- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,
compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Lexington, Ky., Tops 100 Spring Allergy
Capitals

Gesundheit!

Lexington, Ky., sits atop the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of
America's 2008 ranking of the leading 100 spring allergy capitals.

Trailing Lexington on the annual list are: Greensboro, N.C.; Johnson
City, Tenn.; Augusta, Ga.; and Jackson, Miss.

Least likely to make you sneeze and wheeze among the top 100 is
Spokane, Wash, preceded by the California cities of San Francisco and
Bakersfield, Sarasota, Fla; and Lancaster, Penn.

Spring is the worst season for many of the more than 35 million
Americans with hay fever, medically called allergic rhinitis. The AAFA
said it based the rankings on criteria including seasonal pollen counts,
use of over-the-counter and prescription allergy drugs, and the number of
board certified allergists in each city.

—–

Public Smoking Snuffed in Beijing Before
Olympics

In a country where cigarettes are so popular that more than half of all
male doctors smoke, China has put the kibosh on public smoking in the
capital city of Beijing, USA Today reports.

The crackdown, in advance of the Olympic Games that begin in August,
affects most public buildings. But restaurants, bars, and hotels will
still allow smoking, assuming they also provide areas that are
smoke-free.

Second-hand smoke kills some 100,000 Chinese annually, according to
government estimates cited by the newspaper.

Earlier this month, experts raised concern over Olympic athletes'
health amid Beijing's pervasive air pollution problem. A senior health
official in Beijing acknowledged this week that China has 320 million
smokers, or close to one-quarter of the world's total, USA Today
said.

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Tablets to Treat Gonorrhea Available in
U.S.

Tablets for first-line treatment of gonorrhea are now available in the
United States, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
Friday. The prescription cefiximine 400 milligram tablets are available as
of this month.

In April last year, the CDC updated its recommendations for gonorrhea
treatment, no longer recommending fluoroquinoline antibiotics
(ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and levofloxacin) due to data that indicated
widespread resistance in the United States to these drugs.

That left a single class of antibiotics called cephalosporins as the
single recommended treatment for gonorrhea. Within this class, the only
recommended treatment for all types of gonorrhea (urogenital, rectal and
pharyngeal) is an injection form called ceftriaxone. However, for
uncomplicated gonorrhea (which hasn't spread to the blood or central
nervous system), the CDC now also recommends cefiximine tablets. Since
2002, it's only been available in liquid form, which limited its use
because it's not as convenient as a tablet.

“The availability of cefiximine tablets this month will have a
tremendous impact in fighting gonorrhea. This oral option expands a
physician's arsenal to combat this serious disease, while giving patients
a drug that is easier to take,” Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC's
National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention,
said in a prepared statement.

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported infectious disease in
the United States, after chlamydia.

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Doctors Need to Improve Bedside Manner:
Poll

Some 78 percent of American adults want their doctors to improve their
bedside manner, a new survey finds.

The poll of 1,000 people also found that less than half described their
doctor's recent conduct as attentive, and just 32 percent described their
doctor as compassionate during their most recent appointment, United
Press International reported.

Among the other findings from the survey conducted for the Arnold P.
Gold Foundation:

• Less than half of doctors cited displayed an interest in their
  patients' overall well-being, rather than focusing on specific
  ailments.
• 40 percent said their doctor made them feel rushed.
• 36 percent said their doctor didn't provide enough opportunity to
  discuss their concerns.
• 36 percent said their physician was outright rude or
  condescending.

“Many past studies have shown a strong correlation between patient and
doctor satisfaction and better overall patient outcomes when doctors
develop a relationship with their patients,” Dr. Arnold P. Gold, founder
of the foundation, said in a prepared statement.

“What this survey shows us is that patients are still craving for their
physician to see the 'person' behind the prognosis and really want a
'connectedness' with their doctor,” UPI quoted Gold as saying.

—–

Recalled LawnBott Mowers Pose Laceration
Hazard

About 530 LawnBott lawn mowers are being recalled because they may pose
a laceration hazard, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The cutting blades may continue to rotate when the mower is lifted from
the ground, and the spacing on the side of the mower could allow room for
a person's foot to go beyond the shield and be struck by the blade, the
agency said.

There's been one report of a consumer who had minor lacerations after
lifting a mower from the ground.

The recall involves mowers with model numbers LB2000, LB2100, LB3000
and LB3200. They were sold at Kyodo America dealers across the U.S. from
January 2006 through December 2007.

Consumers should stop using the mowers and should call Kyodo America at
877-465-9636 to register their mowers for repairs that will be available
by the end of June, the CPSC said.

—–

U.S Senate Passes Genetic Anti-Discrimination
Bill

In a 95-0 vote, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday to protect the
jobs and health insurance of people who learn through genetic testing that
they may be susceptible to serious diseases.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which now goes back the
House of Representatives, forbids employers from using genetic information
in the hiring, firing or promotion of workers and bars health insurance
companies from using genetic information to set premiums or determine
eligibility, the Associated Press reported.

“For the first time we act to prevent discrimination before it has
taken firm hold and that's why this legislation is unique and
groundbreaking,” said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), one of the sponsors of
the bill.

She noted there are more than 1,100 genetic tests currently available
but they're “absolutely useless” if people don't use them or take part in
clinical trials because they're worried about discrimination.

The bill, which could be approved by the House early next week, is
supported by the White House, the AP reported.