Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Italy drugmaker Zambon ready to splash out in U.S., China push

Italian drugmaker Zambon is looking to China and the U.S. to grow its respiratory and nervous system portfolio and could spend more than 100 million euros ($114 million) on the right acquisition, its chief executive said. The family-owned pharma group, famous for its mucolytic agent Fluimucil, used to treat respiratory problems, has cash enough to fund expansion plans but could contemplate a stock market listing if a big opportunity arose. Furloughed federal workers may lose some health benefits: U.S. senators

Four U.S. senators expressed concern on Wednesday that federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown could lose their dental and vision health insurance benefits if they are unable to pay their premiums. In a letter to the government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Democratic Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin said forcing workers to pay the premiums during the shutdown would be "unacceptable." Mix of risk, benefit in Achilles tendon surgery

People who get surgery to fix a torn Achilles tendon may be less likely to experience repeat ruptures but more likely to develop infections than patients who get nonsurgical treatments, a research review suggests. The number of surgeries for these injuries has declined in recent years as a result of studies suggesting that operating might not be more effective than alternatives like a walking cast or physical therapy, researchers note in The BMJ. China clones gene-edited monkeys for sleep disorder research

Chinese scientists have made clones of a gene-edited macaque to aid research of circadian rhythm disorders that are linked to sleep problems, depression and Alzheimer's disease, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. It was the first time multiple clones had been made from a gene-edited monkey for biomedical research, the agency said. The clones were born at the Institute of Neuroscience at the China Academy of Sciences in Shanghai. Not-for-profit to offer 20 generic drugs in 2019 to alleviate shortages

A new not-for-profit supplier of generic drugs formed by a consortium of hospitals systems said it expects this year to be able to provide about 20 products to alleviate shortages of medicines used during surgeries and to treat life-threatening conditions, such as septic shock. Since the start-up of Civica Rx spearheaded by Intermountain Healthcare was announced last January, the Utah-based company has raised more than $160 million from its members, which include HCA Healthcare Inc hospital chain, the Mayo Clinic, the Catholic Health Initiatives and others, which together represent about 800 hospitals. Most parents know good hygiene, not folklore, helps prevent colds

Ninety-nine percent of parents said they reinforced principles of good hygiene, like frequent hand-washing and avoiding contact with people who are ill, to prevent their kids from getting sick during cold season, according to a nationally-representative U.S. poll. Still, half of the participants also said they gave their kids supplements, including vitamin C or echinacea, that aren't proven to prevent colds. And 70 percent admitted to following "folklore" prescriptions like avoiding going outdoors with wet hair. WHO warns of deadly outbreak of rat-borne hantavirus in Argentina

At least 11 people have died in Argentina after becoming infected with hantavirus, a disease carried by rats and other rodents, according to a news alert from the World Health Organization (WHO). Among 29 cases of the disease confirmed with laboratory tests between late October 2018 and Jan. 20, 2019, almost 60 percent were in women or girls, the WHO said. Savencia unit recalls baby milk in France after salmonella alert

Sodilac, a unit of French dairy group Savencia, said it was recalling infant formula sold in pharmacies in France and produced at a Spanish factory due to possible links with salmonella cases among babies. Sodilac said in a statement it had decided, in agreement with the French authorities, to carry out a precautionary recall of all products under its Modilac brand supplied by the Spanish factory. CVS unveils 'Beauty Marks' in stores, warning shoppers of edited images

CVS Pharmacy unveiled an initiative in U.S. stores on Thursday, labeling photos of models in its beauty aisles to make it clear whether the images had been digitally altered. The U.S. No 2 drugstore chain, part of CVS Health Corp, is the first major American company to adopt such a policy in the face of rising concerns about doctored images setting unrealistic ideals of beauty, especially for young women. Aetna, other health insurers team up with IBM on blockchain project

CVS Health Corp's Aetna and a host of other health insurers said on Thursday they have partnered with IBM Corp to create a blockchain network aimed at cutting costs in the healthcare industry. The companies intend to use blockchain technology, which allows the sharing of databases across a network of computers, for processing claims and payments and to maintain directories, they said in a joint statement.