Research Shows Gut Microbiome May Be Linked To Bone Health.

Rana Samadfam, PhD, the principal scientist in musculoskeletal research at Charles River, writes in a guest blog for Scientific American (2/10) saying that our gut microbiome, which is “now known to influence heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and obesity,” may also help bones heal. Samadfam says that “exciting new research now shows that the gut microbiome can affect bone strength in both animal models and humans.” Samadfam writes that the results from rodent models may be “related to the immune system,” as “different cells in the immune system can regulate bone density, and an imbalance in this regulation leads to diseases such as arthritis, cancer and osteoporosis (a disease in which bones become weak and brittle).” In addition, treatments with probiotics in rodent models have been shown to improve bone mass, which may “indicate that treatments that affect the composition of the microbiome can also regulate bone health.” http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/how-your-gut-affects-your-bones/

Zika confirmed in people in Indiana and Ohio, among other states

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/02/09/zika-confirmed-oh-elsewhere-among-travelers-affected-areas/80052798/#

White House: Fight Against Zika Needs Billions Obama administration will request more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/GeneralInfectiousDisease/56086?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-02-09&eun=g721819d0r

Flint Is Not The Only City Water with Unsafe Lead Levels.

says while the Flint crisis “may be the most serious contamination threat facing the country’s water supplies,” it is “hardly the only one” as “unsafe levels of lead have turned up in tap water in city after city.” While “Federal officials and many scientists agree that most of the nation’s 53,000 community water systems provide safe drinking water,” those case “are unsettling reminders of what experts say are holes in the safety net of rules and procedures intended to keep water not just lead-free, but free of all poisons.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/us/regulatory-gaps-leave-unsafe-lead-levels-in-water-nationwide.html?_r=0

Global Lawmakers Considering Taxes On Sweetened Foods And Soft Drinks.

reports that governmental officials around the world are considering taxes on sweetened foods, particularly soft drinks, to battle obesity. Opponents of the proposed taxes, including the International Council of Beverage Associations, assert that the levies do not provide health benefits, burden the economy, and unfairly target certain food products. France, Hungary, Mexico, and Scandinavian countries have already implemented sugar taxes and India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Great Britain officials are currently discussing the issue. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sugar-tax-drinks-idUSKCN0VH1D5

State Of Emergency Declared For Hawaii County For Dengue Fever Outbreak.

The AP (2/8) reports Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi issued a proclamation on Monday declaring a state of emergency for the island because of its ongoing dengue fever outbreak. The Hawaiian Department of Health said the outbreak has resulted in 251 confirmed cases across the island. Gov. David Ige (D) also addressed the outbreak in a news conference last week, stating that “there is a continuous conversation about it, as we proceed through an event and identify a course of action,” CBS News (2/8) reports on its website. Reuters (2/9) also covers the story. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hawaii-mayor-declares-state-of-emergency-to-address-dengue-fever-outbreak/

Severe Burn Injuries May Lead To Alterations In Bone Metabolism, Study Finds.

“Changes in bone turnover markers suggest that severe burn injuries lead to alterations in bone metabolism that can influence bone quality and structure,” the findings of a 32-patient study published online Jan. 20 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism suggest. In the study, investigators “found significant changes in all turnover markers and bone metabolism regulators.” The study authors concluded, “Ongoing changes of [bone turnover markers] and regulators of bone metabolism suggest alterations in bone metabolism with likely adverse influence on bone quality and structure in male patients with severe burn injuries.” http://www.healio.com/endocrinology/bone-mineral-metabolism/news/online/%7B84f35a01-c257-437c-b454-65bd7ac6730c%7D/severe-burn-injury-can-alter-bone-metabolism