Nathan Seppa

Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)

All Stories by Nathan Seppa

  1. Health & Medicine

    Danes keeping drugs out of livestock

    Reducing the amount of antibiotics given to livestock in Denmark has lowered the amount of drug-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteria in the meat of these animals.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Indian encephalitis is traced to measles

    An outbreak of fatal encephalitis in India appears to have been caused by a strange form of rashless measles in a majority of the sick children tested.

  3. Health & Medicine

    New Australian virus infects people

    Australian scientists have identified a new virus, apparently spread by fruit bats, that causes birth defects in pigs and severe illness in some people exposed to infected pigs.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Venison can contain E. coli bacteria

    Escherichia coli, which causes severe diarrhea in people, may be widespread in deer, a finding that raises concerns about preparation of wild-game meats.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Weight-loss pill carries risks

    The drug ephedra and its presumed active ingredient, ephedrine, provide only modest weight-loss effects and pose health risks.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Microbicide thwarts AIDS virus in monkey test

    A microbicidal gel applied vaginally prevents some transmission of the AIDS virus in monkeys.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Progress Against Dementia: Drug slows Alzheimer’s in severely ill patients

    The drug memantine slows the progression of late-stage Alzheimer's disease in patients previously considered untreatable.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Prenatal marijuana exposure may pose health risks

    Rats that were exposed to a marijuana-related chemical while in the womb show more memory lapses and hyperactivity than unexposed rats do.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Molecule may protect against kidney damage

    People with a gene for the protein called apoE-IV are less likely to have the dangerous complication of kidney failure after a heart-bypass operation than are people who make other versions of the protein.

  10. Genetically Driven: Mutation shows up in binge eaters

    Overweight binge eaters are more likely to harbor a genetic mutation that disrupts brain signals governing satiety than are people of normal weight.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Plot thickens for blood pressure drugs

    A new study counters a recent report that diuretics taken for high blood pressure protect against heart problems better than newer, more expensive drugs.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Tough Nut Is Cracked: Antibody treatment stifles peanut reactions

    Researchers have successfully demonstrated the first preventive drug treatment against peanut allergy.

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