Paris, France (AFP) Stiff-person syndrome, which has forced Canadian superstar singer Celine Dion to postpone her European tour, is a very rare neurological condition that causes progressive muscle stiffness as well as muscle spasms. Around one in a million people are estimated to have the condition, according to the US National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Symptoms develop over a matter of months or years, normally between the ages of 30 to 60, and […]
Tag: illness
Celine Dion cancels shows due to ‘rare neurological disorder’
Paris, France (AFP) by Mehdi CHERIFIA Celine Dion cancelled and postponed a series of European shows on Thursday over problems related to a “very rare neurological disorder” that is affecting her singing. In a five-minute video posted on Instagram in French and English, a clearly emotional Dion said she had been suffering from health problems “for a long time”. “Recently I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called ‘stiff person syndrome’ […]
Deadly elephant virus stalks Zurich zoo
by Agnès Pedrero Agence France-Pressec ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP) — A deadly virus has swept through Zurich’s zoo, killing three Asian elephants in a month and leaving experts stumped as to how to stop its spread. The zoo overlooking Switzerland’s largest city now has only five of the majestic creatures roaming its 11,000-square-metre (118,400-square-foot) elephant enclosure. Two-year-old bull Umesh was the first to fall victim to the Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) at the end of June, […]
Justin Bieber says suffering from facial paralysis
Justin Bieber on Friday told fans in a video posted to Instagram that he’s been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which is causing him partial facial paralysis. The 28-year-old pop singer recently announced he was pausing his Justice World Tour due to illness, hours before his first slated concert in Toronto. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is a complication of shingles that occurs when an outbreak impacts the facial nerve near one ear. In addition to facial […]
Mind over matter: brain chip allows paralyzed man to write
by Sara HUSSEIN Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Paralyzed from the neck down, the man stares intently at a screen. As he imagines handwriting letters, they appear before him as typed text thanks to a new brain implant. The 65-year-old is “typing” at a speed similar to his peers tapping on a smartphone, using a device that could one day help paralyzed people communicate quickly and easily. The research could benefit people […]
COVID-19 to have ‘profound’ mental health fallout
by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a “profound and pervasive impact” on global mental health as billions struggle to cope with isolated living and anxiety spikes, experts warned Thursday. In a paper published in Lancet Psychiatry, a panel of 24 specialists call for more funding for research into the impacts COVID-19 may have on society’s mental well-being. Two accompanying surveys of the British public […]
Canadian vaping study details danger from ‘popcorn lung’ chemical
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A 17-year-old Canadian nearly lost his lungs after five months of intensive vaping, but the ingredient suspected of doing the damage, diacetyl, is different from the substance US authorities blame for dozens of deaths. The case, described Thursday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), deepens the mysteries surrounding e-cigarettes, which have grown so popular US President Donald Trump earlier this week backed away from a proposed ban on certain […]
Fish oil supplements don’t ward off heart disease: study
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)–Fish oil supplements do not help prevent heart attacks or strokes in people with diabetes, said a study Monday that adds to a growing body of research on the ineffectiveness of pills containing omega-3 fatty acids. More than 15,000 people with diabetes but no signs of heart disease enrolled in the study in Britain, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Half the participants were given […]
Palace official denies Sison’s claim about Duterte’s health
A Duterte frat member backs Palace’s statement (Eagle News) –The Palace on Monday, Aug. 20, denied the claim of Jose Maria Sison, Communist Party of the Philippines’ founder, that President Rodrigo Duterte was ill. “Absolutely false. Perhaps that is the wish of (Sison) hence when he is fed with the wrong information on (Duterte’s) health, he easily believes it,” Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said. According to Panelo, the President was “in robust health.” Ruell […]
Elton John caught ‘potentially deadly’ infection on tour
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British pop icon Elton John contracted a “potentially deadly” infection while on tour which saw him spend two nights in intensive care and has forced shows to be cancelled. The musician became “violently ill” during a flight from the Chilean capital Santiago, where his Latin America tour ended April 10, his public relations representatives Murray Chalmers said in a statement. On landing in Britain he was immediately admitted to hospital […]





