Author: Claudinne Miller
Turning back the clock on brains aged by COVID-19
University of Queensland University of Queensland researchers have found a way to reverse a cellular process triggered by COVID-19 that contributes to premature aging of the brain. Dr Julio Aguado and a team from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) used synthetic brain organoid models, grown in a laboratory from human stem cells, to study the […]
Nov 21, 2023
The Impacts of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on North American Wildlife
Express Healthcare Management New research has shed light on the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, specifically the Eurasian lineage H5 clade 2.3.4.4b, in various species of wild terrestrial mammals in the United States. This groundbreaking finding, published in the U.S. CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Volume 29, reveals that North American wildlife […]
Nov 21, 2023
Rude Awakening
Science The appearance of a “tropical” mosquito-borne illness in southeastern Australia has unsettled researchers. Construction supervisor Jack McCann started to feel “a bit crook”—that’s “sick,” in Australian slang—on the hot afternoon of 26 February 2022. He and some buddies had just finished laying a fireplace hearth in his backyard in Corowa, Australia, population 5500. His […]
Nov 21, 2023
More free COVID-19 tests from the government are available for home delivery through the mail
AP News Americans can order more free COVID-19 tests online for home delivery. The U.S. government is offering to send another round of four at-home virus tests ahead of the typical surge in cases during the winter holiday season. Anyone who did not order a batch of four COVID-19 tests in September can secure up to eight […]
Nov 21, 2023
Why does Paxlovid make things taste bitter?
Science The COVID-19 remedy’s unpleasant side effect—known as “Paxlovid mouth”—comes from its effects on the tongue’s taste receptors. Paxlovid can prevent severe illness from COVID-19, but it comes with a price: In many users, the antiviral drug leaves a weird, metallic aftertaste that can last for days—a condition nicknamed “Paxlovid mouth.” Now, researchers say they’ve figured […]
Nov 21, 2023
Most Parents Intend to Vaccinate Children Against Respiratory Viruses This Winter
Precision Vaccinations The journal Vaccines recently published the findings from a Texas A&M University survey that assessed parental intention to vaccinate children against respiratory viruses. Published on November 17, 2023, these researchers found that about 40% of parents intended to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, 63% against influenza, and 71% against RSV. Women showed lower intentions for COVID-19 and influenza. For COVID-19 […]
Nov 21, 2023
Northern lights create dazzling spectacle in the sky worldwide
CNN The northern lights were spotted worldwide in countries including the UK, Ukraine and Slovakia. Seeing the Northern lights was high on my bucket list for years, we had the opportunity to travel to Svalbard, Norway in late February (the darkest time of year there) a couple of years ago. It was amazing! We snowmobiled […]
Nov 15, 2023
Tropical diseases move north
Nature As Earth warms, the creatures that spread neglected tropical diseases are gaining a foothold in Europe. Wealthy countries must prepare themselves for more cases. Europe long thought itself safe from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Those old certainties have now evaporated. A warmer and wetter climate has made the continent more welcoming to vectors of […]
Nov 15, 2023
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) from Wild Birds, Poultry, and Mammals, Peru
CDC We identified highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus clade 2.3.4.4b in wild birds, poultry, and a lion in Peru during November 2022–February 2023 and markers associated with transmission adaptation and antiviral drug resistance. Continuous genomic surveillance is needed to inform public health measures and avoid mass animal deaths. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 […]
Nov 15, 2023
What to Know About the Flu Virus
NYT What’s the difference between influenza A and influenza B, and does it matter which you catch? Each fall, the flu emerges as a formidable force, spreading through the droplets produced when people cough, sneeze or talk, and sometimes hitching a ride to our noses by way of the infected surfaces that we touch. Influenza […]
Nov 15, 2023
