Health Highlights: March 8, 2016

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

Maria Sharapova Tests Positive for Banned Substance

Tennis star Maria Sharapova tested positive for a banned substance at the Australian Open in January, she announced Monday.

In disclosing the notification from the International Tennis Federation, Sharapova said she had been taking Mildronate, also known as Meldonium, since 2006. The substance was added to the prohibited list this year, The New York Times reported.

Sharapova, 28, said she received a World Anti-Doping Agency email in December that outlined changes to tennis’s program for 2016 and included a link to a list of banned substances, but she did not look at it.

A penalty has yet to be announced for Sharapova, the highest-paid female athlete for the past 11 years. She is the seventh athlete to test positive for the Meldonium this year, The Times reported.

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U.S. Government Sending Blood Products to Puerto Rico

The U.S. government is sending blood and blood products to Puerto Rico due to fears that local supplies may be contaminated with the Zika virus.

The mosquito-borne virus is spreading quickly in Puerto Rico and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Thomas Frieden has warned that Puerto Rico is likely to be hit especially hard by Zika, NBC News reported.

“We are arranging the importation of blood products from areas unaffected by local Zika transmission to ensure the safety of Puerto Rico’s blood supply,” the Health and Human Services Administration said.

In related news, the Food and Drug Administration wants people living in or traveling from Zika-affected areas to delay giving blood until they are confirmed to be virus-free, NBC News reported.

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