Health News Roundup: Ebola survivors face kidney problems; WHO welcomes Facebook pledge to curb anti-vaccine misinformation

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Amid swine fever outbreak, Brazil beef plants set for Chinese inspections: sources

Chinese health inspectors are expected to start evaluating four Brazilian beef plants on Thursday as part of a push to approve new meat exporters amid an outbreak of swine fever, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Marfrig Global Foods SA owns one of the plants, located in the town of Várzea Grande in Mato Grosso state, according to both sources. A third source confirmed the date of the inspection, to be carried out using video technology, but did not confirm the number of plants involved.

Ebola survivors face kidney problems and risk of premature death

People who survive Ebola virus infection face a dramatically higher risk of dying - probably from severe kidney damage - within a year of leaving the hospital, according to a study of survivors of an epidemic in Guinea. Researchers who followed more than 1,100 survivors of the Ebola virus outbreak - which swept through West Africa is the world's largest epidemic from 2013 to 2016 - found their mortality rates a year after discharge from hospital where up to five times higher than expected in general Guinean population.

U.S. government gives states nearly $2 billion to combat opioid crisis

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Wednesday it will offer states more than $1.8 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic. The funds will be used for expanding access to treatments for opioid overdosing and to gather case data from across states, the HHS said.

Mallinckrodt taps restructuring firms: Bloomberg

Mallinckrodt Plc has hired restructuring firms and may choose to seek bankruptcy protection, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, sending the drugmaker's shares down 40% in after-hours trading. The company has hired law firm Latham & Watkins LLP and consulting firm AlixPartners LLP to advise on the matter, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation.

AstraZeneca's Tagrisso helps lung cancer patients live longer: study

AstraZeneca Plc said on Friday a late-stage study showed its top-selling drug, Tagrisso, had significantly helped patients with a type of lung cancer live longer. The British drugmaker announced overall positive survival results from the study in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Even a little exercise linked to a longer life

(Reuters Health) - People who get even a small amount of exercise may be less likely to die prematurely than their more sedentary counterparts, a research review suggests. Researchers examined data from 10 previously published studies that used accelerometers that track movement to measure the exact amount of active and sedentary time spent by more than 36,000 older adults. After an average follow-up period of 6.7 years, a total of 2,149 people died, or about 6% of the participants.

Cigna rolls out new plan to fully cover multi-million dollar gene therapies

Health insurer Cigna Corp said on Thursday it had introduced a plan to fully cover costs for expensive gene therapies, eliminating any out-of-pocket payments for customers. Gene therapies, which in general aim to treat diseases by manipulating genes at a cellular level, are among the most expensive treatments in the world.

WHO welcomes Facebook pledge to curb anti-vaccine misinformation

The World Health Organization said on Thursday it welcomed a commitment by Facebook that it would direct users seeking vaccine information on its Instagram, Facebook Search, Groups and other forums towards facts, not misinformation. After several months of talks with the WHO, Facebook has pledged to direct its users to "accurate and reliable vaccine information in several languages" on the WHO's website, the United Nations health agency said, "to ensure that vital health messages reach people who need them the most".

New video animation aims to raise AIDS awareness on Freddie Mercury's birthday

A new video animation featuring two white blood cells in love was released on Thursday to mark what would have been Freddie Mercury's 73rd birthday and help raise awareness of the continued global fight against AIDS. The British singer, songwriter and lead vocalist of the rock band Queen died in 1991 aged 45 due to complications from AIDS.

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