Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
U.K. Ebola Survivor Critically Ill
The condition of a U.K. nurse hospitalized for complications of Ebola has worsened and she is now critically ill, London’s Royal Free Hospital said in a statement Wednesday.
Pauline Cafferkey was treated for Ebola infection after she returned from Sierra Leone last year. She recovered but suffered a relapse last week, the Associated Press reported.
There is growing evidence that Ebola survivors can suffer physical and mental health problems for years after they recover from the initial infection, experts say.
Thousands of Ebola survivors in West Africa are afflicted with health problems, the AP reported.
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Dole Recalls Bagged Spinach Salad
Bagged spinach salad is being recalled by Dole due to possible salmonella contamination.
The recall is for Dole Spinach coded A27409B and A27409A, with an “Enjoy By” date of October 15 and UPC 7143000976, the company said.
The bagged salad was distributed in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products, according to Dole.
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Blue Bell Ice Cream Listeria Outbreak Could Have Been Prevented: Former Workers
The listeria outbreak linked with Blue Bell Ice Cream could have been prevented if management responded to employee complaints about problems, according to two former workers at the company’s Texas factory.
The outbreak earlier this year made 10 people sick and killed three others, and the toll could have been higher if random testing by South Carolina health officials did not discover listeria at Blue Bell’s facility in that state, CBS News reported.
Following a nationwide recall, Blue Bell Ice Cream returned to store shelves in August.
Terry Schultz worked at the Texas Blue Bell factory for seven months before it was shut down due to listeria contamination. He said machines in the plant were old and would often malfunction, and also noted unsanitary conditions in the plant.
But when he approached supervisors about the problems, nothing was done because the company valued production over cleanliness, according to Schultz
“The response I got at one point was, is that all you’re going to do is come here and b**** every afternoon?” he told CBS News.
Gerald Bland, who worked at the Texas plant for five years, also cited problems in the facility and said management did little to correct them.
It was “all about the money,” he told CBS News.
“While we do not usually comment on matters involving current or former company employees, the isolated views expressed by two former Blue Bell employees on CBS News do not reflect the experience of the vast majority of our employees, who know we take the cleanliness of our facilities and the quality of our products very seriously,” Blue Bell said in a statement to CBS News.
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Hayden Panettiere Seeks Treatment for Postpartum Depression
Actress Hayden Panettiere has checked into a treatment center to get help for postpartum depression.
The 26-year-old star of “Nashville” gave birth to daughter Kaya in December 2014.
“Hayden Panettiere is voluntarily seeking professional help at a treatment center as she is currently battling postpartum depression,” her spokesperson told E! News, according to NBC News.
“She asks that the media respect her privacy during this time,” the spokesperson added.
Panettiere talked about her postpartum depression during an appearance last month on “Live! With Kelly and Michael.”
“It’s something a lot of women experience. When [you are told] about postpartum depression you think it’s ‘I feel negative feelings towards my child; I want to injure or hurt my child.’ I’ve never, ever had those feelings. Some women do,” Panettiere said, NBC News reported.
“But you don’t realize how broad of a spectrum you can really experience that on. It’s something that needs to be talked about. Women need to know that they’re not alone, and that it does heal,” Panettiere said.
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