Health Highlights: Oct. 21, 2005

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Birds May Spread Avian Flu Along Migration Routes

Migratory birds are a major carrier of avian flu, and the virus is expected to spread along their migration paths, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt said Friday.

Bird flu, first limited to several countries in Southeast Asia, has recently been found among flocks in Russia, Romania, Turkey, and on one of the Greek isles. "There is no reason to think it will not go further," warned Leavitt, quoted by the Associated Press.

World health authorities have long warned that a human pandemic could result if the virus were to mutate, making it easier to spread from person to person. More than 60 people have died of bird flu in Asia, mostly from contact with infected birds.

In a related development, the Bloomberg news service reported Friday that the antiviral drug considered the world''s best weapon against bird flu is likely to remain in short supply because of its complicated manufacturing process.

Roche''s Tamiflu could remain scarce for up to a year, in part because its raw materials are obtained from some 40 suppliers, a spokesman for the Swiss company told Bloomberg. Nations are asking for the drug as the lethal H5N1 bird flu strain continues to appear among birds in more and more countries. On Thursday, Roche agreed to meet with generic drug makers to work out a deal to produce additional emergency supplies.

In Thailand, the 7-year-old son of a farmer who died of the disease two days ago also has come down with the virus, the Agence France Presse reported. Still, doctors are insisting the boy appears to have had close contact with dying chickens, and there''s no evidence the virus was passed to him by his father.

The European Union, meanwhile, has imposed restrictions on bird markets and shows and is urging member nations to vaccinate all zoo birds, CNN reported.

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U.S. Senate Shelves Action on Stem Cell Bill

The sponsors of a U.S. Senate bill that would ease restrictions on publicly funded human embryonic stem cell research have agreed to postpone action on the plan until early next year, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said a deal had been struck to shelve debate on the measure. The harvesting of stem cells from human embryos is controversial because the embryos must be destroyed in the process. In 2001, President Bush banned federal funding for research on all but existing stem cell lines.

The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed a bill to ease the restrictions, but neither the House nor the Senate has enough votes to override a promised presidential veto, the AP reported.

Proponents of embryonic stem cell research say it could lead to the discovery of cures for diseases such as Alzheimer''s, Parkinson''s, diabetes, and cancer.

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FDA Approves Fetal Stem Cell Transplants Into Human Brains

Stanford University Medical Center doctors have received U.S. government permission to conduct the first transplant of fetal stem cells into human brains. The transplant patients would be six children with Batten disease, a rare, fatal genetic disorder.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval on Thursday, but the transplant tests must still be approved by an internal Stanford Review Board and that could take weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Batten disease is a degenerative condition that causes blindness, speechlessness and paralysis and then death. The disease is the result of a defective gene then that fails to produce an enzyme that''s required to dispose of cellular waste in the brain. This waste continues to accumulate in the brain, killing health cells. Most Batten disease patients die before they become teenagers.

The stem cells that would be used in the transplants would be immature neural cells programmed to form into mature brain cells. It''s hoped that after these immature neural cells are injected into the children''s brains, the brain will turn them into cells that can manufacture the missing enzyme, the AP reported.

This approach showed promise in mice with Batten disease but has never been tested in humans.

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Carotid Stent Studies May Prompt More Medicare Coverage

New research results on carotid stents may encourage U.S. health regulators to expand Medicare coverage for the procedure.

Preliminary results released Thursday from a government-mandated study found that a procedure using stents to open carotid arteries in the neck can be done by doctors with limited experience, if they receive training, The New York Times reported.

Results of a separate study released Wednesday found that a carotid stent reduced the need for a second surgery to clear the artery in the same location within three years.

The doctors involved in the studies said their results may help convince federal regulators to expand Medicare coverage for carotid stent procedures, the Times reported.

Carotid stents offer an alternative to more invasive surgery to clear clogged neck arteries and reduce stroke risk. The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain. Stents are used to prop open blood vessels and prevent them from renarrowing after artery blockages have been removed.

An estimated 200,000 people in the United States have carotid-clearing surgery each year. While federal regulators have approved the marketing of stents to high-risk patients, Medicare covers less than 10 percent of them, the Times reported.

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Mobile Devices Linked to Thumb Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries are afflicting people who use mobile handheld devices.

Some users of Blackberries, Sidekicks, Treos and other devices with miniature keyboards are suffering repetitive stress injuries to their thumbs, the Associated Press reported.

There are no U.S. national statistics on the prevalence of this so-called "Blackberry Thumb," but some doctors report an increase in these kinds of cases, according to Dr. Stuart Hirsch, an orthopedist at St. Joseph''s Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.

"It''s mostly the road warrior who prefers to answer e-mails on a thumb keyboard. If all you did was just answer with a simple ''yes'' and ''no'', it would not be a dilemma," Hirsch told the AP.

Earlier this year, the American Society of Hand Therapists issued guidelines on how users of mobile handheld devices can avoid thumb damage. The society recommended that users take frequent breaks during e-mailing and rest their arms on a pillow for support.

Last Updated: Oct. 21, 2005