Trending News Today: US Measles Outbreak Continues to Spread

Officials with the FDA said they have identified the source of carcinogenic impurities that have contaminated recalled valsartan-containing blood pressure medications, The Washington Post reported. According to the article, an FDA statement on Friday disclosed that the contaminants, called Ni-Nitrosodimethylamine and N-Nitrosodiethylamine, are chemical byproducts of the process used to synthesize the active ingredient in the drugs, which include valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan. FDA officials noted that individuals who have taken the drugs may have been exposed to trace amounts of impurities for at least 4 years, the article reported.

The measles outbreak continues to grow in the northwest United States, with the number of confirmed measles cases near Portland, Oregon reaching 31 on Friday, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, 26 of the confirmed patients had not been vaccinated against measles and the vaccination status of the 4 others infected is unknown. Last year, there were 17 outbreaks and approximately 350 cases of measles in the United States, the article reported.

A new study indicates that patients who receive the flu vaccine while hospitalized are no more likely to develop fever or require extra care than inpatients who don’t get vaccinated, Reuters reported. According to the article, the researchers examined data on 290,149 US hospitalizations involving 255,737 patients over 3 consecutive flu seasons. Based on the data, the researchers found no meaningful differences in the risk of fevers, repeat hospitalizations, checkups for infections, or outpatient visits during the first week after discharge between patients administered vaccines during their hospital visit and those who did so at other times, the article reported.