The Virginia Department of Health said Monday that last year's report of 730 confirmed cases of rabies in animals were the highest since 1982 when the rabies reached 745 cases.

Most of the reported cases were in wild animals, the highest being the raccoons with 359 cases, skunks were second with 185 and foxes with 90. Also included were 36 cases of rabies in cats and five in dogs

In response to the outbreak of psittacosis or parrot fever in a number of cockatiels, PetSmart Inc. self-imposed a 30-day quarantine in 775 of its 1,000 stores in 46 states.

Random testing of birds at PetSmart led to the discovery of the disease, which is characterized by coldlike and flulike symptoms. The disease can be passed on to humans, but the infection can be treated with an antibiotic

Loneliness is painful and potentially deadly, according to new research at the University of Chicago that found animals, gadgets and spiritual beliefs - not just friends - ease the sense of being alone.

"It's actually a greater risk for morbidity or mortality than cigarette smoking is," says Nicholas Epley, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Science at the university's Graduate School of Business and lead author of an article on the subject in the February issue of the journal Psychological Science

A California-based company is voluntarily recalling certain bags of its fresh spinach after the product tested positive for salmonella during the company's routine testing on Wednesday.

So far, no reports of illnesses related to the tainted spinach distributed by Metz Fresh LLC of King City, California are found but the company is recalling the product as precautionary measure

A day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief testified before a congressional panel about his agency's plans to close half its food safety laboratories, President Bush announced Wednesday that he has created a government panel to recommend steps to guarantee the safety of food and other products imported to the United States.

The new Import Safety Working Group will be chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt