Swans, smuggled wildlife top bird flu fears

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A deadly bird flu virus will most likely slip into the United States through a pretty package: either majestic swans flying across the Bering Strait into Alaska or from smuggled exotic wildlife at one of the nation's ports.

Study: Chocolate may boost brain power

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Chocolate lovers rejoice. A new study hints that eating milk chocolate may boost brain function.

Research group: School buses expose students to pollution

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Most states aren't doing enough to protect children from the diesel exhaust many of them inhale while riding or waiting for school buses, an environmental advocacy group said in a report Wednesday.

'Healthy' foods can be pitfall for dieters

ALBANY, New York (AP) -- On a mission to whip herself into shape, Kate Kowalczyk tossed out the junk food and stocked up on her idea of good-for-you staples including yogurt and low-fat cookies.

Six-organ transplant for baby girl

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Doctors in Spain have carried out a six-organ transplant on an 18-month-old girl who was born with cancer, a Madrid hospital said.

Kids and TV: Parents don't follow experts' advice

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One mother stopped watching "ER" reruns when her preschooler tried to give her little brother CPR. Another mom laughed that her 15-month-old sang the McDonald's jingle -- "ba, ba, boppa, ba" -- every time they drove past the golden arches.

Study finds no marijuana-lung cancer link

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Marijuana smoking does not increase a person's risk of developing lung cancer, according to the findings of a new study at the University of California Los Angeles that surprised even the researchers.

Study: Video games can help cut surgical errors

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A new study suggests that people preparing for surgery ask their doctor: "Have you played your video games today?"

WHO: No plans to raise bird flu alert

JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) -- Limited human-to-human transmission of bird flu might have occurred in an Indonesian family and health experts are tracing anyone who might have had contact with them, the World Health Organisation said.

WHO: 'Worrying' bird flu cluster in humans

(CNN) -- The World Health Organization says a cluster of bird flu cases in Indonesia may have been caused by human-to-human transmission.

U.S. lab to monitor for bird flu arrival

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Inside an Agriculture Department building known as C-3, four young chickens strut nervously in their cage. They are part of the government's network of defense against deadly bird flu.

Study: Americans fail to get preventive healthcare

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Many Americans are failing to get the preventive medical care that could help them live longer, healthier lives, according to a new study.

New bird flu vaccine easier to apply to poultry

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A bird flu vaccine piggybacked onto a widely used vaccine against another bird virus could be a quick and easy way to protect poultry against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, researchers said on Monday.

Hospital giving patients the silent treatment

NEW YORK (AP) -- The sound echoed throughout Montefiore Medical Center, like somebody pounding dozens of nails around the clock.

First generic version of Lexapro approved by FDA

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The first generic version of Lexapro, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants, with more than $2 billion in sales last year, received federal approval Monday.

Study backs high-dose flu vaccines for elderly

CHICAGO, Illnois (Reuters) -- Elderly people, whose immune responses typically weaken with age, can be safely protected against common influenza with doses of vaccine that are up to four times stronger than usual, researchers said Monday.

Doctors test device to zap asthmatic airways

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a radical experiment, doctors are snaking wires inside the lungs of asthma patients to essentially burn off some of the tissue that blocks their ability to breathe.

Study: Obesity raises risk of breast cancers

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Women who gain weight as adults face a higher lifetime risk of all types of breast cancer, researchers reported Monday.

Child cancer survivors face employment troubles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- People who survived cancer as children were twice as likely to be unemployed than those without a history of childhood cancer, Dutch researchers reported on Monday.

Lifting 'the curse'

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- For young women with a world of choices, even that monthly curse, the menstrual period, is optional.