Health News Roundup: Shanghai Disney visitors told to stay home after COVID case, Foxconn ups bonuses; In Africa's monkeypox outbreak, sickness and death go undetected and more

The order comes as Typhoon Nalgae approaches southern China with authorities hoping the PCR tests can be completed in one day. U.S. FDA classifies recall of Teleflex's respiratory filters as most serious U.S. health regulators on Tuesday classified the recall of Teleflex Inc's Iso-Gard filter S, a medical device to protect patients from potential airborne contaminants, as most serious, saying its use could lead to injuries or death.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Shanghai Disney visitors told to stay home after COVID case, Foxconn ups bonuses

Several Shanghai residents received fresh stay-at-home orders and mandatory testing notices on Tuesday as authorities raced to trace contacts linked to a COVID-positive woman whose visit to the city's Disney Resort prompted its temporary lockdown. In the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, meanwhile, Apple iPhone manufacturer Foxconn announced a big increase in bonuses to stem an exodus of workers rattled by coronavirus curbs at its vast facility there, as China's strict zero-COVID policy exacts a rising toll on the world's No.2 economy.

In Africa's monkeypox outbreak, sickness and death go undetected

At a village clinic in central Congo, separated from the world by a tangle of waterways and forests, six-year-old Angelika Lifafu grips her dress and screams as nurses in protective suits pick at one of the hundreds of boils that trouble her delicate skin. Her uncle, 12-year-old Lisungi Lifafu, sits at the foot of her bed, facing away from the sunlight that pours through the doorway and pains his swollen, weeping eyes. When nurses approach, he raises his chin, but cannot look up.

Indonesia revokes firms' fever syrup licences amid inquiry into 150 deaths

Indonesia's food and drug agency said on Monday it had revoked licences for syrup-type drug production by two local firms for violating manufacturing rules, as it investigates the deaths of more than 150 children due to acute kidney injury (AKI). The decision by the BPOM agency came after Indonesia temporarily banned sales of some syrup-based medications and identified the presence in some products of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol as possible factors in the AKI deaths, most of which were of children under five.

Honduras to legalize morning-after pill for rape victims

Honduras will authorize the use of the morning-after pill for rape victims after more than a decade of total restrictions, the country's health minister announced late on Monday, though a complete ban on abortion continues. The heavily Catholic Central American nation introduced an absolute ban on the use and sale of the morning-after pill in 2009, but had hinted at softening its stance in extreme cases for several years.

Pfizer says maternal RSV vaccine prevents severe infection in infants

Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday its experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine was found effective for preventing severe infections in infants after being given in a late-stage study to expectant mothers in the second half of pregnancy. Pfizer's shot, if approved, could be the first maternal vaccine available to relieve the burden of the disease in young infants. The company stopped the trial after the early success and plans to file for approval by the end of 2022.

WHO says monkeypox remains global health emergency

The monkeypox outbreak continues to represent a global health emergency, which is the World Health Organization's highest level of alert, the UN agency's Emergency Committee said on Tuesday. The WHO label, a "public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)", is designed to trigger a coordinated international response and could unlock funding to collaborate on sharing vaccines and treatments.

Macau mass tests its population after COVID-19 infections

Macau carried out mass testing of its 700,000 residents on Tuesday after the emergence of COVID-19 cases in the past week, including at a major casino that prompted authorities to seal 1,500 people inside. All residents in the world's biggest gambling hub have been told to take a PCR test on Tuesday and then test themselves daily with rapid antigen tests. The order comes as Typhoon Nalgae approaches southern China with authorities hoping the PCR tests can be completed in one day.

U.S. FDA classifies recall of Teleflex's respiratory filters as most serious

U.S. health regulators on Tuesday classified the recall of Teleflex Inc's Iso-Gard filter S, a medical device to protect patients from potential airborne contaminants, as most serious, saying its use could lead to injuries or death. The company recalled some models of the filter in August, after receiving reports of it splitting and getting detached from patients' respiratory devices during use, which may lead to insufficient supply of air for patient as well as potential cross-contamination.

Australia's CSL in mRNA vaccine licensing deal with U.S.-based Arcturus

Australia's CSL Ltd said on Wednesday it had struck a licensing deal with Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc that would help it gain access to the U.S. drug developer's messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology. The biopharmaceutical firm said it would pay Arcturus $200 million upfront in return for an exclusive licence to its next-generation mRNA technology to develop vaccines for influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory viral diseases.

Eli Lilly's dismal annual forecast overshadows quarterly beat

Eli Lilly and Co on Tuesday forecast its annual profit and revenue below estimates, as a stronger dollar piled more pressure on the drugmaker struggling with lower insulin prices and generic competition for its cancer drug. The company's shares fell 2.6% on Tuesday as a forecast cut for the third time this year overshadowed strong performance by its newly approved diabetes drug.