12 year boy affected by deadly brain eating amoeba

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Zachary Reyna, a boy affected by brain eating amoeba

Family members have told media that Zachary Reyna, a 12 year old boy affected with Naegleria fowleri – an amoeba that causes deadly brain infections- while playing with friends near drainage in his house in LaBelle on Aug 3. He is being treated in the intensive care unit at Miami Children’s Hospital. The single-celled organism is commonly found in freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers.

The illness is extremely rare. This was identified in the early 1960’s. About 120 cases have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Naegleria fowleri – an amoeba mostly found in ponds, lakes

Zachary’s brother, Brandon Villarreal, said. “He slept all day, all night, and that’s when my mom was like, ‘Okay, something’s not right.’”

The next thing his family knew, Zac had been diagnosed with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis — also known as PAM — and was undergoing brain surgery. He is currently in intensive care at Miami Children’s Hospital.

 

 


Mystery Baby: catches fire – scientists aren’t convinced

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A two-and-half-month-old boy, Rahul caught fire for four times

Can humans spontaneously burst into flames? More people think Spontaneous human combustion is a real one, but most scientists aren’t convinced.

The mystery baby, a two-and-half-month-old boy, Rahul caught fire for four times, is expected to be unraveled when the test results are out on Monday and Spontaneous human combustion pictures are shown below

The body burns spontaneously due to combustible gases emitting from the patient’s body, without any external source,” Dr R Narayana Babu, head of the pediatrics department, Kilpauk Medical College, told. “Clothes and other things nearby that are inflammable may also catch fire.”  Doctors treating the child believe that he may have spontaneous human combustion (SHC), a condition in which the excretion of gases causes the body to catch fire.

However, some experts rubbished the spontaneous human combustion theories, saying that it is not possible.

“SHC is a hoax theory. A baby catching fire spontaneously is not possible,” burns specialist at KMC Dr J Jagan Mohan told The Times of India. “Alcoholics have a very small percentage of alcohol secreted in their sweat but even that wouldn’t generate a fire.”

Only about 200 cases of spontaneous human combustion facts have been reported in the last three centuries, the latest in February this year when a 65-year-old man from Muldrow, Okla, was believed to have died of SHC. His body was found charred without any source of fire.

However, a dozen tests have been performed on Rahul, and his vital functions are working normally.

Though doctors say Rahul must still undergo a skin biopsy, Dr.Manny, told that, “I think that all this talk about spontaneous combustions is a bunch of smoke and mirrors.  One thing I can tell you for sure is there is no scientific way a human being can suddenly burst into flames”.

There are medical conditions that can create areas of devascularization in the skin, which may mimic burned flesh.  Actual flames protruding from the human body in a spontaneous way? No way, Jose.

According to Dr. Jayaraman, former head of the plastic surgery department at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, health and lifestyle factors such as smoking and inadequate hydration could cause spontaneous human combustion and stated this condition called ketosis, which occurs due to alcoholism, or a low-carbohydrate diet could also create spontaneous combustion. 

“About 25 percent of my diabetic patients experience ketosis, and there aren’t pregnant women blowing up on the streets of Manhattan”, by Dr. Manny. I know that there have been so-called isolated reports of people spontaneously combusting, but all of these cases have been mere anecdotes.  Also these incidents occurred in people’s homes and no one has seen these or taken pictures of them.

“So until someone shows me a YouTube video or I see someone spontaneously combust with my own eyes, I would have to say this is all a hoax.  In regards to this young boy, I hope he is taken care of in the hospital and that the authorities investigate whether or not this child suffered from any abuse in his home”, by Dr. Manny

 

 


Raw garlic can halve the risk of developing lung cancer

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Eating raw garlic twice a week will decrease the chances of developing lung cancer says chinese researcher

Eating raw garlic twice a week can halve the risk of developing lung cancer. Also lower the danger for smokers, a new study has claimed.

Chinese researchers found who consumed raw garlic were 44 % less likely to suffer from lung cancer.

Researchers allowed the smokers to consume raw garlic; the scientists found garlic reduces the dangers by around 30 per cent.

Previous research suggested that the popular herb can cure stomach cancer and colon cancer, and a study at the University of South Australia suggested that it could reduce the risk of bowel tumors by nearly a third.

Scientists at Jiangsu Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention compared 1,424 lung cancer patients with 4,500 healthy adults.

They found that those who ate raw garlic at least twice a week were significantly less likely to get lung cancer, even if they smoked or were exposed to high-temperature cooking oil fumes, which is thought to be another trigger for the disease.

The key ingredient in garlic releases a chemical called allicin, when the clove is crushed or chopped. This chemical dampen down the inflammation in the body and act as an anti-oxidant, from so-called free radicals to the body`s cells.

However, it is not clear whether cooked garlic would have the same effect. “Garlic may potentially serve as a preventive agent for lung cancer,” researchers said.


11 year old who had a lung transplant will have another surgery

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Sarah Murnaghan, the 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl who received new lungs and undergoes surgery to cure acid reflux problem

Sarah Murnaghan, the 11-year-old Pennsylvania girl who received new lungs after a court battle allowed her to be included on the adult transplant list, is taking another step towards recovery.

On Wednesday, Murnaghan, who suffers from cystic fibrosis (CF), will undergo surgery to correct acid reflux problem, her mother stated in Facebook page.

Janet Murnaghan said in her post that acid reflux is common among CF patients.

“Since before transplant our team has told us that post transplant Sarah would need a surgery called a fundoplication. “We are anxious (Mom and Sarah) to have her go back to surgery, but thankful she is strong enough to do so. Please keep Sarah in your prayers especially tomorrow.”

Since receiving a second lung transplant in June after her first transplant failed, Murnaghan’s condition has been steadily improving. Also  Murnaghan celebrated her 11th birthday on August 7 surrounded by family and friends at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, where she remains under close observation.

 


A diabetes pill – metformin may have anti-ageing effects

US scientists have conducted an experiment with mice and found that diabetes drugs may have anti ageing effects if it is given in low doses otherwise It will be toxic.

Scientists believe the drug, metformin, will minimize the effects of calorie restriction. Taking a low calorie diet is thought to promote healthy ageing, BBC reported.

Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, US, said calorie restriction in experimental animals has shown to increase their lifespan. However, in the human study were unclear, the researchers said.

Metformin is a widely prescribed medicine for type-2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in people above the age of 40. It is also used to treat metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Earlier work has shown that metformin can extend the lifespan of simple organisms like worms, but studies in flies and mammals have given conflicting evidence.
The scientists gave one of two different doses of metformin to middle-aged male mice and found that lower doses increased lifespan by about five percent, and also delayed the onset of age-associated diseases.

But they said the higher dose of metformin was toxic and reduced the lifespan of mice, BBC reported.

De Cabo said further studies were needed to determine if metformin has any effect on human health and lifespan.


Indian doctors discharge baby with swollen head

Doctors on 2nd August discharged a one-year-old Indian baby named Roona Begum who underwent several surgeries to correct a rare disorder that caused baby’s head to nearly double in size, a neurosurgeon told AFP.

Roona Begum endured several surgical procedures at a hospital near New Delhi in which doctors notify drain fluid from the baby’s head and conducts a life-saving operation and dramatically reduce the size of the skull.

“Roona’s health has improved significantly and she is fit to travel,” neurosurgeon Sandeep Vaishya said.

Roona was born with hydrocephalus, a potentially fatal condition that causes cerebrospinal fluid to build up on the brain.

Before Surgery

This condition makes the baby’s head to swell to a circumference of 94 centimeters (37 inches), putting pressure on the brain and which is impossible for the baby to sit upright or crawl.

After many surgeries and procedures the baby’s skull shrank to 58 centimeters conducted between April and July at the hospital run by the private Fortis Healthcare group.

Vaishya, who heads the hospital’s neurosurgery unit, said he expected the baby’s head to shrink further after conducting a final surgery in about six months’ time.

After Surgery

“When she came here, she was almost immobile. Now, she is moving her head from side to side easily, it shows that her neck muscles are already getting stronger,” he said.

“The next big step will be for her to sit up.”Neurologically as well the baby shows several signs of improvement. She can see better, her limb movements are much better,” he added.

Roona’s parents were too poor to pay for treatment, but publication of pictures taken by an AFP photographer at their home in the remote northeastern state of Tripura prompted the hospital to offer to treat the baby for free.

The photographs also triggered an outpouring of support worldwide with prospective donors contacting AFP and other news organizations, enquiring how they could contribute to a fund for her treatment.


Heart disease has emerged as the number one killer among Indians

 

A new study found and published that most of the Indians are dead by the emerging heart disease and this rate will increase by 2015.

According to a recent study by the Registrar General of India (RGI) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), about 25 percent of deaths in the age group of 25- 69 years occur because of heart diseases. If all age groups are included, heart diseases account for about 19 percent of all deaths.

It is the main cause of death in both males as well as females and in all regions of India, the study found.

India, with more than 1.2 billion people, is estimated to account for 60 percent of heart disease patients worldwide.

According to the World Health Organization, heart related disorders will kill almost 20 million people by 2015, and they are exceptionally prevalent in the Indian sub-continent.

Half of all heart attacks occur under the age of 50 years and 25 percent under the age of 40.

It is estimated that India will have over 1.6 million strokes per year by 2015, resulting in disabilities on one third of them. The need is urgent.

It is in this context that the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has launched educational “Networks” of renowned thought leaders in the areas of Cardiology, Diabetes, and Stroke to foster high quality medical education of physicians of Asian Indian origin in the US


Fungus found in rice, wheat and nuts threatens AIDS epidemic

A new research found that a type of fungus coating is more found in the stored corn, wheat, rice and nuts in developing countries which will  quietly worsening the AIDS epidemic.

The food stores near the equator are contaminated by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, fungi that produce a toxic substance called aflatoxin.

About 4.5 billion people are exposed to aflatoxin with chronic exposure, linked to liver damage and related cancers; as it is the spread of infectious disease could make it even more deadly.
” aflatoxin exposure may be taking an even greater where millions are infected with HIV, including Africa and Asia, and rice storage areas contaminated by fungi,” Pauline Jolly, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), said. Continuous monitoring and strict regulations minimize exposure in the United States.

Jolly and her team found 314 HIV-positive people who were not yet on antiretroviral therapy for the study in Kumasi, Ghana.

They divided patients into four groups based on their level of aflatoxin exposure and found that the highest exposure were 2.6 times more HIV viral load than in the lowest exposure group.

Higher viral load translates into higher rates of HIV transmission and the potential for earlier progression to the opportunistic infections of AIDS.


Drinking sodas will erode the tooth enamel:

 

When it is subject to enamel erosion of teeth, diet soda is not good as regular ones, a new study have found.

Kim McFarland, D.D.S., associate professor in the University Of Nebraska Medical Center College Of Dentistry in Lincoln, has observed a number of dental patients with erosion of tooth enamel, the protective layer of the tooth.

If erosion takes place in enamel, then it can’t be taken back and affects people their whole life.

This erosion occurs in teenagers, the main reason behind this is drinking more amount of soda.

Triggers like hot and cold drinks – and even cold air – reach the tooth`s nerve and cause pain.

Depending on the frequency and amount of soda consumed, the erosion process can be extreme and it can be throughout the life time. She said the National Soft Drink Association estimates the average American drinks 44 gallons of soda a year.

Phosphoric and citric acid, are common ingredients in most popular sodas and diet soda which is the main phenomenon to alter the pH balance in the mouth and can cause tooth erosion over time.

 


Study finds women’s height related to cancer risk

cancer_cells.jpgHeight of some women may come to risk for developing cancer. A new study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarker’s and Prevention indicates that taller women are at a greater risk to have some forms of the disease.

 “We didn’t find much difference in heavy or lighter women, said” Dr. Thomas Rohan, in New York City.

In a 12-year study of 20,928 postmenopausal women, researchers noted that height was linked to breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, ovary, rectum, and thyroid cancers – as well as multiple myeloma and melanoma.

The taller the women were, the higher their cancer risk. Each 3.95 inch increase in height was associated with a 13 percent increased risk for developing any type of cancer, when researchers compared the heights of all women in the study. For example, a woman who was 5 feet 10 inches tall would have a 13 percent higher risk for cancer than a woman who was approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall.

Furthermore, some cancers were more strongly associated with height than others. For cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid and blood, women experienced a 23 percent to 29 percent increased risk with each incremental gain in height.

While researchers can’t say exactly why the link exists, they have a few theories.

Another potential explanation may be related to environmental factors, such as childhood nutrition.  Increased energy intake during childhood is thought to influence adult height and may also impact certain systems in the body, according to Rohan.

“The intake may influence height, which somehow is influencing cancer risk,” Rohan said. “It may have an effect on hormones, which…may influence cancer risk.”

However, Rohan points out that many additional factors throughout adolescence and young adulthood could also be influencing women’s risk for cancer – and that a true explanation for this phenomenon remains unknown.

Despite their findings, Rohan and his fellow researchers hope that taller women don’t lose sleep over the matter. Instead, he hopes researchers will continue to explore the link between height and cancer, as they search for some of the underlying biological mechanisms that may be responsible for the correlation.