Health Highlights: May 17, 2019

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

LED Blue Light Poses Eye, Sleep Risks: Report

The blue light in LED lighting used in many consumer products may harm your sleep and pose a risk to your eyes, a new report warns.

Specifically, there is new evidence that this type of light can disturb biological and sleep rhythms and damage the eye’s retina, according to the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety.

Products with LEDs that produce blue light include the newest flashlights, car headlights and some toys, CNN reported.

The maximum limit on short-term exposure to blue light should be reduced, only low-risk LED devices should be available to consumers, and the luminosity of car headlights should be reduced, the French agency recommended.

It also said that eye protection provided by “anti-blue light” screens, filters and sunglasses varies, and there is no proof that those help preserve sleep rhythms, CNN reported.

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Undeclared Soy in Some Salads, Wraps Sold at Whole Foods Markets

Certain salads, wraps and salad bar trays sold at two Whole Foods Markets 365 in Texas and at Whole Foods Markets in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas have been recalled because they contain undeclared soy, which could put people who are allergic to soy at risk for serious or life-threatening allergic reactions.

Mayonnaise containing soy was used in these products, but the packaging did not declare the presence of soy, according to GHSW, the Houston-based wholesaler that distributes the recalled produce.

The company said Thursday that the recalled products were labeled as Whole Foods Market or Whole Foods Market 365.

No reports of illnesses or injury have been received to date, according to GHSW. It said that consumers with soy concerns should throw out the recalled products or return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

For more information, call 1-888-449-9386.

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Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Backyard Poultry: CDC

Backyard flocks of live poultry have been linked with salmonella outbreaks that have sickened 52 people in 21 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Five people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Children younger than 5 account for about one-fourth of the cases of illness.

People who got sick reported getting chicks and ducklings from places such as agricultural stores, websites and hatcheries. People can get sick from salmonella by touching live poultry or their environment. Birds that carry the bacteria can appear healthy and clean, the CDC said.

You should always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in their environment. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not immediately available.

Never let live poultry in your home, the agency said. Have a pair of shoes that you use only when taking care of poultry and keep those shoes outside of your home.

Don’t eat or drink where poultry live or roam. Don’t kiss backyard poultry, or touch your face or mouth after handling them. Cleaning equipment or materials used to raise or care for poultry, such as cages, or feed or water containers, should be done outdoors.

Children younger than 5, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems shouldn’t handle or touch chicks, ducklings or other poultry.

Symptoms of salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

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Bill Banning Abortion at 8 Weeks Passed by Missouri Senate

A bill banning abortion at eight weeks of pregnancy was passed by Missouri’s Republican-led Senate hours after Alabama’s governor signed a near-total abortion ban into law.

A number of GOP-dominated state legislatures have passed laws restricting abortions in the hope that a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court could overturn its landmark ruling legalizing abortion, the Associated Press reported.

The Missouri bill includes exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Doctors who violate the law would face five to 15 years in prison. Women who have abortions wouldn’t be prosecuted.

The bill requires approval in the GOP-led House before it can go to Republican Gov. Mike Parson, who expressed support for an earlier version Wednesday, the AP reported.

The Alabama law is the most restrictive in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

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