The veterinary fences--which had been built to keep wild buffalo from transferring diseases to cattle--were taken down in 2004.
#First probable person to person transmission of new bird flu virus in China; But H7n9 is not able to spread efficiently between humansthe first report of probable person to person transmission of the new avian influenza A (H7n9) virus in Eastern China has just been published.
The findings provide the strongest evidence yet of H7n9 transmission between humans but the authors stress that its ability to transmit itself is limited and non-sustainable.
Avian influenza A (H7n9) virus was identified recently in Eastern China. As of 30 june 2013 133 cases have been reported resulting in 43 deaths.
or had close contact with live poultry 7-10 days before illness onset. Currently no definite evidence indicates sustained human-to-human transmission of the H7n9 virus. The study reports a family cluster of two patients (father and daughter) with H7n9 virus infection in Eastern China in March 2013.
The first (index) patient--a 60 year old man--regularly visited a live poultry market and became ill five to six days after his last exposure to poultry.
He was admitted to hospital on 11 march. When his symptoms became worse he was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) on 15 march.
He was transferred to another ICU on March 18 and died of multi-organ failure on 4 may.
The second patient his healthy 32 year old daughter had known no exposure to live poultry before becoming sick.
However she provided direct and unprotected bedside care for her father in the hospital before his admission to intensive care.
She developed symptoms six days after her last contact with her father and was admitted to hospital on 24 march.
She was transferred to the ICU on 28 march and died of multi-organ failure on 24 april.
Two almost genetically identical virus strains were isolated from each patient suggesting transmission from father to daughter.
Forty-three close contacts of both cases were interviewed by public health officials and tested for influenza virus. Of these one (a son in law who helped care for the father) had mild illness but all contacts tested negative for H7n9 infection.
Environmental samples from poultry cages water at two local poultry markets and swans from the residential area were tested also.
One strain was isolated but was genetically different to the two strains isolated from the patients.
The researchers acknowledge some study limitations but say that the most likely explanation for this family cluster of two cases with H7n9 infection is that the virus transmitted directly from the index patient to his daughter.
But they stress that the virus has gained not the ability to transmit itself sustained from person to person efficiently.
They believe that the most likely source of infection for the index case was the live poultry market and conclude:
To our best knowledge this is the first report of probable transmissibility of the novel virus person to person with detailed epidemiological clinical and virological data.
Our findings reinforce that the novel virus possesses the potential for pandemic spread. So does this imply that H7n9 has come one step closer towards adapting fully to humans ask James Rudge
and Richard Coker from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine based in Bangkok in an accompanying editorial?
while this study might not suggest that H7n9 is any closer to delivering the next pandemic it does provide a timely reminder of the need to remain extremely vigilant:
Dr Zhou says that the reason for carrying out this study was because there was no definite evidence to show that the novel virus can transmit person-to-person plus she
whether the novel avian influenza virus possesses the capability to transmit person-to-person. She concludes that the infection of the daughter is likely to have resulted from her father during unprotected exposure
and suggest that the virus possesses the ability to transmit person-to-person in this cluster. She does add
however that the infection was limited and non-sustainable as there is no outbreak following the two cases.
The above story is provided based on materials by BMJ-British Medical Journal. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
We need to develop long-term strategies to deal with these pests that are effective safe for public and environmental health
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) UC Berkeley researchers scanned the brains of 23 healthy young adults first after a normal night's sleep and next after a sleepless night.
and fish oil use said the study's lead author Dr. Aaron Watson. Supported by another paper published in the Journal of Fisheries
This makes aquaculture completely sustainable said Dr. Allen Place. The pressure on natural fisheries in terms of food fish can be relieved.
Fish oil--expensive and scarce thanks in part to its popularity as a health supplement for people--was replaced with soybean
An amino acid used in energy drinks taurine plays a critical role in the metabolism of fats stress responses
#Illinois scientists put cancer-fighting power back into frozen broccolithere was bad news then good news from University of Illinois broccoli researchers this month.
In the first study they learned that frozen broccoli lacks the ability to form sulforaphane the cancer-fighting phytochemical in fresh broccoli.
But a second study demonstrated how the food industry can act to restore the frozen vegetable's health benefits.
As little as three to five servings of broccoli a week provides a cancer-protective benefit but that isn't true for bags of broccoli that you pluck out of your grocery's freezer she noted.
which is necessary to form sulforaphane the powerful cancer-preventive compound in broccoli she said.
But they had had previously success using other food sources of myrosinase to boost broccoli's health benefits.
and sell a product that has the cancer-fighting component that it lacked before he said.
We were delighted to find that the radish enzyme was heat stable enough to preserve broccoli's health benefits even
and it will retain its cancer-fighting capabilities Dosz said. Jeffery hopes that food processors will be eager to adopt this process
Until they do said she that consumers can spice up their frozen cooked broccoli with another food that contains myrosinase to bring the cancer-fighting super-food up to nutritional speed.
#Timber rattlesnakes indirectly benefit human health: Not-so-horrid top predator helps check Lyme diseasethe scientific name of the timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus is a sign of the fear
But research by a team of University of Maryland biologists shows the timber rattlesnake indirectly benefits humankind by keeping Lyme disease in check.
Human cases of Lyme disease a bacterial illness that can cause serious neurological problems if left untreated are on the rise.
The disease is spread by black-legged ticks which feed on infected mice and other small mammals. Foxes and other mammal predators help control the disease by keeping small mammal populations in check.
The decline of these mammal predators may be a factor in Lyme disease's prevalence among humans.
Timber rattlers are also top predators in Eastern forests and their numbers are also falling so former University of Maryland graduate student Edward Kabay wanted to know
whether the rattlers also play a role in controlling Lyme disease. Kabay used published studies of timber rattlers'diets at four Eastern forest sites to estimate the number of small mammals the snakes consume
Because not every human bitten by an infected tick develops Lyme disease the team did not estimate how many people are spared the disease because of the ecosystem service that timber rattlesnakes provide.
and his research colleagues will talk about the human health implications of their work on Aug 6. Timber rattlesnakes are listed as endangered in six states
which is used medicinally to treat many ailments from stomachaches to reducing malaria fevers. Specifically analyzing harvesting effects on the tree in both dry
The study could help scientists understand how gene regulation differs from one person to the next explaining why genes that cause disease in some people don't have that effect in others.
If the trend continues at its current rapid pace it will place significant stress on terrestrial ecosystems around the world
and human health we'll likely see substantial stress from severely hot conditions. The scientists also projected the velocity of climate change defined as the distance per year that species of plants
and may prevent damage to tooth enamel that leads to cavities according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.
When those carbohydrates are consumed bacteria in the dental plaque on tooth surfaces produce acids says Christine Wu professor of pediatric dentistry
but the added sugar can be a risk to dental health Wu said. Our study results show that only milk was able to reduce acidity of dental plaque resulting from consuming sugary Froot Loops said Naval who is currently a fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
We believe that milk helped mitigate the damaging effect of fermentable carbohydrate and overcome the previously lowered plaque ph. Milk with a ph ranging from 6. 4 to 6. 7 is considered to be a functional food that fights cavities
Diet plays an important role in oral health Wu said. Studies of food intake and cavities have focused mainly on the sugar or carbohydrate content.
If understood and implemented properly food sequencing can be used as a public health educational tool to maintain
and preserve good oral health said Naval. Other contributors included Drs. Anne Koerber Larry Salzmann Indru Punwani and Bradford Johnson all of the dentistry faculty at UIC.
The research was supported by the college's pediatric dentistry department. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by University of Illinois at Chicago.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
#Rubber slat mats could improve animal well-beingnew research shows that rubber slat mats could improve swine health.
In a new study in the Journal of Animal Science researchers in Europe studied how different types of flooring affects claw and limb lesions locomotion and flooring cleanliness.
According to the researchers flooring is one of the main factors in production systems that cause locomotory problems in swine.
Locomotory problems can be caused by joint injuries or by circulatory problems in the legs and feet.
The researchers scored locomotion and claw and limb lesion of the replacement gilts and flooring cleanliness periodically.
Dr. Alan Fahey a lecturer at the University college Dublin said the gilts were studied during two pregnancies.
and heel lesions. Calderã n-DÃ az said these lesions were caused possibly by slurry accumulation over the rubber mats.
She said these lesions were not severe and could be addressed through modifications of the rubber slat mats.
In the European union pregnant sows must be housed group four weeks after breeding until one week before farrowing.
of which use venoms to sting their prey but instead are scavengers like those that pick up crumbs off kitchen floors
#Diets lacking omega-3s lead to anxiety, hyperactivity in teens: Generational omega-3 deficiencies have worsening effects over timediets lacking omega-3 fatty acids--found in foods like wild fish some eggs
Published in Biological Psychiatry the Pitt team found that in a rodent model second-generation deficiencies of omega-3s caused elevated states of anxiety
We have assumed always that stress at this age is the main environmental insult that contributes to developing these conditions in at-risk individuals
We found that this dietary deficiency can compromise the behavioral health of adolescents not only because their diet is deficient
because adolescence is a very vulnerable time for developing psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and addiction.
The Pitt team administered a set of behavioral tasks to study the learning and memory decision making anxiety and hyperactivity of both adults and adolescents.
Although subjects appeared to be in general good physical health there were behavioral deficiencies in adolescents that were pronounced more in second-generation subjects with omega-3 deficiencies.
The team also included from the National institutes of health Stanley Rapoport senior investigator and chief of the brain physiology and metabolism unit;
They chose to work with carbaryl a popular household insecticide that also is used for malaria prevention.
Return of wolves aids grizzly bears in Yellowstonea new study suggests that the return of wolves to Yellowstone national park is beginning to bring back a key part of the diet of grizzly bears that has been missing for much of the past century--berries that help bears
and health that they could be considered in legal disputes--as is white pine nut availability now--about
Berries are one part of a diverse food source that aids bear survival and reproduction and at certain times of the year can be more than half their diet in many places in North america.
and shrub recovery and restore ecosystem health. As wolves help reduce elk numbers in Yellowstone
and shrub recovery researchers said this improves the diet and health of grizzly bears. In turn a healthy grizzly bear population provides a second avenue of control on wild ungulates especially on newborns in the spring time.
#Head hits can be reduced in youth footballless contact during practice could mean a lot less exposure to head injuries for young football players according to researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical center and Virginia Tech.
Funding for the study was provided by the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical engineering and Sciences.
The above story is provided based on materials by Wake Forest Baptist Medical center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
and Dr. Stephanie Spehar from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh travelled to the East Kalimantan region of Borneo.
and that some populations may frequently come to the ground to travel they still need forests to survive said Dr. Spehar.
and Dr. Stephanie Spehar from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh travelled to the East Kalimantan region of Borneo.
and that some populations may frequently come to the ground to travel they still need forests to survive said Dr. Spehar.
To identify the virus in this family that will most effectively control the Guatemalan potato moth The french-Ecuadorian research team have analysed the pathogens among moths from all over the world.
and to the entire organism of the host causing a lethal infection within two or three days.
Phytosanitary products are toxic for the environment and potentially for the user as well. Using biological pesticides that rapidly degrade in the environment would reduce the risks of pollution.
Moreover each viral strain attacks a very limited number of insect species. This host specificity means that the Guatemalan potato moth can be targeted
#Young cannabis-smokers aware of the health risks91 percent of on average 20-year-old Swiss men drink alcohol almost half of whom drink six beverages or more in a row and are thus at-risk consumers
whom are at-risk consumers--they smoke at least once a day. 36 percent of young adults smoke cannabis
whereby over half are at-risk consumers using the drug at least twice a week. Researchers from the University of Zurich's Institute of Social and Preventive medicine investigated
whether these young Swiss men read up on addictive substances such as alcohol tobacco cannabis or other drugs and are aware
and understand the risks of their consumption by conducting a survey of 12000 men under a national cohort study as they were recruited for national service.
Those who consume more likely to seek information16 percent of the young Swiss men surveyed had used electronic media in the last 12 months to actively find out more about addictive substances. 20 percent of at-risk consumers of alcohol
along with 38 percent of at-risk consumers of cannabis. Moreover at-risk consumers of alcohol or tobacco seek information two and a half times more frequently than abstainers.
Cannabis-consumers research addictive substances four times more frequently and the at-risk consumers among them even five times more frequently than those who don't smoke cannabis.
Generally consumers of addictive substances are more likely to seek information on addictive substances compared to abstainers explains Meichun Mohler-Kuo a lecturer at the Institute of Social and Preventive medicine.
and especially the at-risk consumers rate their knowledge of the health consequences of alcohol tobacco
or cannabis consumption as very good thereby reporting their knowledge as better than abstainers in this respect.
Men from the Suisse romande (French-speaking Switzerland) and high school graduates rate their knowledge of the health risks of excessive consumption as slightly better than German-speaking Swiss and men with a lower level of education.
Consequently media campaigns for the prevention of substance abuse should be viewed with a critical eye. It is important to examine
#Good eating and sleep habits help kids succeed in schooladults often hear what they should be doing to improve their health.
Health habits such as eating and sleep patterns are linked to academic success according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children need a good night's sleep for their overall school performance said Kristin Avis Ph d. associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine.
and memory in the classroom affect impulse control and mood regulation lead to anxiety and even depression Avis said.
Writing in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry researchers demonstrate the contamination of Pacific Tree Fogs in remote mountain areas including national parks;
As with other amphibians agrochemicals potentially pose a threat to chorus frogs as exposure to pesticides can decrease their immune system thereby increasing the risk of disease.
Documenting the occurrence of these compounds is an important first step in figuring out the health consequence associated with the exposures.
what may be a key to unraveling some of the mysteries of White Nose Syndrome: the closest known non-disease causing relatives of the fungus that causes WNS.
These fungi many of them still without formal Latin names live in bat hibernation sites and even directly on bats but they do not cause the devastating disease that has killed millions of bats in the eastern United states. Researchers hope to use these fungi to understand why one fungus can be deadly to bats
while its close relatives are benign. The study by Andrew Minnis and Daniel Lindner both with the U s. Forest Service's Northern Research Station in Madison Wis. outlines research on the evolution of species related to the fungus
Identification of the closest known relatives of this fungus makes it possible to move forward with genetic work to examine the molecular toolbox this fungus uses to kill bats according to Lindner a research plant pathologist.
Ultimately we hope to use this information to be able to interrupt the ability of this fungus to cause disease.
This research increases our confidence that this disease-causing fungus is in fact an invasive species Bayless said Its presence among bats in Europe where it does not cause mass mortality could suggest hope for bats suffering from this devastating wildlife disease.
White Nose Syndrome was observed first in 2006 in a cave in Upstate New york . Since then it has spread to 22 states in the United states
The study is based on a foundation of collaborative research among the U s. Forest Service the USGS National Wildlife Health Center
Dr Stefan Kepinski senior lecturer in the University of Leeds'Faculty of Biological sciences and lead author of a paper in the journal Current Biology that gets to the bottom of the mystery said:
Dr Kepinski said: We have found that another growth component--the'anti-gravitropic offset'--counteracts the normal gravitropic growth in these lateral branches.
Dr Kepinski added: You can compare it to the way a tank or paddle steamer is steered.
Dr Kepinski said: The angle of growth of branches is an exceptionally important adaptation because it determines the plant's capacity to capture resource above and below ground.
In addition nitrate pollution is a health hazard and also causes oxygen-depleted'dead zones'in our waterways and oceans.
Dr Susan Huxtable Director of Intellectual Property Commercialisation at The University of Nottingham believes that the N-Fix technology has significant implications for agriculture she said:
and behavior such as gustatory perception said Dr. Ying Wang of Arizona State university. She and a team of scientists are behind the experiment titled RNAI-mediated Double Gene Knockdown and Gustatory perception Measurement in Honey Bees.
The researchers further assumed a 12-month gestation period for North Atlantic right whales similar to that estimated for the closely-related southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) by the South african whale biologist Dr. Peter Best.
but may include a low level of genetic variability and/or inbreeding disease biotoxins pollutants food supply limitations and habitat loss.
which were tested then for their ability to resist infection with Nosema ceranae--a parasite of adult honey bees that has been linked to a lethal phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder.
The miticides used to control Varroa mites also harmed the bees'ability to withstand parasitic infection.
The study's findings are not directly related to colony collapse disorder the still-unexplained phenomenon in which entire honey bee colonies suddenly die.
Pig receiving chemotherapy for lymphoma successfully recoveringplayful as a puppy even at 730 pounds Nemo a rescued black-and-white Hampshire pig became a porcine pioneer after lymphoma struck.
Undergoing a novel care plan he became a teaching case for veterinary oncologists at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals paving the way to combat cancer in large animals.
Nemo is believed to be the first pig to be treated for lymphoma. The pig's medical treatment began
when his owner George Goldner saw his friend fall ill. I want to do everything humanly possible for my animals said Goldner.
and laid down in the snow Goldner drove Nemo nearly four hours to Cornell's hospital where the pig was diagnosed with presumptive B-cell lymphoma a blood cancer.
Cornell hospital clinicians worked to prepare for intravenous medication delivery. In the first such procedure ever done to treat a sick pig surgeon Jim Flanders who had performed similar procedures in smaller animals joined large-animal surgeon Susan Fubini to surgically implant a vascular access port.
They ran a catheter up a vein in Nemo's neck to a port behind his ear creating a route for delivering drugs where they would be most effective
while minimizing harm. Resident Emily Barrell selected and delivered the chemotherapeutic drugs. Although lymphoma has been documented in swine there aren't any documented cases of pigs being treated for it said Cornell hospital oncologist Cheryl Balkman.
We adapted a treatment plan based on what we know is effective in dogs cats and humans with lymphoma.
Nemo's clinical signs soon resolved and he has continued to do well during long-term treatment. Though little is known about the prognosis for pigs with cancer Nemo has the notable distinction of establishing a precedent giving veterinarians valuable information for helping large animals.
Since arriving in March Nemo has resided at Cornell's hospital for animals. He has a better life there said Goldner.
He's running around digging holes eating pineapples communicating vocally and getting lots of love. Cornell Hospital for Animals people play with him and bring him treats
and he plays funny tricks like tossing water at the residents. The vets have cared for him with amazing dedication and thoughtfulness especially Dr. Barrell.
It's been a wonderful effort on the part of several people: a testament to the outstanding work done at Cornell.
Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Cornell University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
#Full genome map of oil palm indicates way to raise yields and protect rainforest: Single gene identified
whose regulation controls oil palm yielda multinational team of scientists has identified a single gene called Shell that regulates yield of the oil palm tree.
and its champions worldwide says Datuk Dr. Choo Yuen May the Director General of the Malaysian Palm oil Board (MPOB) an agency of the Malaysian federal government.
and oil yield explains Dr. Rajinder Singh of the MPOB first author of the Nature paper describing the Shell gene.
Palm oil also has the best energy balance of any commercial product currently used in biofuel applications yielding about 9 times the energy required to produce it according to Dr. Martienssen.
and put themselves at risk of injury. Manore is professor of nutrition in the College of Public health
and Human sciences at OSU She said the overwhelming body of research shows that just counting calories does not work.
Current drugs are insufficiently effective and resistance is rising but little effort has been made to develop better drugs
The challenge is that any cure must be very cheap it must have the ability to be produced mass in tremendous quantities safe and able to withstand rough conditions including lack of refrigeration extreme heat
That says Aroian is substantially better than current drugs. The scientific significance of the research he says is that bacteria similar to those that are food grade
and can readily be produced mass--can be engineered to produce molecules that can cure parasitic diseases.
and then north along the Gulf stream said co-author Dr Wenju Cai. Together with a greenhouse gas-induced southward shift the Indian subtropical ocean gyres towards the Antarctic these processes delay the Indian ocean warming in the models Dr Cai said.
What makes this work fascinating is the fact that human-emitted aerosols have such a large impact on remote ocean temperatures says Mr Cowan.
Overtext Web Module V3.0 Alpha
Copyright Semantic-Knowledge, 1994-2011