Health News Roundup: Prostate cancer in men; e-cigarettes in US and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

More doctors say men should think twice about prostate cancer screening

Most men shouldn't get routine prostate cancer screening because the potential benefits are small and there are clear harms, an international panel of experts concludes. Some men, including those with a family history of prostate cancer, may have a greater chance of benefit from screening and should discuss the pros and cons with their physician to make an informed decision, medical experts recommend in guidelines published in the BMJ.

Antidepressants, psychotherapy may help ease irritable bowel syndrome

People struggling with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might feel better with antidepressants or psychotherapy, a recent study suggests. People with IBS typically suffer from chronic abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. While some people improve with customized diets that avoid certain foods that trigger symptoms, this approach doesn't help everyone and some emerging research suggests that the condition may also be influenced by processes in the brain.

FDA is considering banning online sales of e-cigarettes: Gottlieb

U.S. regulators are considering banning the online sales of e-cigarettes, the head of the Food & Drug Administration Scott Gottlieb said on Tuesday. Gottlieb, speaking on a panel discussion on vaping that was arranged by Axios, said that the agency will release its next steps on e-cigarettes as well as data on teen vaping in November.

Sudan reports outbreak of mosquito-borne Chikungunya disease in eastern state

More than 11,000 people in Sudan's eastern state of Kassala have been infected over the past month by Chikungunya, a debilitating mosquito-borne viral disease, but no deaths have been reported, a Sudanese official said on Tuesday. Chikungunya is spread by two mosquito species and can cause severe symptoms, which develop three to seven days after a person is bitten by an infected mosquito, include high fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain and rash. There are no dedicated treatments or vaccines for Chikungunya.

GSK vaccine success a milestone in TB, but room for improvement

An experimental GlaxoSmithKline vaccine could prevent tuberculosis developing in half of those who receive it, making it potentially the first new shot against the global killer in a century, researchers said on Tuesday. Given the failure of other candidates in recent years, it marks a milestone in the fight against TB, although the 54 percent efficacy rate achieved in adults in a mid-stage clinical trial is low compared to immunizations for other diseases.

AstraZeneca buoyed as Imfinzi cuts lung cancer deaths by a third

AstraZeneca's immunotherapy drug Imfinzi cut the risk of death in patients with mid-stage lung cancer by nearly a third in a closely watched clinical study, reinforcing the case for using the drug in earlier disease. The encouraging overall survival data boosts prospects for a medicine that was approved this week in Europe and has already had a promising U.S. commercial launch, based on its ability to slow disease progression.

UK healthcare worker contracts rare monkeypox virus in third case

A health worker in northern England has become the third person in Britain to contract a rare illness caused by a monkeypox virus after caring for a patient infected with the disease following travel to Nigeria, health officials said on Wednesday. The latest patient had been involved in caring for another case at Blackpool Victoria Hospital before monkeypox was diagnosed, Public Health England said in a statement.

Jail birds: Thailand considers prison for feeding pigeons

The Thai capital is considering jailing people who feed pigeons in public to try to eliminate the risk of bird flu and other diseases, officials said on Wednesday. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is spearheading a campaign to catch pigeons and has vowed to impose a ban on feeding them - violators could be jailed for up to three months, face a 25,000 baht ($770) fine, or both.

Cases of newborns with syphilis doubles in four years - CDC

The number of newborns born with syphilis has reached a 20-year high, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, tracking a general increase in several sexually transmitted infections. The CDC said reported cases of congenital syphilis, which is when the disease is passed from mother to baby, jumped 153 percent between 2013 and 2017, from 362 cases to 918.

Community Health unit to pay $260 million to resolve U.S. fraud probe

A hospital operator now owned by Community Health Systems Inc will pay more than $260 million to resolve claims it defrauded government healthcare programs and paid doctors kickbacks for patient referrals, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday. Health Management Associates, which Community Health acquired in 2014, agreed to pay the sum to resolve criminal and civil claims as part of a deal in which a subsidiary also agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to commit healthcare fraud.