Health News Roundup: USDA confirms cow-to-cow transmission a factor in bird flu spread; After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air' and more

It said it was the first step towards working out how to better prevent this kind of transmission, both for existing diseases like measles and for future pandemic threats. South Korea government to compromise on medical reforms, meet opposition South Korea's government announced a compromise in its medical reform plans on Friday in a bid to end a two-month walkout by doctors, and also said President Yoon Suk Yeol would meet the opposition leader for the first time after two years in office.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

How freezing embryos plays a crucial role in IVF

The practice of freezing embryos as part of in vitro fertilization (IVF) was thrown into chaos in Alabama this year, when the state supreme court ruled that such embryos should be considered children, exposing clinics to wrongful death claims in the event they are destroyed in the thawing process. In 2021, more than 80% of U.S. IVF procedures involved the transfer of frozen embryos, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Eating disorders still a "huge problem" in climbing, gold medallist Garnbret says

Eating disorders remain a "huge" issue in climbing, Olympic gold medallist Janja Garnbret said, even as new regulations meant to stop dangerously underweight athletes competing came into effect earlier this month. The International Federation of Sport Climbing announced the new rules in February after a group of elite climbers spoke out about their experiences with relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and demanded action from the governing body.

WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup

The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email. Nigeria's regulator recalled a batch of Benylin paediatric syrup last Wednesday, having found a high level of diethylene glycol in the product during routine testing.

Butler Hall Capital urges Vanda to engage in sales discussions

Hedge fund manager Butler Hall Capital said on Friday it is urging Vanda Pharmaceuticals to form an independent special committee to engage with Future Pak over its takeover offer and run a full sales process. On April 17, Vanda rejected a takeover proposal from Future Pak and adopted a shareholder rights plan to reduce the likelihood of a hostile takeover.

Vifor Pharma offers to fix alleged anti-competitive behaviour

Vifor Pharma has offered to launch a marketing campaign to address any damage caused by its criticisms of a rival to its key drug, EU regulators said on Friday, a move that could stave off a potential fine and end an antitrust investigation. Vifor, part of Australian group CSL, made the proposal following a two-year investigation by the European Commission.

China's drugmakers can't sell mRNA shots but haven't quit yet

China's vaccine developers stuck with unused mRNA COVID shots and idle manufacturing plants are pursuing new targets for the novel messenger RNA technology, but they face a tough path, crimped by a lack of revenue. Three Chinese companies - Walvax Biotechnology , CSPC Pharmaceutical Group and Stemirna Therapeutics - came up with mRNA vaccines that won limited emergency approvals in Asia.

Spanish hospital enlists therapy dogs to boost ICU patients' morale

Joel Bueno shed tears of joy as his four-legged guests entered the intensive care unit where he had been admitted due to a blood clot. Bueno, 34, said being showered with affection by therapy dogs Vida and Lu reminded him of his own dog back home.

USDA confirms cow-to-cow transmission a factor in bird flu spread

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week that cow-to-cow transmission is a factor in the spread of bird flu in dairy herds, but it still does not know exactly how the virus is being moved around. Farmers and veterinarians have been waiting for confirmation on how the virus is transmitted to better control its spread. Dairy herds in eight states tested positive over the past month, along with one dairy worker in Texas.

After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'

The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.

The Geneva-based U.N. health agency released a technical document on the topic on Thursday. It said it was the first step towards working out how to better prevent this kind of transmission, both for existing diseases like measles and for future pandemic threats.

South Korea government to compromise on medical reforms, meet opposition

South Korea's government announced a compromise in its medical reform plans on Friday in a bid to end a two-month walkout by doctors, and also said President Yoon Suk Yeol would meet the opposition leader for the first time after two years in office. The conciliatory moves followed a crushing election defeat for Yoon's ruling party last week. The government has been locked in a stalemate with doctors over its plans to boost medical school admissions.

(With inputs from agencies.)