An experimental drug combination cured 70 percent of patients with hepatitis C in early trials, offering hope of a simpler remedy for the chronic liver disease, U.S. researchers said Tuesday.

The phase II trial described in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) studied the effectiveness and safety of an experimental drug, sofosbuvir, taken with the licensed antiviral drug ribavirin.

A botulism scare that sparked global recalls of Fonterra milk products was a false alarm and there was never any danger to the public, New Zealand officials said Wednesday.

The crisis led to infant formula being taken off shelves from China to Saudi Arabia earlier this month and damaged New Zealand's "clean, green" reputation in key Asian markets.

Waiting lists for surgery in crisis-hit Spain's public hospitals were the longest on record in 2012 as emergency spending cuts hit home, government figures show.

Updated figures for December 2012 published over the weekend by the health ministry showed the average waiting time for a non-urgent operation was 100 days, up from 76 days in June of that year.

There's been a big shift in how many U.S. school districts take money from soda companies and ban junk food from vending machines, health officials say.

A government survey found 44 percent of school districts banned junk food from vending machines last year, up from 30 percent in 2006.

At least 21 cases of the measles have been linked to a Texas megachurch where an official says they have been trying to contain the outbreak by hosting vaccination clinics.

In a recent sermon posted online, senior pastor Terri Pearsons encouraged those who haven't been vaccinated to do so, while also noting if they think they've "got this covered in your household by faith" not to do it.

About 300 women with faulty PIP breast implants have filed suit seeking $54.7 million in damages from three European companies, their attorney said Monday.

"We have filed a class-action suit against France's Poly Implant Protheses (PIP), Germany's TUV Rheinland (quality control) and German insurer Allianz," Virginia Luna told reporters, warning that the total damages sought could be vastly higher since some 15,000 women are believed to have been affected in Argentina alone.

A teenage boy has died of bubonic plague in Kyrgyzstan, the country's health officials confirmed Monday, adding that an epidemic was not likely.

The 15-year-old was a herder from a small mountain village of Ichke-Zhergez in eastern Kyrgyzstan, close to the border with Kazakhstan and the Issyk-Kul lake.

Eager to resurrect her failed marriage, Mercedes dreamed of having a shapely rear end. A risky, potentially deadly, silicone injection technique beckoned. She said yes. Now she rues that day.

"It hurts so much I cannot sit down for even five minutes," said the 45-year-old, her voice quivering. She is so embarrassed she won't give her last name.

A Saudi man has died of the coronavirus MERS, bringing the kingdom's death toll from the SARS-like virus to 41, while two new cases were registered, the government said Sunday.

The 51-year-old, who had previously been diagnosed with MERS, died in Riyadh, the health ministry said on its website, adding he also suffered from cancer and other chronic diseases.

With just a patchwork of colourful plastic sheets to shield patients from the heavy monsoon rains, a Mumbai street acts as an unofficial ward to one of India's top cancer treatment centres.

Every year, the Tata Memorial Hospital draws tens of thousands of cancer sufferers thanks to its heavily subsidized medical care. But the city's steep hotel and rental prices force scores to sleep on nearby pavements.