News in brief - Dec. 26, 2011

Listeriosis outbreak tied to Colorado cantaloupes is over, CDC says - Irregular work schedule increases diabetes risk in women, study shows

Listeriosis outbreak tied to Colorado cantaloupes is over, CDC says

The listeriosis outbreak that was linked to eating cantaloupes from Jensen Farms of Holly, Colo., is over, according to a Dec. 8 web update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A total of 146 people were infected with one of the four strains of Listeria monocytogenes that have been reported in 28 states. Reported illness onset spanned from July 31 through Oct. 27, the CDC said. Of those infected, 30 people died, and one pregnant woman had a miscarriage. Most of the infected people were 60 or older (www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cantaloupes-jensen-farms/120811/).

Most at risk of having complications from listeriosis are older adults, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women and newborns, the CDC said. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.

Irregular work schedule increases diabetes risk in women, study shows

Women who work an irregular schedule that includes night shifts, as well as day and evening hours, have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with females who work only days or evenings, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in PLoS Medicine.

Researchers examined data on more than 170,000 women ages 25 to 67 who participated in either the Nurses' Health Study I from 1988 to 2008 or the Nurses' Health Study II between 1989 and 2007.

Participants were asked how many total years they had worked rotating night shifts. A rotating night shift was defined as working at least three nights per month in addition to day and evening hours that same month.

Researchers found that about 60% of the participants worked rotating night shifts for at least a year. The longer women had this schedule, the greater their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, data show (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22162955).

For example, participants who worked rotating shifts for three to nine years had a 20% increased risk of developing the disease compared with women who only worked days or evenings. Those who worked night shifts for more than 20 years were 58% more at risk to be diagnosed with the illness.

Additionally, women who worked rotating night shifts gained more weight and were more likely to become obese during follow-up, the study shows.