Health News

on December 19, 2024 at 12:57 am

The US reported its first severe human case of bird flu on Wednesday (Dec 18) in a Louisiana resident who is hospitalised in critical condition after suspected contact with an infected backyard flock. California, the most populous state, declared an emergency over the H5N1 virus as it spread more widely in dairy herds and after it has infected dozens of farm workers this year. Federal and state officials have failed to control the nation's outbreak, which infected dairy cattle for the first time in 2024, as some farmers resist testing and containment measures. Severe respiratory illness in the Louisiana patient shows increased health risks for people from the virus that previously caused eye redness, or conjunctivitis, in infected dairy workers. Bird flu still represents a low risk to the general public, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said. CDC has confirmed 61 human cases nationally since April, mostly in workers on dairy farms where the virus infected cattle. Workers culling infected poultry also have tested positive. […]

by Judith Tan on December 16, 2024 at 1:35 am

SINGAPORE — Five years ago, Hazwady Nazran, now 38, was hospitalised with mysterious and terrifying symptoms such as violent episodes, paranoid delusions, confusion, memory loss and seizures. If his wife, Dr Miria Hastuti Soedarsono, 34, had not insisted that he be given a spinal tap, the music teacher and songwriter could have ended up in a mental hospital. "Hazwady had three months of weird behaviour. He would say he could not see properly, and he would go without sleeping for three days at a stretch. He loves our son and would never scold the boy, yet he was shouting at Almizan," recalled Dr Soedarsono. Hazwady said: "This disease was a silent thief. It sneaked in quietly, causing anxiety, confusion and memory loss, compounded by wild emotional outbursts, hallucinations and the inability to comprehend the thoughts in my mind." The disease struck him in late 2018 when the family was leading "a happy, calm and pleasant life". […]

by Salma Khalik on December 10, 2024 at 3:41 am

More than double the number of cancer patients in Singapore die of the disease compared with those in Australia and the United States. In Asia, Singapore also fares worse than South Korea and Japan in terms of cancer survival rate. Doctors say factors such as age at diagnosis, screening take-up rates and access to care are among possible reasons for the lower survival rate here. A paper published by the Asia-Pacific Medical Technology Association (ApacMed) in June showed that 51 out of 100 cancer patients in Singapore die, compared with 24 in Australia, 25 in the US, 38 in South Korea and 41 in Japan. The paper suggests that countries with higher cancer mortality rates are the ones with lower use of next-generation sequencing (NGS), a test that identifies biomarkers in cancers that can be targeted with specific treatments, resulting in better outcomes. ApacMed, which represents manufacturers and suppliers of medical equipment, devices and in-vitro diagnostics, clearly has an interest in pushing for NGS. […]

on December 7, 2024 at 4:00 am

WASHINGTON — The US issued a federal order on Dec 6 mandating that the national milk supply be tested for bird flu, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters, as authorities seek to grapple with rapid spread of the virus among dairy herds. Bird flu has infected more than 500 dairy herds in top milk state California, and more than 700 nationwide since March, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), raising concerns of the impact to farmers and the milk supply, as well as the risk to human health from the ongoing spread. Nearly 60 people have contracted the virus since April — most of them workers on infected poultry and dairy farms — according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The symptoms have been mild and CDC officials have said the risk to the general public from bird flu is low. The USDA first announced it would begin national milk testing in October after a push from industry and veterinary groups for stronger surveillance of the virus, but had not detailed the extent of the programme or how it would be implemented. […]

on December 5, 2024 at 3:21 am

WASHINGTON — Conservative US Supreme Court justices signalled on Wednesday (Dec 4) their willingness to uphold a Republican-backed ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors in a major case that could affect various other state laws targeting transgender people. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard arguments in an appeal by Democratic President Joe Biden's administration of a lower court's decision upholding Tennessee's law barring medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for people under age 18 experiencing gender dysphoria. That is the clinical diagnosis for significant distress that can result from an incongruence between a person's gender identity and the sex assigned at birth. Some of the conservative justices cited an ongoing debate among experts and policymakers over the potential benefits and drawbacks associated with the treatments. […]

on November 23, 2024 at 2:30 am

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday (Nov 22) confirmed the country's first case of H5N1 bird flu infection in a child, who experienced mild symptoms and is recovering from their illness. California's public health department had reported the case on Tuesday, but said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus. The child's family members tested negative. The CDC affirmed that currently there was no evidence of person-to-person spread of H5N1 bird flu from this child to others, but said it will continue contact tracing. The agency said the child received flu antivirals and low levels of viral material were found in the initial specimen. A follow-up test of the child several days later was negative for bird flu but was positive for other common respiratory viruses, it added. So far, there has been no person-to-person spread associated with any of the H5N1 bird flu cases reported in the United States, the CDC said. The agency maintained the risk for the general public remains low. […]

by Priyanka Elhence on November 16, 2024 at 1:15 pm

An estimated 463 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes, thanks to our sedentary lifestyles and increasingly unhealthy eating habits. Yes genetics play a part, but the risk greatly increases with lifestyle choices. It's no surprise then that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is only set to increase dramatically in the years to come, to approximately 578 million (adults) by 2030. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for approximately 90-95per cent of all cases of diabetes in adults.  Such high stats also mean that most of us are living with or know at least one family member who is suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Whether they are newly diagnosed or have had diabetes for years, people suffering from diabetes need support, and most importantly, understanding from family members in helping them manage this chronic disease.  My mum is one of those people. Here are some things I've learnt about supporting her in her Type 2 diabetes: […]

by Gwen Tay on November 10, 2024 at 2:30 pm

Life can sometimes feel like a never-ending cycle of stress and decisions. That's usually my weekdays in a nutshell: chasing deadlines, making tough calls, and hopping between meetings. When your brain feels like it's on overdrive, it's time to hit pause. Engaging in some therapeutic activities can give your mind the breather it desperately needs. The good news? They don't have to be complicated or time-consuming. Here are some that can work wonders for your mental clarity and overall well-being. Step outside for a walk Walking is one of the simplest ways to clear your mind. It's amazing what a little fresh air at your nearby PCN can do. Just stepping outside and getting those legs moving can shift your perspective in a matter of minutes — and burn a few calories too! Disconnect from your phone and enjoy the sights and sounds of the great outdoors. I find that a 30-min walk and a change of environment works wonders for me, helping me rationally dissect my worries, such as my crushing feelings of inadequacy at work. […]

on November 10, 2024 at 4:17 am

OTTAWA - Canada has detected its first presumptive case of H5 bird flu in a person, a teenager in the western province of British Columbia, health officials said on Saturday (Nov 9). The teenager likely caught the virus from a bird or animal and was receiving care at a children's hospital, the province said in a statement. The province said it was investigating the source of exposure and identifying the teenager's contacts. The risk to the public remains low, Canada's Health Minister Mark Holland said in posting on X. "This is a rare event," British Columbia Health Officer Bonnie Henry said in a statement. "We are conducting a thorough investigation to fully understand the source of exposure here in B.C." H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and US dairy cows, with several recent human cases in US dairy and poultry workers. There has been no evidence of person-to-person spread so far. But if that were to happen, a pandemic could unfold, scientists have said. […]

on November 7, 2024 at 9:31 am

LONDON — The world's biggest food and beverage companies on average sell products in low-income countries that are less healthy than what they sell in high-income countries, according to a new report. Products sold by companies including Nestle, Pepsico and Unilever were assessed as part of a global index published by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), its first since 2021. The non-profit group found that across 30 companies, the products sold in low-income countries scored lower on a star rating system developed in Australia and New Zealand than those sold in high-income countries. In the Health Star Rating system, products are ranked out of five on their healthiness, with five the best, and a score above 3.5 considered to be a healthier choice. […]