All about West Nile virus cases, plastic surgery videos, African swine fever

West Nile virus cases in Greece jump in 2018

Eleven people have died and 107 infected by the mosquito-borne West Nile virus in Greece so far this summer, authorities said, the highest number of reported cases since 2012. Outbreaks of the West Nile virus have been recorded in Greece since 2010, when they peaked at 262 cases including 35 deaths, according to Greece's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO).

Plastic surgery videos on YouTube aren't always accurate

YouTube videos about facial plastic surgery procedures garner hundreds of millions of views - but they often present inaccurate medical information, a new study found. Viewers often get biased information, unbalanced evaluations of a procedure's risks and benefits, and narrators with unclear qualifications, the study authors report in JAMA Facial and Plastic Surgery.

Play predicts chilling future for Britain's prized health service

A desperate mechanic driven to operate on his sick wife is the subject of a disturbing play which looks at the future of Britain's prized public health service, shown at the Edinburgh Fringe. "After the Cuts" is the dystopian story of Jim, a retired mechanic, and his wife Agnes who cannot afford medical treatment when she is diagnosed with cancer. Years into the future, healthcare in Britain is no longer free.

Doctor in eastern Congo contracts Ebola in 'dreaded' scenario: WHO

A doctor has become the first probable Ebola case in one of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's most violence-ridden and inaccessible zones, a scenario "we have all been dreading", the World Health Organization said on Friday. Since the outbreak erupted on Aug. 1, 103 confirmed and probable cases of Ebola have been identified in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, including 63 deaths, Congo's health ministry said in an overnight update.

Cargill recalls 25,000 lbs of possibly contaminated beef

A Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Colorado is recalling more than 25,000 pounds (11,300 kg) of ground beef that could be contaminated with E. Coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The meat carries an "EST. 86R" label inside the USDA mark of inspection and a use-by date of Sept. 5, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said this week in a statement. It was shipped from Cargill's facility in Fort Morgan, Colorado, to warehouses in California and Colorado, FSIS said.

African swine fever hits Romania's biggest pig farm

Romania has confirmed an outbreak of deadly African swine fever at the country's largest pig breeding farm and all 140,000 animals will be culled, the national food safety authority ANSVSA's office in the affected region said on Saturday. The farm complex, which consists of three adjoining properties and is located in the southern county of Braila, is owned by Romanian company TEBU Consult.

Antioxidants don't relieve muscle soreness after exercise

- Consuming lots of antioxidants through foods or supplements may not reduce muscle soreness after exercise, a research review suggests. Researchers focused on "delayed onset muscle soreness," the type of muscle pain or tenderness that typically peaks 24 to 72 hours after a strenuous workout. Some previous research has linked antioxidants to the prevention of cellular damage that can potentially result in sore muscles, but results have been mixed.

African swine fever: China marks a new front in the battle against the deadly disease

China is battling to control the rapid spread of deadly African swine fever (ASF) across the world's largest hog herd after four outbreaks in three weeks, stoking worries the disease could spread to Southeast Asia. The discovery of ASF in China, which accounts for nearly half the world's pork production and is the world's highest per capita consumer of the meat, marks a new front in the disease's spread from Europe through Russia.

(With inputs from Reuters)