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Medical cannabis product approved for epilepsy
The EU has approved for the first time the use of a medicinal cannabis product aimed at patients with two rare, but severe, forms of childhood epilepsy.
Doctors can prescribe Epidyolex - an oral solution of cannabidiol, which comes from the cannabis plant - if they think it will help sufferers.
It has been approved for use in the UK and other European countries, but the NHS does not currentl... |
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Evidence suggests microplastics in water pose ‘minimal health risk’
Microplastics in drinking water do not appear to pose a health risk at current levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In its first report on the issue, the WHO found that larger particles, and most smaller ones, pass through the body without being absorbed.
But it said the findings were based on "limited information" as it called for greater research on the issue.
"We u... |
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Drug-resistant superbug spreading in Europe's hospitals
Superbugs resistant to emergency antibiotics are spreading in hospitals, a Europe-wide study shows.
Drugs called carbapenems are used when an infection cannot be treated with anything else.
The spread of resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was "extremely concerning", researchers from the Sanger Institute said.
And they warned other bugs could become resistant too - because of the unique way b... |
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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... |
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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... |
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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.
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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... |
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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 ... |
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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 ... |
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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... |
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