| Autumn
2004 • Volume XIII, Number 4
Just The Facts...
 Beagle
“Patent” Revoked
U.S. Patent # 6444872, which applied to beagle dogs intended for
use in experiments, was cancelled after the PatentWatch Project
of the Center for Technology Assessment filed a legal challenge
urging the government to reexamine its position. The patent covered
various methods used to induce a fatal lung infection in beagles,
as well as pigs, sheep, monkeys, and chimpanzees.
Oh Boy, Fish Milk!
 Canadian
dairy company Neilson has concocted Dairy Oh! ™, a milk product
containing omega-3 fatty acids like the kind found in fish. Selected
Ontario dairy cows are fed “a unique diet containing DHA,”
which allows it to be “incorporated naturally as part of the
milk fat,” say company representatives. Safer sources of omega-3s
can be found in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, flax seeds,
beans, and nuts.
Dicey KFC Ads Get the Ax
KFC Corp. settled U.S. Federal Trade Commission charges that it
made false claims in its advertisements suggesting that fried chicken
is healthy or a better choice than fast-food hamburgers. The company
has pulled ads suggesting health or weight-loss benefits from any
of the food it sells.
 Obesity
Costs Us—Big Time
Disability claims related to obesity have increased tenfold over
the past decade, according to UnumProvident, one of the nation’s
largest disability insurance providers. People who file obesity-related
claims have significantly higher medical costs, averaging more than
$51,000 per claimant each year.
Super Salmonella
 The
number of drugs available to treat salmonella bacteria continues
to dwindle, according to researchers who recently isolated a Taiwan
strain resistant to all known antimicrobial medications, including
ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. Salmonella are usually transmitted
to humans via animal feces spread from animal products (beef, poultry,
milk, eggs).
Chiu CH, Su LH, Chu C, et al. Isolation of Salmonella
enterica serotype choleraesuis resistant to ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin.
Lancet 2004;363:1285-6.
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