Health

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. measles cases have surged again, and are on pace to set a record for most illnesses in 25 years.

Health officials on Monday said 555 measles cases have been confirmed so far this year, up from 465 as of a week ago.

While 20 states have reported cases, New York has been the epicenter. Nearly two-thirds of all cases have been in New York, and 85% of the latest week’s cases came from the state. Most of the New York cases have been unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities.

AMBALAVAO, Madagascar (AP) — Babies wail as a nurse tries to reassure mothers who have come to vaccinate their children against a measles outbreak that has killed more than 1,200 people in this island nation where many are desperately poor.

Madagascar faces its largest measles outbreak in history, with cases soaring well beyond 115,000, but resistance to vaccinating children is not the driving force behind the rise.

GENEVA (AP) — The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo does not yet warrant being declared a global emergency but is of “deep concern,” the World Health Organization said Friday.

Following a meeting of its expert committee, the U.N. health agency called for efforts to be redoubled to stop the deadly virus, noting that the recent spike in Ebola cases raises the risk of spread to other countries.

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say ground beef is the likely source of a food poisoning outbreak that has sickened more than 100 people in six states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said no specific brand or source of the meat has been determined yet.

The CDC says people can continue to eat ground beef. The meat should be cooked thoroughly to 160 degrees to kill germs.

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A new study showed that a compound responsible for chili peppers' heat could help slow the spread of lung cancer, making it a potential treatment for lung cancer.

A researcher from Marshall University presented the results on Saturday at the ongoing American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

KANPUR: Pollution has been a vital factor in rising of heart diseases, lungs cancer, lungs infection, asthma, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases. This city, being one of the most polluted cities in the country, remains badly in grip of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is a common lung disease. It becomes hard to breathe if one has COPD.

WASHINGTON (AP) — “Not any longer.”

And with that, a triumphant Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to close the book Tuesday on a divisive Republican debate, convincing President Donald Trump to shelve plans to replace the Affordable Care Act until after the 2020 election.

“I made it clear to him that we were not going to be doing that in the Senate,” McConnell told reporters.

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Xinhua) -- American researchers have developed a wearable device that can collect live cancer cells directly from blood in animals, according to a study published on Monday.

The study published in the journal Nature Communications reported the prototype that can help doctors diagnose and treat cancer more effectively in the future.

BEIRA, Mozambique (AP) — Cholera cases among cyclone survivors in Mozambique have jumped to 271, authorities said, a figure that nearly doubled from the previous day.

The Portuguese news agency Lusa cited national health director Ussein Isse, who declared the outbreak of the acute diarrheal disease on Wednesday with just five cases.

27 Mar 2019; AFP: A New York county hit by a measles outbreak declared a state of emergency Tuesday and banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading.

The measure, which defines a public place as anywhere "more than 10 persons are intended to congregate" -- including public transport -- was announced by officials in Rockland County, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City.