An international survey conducted by GSK and released for World Meningitis Day shows gaps in the knowledge parents feel they have about meningococcal disease and its potential consequences. Almost 7 in 10 parents said they don’t know enough about the different strains of meningococcal disease and the potential damage they can cause. On average, more than half of parents were either unsure or unaware that there are different types of bacteria that cause the disease.
The survey of 5,000 parents in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and Portugal also shows that out of a list of 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, meningococcal disease is considered by many parents to pose a top three health risk to their children. Fifty-seven percent listed meningococcal disease among the top three health conditions they considered of greatest risk to children followed by Hepatitis B at 34 percent, pneumococcal disease at 27 percent, polio at 25 percent, tetanus at 20 percent and pertussis at 17 percent.
A sudden, potentially life-threatening illness, meningococcal disease kills on average one person every eight minutes worldwide. It typically manifests as bacterial meningitis – an infection of the membrane around the brain and spine; or bacteraemia – a bloodstream infection. The disease progresses rapidly and it can lead to death within 24-48 hours of the first symptoms; globally up to 1 in 10 of those infected may die and in the US about 10-15 percent of people will die.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7814851-gsk-survey-world-meningitis-day/
Madison Taliaferro spent weeks in the hospital in 2012. After a decade of suffering from cystic fibrosis, she underwent a double lung transplant. She powered through the difficult surgery and the recovery that followed –long days of physical therapy and rehabilitation. Her parents were there. Her best friend visited from Kansas. Grandparents rotated shifts so she was never alone. But one request still lingered.
“I just wanted to see my dogs,” she remembers.
Having suffered from the effects of chronic illness for the decade prior, Madison was no stranger to long days at home, isolated from the school germs that could turn her illness into a critical condition with a single sneeze. When her friends couldn’t visit, her dogs were there. But at the hospital, they weren’t.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7835951-purina-family-pet-center-st-louis-childrens/
October is National Seafood Month and a time to highlight the importance of fish and shellfish as part of a healthful diet. As with any food, safe handling of seafood is essential to reducing the risk of foodborne illness (often called food poisoning).
Learn more at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/BuyStoreServeSafeFood/ucm077331.htm
Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving it Safely
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds you to follow these basic safety tips for buying, storing, and preparing fish and shellfish.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7594351-fda-seafood-safety/
If you are drinking just plain water, you are wasting a great health opportunity. Since most people have acid bodies and are prone to illness, it is to their benefit to drinking their water with fresh lemon juice in it. The major health benefit you achieve is to change your body from acid to more alkaline. This can be done slowly by drinking fresh lemon juice, no sugar or honey, all day long instead of tasteless, plain water.
It is no secret why all of us get sick, this has been known for a long time. But, many people, doctors, and medical professionals have been unwilling to accept the real reason we get sick. The result is that we get sicker and sicker because we don’t address the cause of our illness, we only address the symptoms.
Doctors are always ready to give you drugs. But you don’t need to accept this. Many people go to the doctor to see what their pain is. When your doctor identifies your problem, he will give you a prescription. If you have gout, your will get this prescription. You don’t have to use it, since as with any illness there is always an alternative natural way to deal with an illness.