Month: August 2014

What Should Kids Drink???

Most kids drink very little fluids. The body needs a large amount of fluid to be able to function properly. A child of five or six years of age should drink at least a liter of fluid per day. But not artificially sweetened beverages.

What Should Kids Drin

Water is vital.

The human body is composed from 50 to 80% of water depends on the age. The loss of only 2% of water can lead to fatigue and inattention, slowed reactions and lack of strength. Loss of water from 3% can lead to headaches or constipation.

And when this happens, the body signals the reduced amount of water in the form of thirst. But too often we are so busy that we simply overlook that warning. This especially happens to children. It is important to regularly remind them to drink water.

Research Institute for food for children recommends children aged five to six years should drink minimum 800 milliliters of fluid, and school children about 1 liter. The teenager needs at least 1,5 liter. On hot days, if they are are practicing some sports, they need to drink twice as much fluid than usual.

List of drinks.

  • – Perfect drink for quenching thirst is water, whether mineral or plain. Herbal and fruit teas are also recommended.
  • Tasty, but contain a lot of calories: clear fruit juices contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and fruit sugar too who contains calories. For this reason, you should dilute fruit juice with water in 1:1 ratio.
  • – For children its not recommended drinks which are containing artificial sweeteners, ACE juices, coffee, black and green tea, Coca-Cola, ice tea and energy drinks.
  • Fruit juices are manufactured from 100% fruit contain vitamins and minerals that depend on the variety and 10% of fruit sugar.
  • – Fruit nectar has 25 to 50% fruit, less vitamins and minerals and 12% sugar.
  • – Diluted fruit juice contains 30% fruit, sugar and the rest is water. Such juices often contain artificial colors and artificial sweeteners.
  • Packed lemonade contains 15% fruit, 12% sugar, artificial color, artificial flavor and artificial sweetener.

Tip:
Artificial flavor or artificial color are not healthy for children. If you want to avoid them read at the ingredients on the bottle.

Should children drink only water?

Water is the healthiest liquid that can quench the thirst for both children and adults. What is true for eating, same goes for drinking: you should not eat or drink only healthy but tasty too. Adults sometimes allow themselves an occasional glass of wine, cocktail or Coca-Cola, so sometimes children need to drink something sweet.

For example, for the sunday lunch, a birthday or going out in restaurant you should mix half the amount of fruit juice and half water for perfect drink for kids. The drink that makes children especially happy is water with rubber candies. Put a red, green and yellow rubber candy in a glass of water. It is very interesting for them!

Source: secretly healthy

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Novartis to license Google “smart lens” technology

Novartis announced that its eye care division Alcon has entered into an agreement with a division of Google Inc to in-license its “smart lens” technology for all ocular medical uses. The agreement with Google[x], a team within Google that is devoted to finding new solutions to big global problems, provides Alcon with the opportunity to develop and commercialize Google’s “smart lens” technology with the potential to transform eye care and further enhance Alcon’s pipeline and global leadership in contact lenses and intraocular lenses. The transaction remains subject to anti-trust approvals.

Novartis to license Google “smart lens” technology

The agreement between Google and Alcon represents an important step for Novartis, across all of its divisions, to leverage technology to manage human diseases and conditions. Google’s key advances in the miniaturization of electronics complement Novartis’s deep pharmaceuticals and medical device expertise. Novartis aims to enhance the ways in which diseases are mapped within the body and ultimately prevented.

“We are looking forward to working with Google to bring together their advanced technology and our extensive knowledge of biology to meet unmet medical needs,” said Novartis CEO Joseph Jimenez. “This is a key step for us to go beyond the confines of traditional disease management, starting with the eye.”

“Our dream is to use the latest technology in the miniaturization of electronics to help improve the quality of life for millions of people,” said Sergey Brin, co-founder, Google. “We are very excited to work with Novartis to make this dream come true.”

Under the agreement, Google[x] and Alcon will collaborate to develop a “smart lens” that has the potential to address ocular conditions. The smart lens technology involves non-invasive sensors, microchips and other miniaturized electronics which are embedded within contact lenses. Novartis’ interest in this technology is currently focused in two areas:

• Helping diabetic patients manage their disease by providing a continuous, minimally invasive measurement of the body’s glucose levels via a “smart contact lens” which is designed to measure tear fluid in the eye and connects wirelessly with a mobile device;

• For people living with presbyopia who can no longer read without glasses, the “smart lens” has the potential to provide accommodative vision correction to help restore the eye’s natural autofocus on near objects in the form of an accommodative contact lens or intraocular lens as part of the refractive cataract treatment.

The agreement marries Google’s expertise in miniaturized electronics, low power chip design and microfabrication with Alcon’s expertise in physiology and visual performance of the eye, clinical development and evaluation, as well as commercialization of contact and intraocular lenses. Through the collaboration, Alcon seeks to accelerate product innovation based on Google’s “smart lens” technology.

“Alcon and Google have a deep and common passion for innovation,” said Jeff George, Division Head of Alcon. “By combining Alcon’s leadership in eye care and expertise in contact lenses and intraocular lenses with Google’s innovative “smart lens” technology and groundbreaking speed in research, we aim to unlock a new frontier to jointly address the unmet medical needs of millions of eye care patients around the world.”

Source: India Medical times

Newborn’s Infection Came from Probiotics, Study Suggests

Probiotics, or “good bacteria,” are generally thought to be safe for most people, but a newborn in Poland appears to have developed an infection after he was given a probiotic product, according to a new report of the case.

The baby was born at full term, but was small — he weighed about 5 lbs. (2.3 kg). The doctors diagnosed him with intrauterine growth restriction, meaning he had grown at a slower rate than normal while in the womb.

Newborn's Infection Came from Probiotics, Study Suggests

When the baby was two days old, tests suggested he had an infection, and although this was not confirmed, he was started on antibiotics as a precaution while further tests were done. Doctors also gave the baby a probiotic product, containing the bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, to prevent diarrhea or other complications from the antibiotics. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is used in some popular probiotics yogurts and supplements, such as Culturelle.

Four days later, the baby’s antibiotic was switched, and a blood sample taken on that same day tested positive for an infection with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. A genetic test showed that the strain that caused the boy’s infection was the same strain found in the probiotic product, the researchers said. The infant was “very touch-sensitive” and cried a lot, the researchers said

Studies have suggested that probiotics do not appear to be harmful for healthy children, but whether they have benefits is not clear either, and the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend probiotics as standard care for babies. In addition, some groups of people are known to be at risk for adverse effects resulting from probiotics — including people with impaired immune systems — but warning labels are rarely seen on probiotics, the researchers said.

The new findings suggest that babies with intrauterine growth restriction “might be a new potential risk group … for which safe use of probiotics needs careful attention,” the researchers, from Poland’s National Institute of Public Health, wrote in the July 17 issue of the journal Beneficial Microbes.

There is an urgent need to develop standard guidelines for exactly how probiotics should be used in patients with health conditions that may put them at risk for complications, the researchers said.

Because the new study involved just one child, the findings do not necessarily apply to all children with intrauterine growth restriction, said Dr. William Muinos, co-director of the gastroenterology department at Miami Children’s Hospital, who was not involved in the study.

But the case could alert doctors to the possibility of a risk for children with this condition, and doctors should consider this risk, and weigh it against the possible benefits of probiotics, before using probiotics in these kids, Muinos said.

Even though this infant was on antibiotics at the time of the infection, probiotic bacteria can be resistant to certain types of antibiotics, Muinos said.

Muinos said he does not routinely recommend probiotics for infants younger than 3 months old. Probiotics may pose risks to infants because the lining of a newborn’s intestinal tract is less mature, and could allow some bacteria to seep into the blood stream, he said.

For most babies, the natural way of acquiring gut bacteria — through breastfeeding and normal interactions with the environment — “is probably the safest way,” Muinos said. Doctors continued to treat the baby in Poland with antibiotics for two weeks, until his infection cleared. He went home from the hospital when he was about 1 month old, according to the report.

The researchers noted that although Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG was detected in the baby’s blood, it’s possible that another, undetected microbe was causing the baby’s symptoms.

Source: yahoo news

 

Many Doctors Recommend E-Cigs as Anti-Smoking Aid

E-cigarettes seem to be everywhere these days, and a new study finds many U.S. doctors recommending them to smokers as a way to kick the tobacco habit.

“Even in the absence of evidence regarding the health impact of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, a third of physicians we surveyed are recommending e-cigarettes to their patients to help quit smoking,” study co-author Leah Ranney, associate director of the Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program at the University of North Carolina, said in a university news release.

Many Doctors Recommend E-Cigs as Anti-Smoking Aid

The researchers cautioned, however, that more research is needed to determine if e-cigarettes are safe and if they actually help people to stop smoking.

E-cigarettes work by turning various concentrations of nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals into a vapor that can be inhaled — a process also known as “vaping.” Most of the nicotine in e-cigarettes enters the bloodstream through the soft tissue in users’ cheeks, not their lungs. The safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes, however, remains unclear.

In conducting the study, published online July 29 in the journal PLOS ONE, Ranney and her colleagues randomly selected 128 doctors in North Carolina and asked them about their attitudes towards e-cigarettes.

The researchers found that two-thirds of the doctors believed the devices could be a useful tool to help people quit smoking. In fact, 35 percent said they had recommended e-cigarettes to their patients.

However, “e-cigarettes are not approved by the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] for smoking cessation,” Ranney said. She suggested that “physicians should refrain from recommending e-cigarettes until more is known about their safety.”

Doctors were more likely to recommend e-cigarettes if their patients asked about them or if they believed these products were safer than smoking regular cigarettes.

The study authors cautioned that some doctors may have conflicting information about the safety of e-cigarettes. Among those polled, 13 percent were unaware that e-cigarettes are not FDA-approved.

Study co-author Dr. Adam Goldstein, a University of North Carolina family medicine physician, noted in the news release that “physicians may choose to use FDA-approved medications rather than devices and products not approved by FDA.”

The study was funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Source: webmd

Jobs with highest and lowest heart disease risk revealed

Jobs with highest and lowest heart disease risk revealed

People’s risk of heart disease may differ based on their jobs — workers in service and blue-collar occupations, as well as unemployed people, are at increased risk for heart disease and stroke, according to a new report.

Researchers found that people’s risk of heart disease and stroke varies with their industry. Those working in wholesale came in at top of the list, as 2.9 percent of the people in that industry had suffered heart disease or a stroke.

Those working in finance and insurance had the lowest rate of heart disease, at 0.8 percent.

For the study, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at national health surveys conducted between 2008 and 2012 to estimate the rate of heart disease and stroke among adults younger than 55. The researchers also analyzed whether unemployed people or workers in certain industries had different risks compared with their peers.

Among employed people, workers in service and blue-collar occupations were more likely than those in white-collar occupations to report having had heart disease or a stroke.

However, heart disease risk also depends on people’s age and gender. When the researchers adjusted their results based on those factors, they found the rate of heart disease and stroke was highest among people in two industries: One is called Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, and it includes people working in business support services and security services, as well as landscape services and waste management. The other category is called Accommodation and Food Service, which includes people who work in traveler accommodations, restaurants and bars.

Looking at employment status, the researchers found that 1.9 percent of employed people had experienced heart disease or stroke, compared with 2.5 percent of unemployed people who were looking for work, and 6.3 percent of people not in the labor force. That group includes unemployed adults who have stopped looking for work, homemakers, students, retired people and people with disabilities.

Cardiovascular diseases account for one in three deaths every year in the United States. Most of these deaths are caused by stroke or the most common type of heart disease, called coronary artery disease, which is a narrowing of the blood vessels. That condition can progress and lead to a heart attack.

Risk factors for heart disease range from having medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, to lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking and physical activity. Work-related risk factors for heart disease and stroke include noise, job stress, secondhand smoke and doing shift work, according to the CDC.

To address work-related factors contributing to heart disease risk, the CDC launched a program called the Total Worker Health in 2011. It aims to control occupational risk factors, such as job stress, while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

People who have jobs in industries with higher rates of heart disease might especially benefit from an employer-sponsored Total Worker Health program, the researchers said.

It’s not clear why people’s jobs are linked to their heart disease risk, but certain characteristics of jobs may come into play. For example, workers employed in Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services have reported higher rates of job insecurity than all other workers, the researchers said. Job insecurity is a common cause of stress.

Source: fox news

Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy?

Is papaya your favorite fruit? If yes, then you should know that it is a very healthy breakfast option. Papaya is good for your digestive system, hair and skin. However, if you happen to be pregnant, you might have to stay away from your favorite fruit for nine months. However, you can always apply ripe papaya on your face and hair, for glowing skin and smooth tresses. The beneficial properties of papaya might not work when you are pregnant. It is important to know why.

Papaya is a tropical fruit which tastes delicious and is healthy as well. This fruit is packed with minerals, calcium, potassium, fiber, flavonoids and carotenoids. Papaya is considered as a fruit supplement to improve cardiovascular health and provide protection from colon cancer.

Is papaya good during pregnancy? Even though the fruit is healthy, women during their pregnancy are often advised by doctors to avoid eating papaya. In the countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, it is believed that papaya can cause miscarriage or even natural abortion.

Is it really true? Let’s check out some facts and get to the conclusion whether papaya is safe to consume during pregnancy.

Is It Safe To Eat Papaya During Pregnancy

Benefits of Eating Papaya in Pregnancy:

In some cases, consumption of papaya during pregnancy is thought to be absolutely safe. Here are they:

Fully’ ripe papaya has reduced latex concentration that doesn’t cause harm in pregnancy.Generally, the latex present in green papaya cause allergies in many people. It causes redness, itching, inflammation, dizziness, abdominal pain and difficulty in swallowing. Those who are allergic to papaya also react to kiwi fruit, pineapples, melons, figs, bananas and avocadoes. So stay away from these foods if you are allergic. Consult your doctor before you include any new food in your diet during pregnancy.

Ripe papaya is packed with nutrients, but should be consumed in small amounts. It is said that unripe papaya is not safe for pregnancy, but a fully ripe papaya does no harm. However, it is better to be careful while consuming papaya during pregnancy.

Ripe papayas also contain beta-carotene, vitamins A, vitamin B, vitamin C and potassium which are needed by the body.Vitamin A and C is needed to boost the body’s immunity, while vitamin B is essential for development of foetus.

Papaya is helpful in controlling and preventing constipation and even heartburn. Papaya helps to curb morning sickness and stomach cramps that are common during pregnancy. It also relieves bloating and gastric disorders common during pregnancy. Papain content in ripen yellow papayas are also thought to aid digestion.

Ripe papaya is helps in increasing hemoglobin levels. The rise in hemoglobin levels aids in more oxygen absorption. This helps to keep anemia and respiratory problems at bay.

Papaya can be effective in dealing with inflammatory bowel syndrome during pregnancy. A medium papaya has 119 of calories, 29.8 g total carbs and 5.5 g dietary fiber.

Papaya is rich in sugar content. One medium papaya contains approx. 17.9 g sugar. The sugar content helps to provide energy and provides relief from fatigue, which is common during pregnancy.
You can also consume ripe papaya during your pregnancy to ease pre and post-partum symptoms.

You can mix ripe papaya with some milk and honey. This acts as a tonic and is very good source of many nutrients that is best for pregnant women and lactating mums. Papaya has galactagogue properties that help in increased milk production.

Papaya has a wide range of medicinal properties like it is a natural antiseptic. Papaya also have anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-hyperlipidemic. The wide range of medicinal properties makes papaya a healthy option. However, it is advisable to check with your doctor the effect of these medicinal properties on your pregnancy.

The Risks of Eating Papaya in Pregnancy:

There is no doubt that papaya is good for health. Well that is applicable for normal conditions, while you are pregnant, papaya might not be a good option since it can cause abortion or miscarriage. Let us know whyunripe papaya isn’t safe at all during pregnancy. Here are few reasons why it should be avoided.

Unripe or even semi-ripen papaya includes latex that can activate uterine contractions. Papaya is generally used to treat irregular menstrual cycle and it is a potent emmengogue. Papaya can lead to uterine contractions and induce synthetic labour, this leads to miscarriage.The papaya latex has an enzyme called papain which activates prostaglandin and oxytocin hormones that strengthens and starts labour contractions.

The latex content in the unripe papaya also leads to pre-mature induction of the labour. This may also cause abortion and abnormalities in your baby. Generally papain extracts or papaya is given to those whose labour pains have not started at expected time of delivery. Papain is given by doctor in this case to start the labour pain.

Unripe papayas are considered unsafe during the pregnancy due to its pepsin and papain content that can slow down the growth and development of your foetus. In few cases, papain can ruin the chance of the foetus’s survival. Laboratory research reveals that consuming papaya or parts of the papaya plant during pregnancy can cause anti-implantation, increased chances of post-implantation loss and embryo toxicity.

Papain content in unripe papaya can weaken the vital membranes, which affects the survival of your foetus.Papain being a proteolytic enzyme is popularly used for cell dissociation. Cell dissociation is nothing but divison of cells into smaller parts. This slows down cell growth and tissue development in the foetus. Thus the chances of foetus’ survival become nil.

Unripe papaya also contains oedema, which is a latex-like substance and is considered bad for pregnant women. This can cause haemorrhage and even bleeding in the placenta.Generally oedema is common during pregnancy, it is caused by fluid retention in the body. It causes swelling and puffiness. The latex in the papaya aggravates oedema.The inflammation exerts pressure on the blood vessels and cause blood to pool. It also slows down blood circulation. Excess pressure on the blood vessels can cause internal haemorrhage and it can affect the growing embryo in the womb.

Haemorrhage placentas can trigger bleeding in placentas and again put the foetus’s life at risk. Haemorrhage in placenta causes complications during pregnancy and delivery. Papaya can cause disruption in placental formation as well, so it is not a good idea to have papaya during the early stages of pregnancy.It is very difficult to discern the ripeness of papaya, you never know the amount of latex present in it so it is better to avoid papaya entirely.

Papaya relieves constipation; sometimes excess bowel movement can also create pressure in the uterus and cause miscarriage.Though papaya is a great tonic for the digestive system, this beneficial property can cause harm to pregnant women. Papaya is rich in fiber, it exerts a little pressure on the stomach and intestines. This pressure might cause miscarriages. So avoid papaya even though it helps to relieve constipation and other gastric disorders during pregnancy.

Papaya seeds and leaves, which are often consumed, have a toxic substance called carpine that damages the central nervous system.

Papaya has two enzymes papain and chymopapain. Both these enzymes are teratogenic and abortifacient. Well abortifacient means papain will cause abortions. While teratogenic implies that the enzymes will affect the physiological growth of the foetus.

Woman with abortion and premature labour history due to the uterus contraction can experience bad effects from papain. Thus, it is advised to avoid the consumption of papayas especially in pregnant women who may have faced such problems before.

Women who don’t want to get pregnant can consume unripe papayas. This acts as a natural contraceptive to keep pregnancy at bay. Papain present in papayas suppresses progesterone, the female reproduction hormone which is responsible for preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Papaya is widely used Asian cuisine and many women have papayas for its natural contraceptive property. So that they can reduce the chances of side effects from birth control pills.

Source: mom junction

How pepper is good for your gut revealed

A new study has revealed that pepper reduces the risk of colorectal tumors.

According to the study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, the active ingredient in chili peppers – produces chronic activation of a receptor on cells lining the intestines of mice, triggering a reaction that ultimately reduces the risk of colorectal tumors.

The receptor or ion channel, called TRPV1, was originally discovered in sensory neurons, where it acts as a sentinel for heat, acidity and spicy chemicals in the environment.

black-pepper

Eyal Raz said that these are all potentially harmful stimuli to cells, thus TRPV1 was quickly described as a molecular ‘pain receptor.’ This can be considered to be its conventional function, which all takes place in the nervous system.

The scientists discovered that TRPV1, once activated by the EGFR, initiates a direct negative feedback on the EGFR, dampening the latter to reduce the risk of unwanted growth and intestinal tumor development. They found that mice genetically modified to be TRPV1-deficient suffered higher-than-normal rates of intestinal tumor growths.

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Source: Zee news

Four myths about corn you should stop believing

Four myths about corn you should stop believing

There is nothing like sinking your teeth in a crisp cob of sweet corn. But few myths keep people away from the vegetable and it is time to know the truth.

Here are some of the biggest misconceptions surrounding sweet corn (only in the form of a vegetable):

  •  Corn is unhealthy – No! Corn is a vegetable that contains a lot of nutrients. The idea that corn is unhealthy likely came about because corn is high in starch.
  •  Your body cannot digest corn – While it’s true that corn has high amounts of insoluble fiber but this is not at all a bad thing. Insoluble fiber has been shown in research to help feed the “good” bacteria in our gut.
  • Corn isn’t a good source of nutrients – Corn contains a certain amount of vitamin B and C, as well as magnesium and potassium. Yellow corn is also a good source of antioxidants, which are good for eyes.
  •  You shouldn’t eat corn because it’s really high in sugar – You don’t stop having bananas just because you think they’re high in sugar. Then why should you do the same for corn? A cob of corn has around 6 to 8 grams of sugar, while a banana has about 15.

Source: Hidustan times

Ebola deaths soar to 887 as Nigeria confirms 2nd case

Authorities in Nigeria on Monday announced a second case of Ebola in Africa’s most populous country, an alarming setback as the total death toll from the disease in several West Africa countries shot up by more than 150 to 887.

Most of the newly reported deaths occurred in Liberia, where on Monday night a special plane to evacuate a second American missionary who fell ill with Ebola landed in the capital. Nancy Writebol is expected to arrive in Atlanta on Tuesday, where she will be treated at a special isolation ward

Ebola deaths soar to 887 as Nigeria confirms 2nd case

Health authorities in Liberia ordered that all those who die from Ebola be cremated after communities resisted having the bodies buried nearby. Over the weekend, military police were called in after people tried to block health authorities in the West African nation from burying 22 bodies on the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia.

The World Health Organization announced Monday that the death toll has increased from 729 to 887 deaths in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said the confirmed second case in his country is a doctor who had helped treat Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American man who died July 25 days after arriving in Nigeria from Liberia.

Test samples are pending for three other people who also treated Sawyer and now have shown symptoms of Ebola, he said. Authorities are trying to trace and quarantine others.

“Hopefully by the end of today we should have the results of their own tests,” Chukwu said.

The emergence of a second case raises serious concerns about the infection control practices in Nigeria, and also raises the specter that more cases could emerge. It can take up to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. They include fever, sore throat, muscle pains and headaches. Often nausea, vomiting and diarrhea follow, along with severe internal and external bleeding in advanced stages of the disease.
New York patient likely not infected

“This fits exactly with the pattern that we’ve seen in the past. Either someone gets sick and infects their relatives, or goes to a hospital and health workers get sick,” said Gregory Hartl, World Health Organization spokesman in Geneva. “It’s extremely unfortunate but it’s not unexpected. This was a sick man getting off a plane and unfortunately, no one knew he had Ebola.”

On Monday night, a doctor at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in Manhattan said a man who visited West Africa last month and is being tested for Ebola likely doesn’t have it.

“Odds are, this is not Ebola,” Dr. Jeremy Boal, chief medical officer at the hospital, said. He added he was expecting a definitive answer about the man’s condition within a day or two.

Two American aid workers infected with Ebola, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly, are improving. Both were infected while working in Liberia.

Brantly is being treated at a special isolation unit at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital, and Writebol was expected to be flown there Tuesday in the same specially equipped plane that brought Brantly.
70 people under surveillance, Nigeria says

Doctors and other health workers on the front lines of the Ebola crisis have been among the most vulnerable to infection as they are in direct physical contact with patients. The disease is not airborne, and only transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, vomit, sweat or feces.

Sawyer, who was travelling to Nigeria on business, became ill while aboard a flight and Nigerian authorities immediately took him into isolation upon arrival in Lagos. They did not quarantine his fellow passengers, and have insisted that the risk of additional cases was minimal.

Nigerian authorities said a total of 70 people are under surveillance and that they hoped to have eight people in quarantine by the end of Monday in an isolation ward in Lagos. The emergence there is particularly worrisome because Lagos is the largest city in Africa with some 21 million people.

Health officials rely on “contact tracing” — locating anyone who may have been exposed, and then anyone who may have come into contact with that person.

Ben Neuman, a virologist and Ebola expert at Britain’s University of Reading, said that could prove difficult at this stage.

“Contact tracing is essential but it’s very hard to get enough people to do that,” he said. “For the average case, you want to look back and catch the 20-30 people they had closest contact with and that takes a lot of effort and legwork … The most important thing now is to do the contact tracing and quarantine any contacts who may be symptomatic.”

Source: cbc