International health news

A UK man is suffering from the world’s ‘worst ever’ case of super-gonorrhoea. This is the first time in history that the infection cannot be cured with first choice antibiotics. This case has created fear that the infection could eventually become untreatable by any antibiotic.

New study published in The Lancet suggests a potential genetic cause of sudden infant death syndrome. The research links weaker breathing muscles to the condition.

Country updates

South Africa continues to suffer from the largest global outbreak of listeriosis. The Ministry of Health believe the source of the outbreak is a ready-to-eat processed meat product called ‘Polony’. Product recalls have been issued throughout African countries.

The total number of cholera cases in Somalia has reached 1613. The current outbreak began in December 2017 due to a lack of access to safe water and sanitation.

Health advice

New US study suggests that cannabis use increases the uptake of smoking among non-cigarette smokers, whilst former smokers who use cannabis are at greater risk of relapsing to cigarette smoking. Try to resist the urge to smoke, as cigarette smoking continues to be the most preventable cause of premature death.

German researchers found that adult survivors of childhood cancer are at greater risk of heart disease. These cancer survivors were 38 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 26 percent more likely to have high cholesterol.