FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Of all the diseases people worry about getting, viral hepatitis is usually way down on the list. Most often it's thought of as a disease that affects only drug addicts or the sexually promiscuous. Though those groups are at higher risk, almost anyone can contract hepatitis.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Ted Adamson's liver had been so ravaged by the hepatitis C virus that he was nearly at the point of needing a liver transplant. Yet he had no symptoms. None. He didn't even feel tired.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A new review of studies finds that supplementing infant formula with omega-3 fatty acids in an effort to strengthen babies' eyesight does appear to benefit early vision development.

(HealthDay News) -- Before you visit any holiday buffet, be careful if you have a food allergy.

(HealthDay News) -- Nosebleeds affect one in seven people during their lives, the American Academy of Otolaryngology says. They're most common among people aged 2-10, and aged 50-80.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- More than two-thirds of generic drugs in the United States have safety warning labels that differ from the equivalent brand-name drugs, a new study finds.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- They'll never replace the traditional Christmas ham, but mealworms (beetle larvae) may someday offer an environmentally friendly alternative to meat, a new study suggests.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- There's been little change in global rates of infertility over the past 20 years, according to a new study.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- At least 4,000 surgical errors called "never events" occur in the United States each year, according to a new study.

THURSDAY, Dec. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Children of parents diagnosed with cancer when they're old are at increased risk for certain types of cancer, a new study suggests.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Only 44 percent of primary-care doctors say they've helped obese patients lose weight, and many believe that nutritionists and dietitians are the most qualified care providers for these patients, researchers have found.

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The recent rash of mass shootings is raising pointed questions about why America is experiencing such carnage. And, while the answers are complex, policymakers are capitalizing on public fervor over last week's massacre in Newtown, Conn., to muster support for new initiatives to prevent future tragedies.

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

FRIDAY, Dec. 21 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Thursday recommended against approval of the first proposed drug to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.