Author: Claudinne Miller
Scores of dead birds wash up on Scots beach amid avian flu crisis
Several species, including kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills, have been found washed up at Lunan Bay in Montrose in recent weeks. Several species, including kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills, have been found washed up at Lunan Bay in Montrose in recent weeks. Locals living in the area have been advised not to touch or pick up sick […]
Jul 18, 2023
Yes, bird flu is a threat. It’s time to take it seriously.
Vox In the last two years, more than half a billion birds have died globally. The cause isn’t deforestation or climate change or the destruction of grasslands — all of which are contributing to the precipitous decline of wild birds — but avian influenza, i.e., bird flu. The majority of these birds were farmed chickens and turkeys; as […]
Jul 18, 2023
New malaria case in Florida brings national total to 8, the first U.S. acquired cases in 20 years
NBC News Florida health officials reported a new case of malaria on Tuesday, bringing the total number of locally acquired malaria infections in the U.S. to eight since May. The cases are the first in 20 years to be acquired in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last month that locally acquired infections — those not linked […]
Jul 18, 2023
COVID-19 Vaccines Saved Dementia Patients’ Lives in Nursing Homes
UCSF Deaths among older adults with dementia fell starkly in nursing homes and long-term care centers after COVID-19 vaccinations became available, yet remained high for those living at home, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco. The nationwide study published July 17, 2023 in JAMA Neurology, is the first to use data from […]
Jul 18, 2023
AI Fast-Tracks Disease Risk Predictions
Neuroscience News Summary: Researchers developed AI software that rapidly analyzes bone density scans to predict a person’s future risk of health conditions, such as heart attacks, stroke, falls, fractures, and dementia. The software looks for signs of abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a predictor of these conditions. While human experts typically take 5-15 minutes to analyze each […]
Jul 18, 2023
A Positive Covid Milestone
New York Times The United States has reached a milestone in the long struggle against Covid: The total number of Americans dying each day — from any cause — is no longer historically abnormal. Excess deaths, as this number is known, has been an important measure of Covid’s true toll because it does not depend […]
Jul 18, 2023
Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19
The Lancet Many patients with COVID-19 develop physical, cognitive, and mental health impairments that persist for more than 3 months after infection, known collectively as long COVID or post-COVID-19 condition. Survivors of COVID-19-related critical illness are also at risk of the complications of post-intensive care syndrome. These multisystem manifestations can have a devastating impact on […]
Jul 18, 2023
UK: Bird flu investigation after Bempton Cliffs seabird deaths
BBC An investigation has begun after a number of birds were found dead at a nature reserve in East Yorkshire. The RSPB said in a social media post that the fatalities at its site at Bempton Cliffs were being investigated for any possible link to avian flu. The charity said that kittiwakes seemed to be […]
Jul 18, 2023
Mysterious Spread of Bird Flu in Cats in Poland, WHO Reports
Science Alert The World Health Organization said that since Polish health authorities informed it last month of unusual cat deaths across the country, 29 cats had tested positive for H5N1 bird flu. They were among 46 cats and one captive caracal tested for the virus, it said, adding that 14 of the infected animals were reported to have […]
Jul 18, 2023
Should We Be Worried about a Malaria Outbreak in the United States?
Boston University Malaria has landed in Florida and Texas. BU infectious diseases specialist David Hamer shares his biggest worries when it comes to mosquito-borne diseases—and why malaria might not be the scariest one. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started operations in 1946, it had an urgent mission: prevent malaria from spreading […]
Jul 18, 2023