People who go through an economic recession at the peak of their working life suffer a risk of cognitive decline in later years, a study suggested on Wednesday.

The findings imply that mental skills may be affected by periods of redundancy or forced moves to part-time, lower-paid or lower-status work.

At least 573 people have died from dengue in Brazil so far this year, nearly twice the figure reported in 2012, according to official figures released Wednesday.

Last year, 292 deaths were recorded and 473 in 2011, according to the health ministry.

A third of the world's rich countries cut health spending between 2009 and 2011, according to a probe of 33 advanced economies published on Thursday.

Per-capita spending on health fell in 11 of these countries, notably by 11.1 percent in Greece and 6.6 percent in Ireland, while growth in spending slowed in others, including Canada (0.8 percent) and the United States (1.3 percent).

Saudi health authorities on Wednesday announced a new MERS death, raising to 54 the number of people killed by the coronavirus in the country with the most fatalities.

A 73-year-old Saudi woman, infected by the virus and who had suffered chronic illnesses, died in Riyadh, the health ministry said in a statement on its website.

A large fruit bat that ranges over most of sub-Saharan Africa carries two animal viruses that pose a potential infection risk for humans, scientists said Tuesday.

Bats are a known source for animal viruses, including the deadly Ebola virus, that have leapt the species barrier to other mammals.

Ghana on Tuesday backed down on a proposed tax on imported condoms after mooting increased levies on foreign-made goods as a way of cutting government debt.

Finance Minister Seth Terkper made the announcement as he presented the 2014 budget, backing parliament's proposal last week to raise overall sales tax by 2.5 percent.

A New York City law banning cigarette sales to people under 21 was signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday, the latest move in the Big Apple's war on smoking.

The new law for the city of eight million, which also covers rolling tobacco and e-cigarettes, will take effect in six months time, a spokesman for Bloomberg said.

New recommendations to expand the use of cholesterol-lowering medication to millions of adults to reduce heart attacks and strokes overestimated risks faced by that population, according to a new study.

An updated clinical guide released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) last week set new guidelines on who should take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.

Women who have taken birth control pills for three years or more face twice the risk of developing the eye disease glaucoma, a top cause of blindness, researchers said Monday.

The study was based on survey answers by 3,406 women over age 40 in the United States, and was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in New Orleans.

Pregnant women who are exposed to chemicals known as phthalates found in plastics, lotions and food packaging may face higher odds of giving birth prematurely, a U.S. study said Monday.

The findings are important because prematurity is a leading cause of infant death around the world, said the report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.