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Health Highlights: May 6, 2019


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

Congo Ebola Outbreak Death Toll Surpasses 1,000

The death toll in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo now stands at 1,008, the country's health minister reported.

The outbreak was declared nearly nine months ago and is the second deadliest outbreak of the virus, the Associated Press reported Friday.

The deadliest outbreak occurred in 2014-16 in West Africa, killing more than 11,000 people.

Hostility toward health workers is hindering efforts to contain the Congo outbreak. International aid organizations have halted their work in some communities due to the risks, the AP reported.

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Nearly 12 Million Lbs. of Chicken Strip Products Recalled by Tyson

Nearly 12 million pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strip products have been recalled by Tyson Foods Inc. because they may contain pieces of metal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says.

The products were produced on dates ranging from Oct. 1, 2018, through March 8, 2019, have "Use By Dates" of Oct. 1, 2019, through March 7, 2020, and have the establishment number "P-7221" on the back of the product package.

FSIS has received six complaints about pieces of metal in the products, and three of those cases are reported to have resulted in mouth injuries.

Consumers with these products should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase, the agency said.

For more information, consumers can call Tyson Foods at 1-866-886-8456.

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Possible Listeria Contamination in L'Explorateur Soft Ripened Cheese: FDA

Consumers should not eat and retailers should not sell or serve l'Explorateur soft ripened cheese due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The product is made in France and sold throughout the United States in small circular wheels in 250-gram quantities. The sell by dates include May 7, 2019, and May 14, 2019. The product lot codes are 7742-H 057 and 77432-H 064.

Cheese with this label information should be thrown away immediately, the FDA said.

Listeria contamination can cause a serious illness called listeriosis. Symptoms include fever and muscle aches, sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms, and fever and chills.

Anyone who develops such symptoms after eating l'Explorateur soft ripened cheese should seek medical care, the FDA said.

Listeriosis can be fatal in certain high-risk people such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems and certain medical conditions such as cancer. In pregnant women, listeriosis can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborn babies.

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