Medical
Roche to buy gene therapy specialist Spark in $4.3 billion deal
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Spark common stock, and Spark will file a recommendation statement containing the unanimous recommendation of the board that Spark's shareholders tender their shares to Roche. [Full Article...]
Spain beats Italy to be named world's healthiest country
Four additional European nations make the top 10: Iceland (third), Switzerland (fifth), Sweden (sixth) and Norway (ninth), while the United Kingdom sits in 19th place. Not only does the Spanish population have a lower incidence of heart disease, but cancer survival rates are improved thanks to the state's primary care system, which provides preventive services for children, women and the elder... [Full Article...]
Two new cases of measles in Vancouver
Health professionals say they are bracing and expect the highly contagious disease to make its way to Vancouver Island. VCH said they planned to release more information about both cases Sunday afternoon. - 3:30 p.m. "Given the timeframe of the potential exposure, post-exposure immunization is not effective", read a AHS health advisory . "Individuals are encouraged to monitor for symptoms for... [Full Article...]
Study Sees Slight Drop in Doctor Burnout
Burnout decreased and satisfaction with work-life integration improved between 2014 and 2017, according to the study . Compared to the general workforce, physicians have a significantly higher rate of burnout: 36.4% of physicians reported emotional exhaustion compared to 24.8% for the general workforce, and 18.0% of physicians reported depersonalization compared to 13.5% of the general workforc... [Full Article...]
Edited Babies Might Have Improved Brain Functions
Chinese scientist He Jiankui made DNA alterations to make the babies who are resistant to HIV, but in the bargain the twins apparently have gained sharper cognitive and memory powers, the research suggests. There is no evidence that He actually set out to modify the twins' intelligence. A new study led by UCLA researchers has fuelled further concerns over the controversial gene-editing experime... [Full Article...]
41 Child Deaths Linked to Flu — CDC
The state Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) announced today the death of a child earlier this week from influenza. M - The World Health Organization issued new recommendations on the composition of the influenza vaccines for use in the 2019-20 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere. [Full Article...]
Measles exposure risk in Richmond, Steveston, Canada Line
Unfortunately, the number of people who are taking advantage of these options is putting public health at risk, and the FDA is preparing to step in before things get out of hand. Some school districts are preventing children from attending school if they don't have their required vaccines in an effort to keep the rest of the students safe. [Full Article...]
Kratom effects may not be as safe as you think
The annual number of calls increased dramatically, going from 13 calls in 2011 to 682 calls in 2017. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration describes Mitragyna speciosa , more commonly known as kratom, as a plant which grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua Guinea. [Full Article...]