 |
Ebola in DR Congo: Case confirmed in Goma
The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed the first case of Ebola in the eastern city of Goma, a major transport hub.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the case could be a "game-changer" given the city's population of more than two million.
But the WHO expressed confidence in plans to deal with the diagnosis.
DR Congo's health ministry said a pastor tested positive after arriv... |
| Read More
|
 |
 |
Are sugary drinks causing cancer?
Sugary drinks - including fruit juice and fizzy pop - may increase the risk of cancer, French scientists say.
The link was suggested by a study, published in the British Medical Journal, that followed more than 100,000 people for five years.
The team at Université Sorbonne Paris Cité speculate that the impact of blood sugar levels may be to blame.
However, the research is far from definit... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Tattoo parlours pose infection risk, warn health experts
Shops offering tattoos and piercings pose an infection risk, and laws on who works in them should be tightened, say public health experts.
At present, anyone in the UK can set up a parlour and offer procedures without proper training, a report from the Royal Society for Public Health says.
But with one in five adults now having a tattoo, more should be done, it says, to protect the public.
... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
GM fungus rapidly kills 99% of malaria mosquitoes, study suggests
A fungus - genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin - can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests.
Trials, which took place in Burkina Faso, showed mosquito populations collapsed by 99% within 45 days.
The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria.
The disease, which is spread when fema... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Bowel cancer rates rising 'among young adults'
More young people under 50 are being diagnosed with bowel cancer, two studies of the disease in European and high-income countries have found.
Although total numbers of cases in young people remain low, the studies highlighted a sharp rise in rates in 20 to 29-year-olds.
Researchers are not clear why this is happening, but say obesity and poor diet could be factors.
Experts urged doctors ... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Social media effect 'tiny' in teenagers, large study finds
The effects of social media use on teenage life satisfaction are limited and probably "tiny", a study of 12,000 UK adolescents suggests.
Family, friends and school life all had a greater impact on wellbeing, says the University of Oxford research team.
It claims its study is more in-depth and robust than previous ones.
And it urged companies to release data on how people use social media ... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Taiwan doctor finds four sweat bees living inside woman's eye
A Taiwanese woman was found by doctors to have four small sweat bees living inside her eye, the first such incident on the island.
The 28-year-old woman, identified only as Ms He, was pulling out weeds when the insects flew into her eyes.
Dr Hong Chi Ting of the Fooyin University Hospital told the BBC he was "shocked" when he pulled the 4mm insects out by their legs.
Ms He has now been di... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Child supplements 'mislead parents' over vitamin D
Few children's multivitamins give the recommended daily vitamin D dose, a study suggests.
Researchers from the universities of Oxford and Southampton looked at 64 multivitamins and found only 25%-36% provided the correct dose of 400 IU.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said the research was "highly concerning" and products were "misleading parents".
They recommend... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Mosquitoes 'put off biting' by human diet drugs
Scientists say they may have found a way to reduce the appetite of blood-hungry mosquitoes, by giving them human diet drugs.
This left them feeling full and bloated and put them off biting, US researchers said.
They said the technique could be used to prevent illnesses such as Zika, yellow fever and malaria.
But their research is still in its early stages, the study in the journal Cell re... |
| Read More
|
|
 |
Women's frozen eggs 'should be stored for longer'
Women who freeze their eggs should be allowed to keep them for longer than 10 years, fertility experts are telling the government.
Legislation says frozen eggs must be destroyed after this time, unless a medical condition has left the woman prematurely infertile.
Experts told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that the limit was arbitrary and had not kept up with technology.
The government... |
| Read More
|
|
