Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - It was certainly a nightmare for the passengers of the Celebrity Mercury this past week as over 400 people became ill, causing the ship to be held in port for cleaning.

There were over 400 passengers, as well as many members of the crew of the Celebrity Mercury who became sick during the voyage due to an outbreak of a virus onboard. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - According to a new trial, stents are as good as surgery when it comes to their ability to unclog carotid arteries.

The trial was conducted for a period of 9 years and is known as the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy vs. Stenting Trial or CREST. Continue Reading

Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - According to a new report released this week, nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. died from infections that they caught while in hospitals in the year 2006.

The study was reported this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, and was put together thanks to research supported by Resources for the Future. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - President Barack Obama and his administration have made the decision to put an end to a long-running program which had the USDA tracking livestock.

The USDA has worked for years now to track cattle, pigs, and other animals. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put out a new report which focuses on the status of the H1N1 swine flu in the U.S., and the number of Americans who have received the vaccine.

The CDC has put out estimates in regards to the status of the H1N1 swine flu virus in the U.S., and they are rather frightening. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - This week kicks off what is known as National Influenza Vaccination Week, and aims to raise awareness about the importance of receiving the flu vaccine.

National Influenza Vaccination Week is put on by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue Reading

Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - The rate of growth in regards to health care spending in the U.S. hit a record low for the year 2008.

A report was released this week by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services looking into the rate of growth of health care in 2008. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - The United States will once again allow people who are HIV positive to enter the country after a ban was put in place, sparking a great deal of criticism from the rest of the world.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention together announced the lifting of the ban today, opening the United States up once again to HIV positive foreigners. Continue Reading

Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - Researchers have managed to figure out the origin of a cancer that has been killing off the Tasmanian devil population.

Researchers from the Australian National University have managed to figure out where the deadly cancer begins. Continue Reading

Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - As was predicted a few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a swine flu pandemic, the first flu pandemic to be reported in the last 41 years.

Experts could see this announcement coming from a mile away due to a recent surge in cases both in the countries of Australia and in Canada. Continue Reading