Health Highlights: March 17, 2017

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

U.N. Agency Announces Tighter Controls on Chemicals Used to Make Fentanyl

Controls on the production, sale and export of some chemicals used in the illegal production of fentanyl have been announced by the U.N.’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Fentanyl is a prescription opioid painkiller. It is often mixed with heroin or made to look like other painkillers, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people a year in the United States, the Associated Press reported.

In 2015, there were more than 33,000 deaths in the U.S. from overdoses involving opioids obtained either illegally or through prescriptions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pop star Prince died of a fentanyl overdose last year.

The U.N. agency’s new rules will have a “clear benefit for the United States,” a federal government statement said, the AP reported.

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Marketside Supreme Pizzas Recalled

Possible listeria contamination has led to the recall of 21,200 pounds of frozen Marketside Extra Large Supreme Pizza, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says.

The 16-inch pizzas were made Feb. 23, 2017 by California-based RBR Meat Company Inc. and have the lot code 20547 and the establishment number “EST. 1821” inside the USDA mark of inspection. The pizzas were distributed in California, Nevada, Utah and Washington.

Listeria can cause a serious infection (listeriosis) that poses a significant risk to older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women and their newborns. There are no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recalled pizzas, according to the FSIS.

Consumers who bought the recalled pizzas should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase, the agency said.

For more information, call RBR Meat at 323-826-2144, ext. 190.


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