In brief

Listeriosis outbreak in US kills seven: In the largest ever incident, 12.2m kg of precooked turkey and chicken have been recalled because of an outbreak of listeriosis in the northeastern United States. Forty six people have been admitted to hospital, with seven deaths and three miscarriages or stillbirths in pregnant women. Some meat was sent to schools for lunch programmes.

Carers still miss out on support:A survey by Barclays plc and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers of 4000 carers in the United Kingdom shows that 1 in 4 carers had received no information about the diagnosis of the person they care for and half of those surveyed said they did not have enough information on side effects of medication given. This is despite the introduction of the national strategy for carers three years ago. See Carers Speak Out on www.carers.org/

Public consultation on sex selection begins: The UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has begun a public consultation on the availability and regulation of sex selection techniques, at the request of the secretary of state for health, Alan Milburn. Copies of Choice and Responsibility in Human Reproduction are available from www.hfea.gov.uk/

Stroke Association calls for more specialist units: The Stroke Association presented a 50000 signature petition to Downing Street calling for appropriate specialist care for people who have a stroke.

BMA wants health checks on asylum seekers: Asylum seekers should have better access to health care, a report published this week by the BMA recommends. It says that the physical and mental health of all asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children, should be assessed on entry and appropriate treatment provided before they are dispersed to accommodation centres. Asylum Seekers: Meeting Their Healthcare Needs is at www.bma.org.uk/