Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Lindsay Lohan Sick With Chikungunya Virus
Actress Lindsay Lohan has contracted the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus while on vacation in French Polynesia, USA Today reports.
On her Twitter feed on Monday, Lohan said that "being sick is no fun. But Happy New Year everyone." And more recently she tweeted, "I refuse to let a virus [affect] my peaceful vacation."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chikungunya causes symptoms such as fever and joint pain, as well as muscle aches, headache, joint swelling or rash. Joint pain caused by chikungunya can be severe and debilitating, the CDC explained.
The chikungunya virus is not spread among people, according to the CDC, and most people get better in about a week. However, some people will have long-term joint pain as a result of the infection.
In November, the CDC issued a warning to Americans traveling to the Caribbean and Central and South America that an outbreak of the illness was continuing to spread in those regions.
In July, the CDC reported the first case of locally acquired chikungunya in the United States, involving a man from Florida.
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Former President George H.W. Bush Released From Hospital
President George H.W. Bush was released from a Houston-area hospital Tuesday, according to published reports.
The 90-year-old former president was hospitalized on Dec. 22 for breathing problems. A spokesperson for Bush said the hospital stay was just a precaution. By Monday, his breathing had returned to normal.
A statement from his office said:
"President Bush was released from the Houston Methodist Hospital today. He is now resting at home, grateful to the doctors and nurses for their superb care."
Bush is the oldest living former U.S. president.
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