Similar Dog Disease May Help Humans Tackle Multiple Sclerosis

Other reports cover the startling surge in respiratory syncytial virus – usually a winter problem; an expanded recall from Tyson Foods Chicken over fears of Listeria; Strength training and weight control; and Naomi Osaka’s pressure to reveal her psychological struggle.

Philadelphia Inquirer: A canine disease similar to human multiple sclerosis may help treat both, suggests the Penn Vet study

Seizures, vision problems, sluggishness, a strange head tilt – every year, veterinarians at Penn Vet encounter around a dozen dogs with these confusing symptoms. By the time the owners notice this strange behavior, the dogs have already begun mental decline, and a third will soon die. “That’s something that is generally frustrating about veterinary medicine,” said Molly Church, assistant professor of pathobiology in the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Dogs can’t tell you when they have a headache. They tend to present as soon as the signs have become quite severe. ”(Nathan, 7/8)

AP: Summer cold-weather virus baffles Docs and worries parents

The recent emergence of a virus that usually makes children sick in the colder months has puzzled U.S. pediatricians and sent many infants to the hospital with annoying coughs and breathing difficulties. RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be serious to infants and the elderly. Cases fell dramatically last year, with people staying home and socially distancing themselves, but they surfaced as pandemic restrictions eased. (Gerber, 7/8)

Read moreDog Anxiety Vest Options

AP: Tyson Foods is recalling nearly 4,500 tons of chicken products

Tyson Foods is recalling nearly 4,500 tons (4082.33 metric tons) of ready-to-eat chicken products after it was determined the products may be contaminated with listeria bacteria, federal officials said Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the recall a month after two consumers reported having listeriosis. Further investigation revealed one fatality in addition to the two cases of listeriosis attributed to pre-cooked chicken from Tyson Foods of Dexter, Missouri, according to a statement from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. (7/9)

The New York Times: How Weight Training Can Help With Weight Management

Lifting weights a few times a week could help us fight off obesity, according to an interesting new study on resistance training and body fat. It shows that people who regularly do muscle-strengthening exercises of any kind are about 20 to 30 percent less likely to become overweight over time than people who do not, regardless of whether they also exercise aerobically or not. The results suggest that strength training might be more consistent for weight control than many of us would expect, and a little training now can make us easier later on. (Reynolds, 7/7)

Los Angeles Times: Naomi Osaka felt pressured to expose mental health problems

Naomi Osaka says she felt “a lot of pressure” to reveal her battle with mental health issues earlier this year during an ordeal that resulted in her retiring from the French Open and taking a temporary break from the sport. The 23-year-old tennis star wrote on a first-person account for Time Magazine about the series of events that began in May when she announced she would not attend required post-game press conferences at the French Open, citing a “disregard the mental health of athletes. ” (Schilken, 7/8)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a round-up of health coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.