All posts tagged: virus

What is hMPV, the virus spreading through China?

What is hMPV, the virus spreading through China?

Published by skeptic

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has probably been infecting people for centuries ROGER HARRIS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Alarmist headlines that warn of China once again being overwhelmed by a mysterious new virus have dominated in the past few days. But the virus reported to be responsible for a surge in respiratory infections there, called human metapneumovirus, or hMPV, is actually neither mysterious nor new, and authorities in China have rejected claims that its health system is overwhelmed. What is human metapneumovirus? It is one of the many different viruses known as cold viruses because they infect the cells lining our respiratory tract, causing “common cold” symptoms, such as a sore throat, runny nose, coughing and sneezing, which may persist for a few days. You have almost certainly had an hMPV infection – studies of antibodies show that just about everybody gets infected by it by the age of 5. As with flu, people can be reinfected throughout their lives as immunity fades and new variants evolve. How dangerous is hMPV? In most people it only causes mild symptoms, …

This Tropical Virus Is Spreading Out of the Amazon to the US and Europe

This Tropical Virus Is Spreading Out of the Amazon to the US and Europe

Published by skeptic

outbreaks of Oropouche virus have flared up in the Amazon for decades, but historically the pathogen has little troubled the rest of the world. But this seems to be changing. In 2024, the virus showed that it can travel. Most of this year’s 11,000-plus cases occurred in Brazil and Peru, where the virus is an old acquaintance, but it has also been found in 2024 in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, and Cuba—the latter reporting 603 cases as well as in-country transmission for the first time. Infected travelers also transported the virus to North America and Europe: This year it was found twice in Canada and 94 times in the United States—with 90 cases reported in Florida—while 30 imported cases were found across Spain, Italy, and Germany. For those who study Oropouche and other arboviruses—the family of viruses transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks—the situation is worrying. Despite having clues about its transmission cycle, there’s insufficient information to accurately predict Oropouche’s future behavior. “We have some pieces of the puzzle, but there is …

Misinformation really does spread like a virus, suggest mathematical models drawn from epidemiology

Misinformation really does spread like a virus, suggest mathematical models drawn from epidemiology

Published by skeptic

We’re increasingly aware of how misinformation can influence elections. About 73% of Americans report seeing misleading election news, and about half struggle to discern what is true or false. When it comes to misinformation, “going viral” appears to be more than a simple catchphrase. Scientists have found a close analogy between the spread of misinformation and the spread of viruses. In fact, how misinformation gets around can be effectively described using mathematical models designed to simulate the spread of pathogens. Concerns about misinformation are widely held, with a recent UN survey suggesting that 85% of people worldwide are worried about it. These concerns are well founded. Foreign disinformation has grown in sophistication and scope since the 2016 US election. The 2024 election cycle has seen dangerous conspiracy theories about “weather manipulation” undermining proper management of hurricanes, fake news about immigrants eating pets inciting violence against the Haitian community, and misleading election conspiracy theories amplified by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Recent studies have employed mathematical models drawn from epidemiology (the study of how diseases …

65p cold remedy gets rid of mucus without going to pharmacy

65p cold remedy gets rid of mucus without going to pharmacy

Published by Sam

As Brits brace for the peak of cold and flu season, many are looking for remedies to combat the annual onslaught of symptoms, ranging from sore throats to blocked noses. There’s no cure for these, but numerous ways exist to alleviate discomfort, with one everyday kitchen staple earning a spot in the limelight. Dr Eric Berg, DC, who boasts a YouTube following of 12.7 million subscribers, has explained the virtues of salt, particularly sea salt, as an “anti-bacterial and anti-fungal” powerhouse against infections. The keto and intermittent fasting specialist, who also wrote the bestselling book ‘The Healthy Keto Plan’, outlined the benefits of sea salt for tackling mucus on his channel. “Salt can effectively get rid of bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mould in the body,” he said. He continues to share how salt expels unwanted pathogens through dehydration by drawing water out of cells, reports Surrey Live. This helps to thin mucus, making it easier to expel. Sea salt is widely available in supermarkets, with Aldi offering a 220g pot for just 65p, while Asda …

Marburg virus: All your questions about the deadly disease outbreak answered

Marburg virus: All your questions about the deadly disease outbreak answered

Published by skeptic

A scanning electron micrograph of Marburg virus particles NIAID Rwanda is facing its first ever Marburg virus outbreak. Beginning in late September, 62 cases and 15 deaths had been reported by 17 October, mostly among healthcare workers in Kigali, the capital city. More than 800 contacts of infected people have been followed up in an effort to catch infections early and prevent further transmission, two of whom travelled to Belgium and Germany but were given the all-clear. As of October 21, no new cases or deaths had been reported in six days, but the threat of the outbreak hasn’t gone away. What is Marburg virus and what are its symptoms? Marburg virus is from the same family of viruses as those that cause Ebola, which are “among the most lethal pathogens known to infect humans”, according to a perspective article in The New England Journal of Medicine. They can cause similar symptoms, such as fever, chills and headache, as well as muscle aches and pains. Within a few days, people may develop a rash on …

NHS shingles vaccine targeting herpes zoster virus could significantly delay onset of dementia, study suggests | Science & Tech News

NHS shingles vaccine targeting herpes zoster virus could significantly delay onset of dementia, study suggests | Science & Tech News

Published by skeptic

A vaccine being used by the NHS to prevent shingles could also significantly delay the onset of dementia, according to new research that has left scientists baffled. The study on more than 200,000 older people shows those who were given the ‘recombinant’ vaccine Shingrix were diagnosed with dementia an average of 164 days later than those given an older-style jab. The effect was as pronounced as the first new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, which are currently awaiting approval by UK medicines regulators. The scientists behind the study say they don’t know what the biological mechanism is for the effect, but it is highly statistically significant. “It is correlation, not causation,” said one. Previous studies have hinted the shingles vaccine may also have an effect on dementia, but this is by far the most significant research to date. The researchers seized on an opportunity for what they called a “natural experiment”. In 2017, the United States switched almost overnight from using a live vaccine called Zostavax to Shingrix, which is made using genetic techniques. Both target …

Scientists Backtrack, Admit Proposed Virus Experiments Could Have Been Done In China

Scientists Backtrack, Admit Proposed Virus Experiments Could Have Been Done In China

Published by skeptic

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Scientists with close ties to China and the U.S. government is now saying that risky experiments he proposed—which some experts believe could have led to the creation of SARS-CoV-2—may have been done, deviating from earlier statements. Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance, testifies before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in Washington, on May 1, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Another scientist involved in the proposal also says he doesn’t know if the work was done. “To the very best of my knowledge … the work hasn’t been done,” Peter Daszak, president of the EcoHealth Alliance, told a congressional panel this week. Mr. Daszak, however, admitted that he doesn’t know whether scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China have done the proposed experiments. “Do you know if the WIV started this work?” he was asked during a U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing in Washington. “No,” Mr. Daszak replied. “Then you can’t say that the …

Bird flu: ‘Strong evidence’ suggests virus has passed from mammals to humans for first time | Science & Tech News

Bird flu: ‘Strong evidence’ suggests virus has passed from mammals to humans for first time | Science & Tech News

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Scientists fear bird flu has spread from mammals to humans for the first time, marking another step in the evolution of the deadly virus. New analysis concludes there is “strong evidence” that a Texas farm worker who tested positive for the H5N1 virus caught it from sick dairy cattle. Although there have been other people infected with the virus in recent years – including some who have died – they all acquired it from birds. There is growing concern about the failure of American authorities to contain the spread of the virus. So far 36 herds in nine states have tested positive. But testing of milk has suggested the virus has spread far more widely. The longer it spreads unchecked in a domesticated mammal, the greater the chance of it becoming adapted to a new species – and being passed on to humans who have close contact. According to the report in The New England Journal of Medicine, the unidentified man’s symptoms were mild. He developed the eye infection conjunctivitis but had no fever and …

USDA says ground beef tests negative for bird flu virus

USDA says ground beef tests negative for bird flu virus

Published by skeptic

The Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday that all the ground beef samples sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories for PCR testing were negative for the H5N1 bird flu virus. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service collected 30 samples of ground beef from retail outlets in the states with dairy cattle herds that had tested positive for H5N1 at the time of sample collection. “NVSL reported that all samples tested negative for H5N1. These results reaffirm that the meat supply is safe,” the USDA added. Federal authorities have been working to confirm the safety of milk and meat products after the detection of H5N1 in 34 dairy cattle herds across nine states since the end of March. Additionally, one case has been confirmed in a person in Texas. The Food and Drug Administration said preliminary results of tests on additional dairy products show pasteurization inactivates the bird flu virus. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have said the overall public health risk is low, but is higher for those …

Helpful virus could save billions of gallons of wastewater produced by the oil and gas industry

Helpful virus could save billions of gallons of wastewater produced by the oil and gas industry

Published by skeptic

Ramón Sánchez (pictured right), a doctoral candidate within UTEP’s chemistry program, has identified a novel method for treating bacteria in ‘produced water’ through the use of bacteriophages. Ricardo Bernal, Ph.D., (pictured left) is an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UTEP and Sánchez’ doctoral advisor. (CREDIT: UTEP) The oil and gas industry generates vast quantities of wastewater, also known as produced water. A 2022 report by the Texas Produced Water Consortium estimates a staggering 168 billion gallons annually in the Permian Basin alone. This massive waste stream presents a significant challenge due to its complex chemical composition, making traditional treatment methods difficult and expensive. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria. Often lethal to a single bacterial species, phages hold immense potential for a rapid and cost-effective approach to treating produced water on an industrial scale. Ramón Antonio Sánchez, the study’s lead author and a doctoral candidate in UTEP’s chemistry program, emphasizes the potential impact. “If successful, this could revolutionize the way the oil and gas industry manages …