Health Highlights: Sept. 9, 2007

Mar. 23 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Laura Bush Back at White House After Pinched Nerve Surgery

First lady Laura Bush's Saturday surgery to relieve pain from pinched nerves in her neck was successful, the Associated Press reports.

The two-and-a-half hour minimally invasive surgery at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. did not require an overnight stay, and the wire service quotes Sally McDonough, Mrs. Bush's spokeswoman as saying she was back at the White House and resting comfortably.

Mrs. Bush injured her neck while hiking earlier this year and had been treating it with physical therapy, the A.P. reported, but the condition had become serious enough to require surgery. It caused Mrs. Bush to cancel accompanying her husband on his trip to Australia for the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

While Mrs. Bush had no activities scheduled Monday, McDonough told the wire service the First Lady would be resuming her schedule soon. "Every patient is different, so there's no kind of set timeframe. She will certainly ease back into her schedule," McDonough said.

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Painful Mosquito-Borne Virus Confirmed in Northern Italy

While U.S. health professionals work to prevent outbreaks of the sometimes fatal West Nile virus, Europe now has a confirmed outbreak of another mosquito-borne illness, this one called chikungunya.

According to BBC News, 160 cases of chikungunya, which is caused by a mosquito bite, have been confirmed in northern Italy in the villages of Castiglione di Ravenna and Castiglione di Cervia.

The name chikungunya is derived from Swahili, meaning "that which bends up," the BBC reports, because most of the symptoms are arthritic-type and leave victims stooped over.

While not often fatal, chikungunya is quite painful and can persist for several weeks or months, similar to the way Lyme Disease affects Americans. But Lyme disease, usually caused by a deer tick bite, is bacterial and can be treated with antibiotics. This is ineffective for chikungunya, which is caused by a virus.