ACSH Briefs: What You Missed Over the Weekend and More

Some of the top health stories making news over the last 48 hours.

Expanded Guidance on Zika Virus Travel Alerts - Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Guyana, Cape Verde, and Samoa have been added to the Zika virus travel alert by the US CDC.  They previously issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory; Brazil; Colombia; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Haiti; Honduras; Martinique; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Suriname; and Venezuela......

The New York Times can’t resist a Kennedy - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who would be on the loony anti-science fringe with Joe Mercola if he did not have a famous last name, has segued from his expertise in assuring us that vaccines cause autism to assuring Californians that natural gas does. Or something, it is hard to know what Kennedy believes, other than what Natural Resources Defense Council will tell him if it helps them build a fundraising campaign......

Patients not prescribed opioids find more improvements in physical function - Opioids such as morphine, codeine and Tylenol 3 can be effective for treating pain, however, a new University of Alberta study finds that patients with neuropathic pain taking opioids report no improvements in physical functioning compared to those who were not prescribed opioids......

Federal Panel Recommends Screening For Depression - A new advisory report from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening all adults for depression, now to include pregnant women and those who recently gave birth. Drug therapy, talk therapy and behavioral therapies were recommended when appropriate. Read more

Drug Shortages: Ethics and Implications - The U.S. is facing drug shortages with increasing frequency. From intravenous fluids to chemotherapeutic agents for life-saving treatments, doctors, hospitals and healthcare personnel are increasingly burdened with the ethical dilemma of rationing drugs. Here's a closer look at this vexing situation. Read more

Could US Succumb to South Korea’s Web Addiction? - Increased Internet speed and availability in the U.S. delivers many benefits. But do such advances also carry long-term risks for online users? And as Internet quality improves, could Americans soon find themselves facing the same "addiction" problems as those in South Korea, the world’s most wired nation? Read more

Dead at 27: Ex-NFL Player’s Rare Brain Trauma - Tyler Sash, a former NFL player, officially died from an overdose of prescription drugs. But more and more, when it comes to football players succumbing to a surprisingly early death, it seems that brain trauma is often a major contributor. And Sash, who died at so young an age, had more trauma than most.
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