In the press Archives - Page 2 of 410 - Healthier Environment Living Program

Staphylococcus aureus Exploits the Host Apoptotic Pathway To Persist during Infection

Staphylococcus aureus Exploits the Host Apoptotic Pathway To Persist during Infection

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T14:43:16+00:00November 17th, 2019|

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is a deadly pathogen that causes fatal diseases in humans. During infection, S. aureus secretes nuclease (Nuc) and adenosine synthase A (AdsA) to generate cytotoxic deoxyadenosine (dAdo) from neutrophil extracellular traps which triggers noninflammatory apoptosis in macrophages. In this manner, replicating staphylococci escape phagocytic killing without alerting the immune system. Here, we show that mice [...]

Chemical contaminants entering the marine environment from sea-based sources: A review with a focus on European seas

Chemical contaminants entering the marine environment from sea-based sources: A review with a focus on European seas

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T14:18:09+00:00November 17th, 2019|

Highlights • We gather a list of chemical substances released from major sea-based sources. • We provide an overview of regulatory frameworks for these substances within the EU. • Concentrations and toxicity data for some of the identified substances are given. Abstract Anthropogenic contaminants reach the marine environment mostly directly from land-based sources, but [...]

FDA OKs cefiderocol for complicated urinary tract infections

FDA OKs cefiderocol for complicated urinary tract infections

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T13:54:00+00:00November 17th, 2019|

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new antibiotic for patients with severe urinary tract infections and few other treatment options. The agency announced late yesterday that is has approved cefiderocol for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs), including kidney infections, caused by gram-negative bacteria in patients with limited or [...]

US flu activity gains more steam

US flu activity gains more steam

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T13:44:48+00:00November 17th, 2019|

Flu activity rose again last week, nearly reaching the seasonal baseline, with all three strains circulating and subtypes varying by region and age, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly update today. Nationally, one of the main markers—the percentage of clinic visits for flulike illness—rose to 2.3%, putting it [...]

Adult vaccination saves lives. Why do so few adults get vaccinated?

Adult vaccination saves lives. Why do so few adults get vaccinated?

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T13:32:15+00:00November 17th, 2019|

Vaccines are among the simplest, most effective, and least expensive ways to prevent serious, and often deadly, diseases. Yet vaccination seems to be an afterthought for many adults. It’s time to shift that thinking and elevate vaccines to the scientific and technological zenith they deserve as one of the greatest advances of the 20th century, [...]

First Medication to Treat Moderate to Severe Postpartum Depression Gets FDA Approval

First Medication to Treat Moderate to Severe Postpartum Depression Gets FDA Approval

By James Sweeney|2019-11-17T13:28:22+00:00November 17th, 2019|

Brexanolone injection may bring relief from postpartum depression within three days, though some questions remain The first ever medication indicated to treat moderate to severe postpartum depression by helping regulate the hormone levels that drop after childbirth has received FDA approval. Designated a breakthrough therapy, FDA gave the medication, brexanolone injection, priority review. This is particularly [...]

Animal Exposure and Human Plague, United States, 1970–2017

Animal Exposure and Human Plague, United States, 1970–2017

By James Sweeney|2019-11-16T12:45:12+00:00November 16th, 2019|

Abstract Since 1970, >50% of patients with plague in the United States had interactions with animals that might have led to infection. Among patients with pneumonic plague, nearly all had animal exposure. Improved understanding of the varied ways in which animal contact might increase risk for infection could enhance prevention messages. Plague is a rare, [...]

Mapping disease outbreaks in urban settings using mobile phone data

Mapping disease outbreaks in urban settings using mobile phone data

By James Sweeney|2019-11-16T12:39:56+00:00November 16th, 2019|

Researchers from EPFL and MIT have shown that human mobility is a major factor in the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue even over short intra-city distances. In a paper published in Scientific Reports, the team compares different mobility models and concludes that having access to mobile phone location data can prove crucial [...]

Pain, anxiety, and depression

Pain, anxiety, and depression

By James Sweeney|2019-11-16T12:35:55+00:00November 16th, 2019|

Why these conditions often occur together and how to treat them when they do. Everyone experiences pain at some point, but in people with depression or anxiety, pain can become particularly intense and hard to treat. People suffering from depression, for example, tend to experience more severe and long-lasting pain than other people. The overlap [...]

ASF situation in Asia update

ASF situation in Asia update

By James Sweeney|2019-11-16T12:28:20+00:00November 16th, 2019|

Hazard: African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal animal disease affecting pigs and wild boars with up to 100% case fatality rate. Affected provinces: China: Anhui, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanxi, Yunnan, Hunan and Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi, Fujian, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Guangdong, Gansu, Shandong and Hainan Provinces, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing Municipalities, [...]