Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Factbox-Which countries are restricting chicken from Brazil due to bird flu?

The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry updated on Thursday the list of countries that have placed restrictions on chicken trade with Brazil, the world's largest exporter, after it confirmed its first case of bird flu on a commercial farm in May. Brazil hopes to soon reverse those bans after declaring itself free of the bird flu virus on commercial flocks following a 28-day period without any new commercial farm outbreaks.

Health Rounds: Widely used pain drug can be made from plastic waste

Common bacteria can turn plastic waste into the over-the-counter painkiller acetaminophen, researchers have discovered. Acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol and also known as paracetamol in some countries, is usually made from fossil fuels.

South Africa reports H5N1 bird flu on poultry farms, international agency says

South Africa has reported the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, on two poultry farms in the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Wednesday. The cases were the first in South Africa since September last year, Paris-based WOAH said in a notification.

New York Fed must face lawsuit over COVID vaccine firing, appeals court rules

A federal appeals court on Wednesday revived part of a lawsuit accusing the Federal Reserve Bank of New York of illegally firing two longtime employees who claimed religious objections against COVID-19 vaccinations. In a 3-0 decision, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found disputed issues over the sincerity of Jeanette Diaz's religious opposition to COVID-19 vaccines, and said the New York Fed's contrary evidence "at best" challenged her credibility.

Carlyle to sell up to 10% stake in Piramal Pharma, Moneycontrol reports

Private equity firm Carlyle Group is preparing to offload up to a 10% stake in India's Piramal Pharma, online news portal Moneycontrol reported on Thursday, citing sources. The U.S.-based firm could earn in the range of 26 billion rupees ($304.8 million) to 27 billion rupees from the sale via block trades, the report added.

US FTC workshop criticizing medical care for transgender youth draws staff opposition

Some staff members at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission have raised concerns about a planned workshop by the agency on what it calls the dangers of gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, saying it oversteps the FTC's consumer-protection authority, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The workshop "would chart new territory for the Commission by prying into confidential doctor-patient consultations," the group of staff wrote in an anonymous statement of concern sent to members of Congress.

Kraft Heinz recalls certain Oscar Mayer turkey bacon products over Listeria risk

Packaged food maker Kraft Heinz is voluntarily recalling some Oscar Mayer turkey bacon products over concerns about Listeria monocytogenes contamination, a company spokesperson said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which first announced the move on Wednesday, said Kraft Heinz would be recalling about 367,812 pounds of vacuum-packed, fully cooked turkey bacon produced between April 24 and June 11, shipped to retailers nationwide as well as exported to the British Virgin Islands and Hong Kong.

WHO says Gaza's Nasser hospital 'one massive trauma ward'

Nasser hospital in Gaza is operating as "one massive trauma ward" due to an influx of patients wounded at non-United Nations food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The U.S.-and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred.

Drugmaker Alchem hit with $576,000 EU fine for taking part in pharmaceutical cartel

Drugmaker Alchem International and its Hong Kong subsidiary were fined a total of 489,000 euros ($576,000) for taking part in a pharmaceutical cartel, EU antitrust regulators said on Friday. The European Commission had imposed a total fine of 13.4 million euros on Alkaloids of Australia, Alkaloids Corp, Boehringer, Linnea and Transo-Pharm in 2023 for fixing the minimum price of an ingredient to produce the abdominal antispasmodic drug Buscopan and its generic versions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)