Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Up to Czechs to act against risk of infected Polish beef imports: Commission

The Czech Republic is free to take the necessary steps against the risk of imports of Polish beef that could be infected with salmonella, but the measures have to be proportionate to the risk, the European Commission said on Friday. Czech authorities informed the Commission this week that they found salmonella in beef coming from Poland, Commission spokeswoman Anca Paduraru told a regular news briefing, adding the Commission was in contact with Warsaw about the issue. Novartis gene therapy would be cost effective up to $900,000: U.S. group

An experimental gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) developed by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG would be worth a price of $310,000 to $900,000, according to an independent U.S. nonprofit organization that reviews the value of drugs and medical treatments. Novartis, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has said the therapy’s price will be determined in negotiations with health plans. But the drugmaker has said it believes the gene therapy would be cost-effective at $4 million to $5 million as a one-time treatment. China reports new bird flu outbreak in Yunnan province

China reported a new H5N6 bird flu outbreak in the southwestern province of Yunnan, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. The new case, found on a poultry farm with 2,861 birds in Lijiang city in Yunnan, infected and killed 463 of the animals, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement published on its website. Morning exercise, short breaks from sitting lower high blood pressure

Combining 30 minutes of morning exercise with short walking breaks throughout the day may help control blood pressure, an Australian study suggests. Adding three-minute walking breaks to disrupt prolonged periods of sitting benefited older, overweight or obese women in particular, the study authors report in the journal Hypertension. Weight-loss surgery can bring lasting improvement in sexual function

Weight-loss surgery has more benefits than simply slimming a patient down, it may also result in lasting improvements to sexual functioning, a new study suggests. In the multicenter study that included more than 2,000 men and women who had problems with sexual functioning before surgery, researchers found that more than half reported improvements in their sex lives within a year of the surgery. The improved functioning continued for most of these patients through five years of follow-up, the study team reports in JAMA Surgery. U.S., Canada, Mexico work to prevent swine fever reaching region

The United States, Canada and Mexico are coordinating efforts to prevent the arrival of a highly contagious swine disease that has swept through China's hog herd and parts of Europe, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Thursday. The disease, African swine fever, can cause death for hogs in just two days. China, home to the world's largest hog herd, has reported more than 100 cases of the disease in 27 provinces and regions since last August. Efforts to contain the fever have disrupted Chinese pork supplies. Chemicals in e-cig flavors could harm respiratory tract

Two chemicals commonly used as e-cigarette flavors might harm users' airway passages, a small experiment suggests. The results point to the need to further study how the highly popular cigarette alternatives affect human bodies, researchers say. Catalyst Pharmaceuticals defends $375,000 drug price after Bernie Sanders rebuke

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Inc, rebuked by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders for its high drug prices, on Thursday defended its $375,000 treatment for a rare disease, saying the price was in line with similar products in the industry. Sanders, a vocal critic of high drug prices, had written to Florida-based Catalyst earlier this month, asking it to justify its price for Firdapse, a medication for a rare neuromuscular disease that affects about one in 100,000 people in the United States. Teens may smoke less pot in states with medical marijuana laws

When medical marijuana becomes legal in a state, teenagers there may be slightly less likely to use the drug, a U.S. study suggests. Even though medical and recreational marijuana laws restrict use to adults, access for adults may influence how easily teens can get the drug and whether they use it, researchers write in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Johnson & Johnson receives federal subpoenas related to baby powder litigation

Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday it has received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) related to litigation involving alleged asbestos contamination in its signature Baby Powder product line. The company said it intends to "cooperate fully with these inquiries and will continue to defend the Company in the talc-related litigation."