Rapid blood test to 'cut antibiotic use'

A new blood test can help doctors tease out whether an infection is caused by a virus or bacteria within two hours, reseaAppropriate drugs

Doctors face a number of challenges when deciphering which bug is responsible for an infection and the treatment that would best tackle it.

South Africans perform first 'successful' penis transplant

The world's first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa.

The 21-year-old recipient, whose identify is being protected, lost his penis in a botched circumcision.

Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy.

The team said there was extensive discussion about whether the operation, which is not life-saving in the same way as a heart transplant, was ethical.

Gene Modification May Change Your Height, Complexion

    In what could be a stepping stone towards customised babies, researchers at McGill University have identified a key mechanism by which environmental factors influence traits like our height, skin colour, intelligence etc. They believe that by identifying a key gene for each trait and how it is affected by the environment (epigenetically), it is potentially possible to influence the degree of its expression - and so, create variation in how specific traits are expressed.

Morocco-Nigeria spat over royal phone call

Nigeria's foreign ministry says President Jonathan spoke at length to the Moroccan monarch

Morocco has recalled its ambassador from Nigeria, accusing the authorities there of using King Mohammed VI in an election campaign.

Its foreign ministry issued a statement, denying the king had spoken by phone to Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, as had been stated by Nigeria.

C-section rates 'vary widely' across Europe

Around 25% of women give birth by Caesarean section in the UK

There are wide variations in Caesarean section rates across Europe, indicating a lack of consensus about the best way of delivering babies, a study suggests.

Around one in four births in the UK is by C-section, while in Cyprus the figure is 52% and in Sweden 17%.

Tanzania bus crash leaves dozens dead in Iringa

The injured have been transferred to hospital

Two lorries and a bus have collided in Tanzania's highland region of Iringa, killing 41 people, police say.

The accident happened after a lorry driver swerved to avoid a pothole, the regional commander told the BBC.

Frankie the dog 'sniffs out thyroid cancer'

Dogs have 10 times the number of smell receptors as people

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A dog has been used to sniff out thyroid cancer in people who had not yet been diagnosed, US researchers say.

Tests on 34 patients showed an 88% success rate in finding tumours.

The team, presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, said the animal had an "unbelievable" sense of smell.