Health News Roundup: China's pig herd in Sept down 41.1% from year earlier; Breastfeeding gap widens between black and white U.S. babies

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China's pig herd in Sept down 41.1% from year earlier

China's pig herd in September was 41.1% smaller than it was a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, as a year-long African swine fever epidemic continued to slash the world's largest herd. The number of sows in China also fell by 38.9% in September, after the deadly disease spread to every province in the country.

Breastfeeding gap widens between black and white U.S. babies

Even as more U.S. mothers are breastfeeding their babies, a new study suggests the gap in breastfeeding between black and white infants is widening. Researchers examined data 167,842 infants born from 2009 to 2015. Overall, the proportion of mothers who initiated breastfeeding increased by 7.1 percentage points, and the proportion of women exclusively breastfeeding climbed by 9.2 percentage points.

Vaping illness, deaths likely very rare beyond U.S., experts say

E-cigarette or vaping-linked lung injuries that have killed 29 and sickened more than 1,000 people in the United States are likely to be rare in Britain and other countries where the suspect products are not widely used, specialists said on Monday. Experts in toxicology and addiction said they are sure that the 1,299 confirmed and probable American cases of serious lung injuries linked to vaping are "a U.S.-specific phenomenon," and there is no evidence of a similar pattern of illness in Britain or elsewhere.

HIV-positive British living in Spain could lose healthcare post-Brexit

British citizens with HIV who live in Spain could face serious healthcare challenges post-Brexit, potentially risking public health at large, researchers say. A no-deal Brexit could leave many patients with HIV or other chronic conditions in the lurch, the researchers write the journal AIDS.

Congo to start using Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November

Health authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo will introduce a Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November in the country's eastern provinces, to counter the current outbreak, they said. The J&J vaccine will complement another vaccine manufactured by Merck, which has been administered to more than 225,000 people. It requires two injections eight weeks apart, unlike the Merck vaccine, which requires a single shot.

Also Read: China Sept services sector growth slows slightly - official PMI

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