Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Quick, Low-Cost Dipstick Test For Dengue And Zika Could Help Diagnose And Track Outbreaks
Stat: Cheap, Fast Test For Zika And Dengue Could Cost Just $1
A new blood test can cheaply and quickly distinguish between the mosquito-borne Zika and dengue viruses, researchers reported Wednesday, giving public health officials a valuable tool to track the spread of outbreaks and prepare for the possible consequences of the different infections. The test, which was described in the journal Science Translational Medicine, relies on a simple paper strip, and researchers hope it can eventually be purchased for less than $1. The scientists who developed the test are at work to commercialize it and production would need to be scaled up before it could be deployed widely. (Joseph, 9/27)
WBUR: Study: New Test Could Check For Zika Quickly And Cheaply
A new paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine offers a potential step forward for Zika testing: a fast-acting "dipstick"-type test much like a pregnancy test that costs as little as $5 per strip and can distinguish between Zika and dengue fever — a difficult challenge because the viruses are similar. It could be ready for broad use within a couple of years, says co-author Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli, associate professor of engineering at University of Massachusetts Boston. (Goldberg, 9/27)
WBUR: FDA Not Doing Enough To Fix Serious Food Safety Violations, Report Finds
The Food Safety Modernization Act, which was signed into law in 2011, aims to ensure a prevention-oriented approach to food safety. ... But the new report concludes that the FDA has rarely taken advantage of these new tools. (Aubrey, 9/27)
The New York Times: How Exercise Might Increase Your Self-Control
For most of us, temptations are everywhere, from the dessert buffet to the online shoe boutique. But a new study suggests that exercise might be a simple if unexpected way to increase our willpower and perhaps help us to avoid making impulsive choices that we will later regret. (Reynolds, 9/27)
Stat: Can Tailored Swim Lessons Protect Children With Autism From Drowning?
Amusement parks, lakes, neighbors’ pools — they are dangers that families of children with autism have long known anecdotally to beware of. ... An authoritative study earlier this year put some numbers to the fear. Drowning is the most common fatal injury among children with autism, researchers found. Children with autism age 14 and younger are 160 times as likely to die from drowning as the general pediatric population, with drowning risk peaking from age 5 to 7. (Samuel, 9/27)
Kaiser Health News: For Some Refugees, Women’s Health Care Is A Culture Shock
Dinnertime is nearing, and the kitchen in this tidy home is buzzing. Lamyaa Manty, a 29-year-old Iraqi refugee, wears a neon-pink T-shirt and stirs a big pot of eggplant, onion, potatoes and tomatoes on the stove, a staple of Iraqi cooking called tepsi. Spinning around with a butterfly net in her hand and dancing to Arabic music is Fatima Abdullah, an exuberant 9-year-old. At the center of the activity is Fatima’s aunt, Salima Abdullah Khalifa, a burgundy-haired matriarch from Baghdad, who pours Pepsi into small glasses on the table. (Varney, 9/28)
