All about Britain's organ donation scheme, Argentine abortion bill, Malaysia's bird flu outbreak

Vaccinations against a new outbreak of Ebola virus in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are due to begin on Wednesday, a senior official at the health ministry said on Sunday.

Ebola vaccinations in eastern Congo due to begin on Wednesday

Vaccinations against a new outbreak of Ebola virus in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are due to begin on Wednesday, a senior official at the health ministry said on Sunday. The experimental vaccine, which is manufactured by Merck, proved successful during its first wide-scale usage against an outbreak in northwestern Congo that was declared over less than two weeks ago.

Britain plans for opt-out organ donation scheme to save lives

Britain plans to increase the number of organ donors by changing the rules of consent and presuming that people have agreed to transplants unless they have specifically opted out. Legislation to introduce the new framework for organ and tissue donation will be debated in parliament later this year, with the system expected to come into effect in spring 2020, the health department said on Sunday.

FDA declines to approve Pain Therapeutics' abuse-deterrent opioid drug

Pain Therapeutics said on Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its opioid drug for the management of severe pain as the benefits of the drug did not outweigh the risk. "This is a bizarre conclusion to reach, especially during a time of staggering human and economic toll created by opioid abuse and addiction," said Chief Executive Officer Remi Barbier said in a statement.

Argentine abortion bill loses momentum after senator pulls support

Prospects faded over the weekend for a bill that would legalize abortion in Argentina, when an opposition senator said she had changed her mind and would vote against the measure when it is brought to the floor on Wednesday. The proposal, which would expand abortion rights beyond current laws that allow the procedure only in cases of rape or when the mother's health is at risk, passed the lower house last month by 129 votes to 125.

Dear friends, please pray for Argentina as their Senate will vote on an abortion bill. No country should ever fall for the lie that the legalized killing of their unborn is an advancement... https://t.co/jcQu0ZdCYM

— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) July 31, 2018

Malaysia reports H5N1 bird flu outbreak on the farm: OIE

Malaysia has reported an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus on a farm in the eastern region of Sabah, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday, citing a report from Malaysia's veterinary authorities. The virus killed 3,000 out of 28,000 egg-laying chickens on the farm in Kampung Kauluan and all of the remaining birds were slaughtered, the Paris-based OIE said in a website alert.

Eastern Congo Ebola outbreak believed to have killed 33: health ministry

An outbreak of the Ebola virus declared this week in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is believed to have killed 33 people, the health ministry said on Saturday. Thirteen cases of the hemorrhagic fever have been confirmed, including three deaths, the ministry said in a statement, adding that suspected cases had been detected in both North Kivu and neighboring Ituri province.

Regeneron to invest $100 million in bluebird, jointly develop cancer therapies

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday it will invest $100 million in cancer drug developer bluebird bio Inc, and the companies will jointly develop new cell therapies for cancer. The investment will be at $238.10 per share, a premium of nearly 59 percent over bluebird's Friday closing price.

Regeneron And Bluebird Team To Invent New Cell Therapies For Cancer $REGN $BLUE https://t.co/WXcfBT0Zb1

— Matthew Herper (@matthewherper) August 6, 2018

China to launch emergency inspections on farms after the swine flu outbreak

China's Liaoning province will increase inspections at pig farms and markets and strengthen the monitoring of hog transportation after the nation's first African swine fever case was reported there, local media Liaoning Daily reported on Monday. The African swine fever outbreak poses a major threat to the hog farming industry in the province and the whole country, and must be eradicated thoroughly, an official from Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Animal Health and Production said, according to Liaoning Daily.

Japan suspends imports of heat-treated pork from China after ASF outbreak

Japan has suspended imports of heat-treated Chinese pork after the first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) was reported in China on Friday, an official at Japan's ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries said. Imports of sausage casings and heat-treated rice straw to use for bedding for pigs - which could be contaminated if coming from an outbreak area - were also temporarily suspended, the official said.

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