Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Vaping Oils Linked to Dozens of Illnesses and 2 Deaths: U.S. Army
Nearly 100 U.S. troops have suffered serious medical problems after vaping synthetic cannabinoid oil, the U.S. Army says.
Symptoms experienced by the 60 soldiers and Marines in North Carolina and 33 troops in Utah included headaches, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, dilated pupils, dizziness, agitation and seizures, the U.S. Army Public Health Center said in a public health alert released Monday, CBS News/Associated Press reported.
Two Marines have died after suffering seizures induced by synthetic cannabinoids.
"This problem has the potential to spread quickly across the Army," the alert warned.
The U.S. Army does not allow the use of so-called CBD oil or any products derived from marijuana, so some soldiers use synthetic oil, CBS/AP reported.
Halting this problem is a "top priority," Public Health Center spokeswoman Chanel Weaver told The Fayettville Observer.
"Consumers must be extremely vigilant if they are going to use vaping oils and should seek medical attention immediately if they feel they are having an adverse reaction to one of these products," Weaver said.
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Pharmacist Involved in Deadly Meningitis Outbreak Receives 8-Year Jail Term
An eight-year prison sentence was handed out Wednesday to the pharmacist convicted in connection with a 2012 meningitis outbreak in the United States that killed 76 people and sickened hundreds.
During his sentencing hearing in Boston's federal courthouse, Glenn Chin sobbed as he apologized to the victims and their families, the Associated Press reported.
The outbreak was caused by contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center pharmacy in Massachusetts. Chin was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy but acquitted of second-degree murder.
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CDC Director Resigns Due to Financial Conflicts
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resigned due to financial conflicts.
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald held the position since July. Her complex financial holdings created conflicts of interest that made it difficult to do her job, according to a Department of Health and Human Services statement released Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
When Fitzgerald took over as CDC director, she owned many types of stocks, including those in beer and soda companies, the tobacco company Philip Morris International, and some health care companies.
Fitzgerald said she sold some stocks but kept others due to rules that prevent her from selling them, the AP reported.
