The US government has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency following a spike in cases. The decision will speed up the distribution of vaccines, treatments and federal resources to curb the spread of the virus. It comes less than a fortnight after the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its highest emergency alert following a worldwide surge in cases. Cases have topped 6,600 in the US, according to health officials. A quarter of these cases have appeared in the state of New York, which declared its own state of emergency over the disease last week. The two states with … Continue reading US declares Monkeypox a public health emergency

Former West Ham forward Sebastien Haller has been diagnosed with a testicular tumour.Sebastien Haller (left) The 28-year-old underwent medical examinations on Monday after feeling unwell following training with Borussia Dortmund, the club said. A testicular tumour was discovered during those examinations, with further tests to take place in a specialist medical facility over the coming days. Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl said: “This news today came as a shock to Sebastien Haller and everyone else. “The entire BVB family hopes that Sebastien makes a full recovery as soon as possible and that we can give him a hug again soon. “We’ll do … Continue reading Borussia Dortmund striker diagnosed with testicular tumour

Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola. It says both patients died recently in hospital in the southern Ashanti region. Their samples came back positive earlier this month and have now been verified by a laboratory in Senegal. Health officials in the West African nation say 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contact cases. No treatment yet exists for Marburg – but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms improves a patient’s chances of survival. The virus … Continue reading Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

North Korea says it is dealing with an outbreak of an unidentified intestinal sickness, adding to the strain caused by the spread of Covid-19. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has ordered quarantine measures be implemented, the official KCNA news agency reports. It said he sent medicine to Haeju city on Wednesday to help patients suffering from the “acute enteric epidemic”. Health experts suspect the illness could be typhoid or cholera. North Korea declared a state of emergency in May after it said millions of people were experiencing “fever”, believed to be untested Covid-19 cases. It has not reported the number … Continue reading North Korea announces outbreak of intestinal sickness

A family in Texas is suing a Houston-based doctor after their 4-year-old on son underwent an “unintended vasectomy” during a surgery. The child was reportedly in the hospital for a hernia surgery at the time of the incident, according to Randy Sorrels, the family’s personal injury attorney. He told Fox4 that part of the procedure involved work near the child’s groin. The attorney claimed the surgeon “cut the wrong piece of anatomy.” “The surgeon, we think, cut accidentally the vas deferens, one of the tubes that carries reproductive semen in it. It could affect this young man for the rest of his life,” Mr Sorrels told the broadcaster. … Continue reading OMG: Four-year-old accidentally given vasectomy

Israel, Switzerland and Austria are the latest countries to confirm cases of monkeypox, bringing the total number of nations reporting outbreaks to 15. Israel and Switzerland both said they identified one infected person who had recently travelled abroad. Israel is investigating other suspected cases. Monkeypox does not tend to spread easily between people and the illness is usually mild. The virus is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa. More than 80 cases have been confirmed in the recent outbreak in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia. The World Health Organization has said a number of other … Continue reading Another Pandemic?: Israel, Switzerland and Austria confirm cases of Monkeypox virus

Cases of Monkeypox are being investigated in European countries as well as the US, Canada and Australia, according to health authorities and local media reports. The latest new cases were reported in France, Italy, Sweden and Australia. It follows the confirmation of cases in the US, Spain and Portugal on Wednesday, as well as the investigation of 13 suspected cases in Canada. Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa. Cases of the disease outside of the region are often linked to travel to the area. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection which is usually mild … Continue reading Monkeypox cases investigated in Europe, US, Canada and Australia

Major US pharmacies have restricted sales of baby formula in response to a worsening shortage of the special milk. CVS and Walgreens are among the big chains to have imposed limits in recent weeks on how many cans customers can buy at a time. The shortages intensified after Abbott – which makes top brand Similac – shut a key factory and issued a recall in February after finding contamination. Pressure is building on the Biden administration to respond to the issue. Republicans, such as Senator Tom Cotton, have called it a “national crisis” that the White House must address. Democratic … Continue reading US faces baby formula ‘crisis’ as shortage worsens

Health officials say they are now investigating unexplained cases of hepatitis in children in four European countries and the US. Cases of hepatitis, or liver inflammation, have been reported in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and the US, health officials say. Last week UK health authorities said they had detected higher than usual cases of the infection among children. The cause of the infections is not yet known. The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) did not specify how many cases have been found in the four European countries in total. But the World Health Organization (WHO) said less than five … Continue reading Hepatitis cases detected in children in Europe and the US

Louis van Gaal Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said the treatment he had undergone for an aggressive form of prostate cancer had been successful. The 70-year-old former Manchester United and Barcelona manager revealed his diagnosis on a Dutch television show earlier this month. Van Gaal, in his third spell as Netherlands coach, is set to lead the side at the World Cup in Qatar later this year before being replaced by Ronald Koeman. “I’ve been through everything,” Van Gaal told Dutch news agency ANP. “I had 25 radiation treatments. Then I had to wait five or six months to see … Continue reading Soccer-Netherlands coach Van Gaal says prostate cancer treatment successful

The first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig has died. David Bennett, who had terminal heart disease, survived for two months following the surgery in the US. But his condition began to deteriorate several days ago, his doctors in Baltimore said, and the 57-year-old died on 8 March. Mr Bennett knew the risks attached to the surgery, acknowledging before the procedure it was “a shot in the dark”. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center were granted a special dispensation by the US medical regulator to carry out the procedure, on the … Continue reading Man given genetically modified pig heart dies

Stool tests might provide a useful way to help doctors spot early pancreatic cancer, say researchers. They have been trialling the concept in a study with 136 volunteers. The findings, described in the journal Gut, suggest detectable changes involving gut bugs could provide a warning sign that a tumour is present. Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages. That means it is usually more advanced and harder to treat when it is found. As the cancer grows it may cause vague symptoms, such as indigestion, changes to bowel habit and some tummy or back pain. Some people see … Continue reading Stool tests might help spot early pancreatic cancer