Author: Hill Castle
A suspected Ebola patient is being quarantined in an Austrian hospital after displaying symptoms of the deadly virus.Austrian health officials announced that the affected individual had just returned from Uganda before showing signs of the current strain of the virus, named Bundibugyo, which has no vaccine and kills up to 50 per cent of those infected.They said in a statement: ‘Yesterday, a person from the Urfahr-Umgebung district was admitted to the hospital for inpatient evaluation due to symptoms of illness.’Since the person returned from Uganda on Monday—a country currently affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak—they were isolated and treated in accordance with…
Thousands of men risk being condemned to an avoidable death after government advisors today rejected calls for a major prostate cancer screening programme. Health secretary James Murray will meet the chair of the UK National Screening Committee on Monday before deciding whether to follow its recommendation or overrule it.Charities, patients and MPs say Mr Murray, who only took up his role this month, should ‘show leadership’ and use his powers to defy the bombshell guidance. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with 63,000 cases and 12,000 deaths each year – but unlike breast, bowel and lung cancer, there…
A pesticide used on common crops that has previously been linked to Parkinson’s disease and organ damage will be banned in a US state in a national first.In Vermont, Gov Phil Scott signed the ban into law, which will prohibit the use or sale of paraquat statewide from November 1. Fruit farmers can apply for an exemption to the ban, but will also need to stop using the pesticide, sprayed on fruit and potato crops among others, by the end of 2030.Signing the bill Tuesday, Scott said: ‘Today, I signed H.739, which phases out the use of the harmful herbicide paraquat…
More countries have enacted travel bans on residents from countries affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.Canada and the Bahamas said Tuesday they will temporarily ban residents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan due to an outbreak of the rare Ebola Bundibugyo variant, which kills up to 50 percent of patients and has no treatments or vaccines.The outbreak has caused about 1,000 suspected illnesses and 228 suspected deaths. The Canadian government has banned entrance for 90 days with the goal of reducing the risk of Ebola entering and spreading throughout the country.Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign…
When Nell Jensen took her first dose of the weight-loss injection Wegovy she thought it would be the beginning of the end to her lifelong struggle with her weight.Little did she know that it would not be until she was diagnosed with a common brain condition two years later that she would finally reach a healthy size.The 41-year-old, who grew up in The Netherlands before moving to Brighton, says as a child she was relentlessly mocked for her weight.’I was bullied a lot,’ says Nell, who works in customer service. ‘People would ask me to my face why I was…
By MARTI STELLING, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 06:19 EDT, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 09:00 EDT, 28 May 2026 Patients across England could be asked to pay means-tested ‘Netflix-style’ monthly subscription fees to see their GP as part of a controversial new ‘alternative strategy’. Family doctors in England will vote on proposals that could allow them to introduce subscription-based services, offering additional services to patients willing to pay.The move would mark a dramatic shift away from the founding principle of the NHS – that care is free at the point of use – and risks creating a two-tier system.It comes as GP partners -…
By MARTI STELLING, HEALTH REPORTER Published: 07:59 EDT, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 08:05 EDT, 28 May 2026 Scientists say NHS data could be used to spot people at risk of liver disease years earlier – before symptoms even begin. The condition, one of the fastest-growing causes of death in the UK, often develops silently, leaving many unaware until serious and sometimes irreversible damage has already occurred.Now, researchers say analysing existing blood test records could help spot warning signs much sooner. Liver disease rates have soared in recent decades, with deaths increasing more than fourfold since the 1970s – even as outcomes…
James Mu had braced for the call that came in late January. A patient from his rural Northern California county had measles, a disease so rare there that many physicians have never treated a case. While California has some of the strictest vaccine laws in the country, conservative Shasta County’s approach during the covid pandemic stood in stark contrast with the state’s guidance. Its local leaders opposed masking and vaccine mandates, and they ousted the county public health officer, who had sought to enforce those state policies and other safety measures. A potential measles outbreak had “always been in my…
A father-to-be has revealed that he has been left with a permanent ‘dent’ in his nose after spending more than £35,000 on cocaine binges.Bradley Robinson, 30, hoovered up more than the cost of a house deposit on the Class A drug over a period of almost 15 years. The driveway worker, from Failsworth, Greater Manchester, first took the drug at a party aged 16, but after becoming addicted he was soon spending up to £1,500 per week to satisfy his cravings.Mr Robinson’s story comes amid growing concern over Britain’s cocaine problem – particularly among the middle-classes – with use of the…
May 28 Jackie Fortiér [FOR-tee-ay] reads this week’s news: Suicide prevention experts argue that improving Americans’ financial well-being could save lives. Plus, the Trump administration proposes looser artificial intelligence safeguards to speed innovation in healthcare. The KFF Health News Minute is available every Thursday via direct download or the RSS feed. #Listen #Latest #KFF #Health #News #Minute Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Americans exposed to Ebola could be quarantined in Kenya rather than the US, the White House has confirmed. In a statement to the Daily Mail, an official confirmed that the administration was drawing up plans with the Kenyan government to set up a facility for asymptomatic people who were thought to have been exposed to the disease.The statement said: ‘As part of a coordinated multi-national response to the worsening Ebola health emergency, the US government is working with the Government of Kenya and other partners to plan for a facility for asymptomatic individuals suspected of exposure to the Ebola virus.’Kenya and the…
A popular frozen pasta sold at Costco is at the center of a lawsuit claiming it could have put customers’ health at risk.The grocery giant’s Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni with Parmigiano Reggiano had the phrase ‘no preservatives’ printed in italics on the front of its packaging.However, according to the lawsuit, a closer look at the ingredients list on the back revealed it contained citric acid, a preservative made using heavy industrial and chemical processing.Customer Sophie Turner filed the lawsuit in California last month and said she would never have bought the pasta had she known that it contained preservatives.In the…
A new daily eye drop costing just $3 could help millions of middle-aged adults see clearly without needing reading glasses.The treatment, called VIZZ, has just been approved in the US and is the first designed specifically to treat presbyopia – the natural age-related decline in near vision that affects almost everyone over 45.Instead of altering the shape of the eye’s lens, the drops work in a different way. They gently shrink the pupil to create what doctors call a ‘pinhole effect’ – similar to the way squinting can bring blurred text into focus.By reducing the amount of stray light entering the…
A ‘routine’ baby check-up suddenly became one couple’s ‘terrifying nightmare’ when medics discovered their newborn had a hole in his heart due to a rare defect. Chloe Dover, 26, and her partner Hayden Wilson, 37, walked their ‘cheeky’ son Rio down to heart surgery at just four months old after the shock diagnosis. They were told ‘not to worry’ when doctors found that ‘healthy’ baby Rio was born with a murmur because they are ‘quite common’ in newborns. But after further tests, including CT scans, it was determined that their son had to undergo open heart surgery as he couldn’t breathe normally. Rio was diagnosed…
It was a seemingly innocuous symptom that just about everyone suffers from time to time.But for John Beck, hiccups became a relentless, almost life-ruining two-year affliction.At points, the California native suffered so badly – and so constantly – from the spasms, he was unable to eat and felt his mental health was crumbling.But worst of all, after being dismissed by multiple doctors when he attempted to seek help, Beck finally learned the cause: a deadly form of cancer that’s on the rise in young people.At first, the hiccups came on after he drank a soda or anything carbonated.Then, eating would…
A simple urine test may be able to detect autism sooner than traditional screening, a new study suggests. As autism now affects one in 31 American children – a stark increase from one in 150 in the early 2000s – experts are searching for potential causes and screening tools to catch the condition sooner. Doctors typically use questionnaires, observational tests and cognitive screening to detect autism, but the process can take months or even years.Now, scientists at Arizona State University have created a urine test that screens for 17 microbial metabolites, molecules produced by microorganisms in the gut.They found as many as nine in…
Honey has been prized for centuries. Ancient Egyptians farmed bees in clay pots, while medieval monks carved hives into trees – and even the Bible praises its sweetness and goodness.Fast forward to today, and its popularity is surging, with consumption in both the US and UK hitting record highs as shoppers swap out refined sugar for what they see as a more natural alternative.We are also paying more than ever, with premium ‘single-origin’ and Manuka varieties turning a humble pantry staple into a luxury wellness product.And there may be some justification. Research suggests honey may help boost digestion, slow aging, and…
LISTEN: After a guilty verdict for negligent homicide, a former nurse has found receptive audiences on the speaking circuit. She says she hopes her story can help shed light on problems in the healthcare industry. When RaDonda Vaught got her first speaking request, it had been a year since that day in a Nashville courtroom, when she listened as a jury read her guilty verdict for negligent homicide and neglect of an impaired adult. That was in 2022. Vaught was sentenced to three years of probation for administering the wrong medication and killing a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center…
Montana plans to be one of the first states to enforce President Donald Trump’s work mandate for Medicaid enrollees, adding another challenge for state health officials trying to plug a massive budget hole. Clinicians and patient advocates say the incoming changes will deliver a twofold blow: They expect the work requirements to kick more patients off Medicaid, meaning fewer can afford care, while the health department’s budget problems make it harder for doctors to serve those who keep the coverage. It’s a tumultuous time for state health departments. Additional federal changes are forcing states to perform more checks on who…
Tahini is best known as being the key to making a perfect, creamy hummus – but it also shines as a standalone ingredient.The smooth beige paste – made by crushing toasted sesame seeds – is a staple found in pantries across the world, and it is as nutritious as it is delicious. This is because it has the same nutritional profile as sesame seeds, which despite their tiny size are packed with fibre and are surprisingly high in protein. They also contain B vitamins and many of the minerals that the body needs to perform basic functions. Studies have also found a link…
The current Ebola outbreak is spreading faster than it can be contained, the World Health Organisation’s chief has warned, fuelling fears of a deepening global health crisis. There have been more than 1,000 cases and 220 deaths from the deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Central Africa in recent weeks.It was thought Europe had also been hit by the virus when two suspected cases involving humanitarian aid workers – a man and a woman who had recently returned from Uganda – were identified in northern Italy. However, both later tested negative. Still, fears remain that the virus could spread further, with…
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. On the Road To Find Out Your article “Efforts To Understand the Nation’s Drugged Driving Problem Stall Under Trump” (May 19) missed the mark. There is a real lack of data on drug-impaired driving across the country, but it’s not due to federal policy. The fact is, science has not yet found a simple, accurate way to measure if someone is too high to drive. And many local police departments just lack the resources to test…