Washington, April 27 : A new study has shown that obesity is associated with a higher risk of urinary tract infections (UTI).

To identify whether obesity is associated with a UTI diagnosis, Baltimore researchers evaluated insurance claims of 95,962 subjects over a five-year period (from 2002 through 2006).

They found that, as BMI increased, the odds of being diagnosed with a UTI increased as well.

This association was strongest for morbidly obese patients.

Singapore  - In light of the outbreak of swine flu cases in Mexiko and the United States since Monday all passengers arriving at Singapore's main Changi airport are being screened for flu symptoms.

Thermal scanners at the arrival halls measure the temperature of passengers just before they undergo immigration checks, the Ministry of Health and the Civil Aviation Authority said in a joint statement.

Passengers with higher-than-normal temperature would undergo a more thorough medical assessment.

Washington, April 27 : Drinking diet soda may reduce the risk of forming kidney stones, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that the citrate and malate content in commonly consumed sodas may be sufficient to inhibit the development of calcium stones.

Increased alkalinity is proven to augment citraturia, a known factor for calcium stones. Malate increases the amount of alkali delivered.

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysia's Health Ministry placed its disease control division on alert to detect any signs of possible cases of the deadly swine flu virus in the country, news reports said Monday.

Hospitals and medical doctors have been asked to report cases with symptoms of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia, said the ministry's director-general Mohamad Ismail Merican.

Hong Kong  - The number of people seeking psychiatric help in Hong Kong has risen by around one quarter since the onset of the economic crisis, a leading public doctor said Monday.

Patient numbers have risen by between 20 and 30 per cent since last October, mental health specialist Dr Lee Wing-king told government-run radio station RTHK.

Separately, a survey by the Democratic Alliance political party found that 80 per cent of people in the wealthy city of 7 million had suffered from insomnia or mood disorders because of the downturn.

Munich  - Women should not casually decide whether to give birth by Caesarean section, said gynaecology professor Birgit Seelbach-Goebel, director of a women's clinic in Regensburg, Germany.

Many clinics' websites advertise Caesarean section on demand as a service. However, there are disadvantages to the procedure. Following a Caesarean section, the risk of serious complications is far greater for the mother than the risk involved in a vaginal delivery.