The announcement marks the fifth West Nile human case in the state this year. Three cases have been reported in Stanislaus County and one in Kern County. Twenty California counties have reported the virus in birds, mosquitoes and squirrels.

Last year in Fresno County, 13 human cases were reported, with one death; in the state, 112 human cases were reported, with four deaths.

“Mosquitoes infected with the West Nile virus can transmit the virus to humans while biting. Residents should take this disease seriously and protect themselves and their families from mosquito bites,” said Dr. Edward Moreno, Fresno County Department of Public Health director and county health officer.  “Residents should also contact their mosquito abatement district office for assistance in eliminating mosquito-breeding sources around their homes.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says West Nile is commonly found in Africa, west Asia and the Middle East. The virus can cause fever, headache, tiredness, aches, rashes and, in some cases, more serious afflictions such as convulsions, paralysis and coma.

The CDC says of 300,000 likely human cases since 1999, more than 1,150 victims died. It says fewer than 1% of people who get infected develop severe illnesses, while most do not develop any disease at all.

To reduce the risk of contracting the virus, Fresno County health officials urge residents to use insect repellent and to contact mosquito abatement districts to report poorly maintained swimming pools and other water bodies that can breed mosquitoes. County officials said there have been more than 3,000 neglected swimming pools reported locally since January. People also can report dead birds and dead tree squirrels to the state Department of Public Health.

For more information, call the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District at 800-821-1577 or visit the Fresno County Department of Public Health website. The California Department of Public Health can be found online or at 877-968-2473.

Starting in September, insurance plans will be required to pay the entire cost of recommended, preventive services.  That means that, without paying a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance, many Americans will be able to take the preventive steps needed to keep themselves and their families healthy.

The newly-launched HealthCare.gov not only provides information about the new rule for prevention and what services will be included, it also lets you compare hospital data and shows you a comprehensive list of the insurance options available to you, your family, or your small business.

And a little background on the importance of these new preventative care benefits.  Chronic conditions are impacting America’s men, women and children every day.  Nearly one-third of kids are overweight or obese, putting them at risk for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and 12% of children have not had a doctor’s visit in the past year. About 210,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will occur among women in the United States during 2010, and an estimated 40,000 women are expected to die from breast cancer this year. But the good news is that, as devastating as these illnesses can be, many of these conditions are preventable.   With expanded access to preventive services, individuals can get the information they need to make the health decisions that are right for them.  Preventing illness before it starts is key to keeping America healthy but it is also an important step in reducing health care costs.   Each year chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending.

To learn more visit HealthCare.gov.

Saxena’s wife 56-year-old Neeraj, also a diabetic, was also hospitalized for a week after drinking the lethal juice. 

AIIMS experts say bitter bottle gourd juice can be lethal. These  herbal remedies and vegetable juices can be very poisonous, especially when they taste unusually bitter.

The CSIR official  died shortly after following the popular remedy of drinking a glass of juice from lauki or bottle gourd and bitter gourd ( karela) to control diabetes.

The drink was bitter – and lethal – but the CSIR official ignored this, perhaps thinking the bitterness came from the karela . 

Saxena was initially taken to a CGHS dispensary and then to Rockland Hospital, but he was dead by then. 

His diabetic 56- yearold wife Neeraj, who also took the lauki ( also known as ghiya ) and karela juice has barely survived. She was in hospital for a week.

” No doctor told us to have vegetable juice. We were inspired by Baba Ramdev’s suggestions and his programmes on the television. I will never ever listen to his suggestions again,” said Neeraj, a resident of Nanakpura. 

Bottle gourd, cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melon can turn lethal if they taste bitter as they have Tetracyclic Triterpenoid Cucurbitacins compound which is highly toxic. The compound is responsible for bitterness in vegetables.

” Vegetables like bottle gourd, cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melon are considered one of the healthiest vegetables but they can turn lethal, if bitter. In botanical terms these belong to the cucurbitaceae family. Cucurbitacins are complex compounds found in plants belonging to the cucumber family,” explained Dr M P Sharma, head of the department, gastroenterology and internal medicine, Rockland hospital.

Ironically, though Saxena worked with a scientific body, he paid the price for ignoring an elementary rule – never treat yourself by watching television.

The incident took place on June 23 and the medical report on the CSIR official’s death – revealing bottle gourd poisoning as the cause of death – was finalised this week.

“Saxena was brought dead to us while Neeraj was in a bad condition. It was a case of bottle gourd poisoning. An endoscopy revealed that his stomach was profusely bleeding. The deceased had consumed 250 ml of the juice while his wife had consumed 150ml of the same juice,” said Dr Sharma of Rockland Hospital.

The diabetic couple started taking their daily dose of ‘lauki’ juice some four years ago, inspired by prescriptions doled out by a yoga guru on television. They would prepare a concoction of juice from ‘lauki’and ‘karela’ with black salt. It was a daily routine.

Things went horribly wrong on June 23. The drink was unusually bitter. Paying no attention to this, both drank the freshly-extracted juice. Soon after, they took ill.

” My husband was a diabetic patient for over 27 years and the juice actually controlled the disease. My diabetes was also on the border line. So, it ( the killer effect of the juice) was unexpected. Soon after drinking the fresh juice, he started vomiting blood. My condition was also the same but I had taken a smaller amount of the juice,” said Neeraj.

The incident has knocked the bottom off the popular belief that anything herbal or of plant origin is safe for humans.

Botanists say that higher levels of chemicals cucurbitacins are triggered by wide temperature swings, high temperature, too little water and low soil fertility.

Improper storage of vegetables are also one of the reasons of forming such compounds.

These toxins, Dr Sharma said, cause swelling in the liver, pancreas, gall bladder and kidney when absorbed into the blood.

” This in turn can lead to multiorgan dysfunction which can be fatal in some cases,” he said.

Research by the Departments of Medicine and Department of Anaesthesiology of the Himalayan Institute of Medical sciences at Dehradun assessed the effects of bitter bottle gourd.

” Drinking one or two glasses of fresh bottle gourd juice in the morning on an empty stomach is one such practice particularly in India. However, sometimes, such practice can become dangerous and life threatening,” the research said.

The research also said that severe toxicity occurs accidentally in patients who regularly consume large quantities of fresh bottle gourd juice as a health drink on the advice of naturopaths or ayurveda doctors.

A few years ago, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS) in association with AYUSH conducted a research on plants and vegetables that are reported to have cure a for diabetes.

” There weren’t any great minimising effects of these plants like gourd, neem and jamun even though some of them are known to bring down sugar levels. In fact, a few of these plants had no effect at all in controlling diabetes,” said Dr Anoop Mishra, the principal investigator of the research. 

Dr Mishra is also chairman, National Diabetes, Obesity, Cholesterol Foundation and director, and head of the Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Fortis Hospital. ” The patients should not follow these things as mainstream treatment of diabetes,” he said.

In another case, 66-year-old Bhateri Devi of Haryana has become the world’s oldest mother to give birth to triplets. Some experts fear Bhateri Devi could suffer the same fate as Rajo Devi. 

Both women received IVF treatment at the same controversial clinic in India after being unable to bear children throughout their married lives, which is regarded as a stigma in their culture.

Rajo Devi Lohan, who gave birth to her daughter Naveen in November 2008, is now confined to bed and so frail she cannot lift the little girl. 

But she has no regrets, saying: ‘I dreamed about having a child all my life. It does not matter to me that I am ill, because at least I lived long enough to become a mother.

‘The doctor never warned me it was dangerous to have a baby at my age. But I was healthy before, and now I am very sick.’ 

Rajo Devi, now 72, and her husband Balla, 73, are poverty- stricken farmers from Alwar in Haryana.  

After nearly 54 years of marriage they were desperate to have a child so took out loans to pay for the Rs 1,60,000 IVF treatment. 

They have no understanding of the risks of giving birth so late in life. Rajo Devi is now in such pain that her sister Omi, 60, has moved in to help look after Naveen. 

‘Omi brings Naveen to kiss me and I tell her I love her very much,’ she said. ‘Her first word was “Ma”. I was so happy to hear that.’

She also needed difficult surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Her body has not recovered from the two operations and she has to take daily painkillers. 

Rajo’s doctor Anurag Bishnoi denied her illness was linked to her pregnancy. 

‘Even though Rajo’s health is deteriorating, at least she will die in peace,’ he said. ‘She does not have to face the stigma of being barren.’ 

‘She had an ovarian cyst that was causing her problems but that has now been removed. The IVF treatment is completely safe. Rajo is an old woman and her life expectancy was only about five to seven years.’ 

He stoked controversy by announcing yesterday that triplets had been born to Bhateri Devi at his National Fertility Centre in Hisar, which is also in Haryana. 

After nearly 44 years as a childless wife, she gave birth to two dangerously underweight boys and a girl on May 29. The infants, who weighed 1.08 kg, 1.02 kg and 652 gm,  are in intensive care. 

Dr Bishnoi boasted that Mrs Devi’s government birth certificate proved she was born on May 21, 1944, making her 66. 

‘This is authentic and therefore she has become the oldest mother in the world to give birth to triplets,’ he said. 

‘She has become a mother for the first time and conceived only in our third attempt through IVF. 

‘For the first two attempts, only two embryos were transferred in each cycle. But in the third attempt three embryos were transferred in her uterus, resulting in the birth of three children by caesarean.’ 

Mrs Devi’s delighted husband Deva Singh, 64, brushed aside potential risks, saying: ‘She has fulfilledmy dream of having a child and gave my family an heir. 

‘She was my first wife and after she failed to conceive a child, I married twice but again I did not have any child from my other wives. I am very happy and I will provide all the best facilities to my children in the coming years.’ 

But a London-based fertility expert questioned the wisdom of helping such old women to give birth. 

‘Any woman over 70 putting their body through the rigours of birth is endangering themselves,’ he said. 

‘Older mums usually require caesareans, which is obviously dangerous for women, but especially older women who are also prone to blood clots, and complications, such as internal hemorrhaging.’

Rajo Devi Lohan suffered internal bleeding and her womb ruptured after the caesarean birth, but she ignored doctors’ orders to rest in bed and instead squatted down every day to milk the family buffalo.

12 TIPS TO CUT CALORIES

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿਚ ਵੱਡੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਵਿਚ ਬੱਚੇ ਖੂਨ ਦੀ ਕਮੀ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਗਿਣਤੀ 90 ਫੀਸਦੀ ਬਣਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ ਰਾਜਿੰਦਰਾ ਹਸਪਤਾਲ ਅਤੇ ਮੈਡੀਕਲ ਕਾਲਜ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਡੇਢ ਸਾਲ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਇਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਸਰਵੇਖਣ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ। ਇਹ ਜੋ ਅੰਕੜੇ ਹਨ, ਉਹ ਕਾਫੀ ਚਿੰਤਾਜਨਕ ਹਨ, ਜਿਹਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜੇਕਰ 90 ਫੀਸਦੀ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ‘ਚ ਖੂਨ ਦੀ ਕਮੀ ਪਾਈ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਅਸਰ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ‘ਤੇ ਵੀ ਪੈ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਚਹੁੰ-ਪੱਖੀ ਵਿਕਾਸ ‘ਤੇ ਵੀ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਕਮਜ਼ੋਰ ਸਿਹਤ ਵਾਲਾ ਬੱਚਾ ਨਾ ਤਾਂ ਚੰਗੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਪੜ੍ਹਾਈ ਕਰ ਸਕੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੀ ਪੂਰੀ ਤਾਕਤ ਨਾਲ ਖੇਡਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਭਾਗ ਲੈ ਸਕੇਗਾ। ਇਸ ਕਾਰਨ ਸਾਡੇ ਸੂਬੇ ਦੀ ਨਵੀਂ ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀ ਦੇ ਸੰਪੂਰਨ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਉਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਨ ਚਿੰਨ ਲੱਗਦੇ ਹਨ।ਮਾਹਿਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਹ ਸਿਹਤ ਸਮੱਸਿਆਵਾਂ ਇਸ ਲਈ ਪੈਦਾ ਹੋ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਸਾਡੀਆਂ ਰਹਿਣ-ਸਹਿਣ ਦੀਆਂ ਰੁਚੀਆਂ ਵਿਚ ਭਾਰੀ ਬਦਲਾਅ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਬੱਚੇ ਅੱਜਕਲ੍ਹ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਜੰਕ ਫੂਡ ਦਾ ਇਸਤੇਮਾਲ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਸਬਜ਼ੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਦਾਲਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਪਰਹੇਜ਼ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਫਲਾਂ, ਹਰੀਆਂ ਸਬਜ਼ੀਆਂ, ਦੁਧ ਨੂੰ ਘੱਟ ਤਰਜੀਹ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਜਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਬਾਜ਼ਾਰੀ ਵਸਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਕੁਆਲਟੀ ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਮਾੜੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਚੰਗੀਆਂ ਕੰਪਨੀਆਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਚੀਜ਼ਾਂ ਘਰੇਲੂ ਬਣਾਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਵਸਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰ ਪਾਉਂਦੀਆਂ। ਲੇਕਿਨ ਇਸਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਬੱਚੇ ਜੰਕ ਫੂਡ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਜ਼ਾਰੂ ਵਸਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਤਰਜੀਹ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਇਸ ਦੇ ਲਈ ਸਿਰਫ ਬੱਚੇ ਹੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹਨ, ਇਸਦੇ ਲਈ ਅਸੀਂ ਖੁਦ ਵੀ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰ ਹਾਂ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਅਸੀਂ ਖੁਦ ਵੀ ਇਸ ਫੈਸ਼ਨ ਦਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਬਣ ਗਏ ਹਾਂ। ਬੱਚੇ ਜੋ ਮੰਗਦੇ ਹਨ ਉਹ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮੁਹੱਈਆ ਕਰਵਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਜਦੋਂ ਮਾਪੇ ਬਾਜ਼ਾਰ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਤਾਂ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਚਿਪਸ, ਬਰਗਰ, ਟਾਫੀਆਂ, ਚਾਕਲੇਟ, ਨੂਡਲਜ਼, ਪੀਜ਼ਾ ਆਦਿ ਖਰੀਦ ਲਿਆਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੌਲੀ ਹੌਲੀ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਚਸਕਾ ਪੈ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਕਾਰਨ ਖੂਨ ਦੀ ਕਮੀ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਮੋਟਾਪੇ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ।ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਵਿਚ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਲਿਆਉਣਾ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਘਰ ਵਿਚ ਅਨੁਸ਼ਾਸਨ ਲਿਆਉਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਪੌਸ਼ਟਿਕ ਭੋਜਨ ਖਾਣ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਕੁਝ ਕਦਮ ਚੁੱਕਣੇ ਚਾਹੀਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹਸਪਤਾਲਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਅਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਦਵਾਈਆਂ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਕਿ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਦੀ ਹਿਫਾਜ਼ਤ ਹੋ ਸਕੇ। ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਗੱਲ ਲਈ ਜਾਗਰੂਕ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਆਪਣੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਇਸ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਸੰਭਾਲ ਕਰਨ, ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਕਿ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਚਿੰਤਾਵਾਂ ਖਤਮ ਹੋਣ। ਜੇਕਰ ਬੱਚੇ ਹੀ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਨਾ ਹੋਣਗੇ ਤਾਂ ਉਹ ਕੀ ਆਪਣਾ ਭਵਿੱਖ ਬਣਾ ਸਕਣਗੇ ਅਤੇ ਕੀ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦਾ ਸੰਵਾਰ ਸਕਣਗੇ।

ਗਰਭਵਤੀ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਡਾਕਟਰ ਆਮ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੈਣ ਦੀ ਸਲਾਹ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ, ਪਰ ਹਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਏ ਇਸ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਦਾ ਮੰਨਣਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਰੋਜ਼ ਖਾਣ ਨਾਲ ਗਰਭਅਵਸਥਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਫਾਇਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਤੋਂ ਇਹ ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਿਆ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਰੋਜ਼ ਖਾਣ ਨਾਲ ਬੱਚੇ ਦਾ ਘੱਟ ਵਜਨ ਨਾਲ ਜਨਮ ਦਾ ਖਤਰਾ ਘੱਟ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

‘ਬ੍ਰਿਟਿਸ਼ ਜਨਰਲ ਆਫ ਨਿਊਟ੍ਰੀਸ਼ਨ’ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ਿਤ ਇਸ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੰਦਨ ਮੈਟ੍ਰੋਪੋਲਿਸ ਯੁਨਿਵਰਸਿਟੀ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਮਰਟਨ ਯੁਨਿਵਰਸਿਟੀ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸੰਧਾਨੀਆਂ ਨੇ 400 ਔਰਤਾਂ ਤੇ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਕੀਤਾ।

ਗਰਭਅਵਸਥਾ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤੀ 12 ਹਫ਼ਤਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਅਨੁਸੰਧਾਨ ਚੋਂ ਗੁਜ਼ਰ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਦੇਣਾ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ 19 ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ, ਲੋਹੇ ਸਮੇਤ ਖਣਿਜ, ਫੋਲਿਕ ਐਸਿਡ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਡੀ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਸੀ। ਬਾਕੀ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਕਲੀ ਸਟਾਰਚ ਦੀਆਂ ਗੋਲੀਆਂ ਦਿੱਤੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ।

ND

ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਅਨੁਸੰਧਾਨੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਪਾਇਆ ਕਿ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਗਰਭਵਤੀ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੇ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਲਿਆ ਸੀ, ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੋਹੇ, ਫੋਲੇਟ, ਥਿਆਮਿਨ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਡੀ ਦਾ ਉੱਚ ਪੱਧਰ ਸੀ।

ਖਾਸ ਗੱਲ ਇਹ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਔਰਤਾਂ ਨੇ ਮਲਟੀ-ਵਿਟਾਮਿਨ ਲਏ ਸਨ, ਆਮ ਤੌਰ ‘ਤੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਵਜਨ ਘੱਟ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ।

(lally batth)

WASHINGTON — Ingredients used by Johnson & Johnson in some of the 40 varieties of children’s cold medicines recalled last week were contaminated with bacteria, according to a report by the Food and Drug Administration.

Agency officials said Tuesday none of the company’s finished products tested positive for the contaminants, though such testing is not definitive.

“We think the risk to consumers at this point is remote,” said Deborah Autor, director of FDA’s drug compliance office, on a call with reporters.

The FDA report, which was posted online, lists more than 20 manufacturing problems found at the McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington, Pa., where the formulas were made. The recalled products include children and infant formulations of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.

FDA inspectors visited the plant in mid-April and wrapped up their inspection Friday. J&J issued its “voluntary” recall later that night.

Among other problems, FDA inspectors said the company did not have laboratory facilities to test drug ingredients and failed to follow up on customer complaints.

J&J did not investigate more than 46 complaints received in the last year about “black or dark specks” in Tylenol products, according to the FDA’s report.

Additionally, inspectors found some pieces of equipment covered with thick layers of dust, while others were held together with duct tape.

In a statement Tuesday, J&J called the problems cited by the FDA “unacceptable to us, and not indicative of how McNeil Consumer Healthcare intends to operate.” The health conglomerate, which is based in New Brunswick, N.J., said production at the plant won’t resume until the problems have been fixed.

The FDA reiterated that serious medical problems with the products are unlikely, but advised consumers to stop using the medicine as a precaution. Parents are instructed to use generic alternatives instead.

J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit has said some of the recalled medicines may have a higher concentration of the active ingredient than listed on the bottle. Others may contain particles, while still others may contain inactive ingredients that do not meet testing requirements.

FDA leadership told reporters Tuesday that they first met with J&J in February to discuss manufacturing problems identified in a warning letter about another J&J plant. The agency decided to step up inspections of the company’s facilities based on those problems.

“That warning letter brought us to the point where we thought it was necessary to sit down with management and discuss our concerns,” Autor said.

FDA officials said they are considering taking additional action against J&J, ranging from issuing more warning letters to pursuing criminal action.

Last week’s sweeping recall, which involved products sold in the U.S. and 11 other countries, is the latest quality issue to taint J&J’s over-the-counter medicine franchise. In January, the company recalled a line of adult Tylenol pain relievers due to complaints of a moldy smell associated with wooden pallets used to transport the drugs.