Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Opioid addiction diagnosis and treatment climbs with Medicaid expansion

More low-income people addicted to opioids are getting diagnosed and treated with effective medication as a result of the Affordable Care Act, a new study suggests Under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, some U.S. states expanded coverage through Medicaid - the joint federal and state insurance program for the poor - starting in 2014. While previous studies have linked Medicaid expansion to gains in the number of people treated for substance use disorders, the current study offers fresh evidence that the law helped to improve access to buprenorphine, a drug for treating opioid addiction. Tyson unit recalls 20,000 pounds of frozen beef patties

Tyson Foods Inc is recalling about 20,000 pounds of ready-to-eat beef patties due to plastic contamination, marking its third major product recall this year. A Tyson unit, AdvancePierre Foods, is recalling 'fully cooked flame broiled beef patties' after two consumers complained about soft purple plastic in the product, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service said https://bit.ly/2VhFgp4 on Tuesday. Bulgaria reports new bird flu outbreak

Bulgaria's food safety agency authorities reported on Wednesday an outbreak of the bird flu virus on a duck farm in the village of Yoglav in central Bulgaria and said birds on the farm were being culled. A 3-km protection zone had been set around the farm and the movement of domestic, wild and other birds and has been banned within it, as has the sale of eggs and poultry, the food safety agency said in a statement. Cigna launches program to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $25/month

Health insurer Cigna Corp on Wednesday launched a program aimed at ensuring some diabetes patients pay no more than $25 for a 30-day supply of insulin in the wake of heightened public scrutiny over soaring prices of the life-saving drug. U.S. lawmakers have pulled up healthcare companies over rising costs of medicine, with powerful committees in Congress holding hearings in January on insulin affordability. Study points to new antibody approach to tackling Ebola, other infections

Scientists working on developing vaccines against Ebola have found they can "harvest" antibodies from volunteers vaccinated in research trials and use them to make treatments for the deadly viral infection. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports on Tuesday, the scientists said the approach could be used for Ebola and other newly emerging deadly diseases caused by viruses. Spinal manipulation can help ease low back pain

Spinal manipulation therapy isn't routinely recommended as the initial treatment for low back pain, but a research review suggests this approach may work as well as interventions that doctors typically prescribe first. Based on data from 47 previously conducted trials involving a total of 9,211 mostly middle-aged adults, spinal manipulation eased lower back pain as much as exercise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and painkillers. Spinal manipulation also appeared better for improving short-term function. Restaurant dishes labeled gluten-free often are not

For people with celiac disease, even tiny amounts of gluten in foods can cause trouble, and restaurants may be the hardest places to avoid the hidden protein, a U.S. study suggests. More than half of gluten-free pizza and pasta dishes tested in restaurants were positive for the presence of gluten, and overall, about one third of supposedly gluten-free foods had some gluten, researchers report in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Severe obesity raises particular travel health issues

International travelers who are obese may face difficulties with flights, hotel access and certain leisure activities, say researchers who suggest the travel industry and travel health specialists should address these issues. Based on interviews with severely obese men and women about their experiences with international travel, the small study found that airport facilities and procedures, physical discomfort and embarrassment on flights, and limitations associated with obesity were recurring themes, according to the report in the Journal of Travel Medicine. Democrats mock Trump over healthcare delay ahead of 2020 election battle

Democrats mocked President Donald Trump on Tuesday for pushing back his promise of sweeping healthcare reform until after the 2020 election, and said they were happy to make it a central campaign issue. Trump had pledged in recent days to use court action to end Obamacare, the signature law of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and said his Republican Party would push over the next few months for a better healthcare plan at lower cost for most Americans. Purdue's Sackler family fights 'inflammatory' Massachusetts opioid case

Members of the Sackler family behind OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP have asked a judge to toss a lawsuit by the Massachusetts attorney general that claims they helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic, arguing it contains "misleading and inflammatory allegations." The wealthy family in a motion on Monday argued that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's lawsuit mischaracterized internal records to create the "false impression" they personally directed privately-held Purdue's marketing of painkillers.