Health News Roundup: FDA seeks details on new electronic cigarettes; UN employee tests positive for Ebola

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

In the crackdown, U.S. FDA seeks details on new electronic cigarettes

Faced with a proliferation of new electronic cigarettes and a sharp rise in teen vaping, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday sent letters to 21 electronic cigarette manufacturers seeking information to assess whether the products are being marketed illegally. An FDA rule banned the sale of new e-cigarette products after August 2016 without regulatory approval. In September, Reuters reported that startups and big tobacco firms launched more than a dozen new high-nicotine e-cigarette products mimicking the popular Juul devices after the FDA imposed the deadline https://reut.rs/2PwFgOX.

Some dietary supplements contain potentially harmful drugs

Potentially harmful pharmaceuticals not listed on product labels were found in more than 700 over-the-counter dietary supplements, researchers report. The pharmaceuticals, which were found in so-called natural products, were most likely to appear in supplements marketed as weight loss aids, muscle builders and male libido enhancers, according to the report published in JAMA Network Open.

U.S. appeals court upholds the ruling that cancelled Teva Copaxone patents

A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a ruling that cancelled patents owned by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd on its blockbuster multiple sclerosis drugs Copaxone. The ruling was a victory for a group of generic drug companies, including Mylan NV, that challenged the validity of Teva's patents in order to sell generic versions.

Fearful of swine fever, France plans fence on the Belgian border

France will start putting up fencing along part of its border with Belgium this weekend to prevent wild boars spreading African swine fever, a virulent livestock disease that could disrupt Europe's large pig industry. France has been on alert for African swine fever since Belgium detected the virus last month among wild boars a few kilometres from the French border.

Cataract surgery for senior drivers tied to reduced car crash risk, costs

Cataract surgery can significantly reduce car crashes involving senior drivers and the cost of those accidents to the community, researchers say. Their study involved 2,849 drivers age 60 and older in Western Australia, all of whom had cataract surgery on both eyes and were involved in vehicular crashes as the driver.

Australia gives $37-million boost to spending on youth mental health

Australia will spend an extra A$51.8 million ($37 million) on support to young people with mental health issues, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. The announcement comes a week ahead of a crucial by-election for Morrison's ruling Liberal-National coalition, and the money will go to Headspace, a government youth group that runs 107 centres across Australia.

U.N. employee in eastern Congo tests positive for Ebola

A plumber working for the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the health ministry said on Friday, the first case of a U.N. worker contracting the disease during the current outbreak. The plumber is believed to have contracted the virus at a health centre in the city of Beni run by a traditional healer where someone with Ebola had sought treatment, the ministry said in a daily bulletin.

(With inputs from agencies.)