Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Israel confirms first monkeypox case

Israel on Saturday reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox, which officials expected would be contained. The case is a man in his 30s who had returned from a trip in western Europe, according to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center - Ichilov, where he is quarantined and in mild condition.

More monkeypox cases found in the Netherlands: health authorities

Dutch health authorities announced more cases of monkeypox on Saturday, a day after the first case was confirmed.

"We have found several patients in the Netherlands with monkeypox," the National Institute for Health (RIVM) said in a statement.

U.S. CDC says adenovirus leading hypothesis for severe hepatitis in children

Infection with adenovirus, a common childhood virus, is the leading hypothesis for recent cases of severe hepatitis of unknown origin in children that have led to at least six deaths, U.S. health officials said on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is continuing to investigate whether 180 cases identified in 36 states and territories since last October represent an increase in the rate of pediatric hepatitis or whether an existing pattern has been revealed though improved detection.

Explainer-What to know about mysterious severe hepatitis cases in children

At least 600 children in at least 34 countries have developed cases of sudden severe liver inflammation, or acute hepatitis, for which doctors have no explanation. Here is what health officials know so far:

Explainer-What is on (and off) the agenda of the WHO Assembly?

More than 100 world health ministers will meet in Geneva next week for the World Health Organization's first in-person assembly in three years as the U.N. agency seeks to define its future role in global health policy. The agenda of the World Health Assembly (WHA) is the most packed in the WHO's 75-year history and is seen as an historic opportunity to move on from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to 15 million deaths, and prepare for the next global outbreak.

Cancer coalition aims to boost access to medicines in poorer countries

Pharmaceutical companies including Novartis and Roche have teamed up with global cancer organisations in an alliance aimed at getting more oncology medications to poorer countries.

Currently, fewer than 50% of the cancer drugs on the World Health Organization's (WHO) essential medicines list are available in low and middle income countries, and the disease burden is growing. Without action, almost three in four cancer deaths are set to occur in these settings in the next decade.

Germany monkeypox infections rise to three after Berlin cases

At least two cases of monkeypox have been registered in Berlin, health authorities in the German capital said on Saturday, one day after the country registered its first case in Munich. The city of Berlin's health ministry said in a statement that more cases would likely emerge over the next few days, adding that the patients were in stable condition and that genetic sequencing would clarify the type of disease strain.

WHO working on more monkeypox guidance as cases rise - senior adviser

The World Health Organization is working on further guidance for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox, amid concerns cases could spike further in the summer months, a senior adviser for the U.N. agency told Reuters. The WHO's working theory based on the cases identified so far is that the outbreak is being driven by sexual contact, said David Heymann, chair of the WHO's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential. He led a meeting on the outbreak on Friday.

Explainer-How concerned should we be about monkeypox?

Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. As of Friday, some 80 monkeypox cases have been confirmed and an additional 50 are under investigation in 11 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The following is what is known about the current outbreak and relative risk of monkeypox:

Norway warns of possible monkeypox infections in Oslo

Norway has begun searching for possible cases of monkeypox in the capital Oslo, the country's Institute of Public Health (FHI) said on Saturday. "A foreigner who visited Oslo from May 6-10 has, after returning home, been confirmed to have been infected," FHI said.

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