I DC cle $5 inf 90 E> ba Bl! Pi; opi Page 2 • The Battalion Monday • April 1 7, S CIENCE Latest tuberculosis outbreak in Texas schools troubles officials AP Photo □ Cases of the bacteri al disease, which is treatable with antibi otics, are on the rise. Tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the U.S. until 1911. Watch out world! Engineer Douglas Weiss holds his “smart gun” invention. The gun emits a radio frequency which detects a tag on Weiss’ ring finger and enables him to fire the gun. He was granted $620,000 by the National Institute of Justice to develop a weapon that could only be fired with a code. EL PASO (AP) — Tuberculo sis is making a comeback in Texas’ public schools, state health officials say. Since February, high schools in Houston and El Paso have had to test students and employ ees for the disease after health officials found that students had been carrying the tuberculosis bacillas for weeks. While early test results indi cate that the infected students did not pass the disease on to anyone, officials said the inci dents should serve as warnings. “Tuberculosis can happen anywhere,” said Ralph Ornelas, principal of El Paso’s Riverside High School, whose students and employees were tested for the disease in March. Known simply as “TB,” tuber culosis is a bacterial disease that spreads from person to person through the air. About 8 million new cases occur each year around the world, including more than 25,000 in the United States and 2,000 in Texas. The disease affects the lungs and can cause such symptoms as coughing, weight loss, chest pains and night sweats. The dis ease is treatable with the use of antibiotics. Left untreated, it can be fatal. As late as 1911, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States. It accounted for nearly 95,000 deaths that year — about 152 deaths per fond ntisl r I be 100,000 people. During the 1940s, scienl discovered several antibiotio now used to treat tuberculosii By 1985, the number of new® |y Nil es nationwide declined less thajHE B/ 10 per 100,000 people. But since 1985, the numb of U.S. cases has steadil increased. In Texas, cases increast from 1,891 in 1985 to 2, 1993, according to state In 1989, the last year which records are availabli there were 130 reported deaths in Texas. Health officials said manyfa; tors are fueling TB’s resurgent: One is drug abuse, which k ^ 01 pairs health and undercuts di rom p ease resistance. Another istl growing wave of immigration the United States from Afrit; Asia and Latin America, whs jme a the disease is more common ai _ } n t often goes untreated. Boo reate* 199 enue nd pa Par Too much whole milk during pregnancy may cause problems, study shows □ Preeclampsia is a com mon and dangerous condi tion for both the mother and the unborn child. By Brad Dressier The Battalion A recent study indicates that drink ing whole milk could increase the risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies. The study, by Dr. Barbara Richard son, Texas A&M assistant professor in epidemiology, and Dr. Donna Day Baird of the National Institute of En vironmental Health, was conducted over several years. The researchers used data from milk-intake studies conducted at the University of California-Berkeley from 1959-1966. Information was taken from 9,271 women who were closely studied dur ing their pregnancies. The data determined that drinking more than one quart, or four average glasses, of whole milk daily increases the risk of preeclampsia, a sustained rise in blood pressure that may occur late during a pregnancy. However, drinking less than one glass of whole milk also increases the risk. If not treated quickly and properly, it can lead to eclampsia, a condition involving convulsions, possible stroke and heart failure. Eclampsia is often fatal to both the mother and unborn child. The National Center for Health Sta tistics lists preeclampsia and eclampsia as the second-leading cause of death among pregnant women. The center says that between 5 and 7 percent of pregnant women show symptoms of preeclampsia. Richardson said the study’s find ings threaten what pregnant women may think is healthy. “The risks of drinking too little or too much whole milk poses a serious problem to pregnant women,” whole milk’s increased risk is not known. “We carefully studied the data and yet we do not know for certain why whole milk would cause increased risks,” she said. “Although we specu late it might relate to the amount of "The risks of drinking too much or too little [whole milk] poses a serious problem to pregnant women. Currently, many pregnant women drink whole milk thinking it is best for them. Now we know that is not true." She said this shows a stronf possibility that the risk is direct!; linked to the amount of fat in thi milk consumed. “I do not propose that women sto; drinking milk completely,” she said.*' would strongly recommend that pr nant women drink skim milk. Milk mi the calcium it provides are very important to women, especially pregnant women” — Dr. Barbara Richardson, AdrM assistant epidemiology professor Richardson said. “Currently, many pregnant women drink whole milk thinking it is best for them. Now we know that is not true.” Richardson said the reason for fat content in the milk.” Richardson said similar studies were conducted using the intake of skife' milk, which showed no increase in the risk of preeclampsia. Correction In a Page One story in Thurs day’s Battalion concerning the pro posed on-campus cable fees, the cor rect proposed rate is $27 per stu dent per semester. 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E0E. software interfaces PITS UPDATES -» PITS UPDATES PITS UPDATES -4 PTTS UPDATES'* IT 11 Battalion MARK SMITH, Editor in chief JAY ROBBINS, Senior managing editor HEATHER WINCH, Managing editor JODY HOLLEY, Night News editor TIFFANY MOORE, Night News editor AMANDA FOWLE, City editor STERLING HAYMAN, Opinion editor ROB CLARK, Aggielife editor NICK GEORGANDIS, Sports editor DAVE WINDER, Sports editor STEWART MILNE, Photo editor Staff Members City desk— Stephanie Dube, Kasie Byers, Eleanor Colvin, Lynn Cook, Brad Dressier, Lisa Messer, Gretchen Perrenot, Tracy Smith, Wes Swift, and Brian Underwood News desk— Kristi Baldwin, Michele Chancellor^ Kristin De Luca, Kristen De RocUla, Libe Goad, Randy Goins, Robin Greathouse, Derek Smith and James Vineyard Photographers— Tim Moog, Amy Browning, Robyn Calloway, Nick Rodnicki, Eddy Wylie, Bart Mitchell, Roger Hsieh and Rogge Heflin Aggielife— Michael Landauer, Amber Clark, Amy Collier, Keryl Cryer, Nikki Hopkins and Jay Knioum Sports writers—James Anderson, Kristina Buffin, Tom Day, Shelly Hall and Robert Rodriguez Opinion — Erin Hill, Drew Diener, Laura Frnka, Zack Hall, David Hill, Kyle Littlefield, Jenny Magee, Jim Pawlikowski, Elizabeth Preston, Gerardo Quezada, David Taylor and Amy Uptmor Cartoonists— Greg Argo, Brad Graeber, Alvaro Gutierrez and Quatro Oakley Office Assistants— Wendy Crockett, Heather Fitch, Adam Hill and Julie Thomas Graphic Artist — Ines Hilde Writing Coach— Mark Evans The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer sessions (except University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. 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