Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA articles from April 2003

Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA archives from April 2003

CDC study finds colorectal cancer screening rates remain low.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Although scientific evidence shows that more than one-third of deaths from colorectal cancer could be avoided if people aged 50 and older were screened regularly, American's screening rates remain low,...

Novel molecular conjugates aid signal amplification for immunodiagnostic assays.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The conjugation of multiple horseradish peroxidase molecules to immunoglobulin via primary amines on lysine peptide chains provided novel molecular conjugates for signal amplification. According to...

BvgA and RNA polymerase alpha subunit bind to different faces of DNA.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The response regulator BvgA and RNA polymerase alpha subunit C-terminal domain bind simultaneously to different faces of the same segment of promoter DNA. "Examination of the binding of...

Reliable serum selenium levels in the U.S. population reported.(Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey )(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Reliable serum selenium levels in the U.S. population have been released. "The published literature on serum selenium levels in the US population describes studies on small samples that may not be...

Analytical laboratory plays key role in parathion contamination investigation.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the analytical laboratory played a key role in the investigation into a parathion contamination investigation in Ohio. According to recent research from the United States, "In 1994...

Action taken by FDA to mandate bar codes on human drug products and blood.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As manufacturers face intense pressure to help reduce the number of medical errors, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a proposed rule to mandate bar codes on all human drug and...

FDA warns of bacteria-tainted fake drug.(counterfeit Procrit)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hospitals and pharmacies may have unknowingly bought a counterfeit version of the antianemia drug Procrit - and the useless product also is contaminated with bacteria, the government warned March 11,...

Study shows drug-resistant germs are on the rise.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Drug-resistant germs are on the rise in the United States, and experts predict a sharp jump in the strains of a dangerous form of strep that can overcome two common antibiotics. By the summer of...

WHO issues a global alert.(SARS risks)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Since mid-February, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been actively working to confirm reports of outbreaks of a severe form of pneumonia in Viet Nam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region...

Once weekly risedronate increases bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Once weekly therapy with risedronate increased bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. "Risedronate 5 mg daily is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat postmenopausal...

Researchers call for better studies on environmental links.(International Summit on Breast Cancer and the Environment)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A much broader net needs to be cast in the search for environmental links to breast cancer, concludes a new report that stems from a landmark gathering last year of researchers, public health officials,...

Behavior changes could sharply cut cancer death rates.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stepped-up efforts to help people quit smoking, lose weight, and change other unhealthy behaviors could lead to a 29% decline in U.S. cancer death rates by 2015, according to a report issued by the...

Antinausea drug will likely get approval in U.S.(Emend)(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Merck and Co.'s experimental treatment for preventing nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients won key support from a group of government advisers, meaning the drug will likely be approved for sale...

Evidence links ephedra with risk of heart, psychiatric, gastrointestinal disorders.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A comprehensive evaluation of scientific reports has found that there is not sufficient evidence to support the use of the dietary supplement ephedra to enhance athletic performance, or promote...

FDA proposes labeling and manufacturing standards for all dietary supplements.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken action to help consumers get accurately labeled and unadulterated dietary supplements by proposing a new regulation to require current good...

New therapies for critical illness will need economic justification.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New therapies for the treatment of critical illness will need economic justification. "The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of drotrecogin alfa (activated) and the potential of several...

HPLC validation requirements of the FDA, USP, and ICH.(U.S. Food and Drug Administration)(U.S. Pharmacopoeia)(International Conference on Harmonization)(high-performance liquid chromatography )
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The differences and similarities between the validation requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, and the International Conference on Harmonization are explained in...

MERIFLUOR direct fluorescent-antibody test best for Giardia and Cryptosporidium.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study comparing three diagnostic tests for Giardia and Cryptosporidium organisms found that the MERIFLUOR direct fluorescent-antibody test detected the most cases. "There is an increasing demand...

PCR assays to detect human granulocytic ehrlichiosis organism compared.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A comparison study was conducted among PCR assays designed to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative organism of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis. According to a study from the United...

FDA issues follow-up statement on unapproved long-acting Guaifenesin.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adams Laboratories, Inc., commented on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) follow-up statement to the agency's October 2002 warning letter for manufacturers and distributors of unapproved...

Lessons learned from data gaps in parathion contamination case improve protocols.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lessons learned from gaps in the data collected after indoor contamination of methyl parathion have led to improvements in protocols for subsequent data collection. According to a study from the...

Young children at highest risk from methyl parathion exposure.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An assessment of human exposure and the resulting human health effects after indoor application of methyl parathion in Lorain County, Ohio has recently been reported. "In January 1995 the U.S....

New bioterror regulations could disrupt food imports, legal group claims.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new set of regulations proposed in February by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aimed at combating bioterrorism could pose significant risks and penalties for domestic and foreign food...

Integrating genomics into U.S. public health discussed.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Methods of integrating genomics into US public health are discussed in a recent report. According to a study from the United States, "This paper presents an overview of how the US government is...

Reporting requirements for HIV/AIDS reviewed.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The reporting requirements for HIV/AIDS are covered in a review recently published. Researchers from the United States have published a review of "the HIV/AIDS reporting system, including the legal...

New CDC guidelines on HIV counseling and testing published.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on HIV counseling and testing for the general population and pregnant women have been released. According to a study from...

Recipients at risk for false positive test results.(HIV preventive vaccine subjects)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Several HIV vaccine candidates cause a high rate of false positive test results, researchers in the United States warn. "Since 1987, more than 10,000...

Serology ineffective as predictor of infecting serovar in leptospirosis.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Serologic analysis is ineffective as a predictor of the infecting serovar in patients with severe leptospirosis. "The diagnosis of leptospirosis is often made using the microscopic agglutination...

FDA grants priority review for Velcade.(treatment for multiple myeloma)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MLNM) has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted for review and granted Priority Review designation of the company's New Drug Application...

CDC: Spike in India's polio cases prompts vaccination rally.(Brief Article)
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of polio cases in India last year rose six-fold from 2001, U.S. health officials say. In 2002, 1,556 cases of wild polio virus were found in India, up from only 268 cases a year earlier,...

Echovirus 11 genogroup D viruses can spread rapidly.
April 6, 2003... 2003 APR 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sequence analysis of the enterovirus echovirus 11 genogroup D indicated that the virus can spread rapidly over a wide geographic area. According to a study from the United States, "Echovirus 11...

Iron plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine best for anemia in children with malaria.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and iron was most effective for treating anemia in children with malaria. According to recent research from the United States and...

High viral infectivity is likely reason for rabies deaths from uncommon bats.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- High viral infectivity is the likely reason for rabies deaths from insectivorous bats that are rarely encountered. "Most human rabies deaths in the United States can be attributed to unrecognized...

FDA approves first drug in new class.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the accelerated approval of Fuzeon (enfuvirtide) for use in combination with other anti-HIV medications to treat advanced HIV-1 infection in...

FDA reports cases of allergic contact dermatitis from topical doxepin.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The Food and Drug Administration's postmarketing surveillance experience indicated that allergic reactions to 5% doxepin cream can occur if used beyond the recommended time period. According to a...

Vaccine containing outer-surface protein A protects against Lyme disease.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS, senior medical writer - Long waits in doctors' offices are an obstacle to universal pediatric influenza vaccination, according to a report published in the Archives of...

First revised guidelines issued since 1994.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The American Thoracic Society (ATS), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Infectious Diseases Society of American (IDSA) have released the first completely revised...

FDA grants accelerated approval to Fuzeon.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche and Trimeris, Inc., (TRMS) announced that Fuzeon (enfuvirtide), a novel treatment for HIV-1, has been granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following a...

CDC says 22 in U.S. may have SARS.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. government increased to 22 the number of people in America suspected of having the mysterious flu-like illness that has sickened hundreds in Asia. The suspected cases of those made ill by...

Mystery flu-like illness linked to Hong Kong hotel.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The global spread of the mysterious flu-like illness that has killed 10 people appears to have started with a guest in a tourist hotel in Hong Kong. Hong Kong health officials said that other...

Scientists find mystery illness virus, verify diagnostic test.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists are perfecting a test to diagnose a newly discovered virus believed to be responsible for the mystery illness that has sickened hundreds of people worldwide. The World Health...

Overweight more common in urban than in rural adolescent Egyptian schoolgirls.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Urban adolescent girls were more likely to be overweight than were girls in rural areas in Egypt. According to a study from Egypt and the United States, "Overweight and obesity prevalence among...

Review on cefditoren, a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, published.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A researcher has described a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, cefditoren, which is effective against a variety of microorganisms. According to recent research from the United States, "Cefditoren...

A case series of ziprasidone-associated mania reviewed.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers have encountered four cases of ziprasidone-associated mania in patients with bipolar disorder. According to recent research from the United States, "Atypical antipsychotics are now...

Unpublished data from U.S. Food and Drug Administration useful for meta-analysis.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Unpublished data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is useful for inclusion into meta-analyses if held to the same standards as published data. "The goals of this systematic review and...

New England Journal of Medicine takes notice of unusual outbreak.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- It's not often that "pinkeye" makes national news. But last winter, an unusual number of Dartmouth students came down with conjunctivitis, or pinkeye, and federal health officials and media both took...

Female condom effective as barrier to semen during intercourse.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The female condom was effective as barrier to semen during intercourse for women trained to use it. "In 1996-1998, the authors measured prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in vaginal fluid to assess...

Infection control practices not followed in clinical laboratories in Pakistan.(Brief Article)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Most clinical laboratories in Pakistan do not follow standard infection control practices. According to recent research from the United States and Pakistan, "Clinical laboratories in Karachi,...

Arsenic exposure increases risk of diabetes in Taiwan.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An epidemiological study conducted in Taiwan indicates that arsenic exposure increases the risk of developing diabetes. "There is evidence indicating that ingestion of arsenic may predispose...

"Body in the morgue" approach taken with cancer hazard identification program.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A "body in the morgue" approach was taken toward primary prevention and precaution in hazard identification in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) National Toxicology...

Near-infrared spectroscopy utilized to detect insect fragments in wheat flour.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Near-infrared spectroscopy was employed to detect insect fragments in wheat flour, but was not sensitive enough to detect the fragments at the FDA action level. "Insect fragments in commercial...

U.S. cases reportedly decline by nearly 6%.(Tuberculosis )(Brief Article)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the United States last year dropped by nearly 6% to an all-time low, federal officials say. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said...

U.S. food supply said vulnerable.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Congressional auditors say the U.S. food supply is vulnerable to terrorist attacks partly because the government cannot ensure the security of processing plants. The General Accounting Office...

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease found in HIV-infected patient.(Brief Article)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease was found in a patient infected with HIV. According to a study from France, "We relate the autopsy findings of a case of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease which...

"Partially effective" AIDS vaccine may be beneficial.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Even a "partially effective" AIDS vaccine may offer considerable benefits in combating the disease. According to a study from the United States, "A safe, effective, and affordable vaccine remains...

WHO creates a new classification of hematopoietic and lymphatic neoplasms.(Brief Article)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- WHO creates a new classification of hematopoietic and lymphatic neoplasms. According to recent research from the United States, "The new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of...

Nebraska outbreak called country's largest.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An outbreak of hepatitis C at a Fremont, Nebraska, clinic is the largest in the country involving this strain and possibly in the world, an official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

Blood lead levels associated with risk in middle-aged women.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The higher the blood lead level the greater the risk for hypertension in postmenopausal women and women near menopause, according to new research. Lead exposures have been associated with increased...

Babesiosis considered endemic in New Jersey.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Babesiosis is considered endemic in New Jersey. "In the United States, most reported cases of babesiosis have been caused by Babesia microti and acquired in the northeast. Although three cases of...

Midges that carry disease identified near lake between Argentina and Paraguay.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Biting midges known to carry disease have been identified in the area of the Yacyreta Dam Lake between Argentina and Paraguay. According to a study from Argentina, "The Culicoides communities have...

Countries must cooperate to protect infants against measles.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Countries must cooperate to provide wide vaccine coverage in order to protect infants against measles. According to a study from Australia and Papua New Guinea, "Measles is the most frequent cause...

U.S. life expectancy tops 77 years.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Life expectancy for Americans reached an all-time high of 77.2 years in 2001, federal officials say. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that life expectancy increased...

Potent mosquito larvicide isolated from Bryonopsis laciniosa.(Brief Article)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A potent mosquito larvicide was isolated from Bryonopsis laciniosa. "Goniothalamin isolated from the indigenous plant, Bryonopsis laciniosa L, was highly effective against the larvae of the...

Agreement signed for vaccinia immune globulin; European alliance announced.(Cangene Corporation. Acambic plc.)
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cangene Corporation (TSX: CNJ) announced that it has concluded an agreement with Acambis plc to market Cangene's vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) product in markets outside of North America and Israel...

Pace of inoculations picks up.
April 13, 2003... 2003 APR 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The pace of smallpox shots for U.S. health care workers is picking up, with vaccinations under way in all but one state, federal health officials say. Still, with nearly 21,698 workers vaccinated...

FDA asks HHS Inspector General to investigate FDA-sponsored clinical trial.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate significant concerns involving a clinical trial that FDA...

Temporary deferral recommended for heart patients volunteering for vaccine.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken the precautionary step of adding a temporary medical deferral to the smallpox vaccination program for people who have been diagnosed...

FDA approves first in a new class of medicines.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Somavert (pegvisomant) for the treatment of acromegaly, a potentially life-threatening disease triggered by an excess of growth hormone....

Federal agencies begin bioterrorism test.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A crop-duster plane flew over Oklahoma carrying a mixture of clay, water, and alcohol for an Army bioterrorism test of whether radar would detect clouds of biological or chemical weapons. The...

Vaccinia-like virus associated with infection in humans and cattle is described.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microbiologists in Brazil have described a "vaccinia-like virus, Aragatuba virus, associated with a cowpoxlike outbreak in a dairy herd and a related case of human infection." According to G.D....

NCL to FDA: Hasty Rx-to-OTC switches bad medicine.(National Consumers League lobbies for greater Food and Drug Administration prescription drugs surveillance )(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The National Consumers League (NCL) has called upon Congress to conduct hearings to ensure that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adheres, in practice, to its longstanding policy of providing...

HHS to test handheld devices for transmitting urgent information to clinicians.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced that HHS will begin testing a system using handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) for transmitting...

Leiner announces compliance with proposed dietary supplement standards.(Leiner Health Products)(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Leiner Health Products announced its full compliance with the newly published cGMPs for its dietary supplements. Leiner applauds the recent announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on...

USDA takes message on the road.(Brief Article)
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman launched a nationwide tour to educate and reinforce to consumers the importance of handling food safely. The cornerstone of the initiative is a new U.S....

Health officials fear U.S. unprepared for botulism attack.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Easy to find and easy to produce, botulinum toxin is the most poisonous natural substance on Earth. In the hands of a bioterrorist, a single gram - the weight of a paper clip - could kill more than 1...

FDA approves new drug for cancer patients getting chemotherapy.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the approval of a new drug called Emend (aprepitant), to be used in combination with other antinausea and antivomiting drugs for prevention of...

FDA proposes bar coding in pharmaceutical packaging.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Datamax Corporation is encouraged by the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal that mandates the use of bar coding at the unit of use pharmaceutical packaging level. The FDA...

Study says vaccinated health workers present greater risk for patients.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- More than half of all New York state hospital patients may face an increased risk of complications from contact with smallpox-vaccinated health care workers, a study suggests. With the voluntary...

Outbreaks on the rise in Miami-Dade, Broward counties.
April 20, 2003... 2003 APR 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Syphilis is spreading so quickly in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, primarily among gay and bisexual men, that it is reaching epidemic proportions, health officials warned. From 2001 to 2002, the...