Wild Coast recalling raw cat food on bird flu contamination risk, FDA says
Last month, two house cats in Oregon were euthanized after testing positive for bird flu linked to their consumption of Wild Coast's pet food.
The FDA said that the test results linked cat illnesses and deaths in Washington State and Oregon to one of the recalled lots of the pet food.
The virus has infected millions of poultry since the nation's worst-ever outbreak began in 2022, along with thousands of dairy cattle and almost 70 people since April last year. The CDC has said the risk to the general public is low.
Wild Coast, which initiated the recall on Saturday, could not immediately be reached for comment.
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a day ago
- Reuters
Israel to pause fighting in Gaza areas each day for aid corridors
JERUSALEM/GAZA, July 27 (Reuters) - Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations each day for 10 hours in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors in the shattered enclave, where images of starving Palestinians have alarmed the world. Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which the government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have broken off with no deal in sight. Military activity will stop from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian area which stretches along the coast, in central Deir al-Balah and in Gaza City, to the north. The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. starting from Sunday. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said staff would step up efforts to feed the hungry during the pauses in the designated areas. "Our teams on the ground ... will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said in a post on X. Health officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in the central Gaza Strip said Israeli firing killed at least 17 people and wounded 50 people waiting for aid trucks on Sunday. A spokesperson for Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thousands of Gazans gathered in locations where they expect aid trucks to roll through on Sunday, Reuters witnesses and locals said. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The Gaza health ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total number of deaths from malnutrition and hunger to 133 including 87 children. On Saturday, a five-month-old baby, Zainab Abu Haleeb, died of severe acute malnutrition at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, health workers said. "Three months inside the hospital and this is what I get in return, that she is dead," said her mother, Israa Abu Haleeb, standing next to the baby's father as he held their daughter's body, which was wrapped in a white shroud. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was sending on Sunday more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food aid to southern Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Hours earlier, Israel began aid airdrops in what it said was an effort to ease the humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Aid groups said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people and international alarm over the humanitarian situation has increased, driving French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognise a Palestinian state in September. A group of 25 states including Britain, France and Canada last week condemned the "drip feeding of aid" and said Israel's denial of essential humanitarian aid was unacceptable. The U.N. said last week humanitarian pauses in military activity would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance", adding that Israel had not been providing enough route alternatives for its convoys, hindering aid access. Israel, which cut off the aid flow to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's people. Israel and the U.S. appeared on Friday to abandon ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the militants did not want a deal. Many Gazans expressed tentative relief about Sunday's announcement, but said the fighting must end permanently. "People are happy that large amounts of food aid will come into Gaza," said Tamer Al-Burai, a business owner. "We hope today marks a first step in ending this war that burned everything up." Some others voiced concern about how aid will be delivered and whether it will reach people safely. "When aid is airdropped, it causes injuries and damage," said displaced Gaza resident Suhaib Mohammed. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir criticised the aid decision, which he said was made without his involvement. He called it a capitulation to Hamas' deceitful campaign and repeated his call to choke off all aid to Gaza, conquer the territory and encourage Palestinians to leave. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a question about Ben-Gvir's comments. After letting in aid in May, Israel said there was enough food in Gaza but that the United Nations was failing to distribute it. The U.N. said it was operating as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
Centene posts surprise loss as medical costs surge, shares slump
July 25 (Reuters) - Centene (CNC.N), opens new tab on Friday posted a surprise quarterly loss, in yet another disappointment for investors in the sector that has suffered a series of setbacks due to rising costs in government-backed insurance plans. Shares of the company tumbled 14.5% in premarket trading, dragging down peers Elevance (ELV.N), opens new tab and Molina Healthcare (MOH.N), opens new tab, which have also warned of elevated costs in government-backed insurance plans. The insurance sector has been under strain for the past two years due to rising medical costs. On one hand, insurers are grappling with increased utilization of behavioral health services, home care, and high-cost drugs, while on the other, the expiration of pandemic-era subsidies and Medicaid protections has shifted enrollment toward sicker members, squeezing their margins. Centene, which largely focuses on government-sponsored plans, posted a medical cost ratio (MCR) of 93% for the quarter, well above Wall Street's expectation of 89.3% and a clear sign of pressure across all business lines. "The medical cost ratio for the quarter was surprisingly high and appeared related to all major lines of business, although its individual exchange business was likely the biggest culprit," said Morningstar analyst Julie Utterback. The quarterly loss was largely attributed to a downward revision in expected 2025 risk adjustment revenue, part of the Affordable Care Act's mechanism to balance costs across insurers. The adjustment, combined with rising Medicaid expenditure drove Centene to a second-quarter adjusted loss of $0.16 per share, versus an expected profit of $0.86, according to data compiled by LSEG. "We are disappointed by our second-quarter results, but we have a clear understanding of trends that have impacted performance, and are working with urgency and focus to restore our earnings trajectory," CEO Sarah London said. Centene said it would provide 2025 earnings expectations on the conference call. The company is in the process of requesting premium increases for Obamacare plans for 2026 to reflect a higher proportion of sicker patients who need more medical care, than it previously expected. Centene expects to be able to take corrective pricing actions for 2026 in states that represent a substantial majority of its membership in those plans.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
HCA raises annual profit forecast on resilient demand for medical care
July 25 (Reuters) - HCA Healthcare (HCA.N), opens new tab raised its 2025 profit forecast on Friday as it expects sustained demand for medical procedures to cushion a hit from U.S. President Donald Trump's potential tariffs. Health insurers have flagged higher-than-anticipated costs in its individual plans that come under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and its Medicaid plans for low-income people. Analysts have said they expect this trend to benefit hospital operators, but warned that proposed federal budget cuts could hit their earnings. HCA earned second-quarter adjusted profit of $6.84 per share, beating analysts' estimates of $6.25 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. The company expects 2025 profit to be about $25.50 to $27 per share, compared with its previous forecast of $24.05 to $25.85 per share.
