Health
Health Officials in London Ontario Warn Over Legionnaires Disease Outbreak
Public health officials in London Ontario are investigating a legionnaires disease epidemic which has resulted in 17 confirmed cases of the rare respiratory illness and three hospitalizations.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit said it was first notified of a cluster of pneumonia-like infections on July 24. However, after a two-day inquiry, the public health office reported an epidemic of legionella, the bacteria that causes legionnaires’ disease.
Joanne Kearon, Middlesex-London’s associate medical officer of health, said officials are monitoring a five to ten-kilometer radius in southeast London to determine where and how the bacterium spread.
“Legionella is quite a common bacteria that’s found in the environment, and so we expect there to be cases randomly throughout the year, very often more in the summer, as things are warmer,” she told me. “However…it is higher than normal, and that’s why we need to investigate whether all of these are linked to one another, and how many of them are related to a single common source.”
“Given the number and how close they are geographically, it would indicate that there is a common source with legionella.”
Legionnaires disease is a serious respiratory ailment that can result in fever, chills, and a dry cough.
Legionnaires disease not contagious in person-to-person
Legionella bacteria, while not considered contagious in person-to-person transmission, can be found in warm water sources such as air conditioners, hot water tanks and heaters, and plumbing systems.
Infection can spread when bacteria become aerosolised by fans or wind and are inhaled by individuals. It is not possible to distribute it directly between infected people.
The majority of persons exposed to legionella do not become sick or exhibit symptoms, but the elderly and immunocompromized are more vulnerable, according to Kearon. Even among those who develop symptoms, there is a milder form of illness known as Pontiac fever, which causes people to feel ill but recover on their own.
Because the bacteria is widespread in the summer, the health unit is also investigating recent heat and humidity, as well as excessive rainfall, as possible contributing reasons, but a common source remains the leading idea, according to Kearson.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit states that there is no “broad risk to the public,” and Kearon confirms that the bacteria is not present in London’s drinking water system.
Trying to pinpoint the source
The situation is still ongoing, with instances being detected and even reclassified from before the outbreak was declared, while others have been cleared, she said. However, Kearon stated to Ifpress that no behavioural or activity adjustments are required.
“It’s just a reminder that if you’re feeling unwell, get seen, but there’s nothing for anyone to necessarily change their behaviour or do differently in response to what is going on,” she told me.
The health unit is collaborating with Public Health Ontario, an arm’s-length provincial body that conducts lab testing and provides scientific and technical assistance to public health units, to design a sample plan to try to pinpoint the source of the bacteria, Kearon explained.
Public Health Ontario confirmed its involvement with the Middlesex-London Health Unit, but referred questions regarding the inquiry to local officials.
Finding the source can help determine whether exposures continue, according to Kearon. In the meanwhile, anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their doctor.
“We have communicated with health-care providers to keep legionella on their differential of possible diagnoses and to test for it appropriately,” according to her.
Legionnaires’ disease has occasionally flared up in London, despite its rarity. In 2019, an air-conditioning cooling tower was identified as the source of a sickness outbreak in a south-central London community that hospitalised six individuals.
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Recently Identified COVID-Vaccine Targets Could Last Longer.
(VOR News) – More than two hundred new vaccine target candidates that are developed from the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 viruses have been discovered by researchers in Melbourne.
These possible candidates have the potential to contribute to the creation of vaccinations that provide more comprehensive and long-lasting immunity than those that are presently being used.
A paper that was published in the journal Nature Communications investigates seven COVID-19 protein candidates that have the potential to be targets for future vaccines.
These candidates have the potential to be targets for future vaccines. Anthony W. Purcell, a professor at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, was the one who led the research, while Dr. Asolina Braun, a researcher at the same institution, was a co-author.
When the initial COVID-19 vaccines were administered.
The primary target was the spike protein of the Wuhan strain. Vietnam was the location where these immunizations were provided. It is important to note, as Dr. Braun points out, that despite the fact that this technique was able to produce a number of vaccinations that were not only extremely safe but also successful in a surprisingly short amount of time, it is not without its deficiencies.
She noted in her statement that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has modified its spike protein, which has resulted in a decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccinations that are currently available.
Furthermore, the antibody reactions that were created by B cells served as the foundation for the initially developed vaccinations, which were utilized for the purpose of constructing immunity.
As of right now, it is general information that the recruitment of T cells, which are the second arm of the immune system, may be able to assist in the maintenance of immunity for a longer period of time.
More than two hundred peptides that are generated from SARS-CoV-2 are described that are included in the study. These peptides have the potential to serve as targets for the development of novel and improved approaches to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Furthermore, it has been established that a number of these peptides have the capability to stimulate T cell responses in persons who are in the process of recuperating from the adverse effects of sickness.
“As part of a long-term collaboration with Evaxion Biotech, we pivoted and turned our attention to COVID and SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic,” Professor Tony Purcell, the principal researcher, said in light of this accomplishment.
“We pivoted and looked at COVID and SARS-CoV-2”
A viable alternative to continuing to focus on the Spike glycoprotein was to divert our attention to other viral proteins that are more conserved as prospects for the next generation of vaccines. This choice was made in order to avoid continuing with the prevalent focus.
“The development of this paper that highlights the potential of several conserved viral proteins as vaccine candidates was much enhanced by the combination of epitope discovery by immunopeptidomics and protein chemistry, T cell immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute and Evaxion’s AI-guided bioinformatics expertise.”
According to Dr. Braun, who argues that this strain is still significant, the majority of responsibility for the burden that COVID-19 continues to inflict on health systems around the world lies with the production of multiple new variations of the virus.
In light of this, the speaker stressed that there is still a need for the creation of revolutionary vaccines that are capable of targeting many virus strains and providing protection to the entire population of the world (the entire world’s population).
“Immunization against multiple COVID proteins by both B-cell and T-cell mediated immunity will be advantageous for the next generation of vaccines.” During the course of our investigation, we came to the realization that there is a good possibility for the development of vaccinations that are comparable to these.
SOURCE: MX
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Report Causes Pfizer Stock to Climb Approximately $1 Billion Acquired by Starboard
(VOR News) – According to a rumor that activist investor Pfizer Starboard Value has taken a holding in the struggling pharmaceutical business that is expected to be worth around one billion dollars, the stock of Pfizer (PFE) is on the increase in premarket trading on Monday.
This comes after the report was made public. The report was made available to the general public following this. Starboard Value was successful in moving forward with the acquisition of the position.
Starboard is said to have approached Ian Read, a former chief executive officer of Pfizer, and Frank D’Amelio, a former chief financial officer, in order to seek assistance with its goals of boosting the performance of the company, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read and D’Amelio are both former Pfizer executives.
The purpose of this is to facilitate the accomplishment of its objectives, which include enhancing the overall performance of the firm.
In their previous jobs, D’Amelio and Read were chief financial officers.
It is stated in the report that the hedge fund is of the opinion that Pfizer, which is currently being managed by Albert Bourla, who succeeded Read as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2019, does not demonstrate the same level of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) discipline that Read did. Bourla took over for Read in 2019. Read was succeeded by Bourla in the year 2019.
Pfizer, a multinational pharmaceutical conglomerate, has made substantial investments in the acquisition of more companies that are involved in the research and development of cancer medicines.
These businesses have been acquired for billions of dollars. The biotechnology company Seagen, which was acquired by Pfizer in the previous year for a price of $43 billion, is included in this category. One of the businesses that can be classified as belonging to this category is Seagen.
In spite of the fact that the S&P 500 Index experienced a 21% increase in 2024.
No major trading occurred in Pfizer stock that year.
Due to the fact that the demand for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccines fell after the firm reached its pandemic peak in 2021, the share price of the corporation has decreased by over fifty percent since that time.
This drop has occurred ever since the company’s shares reached their maximum peak, which was during the time that this decline occurred. Not only have they not changed at all, but they have also remained essentially stable. This is in contrast to the S&P 500, which has gained 21% since the beginning of this year.
Recently, the corporation was forced to take a hit when it decided to recall all of the sickle cell illness medications that it had distributed all over the world.
Fears that the prescription could lead patients to experience severe agony and possibly even death were the impetus for the decision to recall the product. In spite of the fact that Pfizer’s stock is increasing by almost three percent as a result of the news that followed the company’s decision, this is the circumstance that has come about.
SOURCE: IPN
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Health
New Study Reveals Drinking Soda Pop Increases the Risk of Stroke
A recent report from global research indicates that excessive consumption of coffee or soda pop is associated with an increased risk of stroke, although the intake of black and green tea is correlated with a reduced risk. Excessive consumption of soda pop or coffee warrants caution!
Recent research indicates that it may substantially elevate the risk of stroke.
Consuming four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke, according to studies, although ingesting 3-4 cups of black or green tea daily typically offers protection against stroke. Additionally, consume more coffee; it may reduce your risk of mortality.
Recent findings from global research studies co-led by the University of Galway and McMaster University, alongside an international consortium of stroke researchers, indicate that soda, encompassing both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened variants such as diet or zero sugar, is associated with a 22 percent heightened risk of stroke. The risk escalated significantly with the consumption of two or more of these beverages daily.
Stroke Risk Fizzy Drinks and Soda Pop
The correlation between fizzy drinks consumption and stroke risk was most pronounced in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Women exhibit the most elevated risk of stroke from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage) associated with fruit juice beverages. Consuming over 7 cups of water daily diminishes the likelihood of stroke due to a clot.
Researchers observed that numerous items advertised as fruit juice are derived from concentrates and have added sugars and preservatives, potentially negating the advantages often associated with fresh fruit and instead elevating stroke risk.
Fruit juice beverages were associated with a 37 percent heightened risk of stroke resulting from bleeding (intracranial hemorrhage). Consuming two of these beverages daily increases the risk thrice.
Consuming over four cups of coffee daily elevates the risk of stroke by 37 percent, although lower consumption levels do not correlate with stroke risk. Conversely, tea consumption was associated with an 18-20 percent reduction in stroke risk. Additionally, consuming 3-4 cups daily of black tea, such as Breakfast and Earl Grey varieties, excluding green and herbal teas, was associated with a 29 percent reduced risk of stroke.
Consuming 3-4 cups of green tea daily was associated with a 27 percent reduction in stroke risk. Notably, the addition of milk may diminish or inhibit the advantageous effects of antioxidants present in tea. The lower risk of stroke associated with tea consumption was negated for individuals who added milk.
Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational reasons and should not be considered a replacement for professional medical counsel. Consistently consult your physician regarding any inquiries pertaining to a medical problem.
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