Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Possible TB Scare on Passenger Jet
Health responders briefly kept about 70 passengers on an airliner after it landed in Phoenix, Ariz. Saturday and removed a man who was asked to put on a medical mask. Some of the passengers said they were advised to get tuberculosis tests and vaccinations.
An airline official said they were notified after the U.S. Airways Express flight left Austin, Texas that a passenger's status had been changed to "no-fly" because of an undisclosed medical condition, the Associated Press reported.
There was no immediate confirmation that the passenger had an infectious disease, federal and Maricopa County health officials said.
Tuberculosis is a potentially fatal respiratory disease that is spread through the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the AP reported.
-----
Journal Retracts Study Linking Gene-Modified Corn and Tumors in Rats
A controversial study linking genetically modified corn to tumor growth and increased risk of death in rats has been retracted by the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.
The study made headlines worldwide after it was published in the Sept. 19, 2012 issue of the journal. It said that rats were more likely to develop large tumors and die early after eating Monsanto's genetically modified corn, whether or not it was treated with a weed killer, CBS News reported.
The study is being retracted due to concerns with the research methodology, according to journal published Elsevier, which added that there is no evidence of fraud or intentional misrepresentation.
"This retraction comes after a thorough and time-consuming analysis of the published article and the data it reports, along with an investigation into the peer-review behind the article," Elsevier said in a news release, CBS News reported.
"Ultimately, the results presented (while not incorrect) are inconclusive, and therefore do not reach the threshold of publication for Food and Chemical Toxicology," Elsevier said.
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
