The four drugs affected by the order — Amgen Inc.’s Enbrel, Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade, Abbott Laboratories’ Humira, and UCB SA’s Cimzia — have been tied to over 240 cases of a fungal infection called histoplasmosis reported to the FDA. In the reported cases, nearly 20 percent of the infected patients died.

The four affected drugs are part of a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor alpha blockers, which act to suppress the immune system and are used in the treatment of several conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis.

According to an FDA spokesman, the new warnings must be upgraded to highlight existing warnings of fungal infections and strongly warn doctors to take occurrence of histoplasmosis and other fungal infections into account when prescribing these medications. The drug manufacturers are required to submit labeling changes within 30 days.

Histoplasmosis is caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, which is endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. The condition generally causes flu-like symptoms, but can spread beyond the respiratory system to cause potentially fatal problems in other organs of the body.

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The accident at 15th Street and Imperial Avenue occurred around noon at a three-story building currently undergoing construction and surrounded by scaffolding intended to protect passersby from construction debris. Witnesses said the scaffolding began moving back and forth in an unstable fashion before collapsing to the sidewalk. No construction workers were injured in the incident, though two minors are reportedly listed among the injured along with several residents of a nearby homeless shelter.

A spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department stated that the victims were transported to two area hospitals, Mercy Hospital and UCSD Medical Center, by nine ambulances. The 16 victims range in age from 16 to 64, though most are in their mid-40s and mid-50s. The critically injured victims of the accident include two women, ages 57 and 60, as well as a 50-year-old man.

The general contractor for the site was given as Carlsbad-based Allgire General Contractors. Causes for the accident are still unknown; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident to determine what factors led to the scaffold’s collapse.

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The U.S. District Court jury found that the demolition of an unoccupied two-story wooden building he owned at 27794 Mission Blvd. in Hayward was illegal due to Azizi’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Clean Air Act, including failing to properly notify the Air District, failing to wet the asbestos-containing material, failing to keep the material in leak-tight containers, and failing to dispose of the asbestos-containing material at a properly authorized location.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney sentenced Azizi to serve 10 months in prison, to be followed by a two-year period of supervised release. Azizi faced a maximum possible federal prison sentence of fifteen years, along with potential fines of up to $750,000 plus restitution. Each felony violation of the Clean Air Act carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution.

Azizi is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on December 1, 2008. He is currently free on his own recognizance.

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In a statement, the Board said the suit will be filed under the federal Clean Water Act and will reinforce a suit brought in 2007 by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Arc Ecology, and San Francisco Baykeeper to halt the discharge of toxic heavy metals into Suisun Bay by a fleet of 57 obsolete vessels anchored there. Spokesmen for the three organizations hailed the Board’s decision to file suit and expressed hope that the additional pressure brought by the Board’s action would speed the resolution of the issue.

According to a 2007 federal report, 40 vessels within the mothballed fleet have discharged approximately 19 tons of the heavy metals into Suisun Bay waters in violation of the Clean Air Act. A Board spokesman said the decision to file the suit came after over eighteen months of collaborating with the Maritime Administration to assess the fleet’s polluting effects and to dispose of the fleet without further contamination.

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According to a press release issued by Morristown, New Jersey-based Actavis Totowa, the pharmacy/retail level recall which includes wholesalers and hospitals was issued due to operations at their Little Falls manufacturing facility failing to meet either the FDA’s or Actavis Totowa’s own standards for good manufacturing practices. Because the recall does not extend to the consumer level, patients who are currently taking any of the recalled drugs are encouraged to consult with their doctors about their options before discontinuing use of their medications.

The recall covers about 65 different prescription drugs manufactured by the company, including various painkillers, antidepressant drugs, diet medications, and drugs for treatment of blood pressure and hypertension. The company emphasized in its released statement that the recall was not issued as the result of any product complaints or health hazards related to any of the recalled products.

A major recall of Actavis Totowa’s Digitek brand of digoxin tablets was issued in April of this year after it was discovered that tablets were being produced at twice the dosage listed on product packaging.

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The University of Aberdeen study published last week collected data on 580 women with unexplained infertility problems who were randomly selected to receive the fertility pill clomifene citrate, intrauterine insemination treatment (IUI), or no treatment at all save counseling on the need to have regular sexual intercourse. After the study’s conclusion, researchers concluded that the differences between the numbers of live births resulting from each method were not statistically significant and that neither the clomifene nor IUI treatments demonstrated any notable advantage.

Prof Siladitya Bhattacharya, who led the research, was quoted as saying that money spent on clomifene, IUI, and other ineffective fertility treatments should be redirected towards in vitro fertilization (IVF) and similar treatments which have demonstrated quantifiable advantages. The five centers around Scotland where the study was conducted have already stopped offering clomifene and IUI to couples with unexplained fertility issues.

Clomifene causes side effects in 10 to 20 percent of women who take the drug, including abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, hot flashes, and headaches, and increases chances of multiple births.

Infertility affects about one in seven couple trying to reproduce.

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Truck driver Stanley P. Chesney, 47, suffered abrasions to his left arm and leg in the accident and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) workers were called in to round up the escaped birds and clear the road. While eyewitnesses reported many chickens were killed in the wreck, an exact number has not been released; the surviving birds were taken to the Erie County SPCA in the town of Tonawanda for medical evaluations. An SPCA spokesman reported that says the trucking company, Ontario Inc. of Walkerton, Ontario, Canada will be liable for the costs of the checkups.

The ramp to the 190 northbound was closed to traffic for nearly two hours during cleanup of the accident. The cause of the wreck has not yet been determined, though officials on the scene noted that early indications pointed to unsafe speed or lane change as likely factors, as Chesney reportedly said he was distracted while attempting to change lanes before losing control.

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The study of traffic statistics and gas prices during the period ranging from 1985 to 2006 theorized that as fuel costs rise, more people drive slowly in order to converse fuel consumption and choose not to drive unless it is necessary, resulting in fewer drivers on American roadways and fewer motor vehicle accidents. Morrisey and Grabowski’s data analysis found that for each 10% increase in average U.S. gas prices, the number of traffic fatalities among all drivers fell by 2.5% and the number of auto accident deaths among drives aged 15-17 fell by 6%.

Morrisey also noted that as fuel costs are now over 60% higher on average than in 2006, the most expensive year covered by the study, he expects that the number of deaths resulting from auto accidents may fall by as much as 1000 per month from 2006 numbers.

Morrisey and Grabowski’s study was presented at a meeting of the American Society of Health Economists in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Automobile accidents in the United States result in over 40,000 deaths annually.

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The board panelists, selected by Maryland Labor and Industry Commissioner Ron DeJuliis, were charged with examining state rules governing crane operator certification and making recommendations to enhance crane safety for both workers and the public. Among the new proposals unanimously recommended by the advisory board are requirements specifying that crane operators, riggers, and signalers obtain training equivalent to a nationally recognized certification program; that crane in use must be inspected daily; that a master rigger be on site during assembly or dismantling of any crane; and that drug and alcohol testing be administered to crane employees within 24 hours of serious or fatal accidents.

The Maryland General Assembly’s Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review Committee must sign off on the proposed rules before they take effect; House of Delegates Speaker Michael E. Busch was quoted as saying he expects the Committee will likely approve the proposals.

Assuming a speedy approval process, the new regulations could take effect within three months. If all recommendations are adopted, Maryland would be the first U.S. state to set training standards for riggers and signalers.

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The 510 O’Brien Academy students will instead spend the 2008-2009 school year attending Philip Schuyler Elementary School, which is being used as “swing space” for students whose schools are undergoing renovation.

The problem at the Albany, New York school was first found July 9 when workers renovating the magnet school removed a window and uncovered a previously unknown asbestos ceiling. Superintendent Dr. Eva Joseph stated that no students or faculty members were ever exposed to the asbestos, and that maintaining safety at the school was the first priority. Air samples taken at the school reportedly showed no signs of elevated asbestos levels.

Absestos was formerly used in construction materials of many types before the ill effects of asbestos exposure became widely known. Aging school buildings can be particularly problematic, as aging facilities may expose and release degrading asbestos materials and children are especially susceptible to contracting asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

According to federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) guidelines, all schools must create and maintain asbestos management plans which include the locations of any asbestos within a structure, along with details of measures taken to prevent exposure.

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