Influenza A showing Tamiflu resistance
ATLANTA, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Influenza A (H1N1) is showing resistance to the drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
The agency based in Atlanta said patients suspected of having Influenza A should instead be treated with the antiviral drug Relenza or a combination Tamiflu and rimantadine. The CDC issued the health alert advisory Friday after studying preliminary flu data from a limited number of states.
The CDC said this year's flu vaccine is expected to be effective in preventing or reducing the severity of circulating influenza viruses and recommends medical personnel continue vaccination efforts.
Ebola found in Philippine pigs
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Global health officials are investigating a strain of the Ebola virus found in dead pigs in the Philippines.
The Reston strain had previously only been seen in monkeys, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Peter Cordingley, a spokesman for the World Health Organization's office in Manila, said it is unclear whether the virus holds any risk to human, the newspaper said.
"When a virus jumps species, in this case from monkeys to pigs, we become concerned, particularly as pigs are much closer to humans than monkeys in their ability to harbor viruses," Cordingley told the newspaper.
Philippine authorities say there have been no signs of human infection. It is not known whether any of the pigs were sold for human consumption.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said the Reston strain is transmitted by air, unlike African strains that are transmitted through bodily fluids.
EU to ban most aerial crop spraying
BRUSSELS, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- EU leaders and member states report reaching a deal on legislation that would ban 22 toxic chemicals and virtually halt aerial crop-spraying.
EU officials, however, said the pesticides will remain on the market until at least 2016, when current authorizations of the chemicals reach their end dates. Aerial crop-spraying and pesticide use will be virtually eliminated in public parks, schools, playgrounds and near hospitals.
Agribusiness and the chemical industry have opposed the legislation, saying it will result in lower crop yields and higher food prices.
iPod accessory keeps tabs on sobriety
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- A California retailer has created the iBreath --an iPod accessory designed to help keep drunken teens and 20-somethings off the road.
The iBreath plugs into an iPod and acts as a breath test. A reading of 0.08 or above sets off an alarm, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Don Bassler, founder of David Steele Enterprises Inc. in Newport Beach, Calif., said he designed the iBreath with the hope the iPod's "cool factor will take away some of the stigma of acting responsibly," the newspaper said.
The device is one of several new iPod and iPhone devices designed to combat drunken driving. Last Call works with the iPhone to estimate blood-alcohol content, Drunk Dial prevents people from making calls they may later regret and Taxi Magic hails a cab in 25 cities across the United States, the report said.