Minerva

Can you catch breast cancer from your dog? Compared with controls, significantly more patients with breast cancer own dogs than cats (Medical Hypotheses 2006;67: 21-6). Even more striking, more than twice the number of patients compared with controls had kept dogs throughout the past 10 years. The nature of breast cancer in dogs and cats also seems to support the role of a zoonotic factor in the development of breast cancer because dogs have a protracted course of disease, similar to human breast cancer, whereas the disease is very short in cats.

Despite implementing a successful vaccine programme against chickenpox, with 99% coverage, the United States still reports mild outbreaks of varicella. Studies indicate that a two dose vaccine is significantly more effective than the one dose vaccine. At present, a second dose is recommended only for at risk communities during outbreaks. The authors think this is not enough and that it is time for a routine two dose vaccination (Pediatrics 2006;117: 1070-7).

The Association of British Hujaj (pilgrims) UK welcomes the Saudi Ministry of Health's recommendation that all prospective pilgrims be vaccinated and protected against infectious diseases such as yellow fever, meningitis, polio, and …