A major new study says air pollution poses a more dangerous threat to the average person on the planet than smoking or alcohol. A deadly West Nile virus outbreak in Massachusetts is also in the news. Escherichia coli outbreak at the University of Arkansas. Warning about malaria. more.
CBS News: Dirty air is the biggest external threat to human health, worse than tobacco and alcohol, major study finds
Air pollution is more dangerous to the health of the average person on the planet than smoking or alcohol, and the threat is worsening in the global epicenter of South Asia, despite rapid improvement in China. That’s what Tuesday’s benchmark survey showed. However, according to a study from the University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute, known as EPIC, the level of funding set aside to meet this challenge is a fraction of the amount allocated to combating infectious diseases. . (8/29)
Fox News: Massachusetts confirms first two cases of deadly West Nile virus
Two Massachusetts residents have contracted mosquito-borne West Nile virus, the first human case in the state this year. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced Tuesday that a woman in her 70s had the virus in another part of the country and a man in his 40s in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. did. (Rumpf-Whitten, 8/29)
Associated Press: E. coli outbreak at University of Arkansas, five hospitalized
Health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning among University of Arkansas students, with dozens reporting symptoms and five requiring hospital treatment. Among those affected are two 19-year-old sorority members who developed serious complications that could lead to kidney failure after being infected with E. coli strain O157:H7. Seattle food safety attorney Bill Mahler said his family contacted him to look into the patient’s medical records. (Alesia, 8/29)
CIDRAP: CDC issues malaria alert after Marylanders infected with Plasmodium falciparum
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its second malaria alert of the season yesterday. The alert includes new information on community-acquired diseases, including an infection in Maryland caused by a mosquito-borne parasite associated with the most serious malaria parasite. ing. disease. (Schnirling, 8/29)
Washington Post: Dogs are key to stopping the spread of deadly tick epidemics in the US and Mexico
The boy came home from school exhausted with fever and with burning ears. Over the next few days, her 7-year-old son became ill, vomiting and complaining of abdominal pain, her mother recalled. Then red spots appeared on his hands indicating it. But none of the doctors in this rural area along the Pacific coast of Mexico saw the red flags of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of the most deadly infections in the Americas. A week later the boy died. In 2020, a 5-year-old boy died of the disease at a nearby house. And last October, a few blocks away, another 7-year-old died in the same tragedy. (8/29 (Sun))
Boston Globe: Chronic Lyme Disease Research Significantly Accelerates
Georgina and Madison Pinckney share a rare mother-daughter bond. … The condition captivates tens of thousands of Americans, yet there is no definitive diagnostic test, much less an agreed-upon effective treatment. That’s why the Pinkneys recently joined a new study by Massachusetts scientists who received millions of dollars in funding from the National Institutes of Health to help solve the long-standing lime mystery. . (Lazar, 8/29)
Axios: 5 Remedies for the Anniversary of a Hurricane or Other Traumatic Event
According to the city’s emergency response team, NOLA Ready, the anniversary of a traumatic event like a devastating hurricane can resurface difficult emotions and leave us confused. This phenomenon is called the “anniversary effect”. You may feel restless, irritable, or depressed. It can also cause sleep disturbances. (Wells, 8/29)
This is part of the “Morning Briefing,” an overview of health policy coverage by major news outlets. Sign up for email subscriptions.