Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. U.S. measles outbreak hits 'completely avoidable' 25-year-high: officials

The number of measles cases in the United States has reached a 25-year peak, propelled by the spread of misinformation about the vaccine that can prevent the disease, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 704 cases as of April 26, a 1.3 percent increase since the most recent tally of 695 reported on Wednesday. The vast majority of cases have occurred in children who have not received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which confers immunity to the disease, officials said. Factbox: What you need to know about the U.S. measles outbreak

The United States so far this year has recorded 704 cases of measles in 22 states, its largest outbreak since public health officials in 2000 declared the disease eradicated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC on Monday released updated figures on the number of cases recorded so far this year, which have hit a 25-year-high. Congo registers record of 27 new Ebola cases in one day

Democratic Republic of Congo registered a one-day record of 27 new confirmed Ebola cases on Sunday, raising last week's number of cases to 126, the biggest since the current outbreak was declared last August, the health ministry said. The previous record was 110 confirmed cases a couple of weeks ago. U.S. youth suicides up after Netflix show, cause unclear: study

Suicides by young Americans rose by nearly a third in the month following the 2017 debut of popular Netflix television drama series "13 Reasons Why," in which a teenage girl kills herself, a U.S. study showed on Monday. The researchers said the study had limitations and they could not make a direct causal link between "13 Reasons Why" and the increase in suicide rates or rule out other factors. Another, previous study had found watching the program was associated with a reduced risk of self-harm for some young adults. Novartis's Sandoz strikes deal for biosimilar of Herceptin

Novartis's Sandoz division has struck a deal with Taiwan's EirGenix Inc to market a biosimilar version of Roche's Herceptin that is now in late-stage development to treat some cancer tumors. Novartis said the accord covers the trastuzumab biosimilar in Phase III development for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast and gastric tumors. Indoor tanning may trigger gene mutation that boosts melanoma risk

Indoor tanning is associated with a higher risk of developing the deadly skin cancer melanoma at younger ages, and a recent study suggests the ultraviolet (UV) light in tanning beds may be triggering genetic mutations that can lead to skin malignancies. Researchers examined data on 114 melanoma patients who had a history of indoor tanning and 222 melanoma patients who did not. After accounting for several factors that can impact melanoma risk - like gender, skin type, hair and eye color, sun exposure, and family history - researchers estimated that melanoma developed about a decade earlier when patients had a history of indoor tanning. Patients value convenience of telemedicine

Patients who have real-time video visits with their primary care providers instead of in-person exams are generally satisfied with the convenience and quality of their checkups, a new study suggests. There's a lot about these telemedicine visits that can sound appealing: no need to get stuck in traffic on the way to the doctor; no long stretches in the waiting room before the exam; no missing half a day of work for an appointment that's over in the blink of an eye. But research to date hasn't offered a clear picture of how the reality of virtual visits matches up with patients' expectations Atrial fibrillation patients often overestimate risk of stroke, bleeding

Patients with the irregular heart rhythm atrial fibrillation may overestimate both their risk of having a stroke and their risk of bleeding as a side effect of medication prescribed to prevent strokes, a recent study suggests. Researchers surveyed 227 patients with atrial fibrillation about their perceived risk of stroke or bleeding. Many of these patients had an annual estimated stroke risk of less than five percent - and most had an estimated risk of less than 20 percent. The obscure advisory committees at the heart of the U.S. drug pricing debate

Expectations were high last year for three new migraine drugs hitting the market from Amgen Inc, Eli Lilly and Co and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Priced around $7,000 each, the drugmakers called them "breakthrough" treatments designed to prevent migraines when taken year-round, and estimated that millions of patients could benefit. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration said Amgen's Aimovig – the first of the three drugs approved – was an "important addition" to available treatments. Keen sense of smell linked to longer life

Older adults with a poor sense of smell may die sooner than their counterparts who have keen olfactory abilities, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers asked 2,289 adults, ages 71 to 82, to identify 12 common smells, awarding scores from zero to as high as 12 based on how many scents they got right. When they joined the study, none of the participants were frail: they could walk a quarter mile, climb 10 steps, and independently complete daily activities.