Reuters Health News Summary

09/08/2016 8:58

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO updates view on Zika as cause of brain abnormalities

The World Health Organization updated its assessment of the Zika virus on Wednesday as a cause of congenital brain abnormalities in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome, after considering months of research into the mosquito-borne disease. "The most likely explanation of available evidence from outbreaks of Zika virus infection and clusters of microcephaly is that Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of congenital brain abnormalities including microcephaly," the WHO said.

Timing twin deliveries to avoid stillbirths

Women pregnant with twins need to time delivery just right, a research review suggests. They need to minimize the risks that come with early arrivals yet still avoid the risk of stillbirths, which rises the longer multiples stay in the womb, the researchers say.

In older age, sex may be good for women, less so for men

Among people in their mid-50s or older who report having frequent, enjoyable sex, women are likely to have better than average heart health while men are more likely to have heart attacks and other problems, a U.S. study suggests. "The results for women are consistent with our expectation, but the results for men were surprising," said lead author Hui Liu, an associate professor of sociology at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

Senate investigations panel to probe Mylan's EpiPen pricing

The U.S. Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations will probe Mylan Pharmaceuticals' pricing of the allergy auto-injector EpiPen, according to a press release issued on Wednesday. The release described the probe as a "preliminary inquiry."

Florida politicians urge use of Intrexon GM mosquitoes for Zika

Intrexon Corp said on Wednesday a bipartisan coalition of Florida politicians had urged the U.S. government to step up efforts to fight Zika, including sanctioning the emergency use of the company's genetically engineered mosquitoes. The Florida House members, led by Speaker-designate Richard Corcoran and Democratic leader-designate Janet Cruz, have written to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking permission for the state and local governments to use the GM mosquito, the company said.

Special Report: 'Superbug' scourge spreads as U.S. fails to track rising human toll

Josiah Cooper-Pope, born 15 weeks premature, did fine in the neonatal intensive care unit for the first 10 days of his life. Then, suddenly, his tiny body started to swell. Overnight, he grew so distended that his skin split.

U.S. lawmakers seek compromise on Zika virus funding

U.S. lawmakers sought on Wednesday to break a logjam over $1.1 billion in funding to combat the Zika virus, with the Senate possibly considering legislation as soon as next week, even as one congressman toted a jar full of mosquitoes to the House floor to condemn congressional inaction. "Can you imagine the fears and anxieties if the mosquitoes were not in this jar?" Florida Republican David Jolly told his colleagues as he brandished the container holding about 100 of the insects in the House of Representatives chamber.

St. Jude sues short-seller over heart device allegations

St. Jude Medical Inc on Wednesday sued short-selling firm Muddy Waters and cybersecurity company MedSec Holdings Ltd, saying they intentionally disseminated false information about its heart devices to manipulate its stock. Muddy Waters, run by Carson Block, said in late August that St. Jude's pacemakers and defibrillators, which are used to regulate heart rhythm and treat cardiac arrest, had cybersecurity flaws that enabled them to be hacked and manipulated, with potentially fatal consequences.

Singapore says unclear if local Zika strain causes birth defects

Singapore said on Thursday it did not know if the Zika virus detected in the country could cause the same birth defects and other disorders linked to an outbreak in Latin America. A DNA analysis of the mosquito-borne virus, which has infected almost 300 people in Singapore, including two pregnant women, revealed slight differences between the strains but it was not clear what that meant in terms of the severity of the disease, the health ministry said.

Scientists find deadly scrub typhus bacteria in South America

Scrub typhus, a deadly disease common in southeast Asia and spread by microscopic biting mites known as chiggers, has now taken hold in a part of South America and may have become endemic there, scientists said on Wednesday. The tropical disease, which kills at least 140,000 people a year in the Asia-Pacific region, has been confirmed in a cluster of cases on a large island off Chile, some 12,000 kilometers from its usual haunts on the other side of the Pacific.

09/08/2016 8:58