Health News Roundup: African swine fever cases slows down; Ohio 'heartbeat' law blocked and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China says African swine fever cases slowing; pig output returning

The number of fresh outbreaks of African swine fever in China has dropped this year and pig production is slowly returning to normal, its vice agriculture minister said, amid suspicions that the full extent of the disease is not being reported. African swine fever is deadly to pigs and there is no cure or vaccine for the disease, which has swept across China, the world's top pork producer, since August last year.

Men who eat yogurt may have lower colon cancer risk

Men who eat at least two servings a week of yogurt may be lowering their risk for colorectal cancer, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on 32,606 male and 55,743 female health professionals who had a colonoscopy between 1986 and 2012. Study participants provided detailed information about their health, lifestyle, eating and exercise habits every four years.

U.S. judge blocks Ohio 'heartbeat' law to end most abortions

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Ohio from enforcing a new law that critics said would effectively ban most abortions in the state, starting as early as six weeks into pregnancy. U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett in Cincinnati issued a preliminary injunction against enforcing the "Heartbeat Protection Act," saying it imposed an unconstitutional "undue burden" on a woman's right to obtain a pre-viability abortion.

Men may be able to help partner's menopausal transition

Overall, men know the transition through menopause can bring difficult symptoms for their wife or partner and that there may be ways to ease some of them, a small survey suggests. But if men knew more about the symptoms and therapeutic options, they might feel less negatively affected by their partner's transition and be better able to help her decide on whether to seek treatment that could help, the study authors write in the medical journal Menopause.

Bulgaria confirms two cases of African swine fever

Bulgaria has confirmed two cases of African swine fever among backyard pigs in the village of Zhernov near the town of Pleven in the northern part of the country, the national food safety agency said. All pigs in Zhernov will be culled and a 3-kilometre quarantine zone will be established around the village, the agency said in a statement.

Breastfeeding relaxation therapy for mothers helps babies eat more

Mothers who get breastfeeding support that includes relaxation therapy may feel less stressed and have babies who eat and sleep more than women who don't get this extra help, a small experiment suggests. Many women struggle to breastfeed their babies even when they go to support groups or get one-on-one help from lactation specialists. Stress is often part of the problem, said Nurul Husna Mold Shukri, lead author of the study and an infant nutrition specialist at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Selangor.

High blood pressure during pregnancy tied to heart problems decades later

Women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy may be more likely than those who don't to have heart attacks or strokes decades later, a Norwegian study suggests. Compared to women with normal blood pressure during every pregnancy, women who developed hypertensive disorders, or high blood pressure, during one or more pregnancies were 57% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke at some point between ages 40 and 70.

GSK's HIV drug receives EU marketing nod

GlaxoSmithKline said its specialist HIV company had received marketing authorization from the European Commission for its drug to treat advanced-stage HIV infections in adults and adolescents above the age of 12 and weighing at least 40 kg. ViiV Healthcare, which is majority-owned by GSK and with Pfizer Inc and Shionogi Ltd as shareholders, got the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment Dovato in April.

Roche says one-dose Xofluza flu drug as good as older Tamiflu in kids

Swiss drugmaker Roche said its new one-dose flu medicine Xofluza was comparable to its 20-year-old drug Tamiflu in reducing the duration of symptoms of the viral disease, citing a study of the drug in children aged one to 12 years old. Xofluza, an oral treatment, was well tolerated in children, said Roche, whose medicine is already approved broadly in Japan and for people older than 12 in the United States. The company is seeking to establish Xofluza as a more convenient alternative to its older Tamiflu, which must be taken twice daily for five days and which is off patent, allowing cheap copies to the crowd in.

Soccer headgear may not reduce sport-related concussion

In season-long tests, soccer headgear didn't reduce the overall number or severity of concussions experienced by high school players, U.S. researchers say. Some of the five headgear models used in the trial, however, may have been better at reducing impact forces that lead to concussions, particularly among female players, the study authors report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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