Reuters Health News Summary

09/01/2016 0:55

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Many factors influence parental decisions about throat surgery

Better communication from doctors may help parents struggling with the decision to have their child undergo throat surgery for sleep disordered-breathing conditions, a small study suggests. About 20 percent of children have issues with breathing while asleep, such as snoring and sleep apnea, and surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids in an adenotonsillectomy is the primary treatment. But rates of the surgery vary widely across the U.S., raising concerns that it may be overused in some populations and underused in others, the authors write in JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

Online tools help people improve their health but need more study

Mobile apps and web-based programs do help people reach health goals like exercising more, losing weight and quitting smoking, but studies need to follow-up longer to see how sustainable these interventions are, according to a recent review of existing research. Lifestyle choices like poor diet and smoking are a major cause of death and disease worldwide, the researchers write in the Journal of the American Heart Association, and digital tools may be a low-cost and more accessible option for people looking to improve their health.

Malaysia confirms first case of Zika, launches measures to contain spread of virus

Malaysia confirmed on Thursday its first case of Zika after a woman tested positive for the virus following a three-day visit to neighboring Singapore on August 19. The 58-year-old woman had showed signs of a rash and fever one week after returning from Singapore, according to Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam.

Few people of color in 'artificial pancreas' tests

For years, doctors and patients have been waiting for the arrival of an "artificial pancreas" to take the guesswork out of life with diabetes by measuring blood sugar levels and automatically delivering the amount of insulin needed to keep the disease in check. But now that this experimental device is close to becoming reality, a new study suggests that tests to date have largely ignored a big segment of the patient population that might use it - people of color.

Singapore raises Zika tally; first pregnant woman diagnosed

A pregnant woman was among those diagnosed with Zika infections in Singapore, as the number of confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the city-state rose to 115. The Zika virus, which has spread through the Americas and the Caribbean since late last year, is generally a mild disease but is a particular risk to pregnant women as it can cause microcephaly - a severe birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

Study finds strong link between Zika and Guillain-Barre

A comparison of rates of Guillain-Barre syndrome before and after Zika arrived in seven countries has found a strong association between the virus and the illness, researchers from the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday. The current Zika outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas and the Caribbean.

Six Bangladeshi nationals in Singapore infected with Zika

Six Bangladeshi nationals have been tested positive with the mosquito-borne Zika virus in Singapore, the High Commission of Bangladesh said on Thursday. "We have been informed yesterday by MOH (the Ministry of Health) that of those tested positive, as of 12 noon on 30 August, 6 are Bangladeshi nationals," Mahbub Uz Zaman, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Singapore told Reuters by email.

'Not out of the woods yet' in yellow fever outbreak in Angola, Congo: WHO

Some 6,000 people in Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo may be infected with yellow fever, six times the number of confirmed cases, but no new infections have been found since July 12, an "extremely positive" trend, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The looming rainy season has raised fears of further spread of the worst outbreak in decades of the mosquito-borne haemorrhagic virus among unprotected African populations.

Novartis to disband cell & gene therapy unit, 120 jobs to go

Novartis is folding activities of its Cell and Gene Therapy unit into other business and research locations, eliminating 120 positions, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday. The move intensifies a corporate makeover begun this year as it focuses on high-growth areas including cancer immunotherapy.

China says 21 of its nationals in Singapore infected with Zika

China's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that its embassy in Singapore had been informed by the island state's health ministry that 21 Chinese nationals in the country are confirmed to have been infected with Zika. In a statement sent to Reuters, the foreign ministry added that the health situation was not serious and that some of them had recovered.

09/01/2016 0:55