Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Scientists home in on potential treatments for deadly Nipah virus

Scientists working on how to combat a highly infectious and deadly virus called Nipah, which is transmitted to humans from bats and pigs, say they have found around a dozen potential drugs that might be developed to block the disease. The early-stage molecule-screening research could lead to the development of a drug to target Nipah, which has caused several deadly outbreaks in South Asia and which is seen by some experts as posing a pandemic threat. There are no current treatments or vaccines against the viral disease. Maternal diabetes in pregnancy tied to heart disease in adult kids

People whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy may be at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease by early adulthood, a recent study suggests. The analysis followed more than 2.4 million babies born in Denmark for up to four decades, including nearly 55,000 whose mothers had diabetes during pregnancy. During the study period, cardiovascular disease developed before age 40 in 1,153 people whose mothers had diabetes while pregnant and 91,311 whose mothers did not. Costa Rica's president says therapeutic abortions will be allowed

Costa Rica's President Carlos Alvarado on Thursday issued a technical decree that will allow for therapeutic abortions in the Central American nation, despite opposition from religious and conservative political groups. On paper, a 50-year-old law allows a pregnancy to be terminated only if the mother's health is at risk, but a lack of regulatory clarity at hospitals has meant the law could not be applied. South Korea finds some liquid e-cigarette products have ingredient linked to lung illness

South Korean health authorities have found vitamin E acetate, which may be linked to lung illnesses, in some liquid e-cigarette products made by Juul Labs and KT&G, they said on Thursday, but the two companies denied using the material. The results followed an analysis of seven key ingredients in 153 liquid e-cigarettes carried out by the food and drug safety ministry, after a spate of severe lung injuries tied to the devices in the United States. Food labels with caloric costs in exercise could lead to healthier choices

Consumers might make healthier choices if food labels showed how many minutes of walking or running was needed to burn off calories, instead of just a calorie number, a new study suggests. Pooled data from 14 randomized trials showed that labels with activity times induced consumers to cut back nearly 65 calories per meal more than labels that simply listed calories, researchers reported in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. U.S. FDA gives early approval to Sarepta's newest DMD treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted an early approval to Sarepta Therapeutics Inc's second treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The company's shares surged about 28% to $129 in extended trading after being halted ahead of the news. U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 52, hospitalizations to 2,409

U.S. health officials said on Thursday four more deaths occurred since last week from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, taking the total toll to 52. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reported 118 more hospitalized cases from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories, as of Dec. 10. The number of people hospitalized now stands at 2,409. Only a quarter of U.S. childcare centers require kids to have flu shots

Only a quarter of childcare centers in the United States require children in their care to get a flu shot, and even fewer require childcare workers to be vaccinated, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. Young children are at increased risk of serious complications such as hospitalization and even death from seasonal influenza, but few centers charged with caring for young children require them to be immunized, Dr. Timothy Shope of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and colleagues report in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. Brazil's 2020 pork, chicken exports seen growing as China swine fever disruption persists

Brazilian food processors are poised to boost pork and chicken exports in 2020 as Chinese demand for imports remains strong while the Asian country deals with severe disruptions in local production, an industry group said on Thursday. While an outbreak of African swine fever affects solely pork supplies in China and other Asian countries, a fall in production of that type of meat will drive demand for other products including chicken, said ABPA, which represents pork and poultry producers. Resistance exercise may preserve bone in older obese dieters

Obese adults who diet to lose weight may be able to protect against bone thinning with resistance exercise, a recent study suggests. Weight loss efforts among obese adults are linked to an increased risk of thinning, brittle bones that are prone to fractures, the study team writes in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. While exercise can strengthen bones and reduce the risk of falls and fractures, doctors don't yet know the optimal workout routine for obese people who are dieting.