From the Wire - June 28
Pediatricians Criticize Court’s Overturn of Handgun Ban
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Society for Adolescent Medicine released a joint statement June 26 harshly criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court decision that day to overturn a District of Columbia ban making it illegal to own handguns in the district. AAP President Renee Jenkins, M.D., called the decision “a tragedy for children, taking away a critical law needed to fight a public health threat that needlessly claims as many as eight young lives a day in America.” The ban also required shotgun and rifle owners to unload and disassemble them or to use trigger locks. Learn more …
How Does Salmonella Get Into Tomatoes?
It could be soaked up right through their lovely red skins, according to a June 23 Associated Press report. If tomatoes picked and shipped under warm conditions are plunged straight into cold water for cleaning, the temperature difference can make the fruit draw the water inside. And if that water’s contaminated with bacteria, that bacteria will end up inside as well. Learn more …
Can You Get Worms From Your Pet?
The CDC reported earlier this month that 14 percent of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara, internal roundworms contracted from dogs and cats. It is most common in young children and people under age 20, who become infected by accidentally ingesting Toxocara eggs in dirt, play areas or sandboxes contaminated with the feces of infected dogs or cats. Most infected people don’t notice any symptoms, but the infection can cause blindness and other serious illnesses. Learn more …