Top 5 Health Stories from 2016 for the US: Causes, Prevention and Cures

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From the rise of Zika virus in the US to the banning of anti-bacterial soaps by the FDA to the potential development of the anti-AIDS vaccine, 2016 has been a miracle year for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector. Here are some of the biggest health stories from the year you must know about:

The Zika Threat

The Zika virus was first identified in 1947 but it emerged as a global threat only in 2016. It was in summer 2016 that the first case of Zika was seen near Miami. In August, the National Institutes of Health announced the launch of a clinical trial to test an anti-Zika vaccine for humans.

Zika infection is hard to detect as 80 percent of people do not develop any symptoms and 20 percent develop only mild symptoms such as fever and headaches. The primary danger is that Zika virus might induce microcephaly in babies, which means that babies are born with smaller-than-average heads.

Zika-infected mosquitoes have spread to southern states of the US, Central America, South East Asia, and the Caribbean, though it is no longer considered a global emergency.

The EpiPen Controversy

EpiPen allows people to inject epinephrine to save them from life-threatening allergic reactions. However, since 2009, its price has increased by 500 percent! Mylan, the company that sells EpiPens, agreed to pay $465 million to the Department of Justice (DOJ) after it was accused of overcharging for the device.

Mylan CEO Heather Bresch also said that the company soon plans to offer the first generic version of the EpiPen to its consumers.

Marijuana Legalized Again

During the 2016 election, a historic voting took place on whether marijuana should be legalized in the US or not. Nine states (namely, Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington and the District of Columbia) has allowed the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, while 21 other states allowed the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes only.

Elimination of Measles

In September 2016, the Pan American Health Organization (part of the United Nations) declared that the measles has been eradicated from the Americas, and any case of measles found in the US has to be imported. It is the high vaccination rate in the Americas which is preventing the spread of the disease here.

Potential of development of Anti-Aids Vaccine

Right now, the only effective drug that prevents HIV infection is Truvada, a pill which has to be taken daily. Now, the researchers at the National Institute of Health are doing clinical trials on long-acting Cabotegravir shot, which will need to be taken just once in two months.

Scientists see that if the anti-Aids vaccine turns out to be effective, they will then research on ways to ensure its efficacy for a longer period of time.