Coffee drinkers might soon reconsider splurging on 460-calorie Java Chip Frappuccino at Starbucks.

Beginning next week, the coffee giant will post calorie counts on their menu boards, getting ahead of the federal menu-labeling requirements that will go into effect later this year.

The company’s decision follows its recent smoking ban within 25 feet of stores. These moves demonstrate Starbucks commitment to becoming a health-conscious leader in the food and beverage industry.

It seems as if the change will be a win-win for customers, according to two departments. The Stanford Graduate School of Business found that when calorie information was posted, consumers ordered items with 6 percent fewer calories.

“We are encouraged by the findings highlighted in the Stanford study that show posting calories can have a positive impact on an individual's daily caloric intake,” Starbucks spokeswoman Linda Mills said.

Additionally, market research firm NPD Group found that consumers spent 20 cents less on average per purchase.

So, what does this mean? Restaurants with calorie counts posted on their menu boards may be selling healthier choices to their customers, but may also be losing money in lieu of the change.

Four new cases of pertussis have been reported at four different school sites in the county, officials from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) announced Friday.

HHSA officials say these recent cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, bring the total to 66 cases in the county so far in 2013.

Last year, there were 165 cases reported for all of 2012. In 2010, health officials say a record 1,144 cases of pertussis were reported in San Diego County.

“We are seeing far fewer cases here than we did in 2010, but these ill students are a reminder that whooping cough has not gone away,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., county public health officer.

Among the new pertussis cases reported this week is an 8-year-old student who was up-to-date on immunizations and attends Rancho De La Nacion School in National City. Another new case involves a 14-year-old unimmunized student that attends Correia Middle School near Point Loma.

A 15-year-old who was immunized and attends San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas also has pertussis, as well as a 17-year-old who was up-to-date on immunizations and attends Patrick Henry High School near the San Carlos and Del Cerro area.

Although health officials say infants under one year old are especially vulnerable to whooping cough, anyone can get the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children should get doses of the DtaP vaccine at the ages of two months, four months, six months, 15 to 18 months and four to six years. The CDC also recommends that preteens and adults get a Tdap booster shot.

Health officials say pertussis symptoms include a cough and runny rose for one or two weeks, followed by weeks to months of rapid coughing fits that sometimes end with a whooping sound. A mild fever may also arise.

The disease is treatable with antibiotics.

For more information about whooping cough and local vaccination clinics, visit this website or call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866) 358-2966.

Advocates for breast cancer patients are ecstatic about the Supreme Court ruling that ended a patent on genetic screening tests for a breast cancer gene.

Now San Diego company Pathway Genomics is preparing to offer a more affordable test to patients.

Angelina Jolie tested positive for a genetic mutation that makes breast and ovarian cancer extremely likely. And after the Supreme Court ruled that DNA tests for those mutations cannot be patented, testing will get cheaper.

That's good news for cancer victim advocates who worry about women who are uninsured.

“These tests, these lifesaving tests will be much more affordable for all of us regardless of how much money is in your pocket.” said Laura Farmer Sherman from the Susan G. Komen chapter in San Diego.

The company Myriad Genetics held the patent for testing on what's called the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, and charged anywhere between $3,000-7,000.

After the Supreme Court ruling, local company Pathway Genomics announced that it will offer tests on those genes, and others will likely follow.

“It will result in other laboratories that have the capability of Pathway to offer these tests at a substantially lower price point,” said Jim Plante, the Pathway Genomics Founder and CEO.

Pathway Genomics would not say how much it will charge but promises it will be much less than $3,000.

With an estimated 40,000 people expected to die of breast cancer this year, Pathway Genomics hopes the effects of cheaper genetic testing will be profound.

“It could potentially save tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lives, said Plante.

San Diego’s Life Technologies Corp. has launched a series of tests developed with Harvard University researchers that gauge whether stem cells are able to perform in a lab setting and transform into other kinds of cells.

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This comes three months after the partnership between the university and San Diego’s largest biotech was announced. As more and more scientists begin using stem cells in their research, they are looking for ways to make the process more efficient and inexpensive, the company said.

The test, called the TaqMan hPSC Scorecard, will be offered with cloud-based software for rapid data analysis and data sharing among researchers, the company said.

“The rapid advancements in stem cell research over the last few years have created a need for more effective and standardized methods for characterizing pluripotent cells,” said Alex Meissner, lead researcher in the project at Harvard University, in a statement. “Today, the field of genomics is helping to meet that demand through development of novel approaches that can help deliver the promise of stem cells.”

Indeed, the global stem cell characterization field is considered a growing segment in the $1 billion stem cell research tools market, according to a recent report from Arlington-based life sciences market research firm Bioinformatics LLC. The segment is currently valued at about $30 million a year.

The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.

Three squirrels from two local campgrounds have tested positive for plague, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health said Wednesday.

According to environmental health officials, two plague-positive squirrels were trapped in a routine monitoring at Cedar Grove Campground near Palomar Mountain. The third was trapped at nearby Doane Valley campground.

Officials say it is not unusual to find plague in local mountains. Plague is mainly a disease carried by wild rodents, though it can spread to people through fleas that feed on the blood of an infected rodent and then bite humans.

Last month, a different squirrel captured at Cedar Grove Campground tested positive for plague, making that the first case of plague found locally this year.

With these latest plague-positive squirrels, that number has gone up.

Health officials say hikers and campers should avoid coming into contact with squirrels or their fleas.
Campers should set up their tents away from squirrel burrows and avoid feeding or playing with squirrels.

Those who visit local mountains should always be aware of posted "Plague Warning" signs and follow precautions.

There have been no locally acquired human cases of plague reported in San Diego County. If you become ill within one week of visiting a known plague area, officials say you should immediately contact a doctor. Symptoms include sudden fever, chills and tender, swollen lymph nodes.

For more information about plague surveillance, visit the Vector Control Program website.

Ed.Note: The county originally identified Laguna El Prado Campground east of Alpine as one of the locations affected. Officials later corrected that information. We have updated the article to reflect the correct information.
 

It’s no secret that high heels are painful -- but you can lengthen the time you wear them by watching the clock.

A study by the Britain’s College of Podiatry found that it takes most women one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds of wearing uncomfortable shoes to feel pain, according to reports.

The survey of 2,000 women and men found that more than 40 percent of women and 12 percent of men said they prefer to wear ill-fitting shoes for fashion.

“Any shoes with a heel higher than two inches are a concern,” College of Podiatry consultant podiatrist Mike O'Neill told the U.K. Daily Mail. He advised that women wear platforms or wedges instead for the extra height.

That advice may fall on deaf ears for younger women, who are more likely to own a pair of six-inch heels. About 20 percent of women between the ages of 18 to 24 own at least a pair of the mentioned sky-high heels compared to only three percent of women between the ages of 35 to 44 who do.

For women who wear heels on their night out, about 28 percent admitted to walking back home barefooted at the end of their evening.

The study also reported that women own 17 pairs of shoes while men only own eight on average.

A 19-year-old went into a coma and nearly died after he drank more than a quart of soy sauce, a case study published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine on June 4 said.

The teen reportedly drank the condiment after he was dared by his friends. According to the doctors in Virginia who conducted emergency treatment, the teen is is the first person known to have deliberately overdosed on such a high amount of salt and survived, with no lasting neurological problems.

After he drank the soy sauce, the man began having seizures and was rushed to the ER. Once there, doctors administered anti-seizure medication, but the man was already in a coma. After the medical staff flushed his system of soy sauce, they replaced it with a water and sugar dextrose solution.

"He didn't respond to any of the stimuli that we gave him," Dr. David J. Carlberg, who treated the victim, told LiveScience.com. "He had some clonus, which is just elevated reflexes. It's a sign that basically the nervous system wasn't working very well."

After five hours of treatment, the man's sodium levels returned to normal. Three days later he woke from his coma. A month after the accident, he returned to college and showed no effects of the accident.

San Diego County's health officials say because of the delay in symptoms from hepatitis A, we could be seeing just the beginning of an outbreak connected to a frozen berries package sold at Costco.

The berries were packaged as Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend.

There are at least 49 victims in seven states including eight cases here in San Diego County.

Read: Local Hepatitis A Cases Linked to Frozen Berry Product

Encinitas resident Geoff Soza, who loved to include the berries in his breakfast, is one of the locals affected.

His wife told NBC 7 San Diego her husband almost underwent a surgery he didn't need because it was so tough for doctors to diagnose his illness.

“It's a violent injury. You wouldn't wish it on anybody,” Rita Soza said.

Soza says it was her husband's regular breakfast of yogurt and these berries that caused him to become seriously ill on their anniversary trip to Yellowstone National Park.

"We never would have associated the berries with his condition in a million years,” Soza said.

She was able to take just one picture of him on the trip before things took a bad turn.

“He didn't want to have anything to deal with food. This general discomfort was worsening. He started to get hot to the touch,” she explained.

Rita says her husband was rushed to the hospital. After tests, doctors determined something was wrong with his gall bladder but just as he was getting ready to go into surgery, they learned the operation was impossible because of Soza's elevated liver enzymes.

"The surgeon rushes in and says I can't operate on this man,” she recalls.

After more tests, doctors realized Soza had Hepatitis A.

They were able to later determine he was a part of an outbreak linked to the Townsend Farm berries sold at Costco stores.

Fred Gordon represents another San Diegan who also came down with Hepatitis A. She's suingTownsend Farms.

"The filing of suits like this enhance the future of food safety of all the foods in the United States,” Gordon said.

Rita says she's not sure if they will also take legal action. Though Geoff is recovering, she says that is still her main priority.

“Right now we're only concerned with Geoff getting well,” she said.

It can take up to six weeks from the time you were exposed to the time you come down with the illness.

Hepatitis A can be spread by the ingestion of a microscopic amount of fecal matter from an infected person, typically a food worker who hasn't washed their hands.

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and jaundice -- a yellowing of the skin or eyes. There is no specific treatment.

The Centers for Disease Control said the recalled berries included products from Argentina, Turkey and Chile, in addition to the United States.

But the packaging convinced the Sozas the fruit was all-American because it bears the slogans "Grower. Processor. Distributor." and "Field to Farm to Family, since 1906."

"It was our distinct impression that these are raised under U.S. standards, especially organic food standards," Rita Soza said.

Family members of a UCSD Hospital patient who died after walking away from the facility say they want an apology.

Thomas Vera was found dead in Palm Canyon, less than a mile from the medical center, five days after his disappearance.

His wife Sylvia, daughter, Christine, and son Antonio searched for Vera. At times they were within 50 feet of where the body was found.

“I knew he was alive and I know he heard me,” Antonio said.

The Vera family blames the hospital for allowing the 58-year-old suffering severe head and neck injuries as well as disillusions, to leave the facility last Monday.

They question whether the staffers took his disappearance seriously and say as a result Thomas was not found in time.

“I thought he would be in a safe place and there was people there taking care of him,” Vera’s wife Sylvia told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview.

The Vera family has spent the last week since his death, confused. Still not getting the answers to how and why Thomas had to die

“We're all angry and sad,” Vera’s son Antonio said.

The family said Vera survived five days at the bottom of Palm Canyon. That the time of death was likely just hours before he body was found last Friday.

“He died scared. He died in fear,” Antonio said.

Vera suffered severe neck and head injuries when he fell down steps while taking out the garbage.

At the time of Vera's disappearance, he was not thinking straight they said. Twice before, Vera tried to leave the hospital. He had to be tethered to an electronic alarm.

“They could have stopped him. They could have stopped him,” Sylvia said

Early on the hospital offered it's condolences but turned down and on camera interview.

Spokesperson Jacqueline Carr responded this way to questions.

"This is a rare occurrence. No additional cases have been reported in the last year. Until the investigation is complete we are not prepared to provide any additional comments,” Carr said.

The family is not satisfied.

“They went on with their job. They went on with their lives but I stayed up there late nights just thinking of my husband” Sylvia said.

What they want, won't bring back their loved one but will bring peace of mind. What they want is an apology.

“They knew that they did wrong. Everybody who’s ever paid attention to the story knows they did wrong,” Antonio said.

Hospitals are required to report such instances to the California Department of Public Health. The CDPH said Vera was the second walkaway at that facility in the last two years.

If a hospital is found at fault in such instances, it could face administrative penalties which can affect licensing and cost the facility thousands of dollars in fines.

A total of eight cases of hepatitis A in San Diego have been linked to a brand of frozen berries sold at Costco stores, local health officials said Wednesday.

The local cases -- which have risen from two to eight since this past weekend -- are part of a seven-state hepatitis A outbreak associated with at least 49 cases of the infection. At least 12 of those cases have been reported in other California counties.

Health officials say the hepatitis A outbreak is tied to consumers who ate Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries sold at Costco stores. The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers to not eat the product.

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) says all eight individuals in San Diego with hepatitis A reported eating the frozen berry blend purchased from Costco.

Six of the infected individuals were hospitalized and fully recovered, HHSA officials said Wednesday. Two more local cases are currently under investigation.

The outbreak, which was first reported Friday, is being investigated by multiple agencies including the HHSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal Food and Drug Administration, and the California Department of Public Health.

The CDC says the infected individuals in this outbreak range in age from 2 to 71 years old, and 60 percent are women. The onset of most of the illnesses was reported between Apr. 29 and May 24.

On Tuesday, Oregon-based Townsend Farms, Inc. announced it was voluntarily recalling certain lots of its frozen Organic Antioxidant Blend as a precaution due to product’s potential hepatitis A contamination.

According to the company, the product was sold at Costco stores in a three-pound bag under UPC 0 78414 404448.

The recalled codes, found on the back of the package with the words “BEST BY,” include all codes from T012415 sequentially through T053115, followed by a letter. Find more photos of the berry product label below or by clicking here.

The product was also sold at Harris Teeter stores from Apr. 19 to May 7 under the product name Harris Teeter Organic Antioxidant Berry Blend, UPC 0 72036 70463 4. The lot codes and “BEST BY” codes included in the recall are T041613E, T041613C and 101614.

According to the recall, one of the ingredients of the berry blend – pomegranate seeds processed in Turkey – may be linked to the hepatitis A outbreak in the United States.

Health officials expect additional cases of hepatitis A to be reported in coming days and weeks because it can take up to seven weeks to become ill after exposure to the virus.

“If you ate the recalled frozen berry blend within the past two weeks, talk to your health care provider about getting immunizations to prevent the illness,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., county public health officer on Wednesday. “Anyone who ate the product should be aware of the symptoms of hepatitis A and seek medical attention early if they appear.”

Health officials say symptoms of hepatitis A include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdomen pain, dark urine and jaundice. Anyone with those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

HHSA officials say the hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin can prevent infection if given within 14 days of exposure.

The HHSA says hepatitis A varies in severity. Mild cases can last two weeks, while more severe cases can lead to hospitalization. The virus is spread from person to person, or through contaminated food or beverages. For more information on hepatitis A, visit the CDC’s website.

Anyone who ate the recalled berry blend and has questions about possible exposure to hepatitis A can check for information at the county HHSA website.

Consumers who purchased the product should discard it immediately. Testing is still being conducted on the product and the outbreak remains under investigation.

As for consumers, those with questions regarding the product recall can contact Townsend Farms Customer Service, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at (800) 875-5291 or via email at townsendfarms5148@stericycle.com.

NBC 7 reached out to Costco on Wednesday and a representative confirmed that Costco will offer free hepatitis A vaccinations to customers at their in-store pharmacies beginning Thursday. If customers choose to go elsewhere for the vaccination, Costco will reimburse customers for the cost of the vaccine, the spokesperson said.

A big victory came in federal court today for 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan, a dying girl in need of a lung transplant.

This afternoon, Judge Michael Baylson granted the Murnaghan family's request for a temporary restraining order, telling the Secretary of Health and Human Services to cease application of the "Under 12" rule when it comes to Sarah.

The 10-year-old Newtown Square, Pa. girl has been hospitalized at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia for three months with end-stage cystic fibrosis.

Video shows Sarah celebrating from her hospital bed, waving her hands in the air, after hearing the news about judge's decision.

The temporary restraining order will last for 10 days. A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for June 14.

"For us, this means that for the next 10 days, Sarah’s placement in the queue for adult lungs will be based on the severity of her illness, and she will not be penalized for her age," the Murnaghan family said in a statement. "We are experiencing many emotions: relief, happiness, gratitude and, for the first time in months: hope."

Earlier today, Sarah's parents filed the emergency motion, in an effort to prevent Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius from enforcing a policy that prevents children under the age of 12 from getting a lung transplant from an adult donor until after adults in need.

“We will not stand by and let Sarah die and we have filed in federal court for an immediate injunction to do what Secretary Sebelius will not: give Sarah and other children in her position a fair chance at life," said Janet Murnaghan, Sarah's mother.

Yesterday, Secretary Sebelius spoke about Sarah's case before a congressional committee, saying she can't intervene in transplant decisions.

Sebelius says those decisions should be made by medical experts and mentioned there are three other children at Children's Hospital who are just as sick.

The judge said in court today that he would consider a temporary restraining order for any other child in similar circumstances in the same judicial district, who bring their case to court.

Meatless Mondays will begin next fall for San Diego Unified elementary schools.

The school board approved a proposal Tuesday night officially removing meat from cafeteria menus one day a week.

The vote affects all San Diego Unified elementary and K-8 schools.

Trustee Scott Barnett disagreed with the blanket policy, especially for poorer students who depend on well-rounded nutrition at school.

“I cannot support this resolution. We need to do more analysis, more study. How are our kids going to be impacted by this?” he asked.

Barnett was clearly outnumbered on the board and in the room. The decision elicited cheers from an audience full of "Meatless Monday" devotees.

The non-vegetarians in the room were disappointed.

“I think they should still be able to choose meat on each day,” said opponent Heather Kinney.

Instead of meals offering meat, Monday’s menus should focus on plant-based foods instead. Some suggested menu ideas are vegetable lasagna, baked potatoes, grilled vegetable paninis or tofu and vegetable stir fry.

The Meatless Mondays campaign began 10 years ago with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and has been adopted at a number of schools nationwide.

The idea behind the campaign is to help Americans cut 15% of their weekly saturated fat intake. Because the primary source of saturated fats are meats and dairy, the Monday Campaign suggests going “meatless” just one day a week to achieve that goal.

The school district says 28-percent of San Diego children are obese or overweight.

Larry Hansen, M.D. a professor at he UCSD School of Medicine told the board he sees the ravages of diseases first-hand.

Hansen said he could only think of 5 reasons to support the campaign, "Heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes and obesity all of which are linked to eating too much meat."

The proposal has stirred up a lot of discussion on the NBC 7 Facebook page.

Share your opinion by following NBC 7 on Facebook.

The San Diego Unified School District is considering the addition of a "meatless Monday" to its cafeteria menus.

If approved, the proposal would offer Meatless Mondays menus throughout the district’s elementary and K-8 schools beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

The initiative that began 10 years ago with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has been adopted at a number of schools nationwide.

The idea behind the campaign is to help Americans cut 15% of their weekly saturated fat intake. Because the primary source of saturated fats are meats and dairy, the Monday Campaign suggests going “meatless” just one day a week to achieve that goal.

The organization released survey results in October 2012 that suggested asking participants to reduce meat intake one day a week resulted in 73-percent saying they eat more vegetables and 64-percent eating more fruits.

Organizers say eliminating meat doesn’t automatically make your diet healthier. It’s still important to eat the right balance of healthy foods and to limit your intake of unhealthy foods.

Some suggested menu ideas are vegetable lasagna, baked potatoes, grilled vegetable paninis or tofu and vegetable stir fry.

The proposal has stirred up a lot of discussion on the NBC 7 Facebook page.

Amanda Jane House Organ asked, "Why not balance the entire menu served instead of imposing a vegetarian day?"

Mike McHugh of El Cajon writes, ""Keep the Meat If my kid has this thrown down their throat they will take bag lunchs [sic] on Mondays."

Kindergarten teacher Whitney Dean posted, "I work in a school and it is not the lunch served in our cafeteria that makes students overweight. It is the choices made outside of the classroom and we unfortunately have no control. All we can do as teachers is set a good example and hope it soaks in."

Military recruiter Eric Riederer agreed that the issue of overweight children begins off school campuses. Riederer posted this comment: "Meatless Mondays will help kids loose [sic] weight!? That's absurd! Not letting them drink soda or have McDonald's everyday will help them loose weight. Them actually going outside and being active instead of being glued to the Xbox will help them loose weight. Instead of blaming the education system or the food that is served, lets take a deep look at parenting!"

San Diego mother Katy Addy Lopez added this, "I mentioned it to my daughter and she cringed."

Share your opinion by following NBC 7 on Facebook.

Two cases of hepatitis A in San Diego have been linked to a brand of frozen berries sold at Costco stores, local health officials said.

The local cases are part of a five-state hepatitis A outbreak associated with at least 30 cases. As of Friday night, six of those cases were reported in California.

The outbreak is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Food and Drug Administration, and the California Department of Public Health.

Health officials believe the hepatitis A cases may be tied to consumers who ate Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries sold at Costco stores. The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat the product.

The local residents with hepatitis A both reported eating the berry blend, HHSA officials said.

HHSA officials say the number of cases in San Diego County and other affected states may increase because it can take up to 30 days to become ill with hepatitis A after being exposed to the virus.

“If you ate Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berries within the past two weeks and you have never been vaccinated for hepatitis A or had the disease, you should contact your health care provider to discuss hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin,” said deputy county public health officer Eric McDonald, M.D.

McDonald said those who have purchased the frozen berry product should discard it immediately.

The HHSA says Costco has removed the product from shelves, but a formal recall has not yet been issued. The FDA is conducting more tests on the product for traces of the hepatitis A virus.

Health officials say symptoms of hepatitis A include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdomen pain, dark urine and jaundice. Anyone with those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

The HHSA says hepatitis A varies in severity. Mild cases can last two weeks, while more severe cases can lead to hospitalization. The virus is spread from person to person, or through contaminated food or beverages.

For more information on hepatitis A, visit the CDC’s website.
 

A San Diego State University biology researcher discovered immunity defense in an unlikely place: Mucus.

Jeremy Barr, 27, and his research team found that mucus is home to a powerful immune system that could change the way doctors treat a number of diseases. The researchers believe that it protects humans and animals from infection.

How it works: Bacteriophage, a bacteria-infecting virus, is housed inside protective layers of mucus. The body then uses bacteriophage to protect itself from infection when it adheres itself to the mucus layer, providing immunity called Bacteriophage Adhesion to Mucus (BAM). Sounds gross, but Barr says it’s a big win for the science community.

“This discovery not only proposes a new immune system but also demonstrates the first symbiotic relationship between phage and animals,” Barr said in a statement. “It will have a significant impact across numerous fields.”


Rendering courtesy of Jeremy Barr

So BAM has always been there, we just didn’t know about it until now. Barr and his team sampled mucus from animals and humans, which found that bacteriophage adheres to the mucus layer on all of them. He’s calling it a “new model of immunity which emphasizes the important role bacteriophage play in protecting the body from invading pathogens.”

To confirm BAM existed, the team also tested life forms that didn’t have bacteriophage. Turns out without BAM, cells had three times the amount of death.  

“The research could be applied to any mucosal surface,” Barr said. “We envision BAM influencing the prevention and treatment of mucosal infections seen in the gut and lungs, having applications for phage therapy and even directly interacting with the human immune system.”

Barr’s research was recently published in the May Early Edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Starting in July, Barr will become an assistant research professor of biology at SDSU and the grant for this research team was made possible by the National Institutes of Health.

A chickenpox outbreak has been reported at a school in Carlsbad, officials from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) announced Wednesday.

The HHSA says five kindergartners – two 5-year-olds and three 6-year-olds -- and one adult at Aviara Oaks Elementary School in the Carlsbad Unified School District have been diagnosed with chickenpox (varicella).

According to HHSA officials, one of the diagnosed children had received the chickenpox vaccine, but the other four kids and adult were not immunized.

Students and faculty have been notified about the outbreak. Students and staff at the neighboring Aviara Oaks Middle School, which is located on the same campus and shares some facilities, have also been notified.

Health officials urge parents to vaccinate their children, and say chickenpox is preventable with the right immunizations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of the varicella vaccine per person.

Children should be vaccinated with the first dose at the age of 12 to 15 months, and the second dose at ages 4 to 6.

So far in 2013, health officials say there have been eight cases of chickenpox reported in San Diego County. Chickenpox is not reportable to the County Public Health Department unless it occurs in an outbreak, such as this outbreak in Carlsbad, or results in hospitalization or death.

The HHSA says chickenpox is a highly contagious disease that is easily spread by coughing, sneezing or coming in contact with chickenpox blisters.

Symptoms include a skin rash of blister-like lesions covering the body, usually more concentrated on the face, scalp and trunk. Most of those infected with chickenpox experience fever before or when the rash appears. Typically, the illness lasts about five to 10 days.

For more information about chickenpox and vaccinations, call the HHSA at (866) 358-2966 or visit this website.
 

The family of Angelina Jolie's late aunt Debbie Martin, who succumbed to breast cancer Sunday, is mourning her as "the glue that held the family together," less than two weeks after Jolie herself underwent a preventive double mastectomy.

The family of Debbie Martin spoke exclusively to NBC 7 San Diego and talked about the impact she had in her life — and likely the impact she will have in her death.

Debbie Martin had a long battle with cancer and was diagnosed in 2004. She died in Escondido, Calif. on Sunday morning  after nearly 10 years battling the deadly disease.

“She was my best friend,” said her son Chris Martin. “The most beautiful woman I knew. I would talk to her every day.”

Debbie Martin, 61, was the younger sister of Jolie’s mother, whose own death from ovarian cancer in 2007 inspired the surgery Jolie had — a double mastectomy that reduced her chances of getting breast cancer from 87 to 5 percent.

“She was the glue that held the family together,” said Debbie’s husband Ron.

Ron said Debbie had the same defective BRCA one gene that Jolie had, but she didn't know it until after her cancer diagnosis in 2004. He encourages people who may have the gene to get screened, as it could be lifesaving.

“Since Angelina came out with her news about her double mastectomy, Debbie and I reflected that has we known before she got breast cancer if we had the same information from the BRCA test, which we didn't have at that time,” he said. “We would have done exactly the same thing. It would have saved her life.”

More than a dozen AED systems will be available to San Diego police officers in the field thanks to a grant from a local philanthropic organization.

Las Patronas donated $20,000 for the purchase of 15 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDS) to be placed in the trunks of field sergeant patrol cars.

San Diego Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Project Heartbeat and San Diego Police Department Operational Support Unit worked together to secure the grant.

Las Patronas distributes funds raised at its annual Jewel Ball. The organization’s 67th annual event will be held August 3, 2013, at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.