Health News Roundup: Challenges in fight against Ebola; risks of taking aspirin daily and more

Antibiotics after assisted births could stop thousands of infections

Giving a single dose of antibiotics to mothers who have a medically assisted birth using forceps or vacuum could prevent almost half of maternal infections, researchers said on Monday, and global health authorities should change their advice. In a study published in The Lancet medical journal, the researchers said prescribing antibiotics as a preventative measure could save more than 7,000 infections in new mothers in the UK each year, and around 5,000 in the United States.

Without heart disease, daily aspirin may be too risky

For people without heart disease, taking a daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes may increase the risk of severe brain bleeding to the point where it outweighs any potential benefit, a research review suggests. U.S. doctors have long advised adults who haven't had a heart attack or stroke but are at high risk for these events to take a daily aspirin pill, an approach known as primary prevention. Even though there's clear evidence aspirin works for this purpose, many physicians and patients have been reluctant to follow the recommendations because of the risk of rare but potentially lethal internal bleeding.

Home-based heart rehab may help patients who can't get to clinics

Some heart attack survivors may benefit from supervised home-based cardiac rehabilitation programs when hospital-based rehab isn't an option, U.S. doctors say. Medically supervised rehab programs focused on things like stress reduction, exercise and heart-healthy living have long been linked to better survival odds, fewer hospitalizations, and improved quality of life after a heart attack or cardiac procedure. But most patients don't start rehab or stick with it as long as they should because of barriers like a lack of insurance or the inconvenience of needing to travel and take time off work every time they go to rehab at a hospital.

U.S. measles outbreak grows with 75 new cases, mostly in New York

U.S. health authorities recorded 75 new cases of the measles in the latest week, mostly in New York state, bringing the nationwide total to 839 cases in the country's worst outbreak of the virus since 1994, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 9.8% increase in measles cases as of May 10, a resurgence that public health officials have attributed to the spread of misinformation about the measles vaccine. Data are updated every Monday.

Most parents text while driving, but millennials may be more dangerous

More than half of U.S. parents believe it's unsafe to text while driving, but most of them do it anyway, a new survey suggests. "I think many people believe that texting and driving is unsafe, but also have gotten away with reading and/or writing texts at some point, reinforcing a false sense of safety," said senior study author Dr. Regan Bergmark of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Vietnam to mobilize military in fight against African swine fever

Vietnam said it will mobilize its military and police forces to help combat the outbreak of African swine fever that has already resulted in the culling of about 4% of the country's pig herd. The virus, first detected in the Southeast Asian country in February, has hit farms in 29 provinces, and prompted the authorities to cull more than 1.2 million pigs.

Myovant Sciences' uterine fibroids combo therapy meets main goal in study

Myovant Sciences Ltd said on Tuesday its combination therapy met the main goal of a late-stage study testing the treatment in women with uterine fibroids. The company said 73.4% of women receiving the once-daily treatment showed a greater reduction in menstrual blood loss compared with 18.9% of women receiving placebo.

California jury hits Bayer with $2 billion award in Roundup cancer trial

A California jury on Monday awarded more than $2 billion to a couple who claimed Bayer AG's glyphosate-based Roundup weed killer caused their cancer, in the largest U.S. jury verdict to date against the company in litigation over the chemical. The large punitive damages award is likely to be reduced due to U.S. Supreme Court rulings that limit the ratio of punitive to compensatory damages to 9:1. The jury awarded a total of $2 billion in punitive damages and $55 million in compensatory damages.

Political games hinder efforts to end the Ebola outbreak in Congo: WHO

Attempts to end the second worst Ebola outbreak on the record are being hampered by "political games" and distrust of outsiders in two towns in Democratic Republic of Congo, a senior World Health Organization official said on Monday. The epidemic has moved through northeastern Congo, killing 1,117 people since mid-2018. A rapid international response with an effective vaccine has managed to stop the spread in a string of towns, including Beni, Kyondo, Komanda, Tchomia, Mabalako, Mandima and Kayna, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said.

With cancer rates rising worldwide, oncologist shortage predicted

As cancer rates rise worldwide, researchers predict a shortage of specialists who can deliver chemotherapy, according to a new study. World Health Organization projections suggest that the number of people who will need chemotherapy will rise steadily over the coming decades. Unless something is done, there won't be enough specialists to deliver those life-saving treatments, researchers report in The Lancet Oncology.