Health News Roundup: China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand; China loosens curbs on small, unapproved drug imports

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China says U.S. can do more to reduce fentanyl demand

The U.S. government can do more to reduce demand for fentanyl and should stop shifting the blame onto others, China said on Monday, in another riposte to Trump administration criticism that China is not helping resolve the drug problem. U.S. officials say China is the main source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that are trafficked into the United States, much of it through international mail. China denies that most of the illicit fentanyl entering the United States originates in China.

Congo has given over 200,000 people Merck Ebola vaccine: government

Congolese authorities and health workers vaccinated more than 200,000 people against Ebola in August, the government said on Sunday, using a Merck vaccine they hope will help rein in the world's second worst epidemic. Figures released by the government's Ebola committee showed that 204,044 people had been inoculated since August 8. A total of 1,980 people have so far died in this epidemic, of 2,950 people suspected to have been infected -- clinically confirmed cases are a little lower, at 2,845.

DEA to expand marijuana research after years of delay

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Monday that it will move ahead with a long-delayed expansion of its marijuana research program, in a sign that the Trump administration's hostility to the drug may be waning as a growing number of states have legalized its use. The DEA said it would roll out new guidelines that would allow more growers to produce marijuana for scientific and medical research.

U.S. records 12 new cases of measles, raising year's total to 1,215

The United States recorded 12 new measles cases last week, bringing the total number of cases for the year to 1,215 across 30 states in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there had been a 1% increase in the number of cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease between Aug. 15 and Aug. 22.

Customers can make fast-food combo meals healthier

Combination meals in U.S. fast food and fast casual restaurants have lots of calories, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, but customers can make the meals healthier by substituting drinks and toppings, researchers say. Combination meals include an entrée (such as a burger), a side dish (such as fries), and a beverage (typically a soda), for less money than it would cost to buy each item separately.

China loosens curbs on small, unapproved drug imports

China said on Monday it was relaxing drug laws to give greater leniency to people who import small amounts of medicines unapproved in China but sold legally overseas. Under the previous law, such drugs were classified as "fake drugs". Those caught importing unapproved medicines were considered drug smugglers and faced heavy penalties.

CDC flags one death and nearly 200 cases of lung illnesses in U.S., possibly tied to vaping

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had identified 193 potential cases of severe lung illness tied to vaping in 22 states as of Aug. 22, including one adult in Illinois who died after being hospitalized. The CDC has been investigating a "cluster" of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use, although it has not yet been able to establish whether they were in fact caused by vaping.

Oklahoma judge finds J&J liable in opioid epidemic, orders $572 million damages

An Oklahoma judge on Monday found Johnson & Johnson liable for fueling an opioid epidemic in the state by deceptively marketing painkillers, and ordered the drugmaker to pay damages of $572 million. The damages awarded by Judge Thad Balkman of Cleveland County District Court in Norman, Oklahoma, following a seven-week, non-jury trial came in what had been a $17 billion lawsuit alleging that J&J's marketing practices helped fuel the opioid epidemic by flooding the market with painkillers.

Also Read: U.S. imposes sanctions on three Chinese accused of fentanyl trafficking