A variant of norovirus first spotted in Australia is now sweeping the U.S.

The wily virus causes stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. The sickness is sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, though influenza has nothing to do with it.

Since the strain called “GII.4 Sydney” was identified in Australia last March, it’s been getting around. The U.K. has had a bang-up norovirus season with more than a million people sickened. The new strain has also struck in France and New Zealand.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed on Wednesday the receipt of reports that another caffeine drink, 5-hour Energy, may have been involved in a number of deaths – in this case 13 over the past four years.

The reports were first detailed by the New York Times on Wednesday.

The news follows the FDA’s disclosure last month that it was investigating reports of five deaths that may be related to Monster Beverage’s namesake drinks.

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Graviola is a substance that comes from a tree in the rain forests of Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. Its scientific name is Annona muricata. It is also known as cherimoya, guanabana, soursop, custard apple, and brazilian paw paw. In many countries, people use the bark, leaves, root, and fruits of this tree for traditional remedies. The active ingredient is thought to be a type of plant compound (phytochemical) called annonaceous acetogenins.

People in African and South American countries have used graviola to treat infections with viruses or parasites, rheumatism, arthritis, depression, and sickness. We know from research that some graviola extracts can help to treat these conditions.

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DRINKING and driving is never a good idea, and neither is smoking pot and driving, a study finds.

People who get behind the wheel within a few hours of smoking marijuana may be almost twice as likely to cause an accident as those who are sober.

A review of nine studies on pot smoking and car crashes was done by researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada.
The authors wrote that previous studies had been somewhat inconclusive about marijuana’s effect on car collisions, some showing it linked with a higher risk of crashes, and some showing a lower risk.

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A 24-year-old Cincinnati father died from a tooth infection this week because he couldn’t afford his medication, offering a sobering reminder of the importance of oral health and the number of people without access to dental or health care.

According to NBC affiliate WLWT, Kyle Willis’ wisdom tooth started hurting two weeks ago. When dentists told him it needed to be pulled, he decided to forgo the procedure, because he was unemployed and had no health insurance.

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