer Activity Tote, two pairs of children’s shoes, a boys’ belt, and a kids’ poncho,” said the AP. In response, California’s Attorney General, Jerry Brown, wrote to the retailers of the seven products, which include Target and Wal-Mart, issuing a warning that children’s products sold in their stores contained lead levels in violation of federal standards and should be immediately removed, reported the AP. Continue »

A Chinese drywall bill just introduced in the U.S. Congress would prohibit insurers from dropping or changing policies on homes built with tainted Chinese drywall. According to The Bradenton Herald, the Chinese drywall insurance bill is being sponsored by Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has received about 1,897 reports from residents in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico concerning Chinese drywall. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. Continue »