South Korean, Japan's agriculture ministry, HIV prevention: Health news round-up

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

South Korean man infected by MERS virus, first case in 3 years

A South Korean man, 61, was diagnosed with the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and is being treated at a hospital in Seoul, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Saturday. The patient returned to Seoul on Friday after a business trip to Kuwait from August 16 to Sept. 6, according to the KCDC.

Japan finds first swine fever case in 26 years, but not African fever

Japan's agriculture ministry said on Sunday it had confirmed the country's first outbreak of swine fever in 26 years and suspended exports of pork and wild boar meat. The fever, a different kind from the African swine fever that has broken out in China, was found in a farm in central Japan's Gifu city, the ministry said.

HIV prevention pill reaching more people who need it

More than one in nine people worldwide who might benefit from a daily pill to minimize their risk of getting HIV are now taking this medicine, a research review suggests. So-called HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly protective against HIV, but many people worldwide don't get this pill because they aren't aware of it or because it's unavailable or unaffordable.

Youth soccer injury prevention program saves healthcare costs

An injury prevention program tailored to children's soccer is not only more effective than typical warmups and stretches at keeping players safe, it's also associated with lower health care costs, a Swiss study suggests. Researchers studied soccer teams for kids under age 9 and under age 13 over a season in Switzerland. The teams were randomly chosen to do their usual warm-ups or to warm up with the "11+ Kids" injury prevention program, which includes 15 minutes of exercises focused on dynamic stability, power, core strength, and falling techniques.

Two health scares at U.S. airports tied to Mecca pilgrims: U.S. officials

Two major health scares at U.S. airports involving inbound flights are related to pilgrims returning from the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which ended in late August, U.S. health officials said on Friday. On Wednesday, U.S. health officials sent an emergency response team with mobile diagnostic equipment to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after they were told that more than 100 passengers aboard an Emirates airlines flight from Dubai were experiencing flu-like symptoms.

GSK says U.S. FDA wants more information on pulmonary drug

GlaxoSmithKline said on Friday that U.S. health authorities had asked for more information about its Nucala drug for use in combating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). GSK said it had received a complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its application for mepolizumab - the generic name for Nucala - as an add-on treatment to inhaled corticosteroid-based maintenance treatment.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)