Health Highlights: May 20, 2014

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

Denge Fever Causes Concern as Brazil Hosts World Cup

A dengue fever epidemic in Brazil has public health officials concerned that some of the millions of soccer fans who come to see the World Cup will carry the disease back home with them.

Brazil, which had about 1.4 million cases of dengue fever last year, will host the World Cup from June 12 to July 13. The event will be held in a dozen cities throughout the country.

A team of scientists concluded that the dengue threat would be highest for tourists visiting the cities of Natal, Fortaleza and Recife, all located on the northeastern coast, The New York Times reported.

The researchers said that Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador and Manaus were “medium risk” cities, and that the remainder of cities hosting the World Cup were low risk.

The fear is that some visitors could carry the virus that causes dengue fever back home, where it could spread if they are bitten by mosquitoes belonging to the genus Aedes, The Times reported.

The study was published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

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E. Coli Spurs 1.8 Million-Pound Beef Recall

Possible E. coli contamination has triggered the recall of 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products produced by Wolverine Packing Company of Detroit, federal officials say.

The recalled meat, which was distributed to restaurants in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio, has been linked to 11 cases of E. coli, USA Today reported.

The products were produced from March 31 to April 18 and have the establishment number “EST. 2574B” on them, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The first E. coli illness came to the USDA’s attention on May 12, and the agency worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to link the problem to Wolverine Packing Company, USA Today reported.

None of the recalled ground beef products were sent to the National School Lunch Program, the Department of Defense, or were made available through online and catalog sales, USDA said.

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