The one occupation that would scare many of us would be a virus researcher or infectious agent handler of some type. I mean, these people have so many precautions at work it would make our heads spin if we knew about them all.

But according to recent reports, the country's laboratories have experienced more than 100 accidents and missing shipments in the last four years while at the helm of handling some of the world's deadliest germs and agents.

As the law of averages would have it, these 'accidents' are happening more frequently as more labs open up across the country that are approved to perform this rather dangerous work. Some of the accidents sound avoidable: workers bitten by infected animals, skin cuts and accidental needle sticks. Talk about stress at work.

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Men and women all over are prepping to walk and run their butts off this October, all in the name of breast cancer and the month dedicated to this deadly disease. There's the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and Susan G. Komen 3-Day, to name a few. These events will raise awareness, funds, even hope. This is all so important. What I like about these charitable causes, though, is that they center around fitness.

There seems no other appropriate way to honor those fighting and losing their battles with breast cancer than by pounding the pavement. Exercise is critical in the prevention of cancer. It helps alleviate the burdens of cancer treatment. And it helps ensure survival of a disease the American Cancer Society reports will strike 178,480 women and kill 40,460 women in the United States during 2007.

If you've not yet registered to make your own strides, consider walking or running in a local event. Or just start walking and running. It's good for breast cancer. It's good for your health.

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For many of us the summer holidays mean traveling by car across cities and states to meet up with relatives or loved ones for festivities and fun. But with all those cars on the road traveling can be dangerous, with some places ending up more dangerous than others. Wonder if your plans will take you over any of the most dangerous roads this summer? According to elliot.org 57% of all traffic deaths happen on rural roads, and 75% of all public roads in the U.S. are considered rural. So the odds are you'll be doing some rural driving whether you like or not, and according to The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety here are the top 10 most dangerous places to drive:

• Maine
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Iowa
• Vermont
  
• Montana
• Wyoming
• South Carolina
• Mississippi
• Arkansas

Obviously many of these states probably landed on the list because they have more rural area than other states, but you may still find yourself passing through. Something to think about, and remember your seat belts!

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Being a parent is tough enough without having the additional worry of dealing with a kid (or kids) with serious allergies. Moms and dads whose children have the kind of allergies that could potentially be deadly know that seemingly harmless situations could be very dangerous to their child.

For example, parents of kids with severe peanut allergies have to make sure that not only do their children not eat peanuts or peanut products, but also that they don't go near anything made in the same vicinity as peanuts. They have to make sure that teachers are aware of the allergy and they have to prepare ahead when doing things like flying, as many public places are not peanut free and sometimes even just the smell could set off a very serious reaction.

All of the worry and extra preparations can be tiring and stressful but, as this article points out, you're not alone. A number of parents helping their kids deal with allergies contribute their stories to the piece, and there is also some advice to make things a bit easier. If you're a parent who is a seasoned veteran when it comes to looking out for kids with allergies, do you have any helpful tips for other moms and dads out there?

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In case you needed an extra boost today to help you resist that trip to the vending machine or that jelly donut with your coffee, maybe a little reminder on why it's so important to lose weight will help? I personally prefer positive means of motivation, but unfortunately sometimes the cold hard truth is the most effective! The following are just a few of the ways being overweight kills you, slowly but surely:

• Fat strains your heart in more ways than one. Blood pressure rises, cholesterol starts to clog arteries, and blood loses some of its ability to clot which increases the risk for stroke.
• Fat increases male hormones, which for women can have many adverse side effects -- namely increased risk for heart disease.
  
• Fat also increases the hormone insulin, which increases the likelihood of developing diabetes, which in turn damages and stresses your heart (among other things!).
• Fat makes it harder to get a good night's sleep. The most common sleep disorder for overweight adults is sleep apnea, which strains many systems including your cardiovascular system (your heart again!) and your risk for diabetes.
• Fat strains and damages joints and bones. The simple fact that your body is carrying around more weight than it was designed for will make it "wear out" faster, plus being overweight is linked with thinner and more brittle bones.

It may not be easy to lose weight, but it's definitely worth the effort for both yourself and those who love you!

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12 states are fighting to have a deadly disease lab facility built on their land. The research center would house killers like anthrax, avian flu, and foot and mouth disease, plus (I'm guessing) a whole bunch of dangerously fun "experiments." This new project is intended to replace a smaller lab at Plum Island, N.Y., where some questionable security practices back in 2001 required investigation.

Although the states themselves seem eager to "win" and get the lab, not all the residents in the proposed areas are that excited. And who can blame them? A lab test gone wrong, or even something as simple as an experiment with unpredicted results, could potentially infect the entire surrounding area. No, I'm not thinking I want a deadly disease lab in my area. Thanks, but no thanks.

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