Autism treatment works in kids as young as 18 mos.
CHICAGO (AP) — The first rigorous study of behavior treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis. The study was small — just 48 children evaluated at the University of Washington — but the results were so encouraging it has been expanded to several other sites, said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of the advocacy group Autism Speaks. Dawson, a former University of Washington professor, led the research team.
WHO: Treat HIV patients sooner
LONDON (AP) — People infected with the virus that causes AIDS should start treatment earlier than currently recommended, the World Health Organization said Monday. The U.N. agency issued new guidance advising doctors to start giving patients AIDS drugs a year or two earlier than usual. The advice could double the number of people worldwide who qualify for treatment, adding an extra 3 to 5 million patients to the 5 million already awaiting AIDS drugs.
Employers play Dr. Mom to limit swine flu impact
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Big businesses are spending serious time and money trying to limit the swine flu pandemic's impact on operations, from bankrolling video on good hygiene to training employees to cover for co-workers with critical jobs. Companies from health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. to beverage can maker Ball Corp. are arranging for employees with flu symptoms or sick family members to work from home where possible, holding fewer in-person meetings, even discouraging handshakes. And hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and tissues are at the ready everywhere as employers make keeping workers healthy their first line of defense.
America wages new war in Vietnam - on AIDS
TINH BIEN, Vietnam (AP) — When her husband fell ill with AIDS, doctors at the hospital turned him away, fearing they would catch the virus. "They told him, 'There's nothing we can do for you. Just go home and wait to die,'" said Do Thi Phuong. So when she too got AIDS, she didn't seek help, fearing that she would also be shunned. Instead, like her husband, she went home to die.
Saudi official: 5 dead from swine flu at hajj
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Five people died from swine flu during the hajj, Saudi Arabia said Sunday, a relatively small number considering the event is the largest annual gathering in the world and is seen as an ideal incubator for the virus. But some experts warned the true extent of the virus will not be known until pilgrims return to their home countries around the world.
Understanding the pros and cons of health overhaul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Maybe you've been reading the health care bill in your spare time. Then perhaps you can answer this question: If Congress makes history and puts a bill on President Barack Obama's desk by Christmas, how long before the uninsured get medical coverage?
Ohio school district sues over air pollution
ADDYSTON, Ohio (AP) — A school district near Cincinnati is suing a plastics plant, accusing it of continuing to release chemicals in the air that exceed government safety standards. Three Rivers School District closed an elementary school across the street from the plant in 2005. The district says it has been unable to sell the building and is burdened by crowded classrooms.
Food stamps estimate raises debate over 'poverty'
CHICAGO (AP) — The estimate was startling, and made headlines around the country: Almost half of all U.S. kids will be on food stamps at some time during childhood. How could it be true in the land of plenty, in the midst of an obesity epidemic, skeptics wondered.
WHO says Tamiflu still works against swine flu
GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization says isolated cases of drug-resistant swine flu in Britain and the United States have not changed the agency's assessment of the disease. It says Tamiflu remains highly effective against the vast majority of H1N1 cases.
CDC: Swine flu vaccine safe; no big problems seen
ATLANTA (AP) — There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine. Since vaccinations began in early October, the government has been tracking the safety of the swine flu vaccine. By mid-November, about 22 million Americans had gotten the vaccine and there were about 3,200 reports of possible side effects, the vast majority for minor things like soreness or swelling from the shot.
