All about Congo Ebola stabilization, cannabis component fighting psychosis

It is too soon to say that an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is stabilizing due to difficulties identifying new cases near rebel-controlled areas, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Congo Ebola outbreak not yet stabilized: WHO chief

It is too soon to say that an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is stabilizing due to difficulties identifying new cases near rebel-controlled areas, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. Since the latest outbreak was declared on Aug. 1, 112 confirmed and probable cases have been identified in eastern Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces, including 75 deaths, according to overnight data from Congo's health ministry.

Very encouraging. Two people who received experimental #Ebola treatment have recovered. Hopeful this is a step in the right direction to prevent future outbreaks: https://t.co/iTtwKQMBD1

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) August 28, 2018

Danone fund invests in German home mineral water machine

Danone, the maker of Evian and Volvic, is investing in a German company developing a purifier that will enable households to turn tap water into mineral water, as the French group seeks ways to adapt to growing demand for healthier food and drink. Berlin-based Mitte told Reuters it has raised $10.6 million in a financing round led by Danone Manifesto Ventures, a New-York-based fund set up in 2016 to invest in companies responding to changing consumer tastes for food and drink produced in ways that protect the environment.

Scientists unpick how cannabis component may fight psychosis

British scientists have unraveled how a non-intoxicating component of cannabis acts in key brain areas to reduce abnormal activity in patients at risk of psychosis, suggesting the ingredient could become a novel anti-psychotic medicine. While regular use of potent forms of cannabis can increase the chances of developing psychosis, the chemical cannabidiol or CBD appears to have the opposite effect.

Europe ready to cash in on cheap copies of AbbVie biotech drug

U.S. drugmaker AbbVie ABBV.N faces a crunch moment in Europe in mid-October when less-expensive copies of its $18-billion-a-year biologic drug Humira – the world's best-selling prescription medicine – hit the market. With vast sums at stake, European healthcare administrators say they will waste no time in exploiting the situation to drive down drug bills.

Florida finds atypical mad cow case, no human threat seen

A 6-year-old beef cow in Florida tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday. The animal tested positive for atypical H-type BSE on Aug. 26 at the Colorado State University's veterinary diagnostic laboratory, as part of routine surveillance of cattle that are found to be unfit for slaughter, the agency said.

Pot-smoking mothers may have THC in breast milk for days

Low levels of chemicals in marijuana like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can linger in breast milk for up to six days after nursing mothers use the drug, a U.S. study suggests. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug among pregnant and breastfeeding women. While some previous research suggests that prenatal marijuana exposure may impair fetal growth and brain development, less is known about the effects of marijuana on breastfeeding infants.

Vaccine tied to drop in HPV cases still not reaching half of U.S. kids

Although a vaccine for the cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) has led to a dramatic decrease in infections, a new study suggests that half of U.S. teens are still not fully vaccinated against this virus. Last year, nearly 66 percent of youth ages 13 to 17 received the first dose to start this vaccination series, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. But just 49 percent of teens received the two or three doses needed to be fully vaccinated against HPV.

Doctors may not follow peanut guidelines for allergy-prone babies

Primary care physicians and pediatricians may not be following current guidelines that recommend introducing puréed peanuts to allergy-prone babies before the age of 6 months, a Canadian study suggests. In a survey of pediatricians, family doctors, and allergy specialists, the majority of pediatricians and family doctors recommended introducing allergenic foods between 6 months and 1 year of age. Most allergists correctly said milk, egg and puréed peanuts or peanut powder should be introduced between the ages of 4 and 6 months.

French baguette faces pinch from anti-salt lawmakers

France's beloved bread loaf, the baguette, may be about to lose some of its bites, with politicians looking into the health risks of additives set to propose legislation forcing bakers and processed food makers more generally to slash salt content. After months of investigation and hearings, a parliamentary committee has come to the conclusion that voluntary agreements on the reduction of high salt levels have not been respected and that it is time to impose healthier norms via legislation.

Obamacare tied to fewer uninsured hospitalizations for heart disease, cancer

With increased access to insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, fewer uninsured patients have been hospitalized for serious heart conditions, a U.S. study suggests. For the study, researchers examined data on more than 3 million hospitalizations for heart attacks, strokes and heart failure in 30 states between 2009 and 2014. During the final year of the study, 17 states took advantage of provisions in the ACA to help fund expanded enrollment in Medicaid, the health program for the poor.

Last year, we took an important first step in alleviating the damage of Obamacare by repealing the unconstitutional individual mandate. Now, we need to finish the job. #TXSen

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) August 29, 2018

(With inputs from Reuters)