Cases of human infection of West Nile virus (WNV) have been reported in Greece where 13 people have died and at least 140 have become ill, according to the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Greek authorities say 32 patients are currently hospitalized. Several other countries in Europe are also affected, especially Central Europe and the Mediterranean area, according to the latest issue of Eurosurveillance. The publication adds that numerous animal cases have also been documented. A "single probable case" was reported in Portugal in July this year...

All 12 TLC Laser Eye Centers in Southern California are changing their names to NVISION Laser Eye Centers. The name change accompanies the sale of TLC Vision's interest in the 12 centers to Medical Director Dr. Tom Tooma to become a separate LASIK brand. The new brand will operate as NVISION Laser Eye Centers and will have the same 12 Southern California locations, same surgeons and staff. In fact, the only thing that will change is the name to reflect additional eye care services now available for Southern California residents...

BIO today announced the preliminary set of speakers who will be featured on the Therapeutic Workshops during the 9th Annual BIO Investor Forum - a national meeting focused on investment trends and opportunities in the life-sciences with a focus on public and venture-stage growth companies. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the 9th annual event will take place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Calif. on October 5-6...

Neutrogena, the #1 dermatologist-recommended skin care brand, announced today that, with the help of teens across America, the Wave for Change campaign achieved its goal of raising $200,000 for communities in need. The donation will be divided among three causes in the US and globally, as determined by teens on Neutrogena's Facebook Page. Understanding their passion for positive social change, Neutrogena invited teens to show their support for the campaign by purchasing Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit products and the Wave® Sonic Power-Cleanser...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a $153 million contract to Cellerant Therapeutics, Inc. of San Carlos, Calif., to continue developing a new way to treat an illness caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation which can damage the body's cells - the type of radiation that would come from a nuclear blast. Under the contract, the company will continue development of a medication called CLT-008 that uses a special kind of cells called myeloid progenitor cells...

A report by the NHS Confederation's London Relations Programme published outlines the significant challenges faced by the capital's health service. It says tough decisions will need to be taken if London's healthcare is to continue to improve during the financial downturn. The paper Capital challenge: improving healthcare in London highlights particular issues around health inequalities and variation in the quality of services in the capital...

Responding to the new energy bill announced in the Queen's Speech, Mike Hobday, Head of Campaigns at Macmillan Cancer Support said: 'Whilst the mandatory support from energy companies will help some vulnerable people struggling with their fuel bills, it is vital that cancer patients are not left out in the cold. Cancer patients undergoing treatment are twice as likely to fall into fuel poverty as the general population and must be included in any new support schemes...

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics announces Eric Olson's appointment as President of the IVD Industry Connectivity Consortium (IICC). Founded by the top worldwide in vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers, IICC's mission is to create and ensure adoption of a unified connectivity standard to reduce the complexity and variability of data exchange between IVD testing and healthcare systems...

Two studies reveal that smokers may have a significantly lower risk of developing lung cancer and colorectal cancer with the drug metformin, which is commonly prescribed for diabetes type 2 treatment, the medical journal Cancer Prevention Research informs. Metformin, originally sold as Glucophage, is the first-line drug of choice for diabetes type 2 patients, especially those who are obese or overweight, as well as diabetes patients with normal kidney function. Metformin may have the following brand names: Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, or Riomet...

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is working in partnership with the charity No Smoking Day to help thousands of smokers to kick the habit and stop smoking on Wednesday, 9th March 2011. This year's "Time to Quit?" campaign will encourage and support smokers across the UK to start counting down to the 9th March, to quit smoking and start a healthier and wealthier life...

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that women with a gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer face lower risks of developing such cancer after receiving mastectomies or having their ovaries removed, The Wall Street Journal reports. The study, which involved 2,482 women, "provides the most concrete evidence to date about the benefit of undergoing such preventative surgeries in women who carry mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes...

The Los Angeles Times: "As state leaders blast giant health insurers for raising rates, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has quietly allowed hefty increases for thousands of sick or jobless Californians who must rely on expensive safety-net coverage -- if they want insurance at all. To the frustration of policyholders, state regulators have given insurance companies permission to raise maximum premiums for most of the 20,000 Californians who depend on the coverage of last resort...

Some of the malaria drugs given to Africa by international donors are "being stolen and resold on commercial markets," according to a study to be released Thursday in the journal Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine, the Associated Press reports. "During three periods from 2007 to 2010, American and British experts bought malaria medicines randomly from private pharmacies in 11 African cities. Of the 894 samples, they found 58, or 6.5 percent, were supposed to have been donated to government hospitals and clinics," according to the news service...

On average, a lower blood pressure goal was no better than the standard blood pressure goal at slowing progression of kidney disease among African-Americans who had chronic kidney disease resulting from high blood pressure, according to results of the African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK), the largest and longest study of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in African-Americans. However, the blood pressure goal did benefit people who also had protein in the urine, which is a sign of kidney damage. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, appears in the Sept...

Health News Florida: "The Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that targeted the new federal-health reform law, ruling that state lawmakers included misleading wording that could not be fixed. Justices, in a 5-2 ruling, upheld a circuit judge's decision to strip 'Amendment 9' from the November ballot. ...

The American Lung Association is offering a free-of-charge, online caregiving coordination service called "My Fighting for Air Community" to support individuals affected by acute and chronic lung diseases. As an organization dedicated to public health, the American Lung Association will offer this online service through Lotsa Helping Hands to support the more than 37 million people in the US who suffer from chronic lung disease every day. This includes more than 24 million adults and children with asthma, 13...

Pawlenty's Order Pure Politicking The Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer The move can be explained in no other way than in being a totally partisan decision, intended to shore up his conservatism in what will be a 2012 battle of who is more conservative to wear the Republican mantle for president (9/1). Dear Patients: Vote To Repeal ObamaCare The Wall Street Journal Because the issue this election is so stark - literally life and death for millions of Americans in the years ahead - we are this week posting a "Dear Patient" letter in our waiting rooms (Dr. Hal Scherz, 9/1)...

The World Bank on Tuesday issued a report (.pdf) calling for a more integrated approach to worldwide water management, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports (9/1). "We can't properly tackle global priorities of food security, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change, public health and urbanization unless we manage water better," Julia Bucknall, water sector manager for the World Bank, said, according to a World Bank press release (8/31). The report also reviewed the effectiveness of the World Bank's 2003 water strategy, VOA News reports (DeCapua, 8/31)...

More than 200 agricultural experts from around the world are meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, for the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network's (FANRPAN) regional conference, New Era/allAfrica.com reports (Sasman, 8/31). The meeting will "address African priorities on food security and climate change and its impacts on agricultural development, natural resource management and rural livelihoods," according to a FANRPRAN press release (undated)...

After touring flood-hit areas in Pakistan on Tuesday, the executive directors of UNICEF and the World Food Program (WFP) appealed for more flood relief aid, VOA News reports (Maroney, 8/31). WFP head Josette Sheeran "warned during a joint press conference in the capital, Islamabad, that there is a triple threat unfolding as the crisis widens and deepens," U.N. News Centre writes. "People have lost seeds, crops and their incomes leaving them vulnerable to hunger, homelessness and desperation - the situation is extremely critical...