Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

In new headache, WeWork says it found cancer-causing chemical in its phone booths

Cash-strapped WeWork, the office-sharing company that is trying to negotiate a financial lifeline, has a new problem that may prove costly. It has closed about 2,300 phone booths at some of its 223 sites in the United States and Canada after it says it discovered elevated levels of formaldehyde. The company, which abandoned plans for an initial public offering last month after investors questioned its mounting losses and the way it was being run, said in an email to its tenants on Monday that the chemical could pose a cancer-risk if there is long-term exposure.

China's pig herd in Sept down 41.1% from year earlier

China's pig herd in September was 41.1% smaller than it was a year earlier, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, as a year-long African swine fever epidemic continued to slash the world's largest herd. The number of sows in China also fell by 38.9% in September, after the deadly disease spread to every province in the country.

Breastfeeding gap widens between black and white U.S. babies

Even as more U.S. mothers are breastfeeding their babies, a new study suggests the gap in breastfeeding between black and white infants is widening. Researchers examined data 167,842 infants born from 2009 to 2015. Overall, the proportion of mothers who initiated breastfeeding increased by 7.1 percentage points, and the proportion of women exclusively breastfeeding climbed by 9.2 percentage points.

Vaping illness, deaths likely very rare beyond U.S., experts say

E-cigarette or vaping-linked lung injuries that have killed 29 and sickened more than 1,000 people in the United States are likely to be rare in Britain and other countries where the suspect products are not widely used, specialists said on Monday. Experts in toxicology and addiction said they are sure that the 1,299 confirmed and probable American cases of serious lung injuries linked to vaping are "a U.S.-specific phenomenon," and there is no evidence of a similar pattern of illness in Britain or elsewhere.

To ease dementia agitation, drugs may not be best option

Symptoms of aggression and agitation in dementia patients may respond better to non-drug therapies such as massage, touch therapy and outdoor activities, a new study suggests. In a reanalysis of more than 163 studies involving nearly 25,000 patients, Canadian researchers found that multidisciplinary care, massage and touch therapy, and music combined with massage and touch therapy were more effective than patients' usual care, according to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Suicide attempts rising among black teens

Suicide attempts are rising among black teens in the U.S. even as they fall among youth from other racial and ethnic groups, a study suggests. Researchers examined nationwide survey data from nearly 200,000 high school students collected between 1991 and 2017. While the overall proportion of teens reporting suicidal thoughts or plans declined for all racial and ethnic groups during the study period, the proportion of black boys attempting suicide climbed by 4% and the proportion of black girls attempting suicide rose by 2%.

HIV-positive British living in Spain could lose healthcare post-Brexit

British citizens with HIV who live in Spain could face serious healthcare challenges post-Brexit, potentially risking public health at large, researchers say. A no-deal Brexit could leave many patients with HIV or other chronic conditions in the lurch, the researchers write the journal AIDS.

Congo to start using Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November

Health authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo will introduce a Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccine in November in the country's eastern provinces, to counter the current outbreak, they said. The J&J vaccine will complement another vaccine manufactured by Merck, which has been administered to more than 225,000 people. It requires two injections eight weeks apart, unlike the Merck vaccine, which requires a single shot.