Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

One dead, over 100 ill in Spain's biggest listeriosis outbreak

A 90-year-old Spanish woman died on Tuesday, 56 people have been hospitalized and dozens more taken ill in what is believed to be the biggest outbreak of listeriosis recorded in Spain, the health minister said. A nationwide alert was sent out after listeria, the bacteria behind the infection, was suspected in a brand of packaged pork manufactured by Seville-based Magrudis, acting Health Minister Maria Luisa Carcedo told Cadena Ser radio.

Expert panel updates advice on BRCA cancer gene screening

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with increased risks for breast, ovarian, and other cancers, but only certain women stand to benefit from genetic testing, according to updated recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). "Whether or not the harms of risk assessment, counseling, testing, and interventions outweigh the benefits depends on a woman's individual risk profile and family history," Dr. Douglas K. Owens, Task Force member from Stanford University in California, told Reuters Health by email.

High levels of exhaust pollutants may raise risk for degenerative eye disease

(Reuters Health) - Exposure to high levels of exhaust may raise the risk of the vision robbing disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a new study suggests. In a study of nearly 40,000 people in Taiwan, researchers found that high levels of exhaust could nearly double the risk of the age-related eye condition, which damages the macula, the part of the eye needed for sharp, central vision. People with AMD have trouble seeing straight ahead.

Planned Parenthood opts out of U.S. subsidies in fight over abortion referrals

Planned Parenthood said on Monday it was withdrawing from a federal program subsidizing reproductive healthcare for low-income women after the Trump administration banned participants in the program from referring women to abortion providers. Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States, said its move was spurred by a federal appeals court decision last month clearing the administration's way to restrict Title X grants under a new policy critics have branded a "gag rule."

Elderly in Hong Kong looking to China for affordable care in retirement

After spending time with his 84-year-old mother in a senior care home in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, David Lee walked up to the supervisor and asked to reserve a place there for his own retirement. Lee, a 56-year-old from just across the border in Hong Kong, moved his mother, who has Alzheimer's and other ailments, into Yee Hong Heights two months ago as it became more difficult for him to care for her.

Teva launches generic version of EpiPen for young children

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd on Tuesday made its generic version of Mylan's EpiPen for young children available in most retail pharmacies at $300 for a 2-pack. U.S.-listed shares of the Israel-based company rose 4.9% to $7 in afternoon trading.

Cardinal Health warns ongoing opioid-related lawsuits to hit business

Drug distributor Cardinal Health Inc warned on Tuesday that its business could be hurt as it defends itself against several opioid-related lawsuits. Several pharmaceutical wholesale distributors, including Cardinal, have been named as defendants in about 2,500 lawsuits for the distribution of prescription opioid pain medications. These lawsuits have been filed in various federal, state, and other courts by a variety of plaintiffs.

Pregnant women may be exposed to MRI contrast agent

(Reuters Health) - Women who don't realize they're pregnant when they undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be exposed to a chemical that might not be safe for the fetus, a new report warns. The chemical, a dye called gadolinium contrast media, is used in about 30% to 45% of MRI scans in the U.S. to help enhance differences in internal organs, soft tissues, blood vessels, and bones.

Vaping impacts blood vessels, even without nicotine

(Reuters Health) - Healthy young people show signs of impaired blood vessel function after just a few puffs of an electronic cigarette, even without nicotine, new research shows. "We essentially found that using e-cigarettes is not equivalent to inhaling water vapor; in fact, it can exert acute, detrimental effects on (blood vessels) even when the liquid does not contain nicotine," Dr. Alessandra Caporale of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, the study's first author, told Reuters Health in an email.

Drugmakers Endo, Allergan agree to $15 million in settlements in major opioid case

Endo International Plc and Allergan Plc have agreed to pay $15 million to avoid going to trial in October in a landmark case by two Ohio counties accusing various drug manufacturers and distributors of fueling the U.S. opioid epidemic. The tentative deals disclosed on Tuesday came ahead of the first trial to result from 2,000 lawsuits pending in federal court in Cleveland largely by local governments seeking to hold drug companies responsible for the deadly epidemic.