Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Swiss team develop 'microswimmer' robot to deliver drugs through the body
A tiny sliver of elastic material swims along inside a narrow tube, coiling up and changing shape in response to the thickness of fluid and the contours of the tube around it as it moves towards its goal. The miniature robot - the bacteria-inspired brainchild of a team of scientists in Switzerland seeking new methods to deliver drugs to diseased tissue - is designed to wend its way through blood vessels and other systems in the body.
France holds trial of firms accused of selling horse meat as beef
Two former managers of French meat-processing firm Spanghero and two Dutch meat traders go on trial in Paris on Monday accused of passing off cheap horse meat as pricier beef in ready-made meals and burgers that were sold in countries across Europe. The scandal stems from the discovery by Irish authorities in early 2013 of horse meat in frozen burgers labeled "pure beef." Investigations widened when British frozen foods group Findus found horse meat in lasagna made by the Luxembourg unit of frozen food specialist Comigel, Tavola.
China reports African swine fever outbreak in Ningxia region
China's agriculture ministry on Sunday reported a new African swine fever outbreak in the northwestern region of Ningxia. The outbreak occurred on a farm with 57 live pigs in Yongning county, infecting pigs and killing 13, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement.
Chinese scientist who gene-edited babies fired by university
A Chinese scientist responsible for what he said were the world's first "gene-edited" babies evaded oversight and broke guidelines in a quest for fame and fortune, state media said on Monday, as the university where he worked announced his dismissal. He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.
