Tragedy of Aimee Copeland Haunting Americans: Could flesh-eating bacteria be in other local rivers and waterways?

The horrifying tragedy of Aimee Copeland keeps the nation praying for the 24-year-old university student fighting to survive after contracting a flesh-eating bacteria following a fall in local river, Georgia.

Tragedy of Aimee Copeland Haunting Americans: Could flesh-eating bacteria be in other local rivers and waterways?

The Americans are now concerned after the Copeland tragedy and the question continuously stings their minds …Could that type of bacteria be creeping around in the James River or other local waterways?

As reported earlier, Aimee Copeland contracted the unusual infection after an accident that took place on a homemade zip line during an expedition along the little Tallapoosa River, near Augusta.

The bacteria, which according to experts normally found in fresh water, entered her body through a deep cut in her left leg. Due to suffering from this rare kind of infection doctors have already removed her left leg and some infected tissues from her abdominal area; but still the infection is spreading and more body parts will soon be removed to save her life.

The question haunting the people …. Could the same type of bacterium be found in the James River, the Appomattox, or even a local pond or lake?

Dr. David Trump, a local expert at the state health department, spoke with CBS 6 on this critical issue.

He said, “I can’t make any guarantees about one place or the other, but there is more risk if the water is stagnant, whether it be cloudy or a pond…or if it is really high temperature.”

Dr. Trump also suggested strongly that if anybody suffers a cut or wound in the water, no matter where it is, get out and get it treated immediately.

Last August, a nine-year old Henrico boy died from an amoeba he picked up while swimming in the James River. His death was one of four deaths by amoeba, as confirmed by the Center for Disease Control. The others were in Kansas, Florida and Louisiana.

Report Tags: Flesh-eating bacteria, Aimee Copeland, Georgia Student, Augusta, Carrollton River, Fresh Water Bacteria, Bacterial Disease, Mystery Disease, USA

Mysterious flesh-eating infection put university student's life in danger

There are heartening signs for Aimee Copeland, student of University of West Georgia, whose freak zip-lining accident led to a flesh-eating bacteria infection that's kept her on life support for days.

Mysterious flesh-eating infection put university student's life in danger

The 24-year-old Aimee Copeland is at Doctor's Hospital in Augusta where the flesh-eating bacteria has already cost her one leg. Doctors and her family members fear to have more loss like her other leg as and both hands.

The infection began after Copeland went through surgery in which surgeon cut her leg last week. Copeland got injured when a homemade zip line over a Carrollton River broke, resulted in a wound in her leg due to fall in the water. She had frequent visits to a a local hospital due to severe pain.

She has been in serious condition since Friday, when she was diagnosed with the rare flesh-eating infection. Surgeons cut her left leg and also removed infected tissue from her abdomen hoping to stop the bacteria from spreading.

She is still on life support at an Augusta burn unit.

 

Though the story is tragic, Copeland's family seemed hopeful when she showed signs of movement despite doctors' warnings on Tuesday that her chances of survival were "slim to none."

"Aimee has had a spectacular day -- she's breathing more on her own and her body is responding positively," Copeland's sister Paige wrote Wednesday on the wall of a Facebook page set up for Aimee. "She even got emotional today, I think she's scared."

Aimee's father writes that his daughter is alert and trying to communicate.

"She said, 'I can't talk!" said Andy Copeland. "We told her it was because of the (breathing) tube, and we explained the need for it. She also asked, 'what happened?' and 'where am I?' I thought it would be better when she became alert, but it is actually harder for us."

A website was set up for those wishing to donate blood or money. Visit AimeeCopeland.com to leave warm wishes, view pictures or help the family.

Report Tags: Flesh-eating bacteria, Aimee Copeland, Georgia Student, Augusta, Carrollton River, Fresh Water Bacteria, Bacterial Disease, Mystery Disease, USA

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

There’s certainly very good news for the humanity as prevention drug has been emerged for one of the most deadly disease, HIV or AIDS – a monster eating thousands of lives every year around the globe.  

Gilead Sciences' Truvada: Promises to prevent HIV/AIDS infection

According to details; the advisory team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed on Thursday the first drug, named as Truvada, shown to prevent HIV infection – the virus responsible of causing AIDS. Although FDA is not bound to follow the advisory team’s decision, but in normal circumstances it does. FDA’s final decision is expected in the mid of next month. 

The FDA advisory team recommended approval of the daily pill Truvada for healthy people who are at high risk of contracting HIV, including gay and bisexual men and heterosexual couples with one HIV-positive partner. 

Even though the Truvada got an important endorsement; but the FDA team has some reservations about the drug, like:

·         Whether Truvada might lead to the reduced use of condoms, the most dependable protection against HIV,

·         The effectiveness of Truvada in women, who have shown much lower rates of protection in studies.

Truvada first came in spotlight three years ago, back in 2010, when government researchers proved that the drug could stop people from contracting HIV. 

The researches kept on studying the effect of the drug and after three years they reached the points where they conclude that daily doses decrease the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42%, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. 

Last year another study was conducted  which fetched even better results concluding that Truvada reduced infection by 75% in heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not.

Report Tags: HIV, AIDS, HIV Infection, Truvada, Gilead Sciences, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, USA, Health, AIDS Drug, AIDS prevention,

SOURCE:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-fda-hiv-20120511,0,5295464.story

'It worked for so many different health problems': Professor Dr Mike Evan MAGIC PILL Goes Viral

TORONTO, Canada (Jan. 12) – Professor Dr. Mike Evans answers an old and the most frequently asked question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way.

Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital.

An illustrated video with a simple message about health has received more than a million hits on YouTube, much to the delight of the Toronto doctor who created it.

Health conscious people from around the globe are coming to watch this month-old video from Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. Evans says his message — to complete a half-hour of exercise every day — is like a magic pill to cure aches and pains.

Panda Tea for Health and Fitness: World's most expensive tea from Panda Dung

‘Panda Tea’ is what might be the upcoming craze for the health and fitness conscious people around the globe; but behold it will not be available for a those who can’t afford to spend almost 220,000 yuan ($35,000) for 500 grams (18 ounces).

An Yanshi with his experimental plants of world's most expensive tea

According to details; a Chinese citizen An Yanshi believed that panda poo is the key ingredient to produce the world’s most expensive tea, what he called ‘Panda Tea’ whose logo features a smiling panda wearing a bow tie and holding a steaming glass of green tea.

An Yanshi, 41, has purchased 11 tonnes of Panda dung from a panda breeding centre to fertilize a tea crop in the mountains of Sichuan province in southwestern China, home to the black and white bears.

An Yanshi - a calligraphy teacher at Sichuan University – has left his job to dedicate himself for this project for which he has planted the tea crop on just over a hectare (2.5 acres) of land. An no only hopes to make money from the tea but he aims to convince the world to protect the environment and replace chemical fertilizers with animal extracts, before it is too late.

The passionate former university professor dressed in a panda suit for his interview with AFP “Panda dung is rich in nutrition… and should be much better than chemical fertilizers,” An told AFP, as he sat at a traditional Chinese tea table drinking tea grown with cow manure.

The tea addict An got the idea to use panda faeces as fertilizer after attending a seminar last year where he came to know that the bears normally absorb less than 30 percent of the bamboo they consume, excreting the remaining 70 percent.

"World Diabetes Day" (Nov. 14) -- Raise Awareness as Diabetes Kills One Person Every Eight Seconds

"World Diabetes Day" is being observed today (Monday, Nov. 14) across the globe to raise public awareness about harmful effects of diabetes. The increased awareness will lead to more resources to fight the causes of diabetes and help fund research into improved treatment options.

Raise Awareness: Diabetes Kills One Person Every Eight Seconds

Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and World Health Organization (WHO), the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

‘World Diabetes Day’ will be observed in Pakistan, like in other parts of the world, on Monday (today) in a bid to raise public awareness about harmful effects of diabetes and its complications so that the goal of healthy society can be achieved.

Diabetes kills one person every eight seconds, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said in his message on World Diabetes Day, adding that the cost of treatment amounts to a staggering $465 billion in the neighbourhood.

In context to this Day; a record has also been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records on Sunday when 3,573 people tested their blood glucose levels within just eight hours.

The even was organized by the Novo Nordisk Education Foundation (NNEF) in Bangalore, India based on the theme “Act on Diabetes Now”.

Managing trustee of Novo Nordisk Education Foundation Melvin D’Souza received the certificate from the official from the Guinness Book of Records, UK who monitored the event.

Painkiller Abuse and Overdose Lead to 3 times High Fatality Rate Over a Decade

NEW YORK – Human Killers or painkillers…??

Human Killers or painkillers

The latest report issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is an eye-opening document stating that the number of deaths have increased three times over a decade due to the over-dosage of powerful painkillers. It’s an epidemic trend but one that can be stopped with precautionary measures on urgent basis, a U.S. health official said.

Almost 15,000 deaths were recorded, including actor Heath Ledger, due to prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone. The stunning number is almost four times of the deaths caused by narcotics in 1999.

Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Dr. Thomas Frieden, said, “such painkillers are meant to help people who have severe pain, but they are, however, highly addictive.”

The report further mentions almost 5% of Americans ages 12 and above said they've abused painkillers, using them without a prescription or doctor’s consultation, in the last year. In 2008-09 surveys, Oklahomans reported the maximum rate of drugs abuse; while Nebraska and Iowa were on the lowest side.

Sources and References

USA Today

New York Daily News

Human Stem Cells Successfully Developed by U.S. Scientists Using Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)

In a latest finding, that could be monumental if passes successfully through further tests and analysis, US scientists have developed a cloning procedure to obtain custom-made embryonic stem cells to grow in unfertilized human egg cells. 

Human Stem Cells Successfully Developed by U.S. Scientists

Researchers used a cloning method called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) to get embryonic stem cells that match a patient's DNA. The details of the research and its findings are published in the journal Nature on today (Wednesday, Oct. 5).

The findings are of great significance because now it would be possible to replace damaged cells of any patient with the cloned patient-specific cells, obtained through this new technique, without the risk of rejection by patient’s immune system.

"This paper will be seen as significant both by those who are trying to use SCNT to produce human patient-specific embryonic stem cell lines and by those who oppose human 'cloning' experiments," said Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, a division head at Britain's National Institute for Medical Research.

Stem cells are the source material for all other cells therefore called as the body's master cells. Those who support embryonic stem cells advocate that they could alter medicine, providing treatments for blindness, juvenile diabetes or severe injuries.

E. coli/HUS outbreak: source still mystery - - 365 news cases reported today (Wednesday/June 1)

BERLIN, Germany (June 1) — The German government is still unable to find the real source of E. coli outbreak while 365 news cases of E. coli have been registered on Wednesday (June 1).

365 E. coli/HUS case reported today (Wednesday/June1)

According to Robert Koch Institute of Germany; almost 1/4th of the new cases involved the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous complication resulting from E. coli infection that affects the blood and kidneys.

As per latest reports, total 16 deaths have been reported in north Europe and an unfortunate common factor among all is that all of them have traveled northern Germany in the last days of their lives.

As one of the biggest outbreak of its type; HUS/E. coli has already effected more than 1,500 in Germany only while the authorities have been unable to identify the source of the virulent strain of E. coli.

In early days of E. coli outbreak; German authorities have blamed the Spanish produce as the source of the outbreak after some cucumbers tested positive for the bacteria; but on Tuesday authorities in Hamburg established that the E. coli found on Spanish cucumbers is not the one that is killing people in Europe.

Spain’s per week loss of sales is almost US$287.5-million due to the false blame from German authorities which is a really big one for Spain, which already has the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. Therefore, Spain considering to take legal action against authorities in Hamburg for blaming its produce for the E. coli outbreak.

China's scientists generate liver cells from skin

China's scientists generate liver cells from skin

A team of scientists in China has found a way to restore damaged livers using adult skin stem cells.

The technique raises the possibility of what one liver specialist is calling the "Holy Grail" - that people now needing liver transplants could be simply treated with an injection of their own cells.

Researchers spent three years on the study in which they took skin cells from mice to reproduce fully functional liver cells.

The results, being published in the Journal of Nature today, show the mice were able to live healthy lives.

Professor Geoff McCaughan, the head of the Liver Research Program at the Centenary Research Institute at the University of Sydney, is excited by the Chinese team's work.

He has worked nationally and internationally in the field of liver transplants for 25 years and says the findings could have dramatic ramifications.

Every year, around 200 Australians have a liver transplant.

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Old is Gold: Being Old Doesn’t Mean Being Sick, Latest Research by the Canadian Institute for Health Information

There is much worry these days about the impact of the aging population on health-care utilization and spending.

But new research is adding a twist to the discussion, concluding that it is the rise in people living with chronic health conditions like hypertension, diabetes and depression that is driving up health costs, not aging per se.

 The data, published Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, show that patterns of health-care use are similar at age 45, 65 and 85 for people with no chronic health conditions.

And the more chronic illnesses a person suffers from – regardless of age – the more they use health services such as visiting a GP or specialist, consulting a pharmacist, going to emergency and being admitted to hospital.

“Once you get to three or more conditions, utilization really increases,” said Greg Webster, director of primary health-care information at CIHI. People with three or more chronic conditions make, on average, six times more health-care visits than those with no chronic conditions, the report shows.

Mr. Webster noted, however, that while aging is not the principal cost driver, the likelihood of a person having a chronic illness does increase with age. Three in four Canadians over the age of 65 suffer from at least one chronic health condition; by contrast, one in five people under the age of 24 live with a chronic illness.

Among seniors, one in four have no chronic health problems, and one in four have three or more; the balance have one to two persistent health issues. It is noteworthy that those proportions change very little between ages 45 and 85.

“We may erroneously expect that, as we get older, we will get sicker, but the data show that is not necessarily the case,” Mr. Webster said. “We maybe need to change the mindset that aging means illness.”

Mr. Webster said there is also an important message to be found between the lines of the data: One of the keys to controlling health utilization and spending is to prevent the onset of chronic illnesses. “We have a choice: Get on top of this today and prevent multiple chronic conditions, or leave things as they are and a lot of people are going to need a lot of health care,” he said.

The new study shows, however, that there are significant gaps in preventive care.

Only two in five people over the age of 45 reported having talked to a health professional about what they could do to improve their health or prevent illness (measures like quitting smoking, increasing exercise or limiting alcohol consumption).

The new data suggest that patients with multiple chronic conditions are not managed particularly well, either, especially when it comes to medications. Bill Hogg, research director at the University of Ottawa’s Élisabeth Bruyère Research Institute, noted that patients with three or more chronic conditions reported taking an average of six prescription drugs regularly, twice as many as those with only one chronic condition.

The big drug users were more than twice as likely to experience a side effect requiring medical attention. Yet less than half of seniors with chronic conditions reported that their doctor reviewed their medications and explained potential side effects at least some of the time. “Strategies to reduce the number of medications a senior is prescribed, when possible, can result in better compliance with medication regimens and lead to a better quality of life,” Dr. Hogg said.

The new study did not look specifically at spending, but earlier data from CIHI shows that per capita health spending increases steadily with age. It rises from $2,286 per capita for those age 15 to 64 to $5,828 for those age 65 to 69, then $8,078 for those 70 to 74, $10,898 for those 75 to 79 and $18,160 for those 80 and older.

Seniors, who make up 13 per cent of the population, account for about 44 per cent of health spending. But patients with chronic conditions account for about two-thirds of all health spending.

Foods to Fight Cancer: Six Superstar Veggies That Can Prevent Any Type of Cancer

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables—especially these six superstars.

  Broccoli

All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey, ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

Health.com: 13 easy pizza recipes

Berries

All berries are packed with cancer-fighting phytonutrients. But black raspberries, in particular, contain very high concentrations of phytochemicals called anthocyanins, which slow down the growth of premalignant cells and keep new blood vessels from forming (and potentially feeding a cancerous tumor), according to Gary D. Stoner, PhD, a professor of internal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Helps fight: colon, esophageal, oral, and skin cancers

Your Rx: Stoner uses a concentrated berry powder in his studies but says a half-cup serving of berries a day may help your health, too.

Health.com: Go wild for berries!

Tomatoes
This juicy fruit is the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. And that's good news, because lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in Nutrition and Cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year.

Helps fight: endometrial, lung, prostate, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: The biggest benefits come from cooked tomatoes (think pasta sauce!), since the heating process increases the amount of lycopene your body is able to absorb.

Health.com: 10 tasty tomato recipes

Walnuts
Their phytosterols (cholesterol-like molecules found in plants) have been shown to block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells, possibly slowing the cells' growth, says Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia.

Helps fight: breast and prostate cancers

Your Rx: Munching on an ounce of walnuts a day may yield the best benefits, Hardman's research found.

Health.com: 8 super nuts

Garlic
Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative, Béliveau says. In fact, the Iowa Women's Health Study found that women with the highest amounts of garlic in their diets had a 50 percent lower risk of certain colon cancers than women who ate the least.

Helps fight: breast, colon, esophageal, and stomach cancers

Your Rx: Chop a clove of fresh, crushed garlic (crushing helps release beneficial enzymes), and sprinkle it into that lycopene-rich tomato sauce while it simmers.

Health.com: Surprising health benefits of garlic

Beans
A study out of Michigan State University found that black and navy beans significantly reduced colon cancer incidence in rats, in part because a diet rich in the legumes increased levels of the fatty acid butyrate, which in high concentrations has protective effects against cancer growth. Another study, in the journal Crop Science, found dried beans particularly effective in preventing breast cancer in rats.

Helps fight: breast and colon cancers

Your Rx: Add a serving—a half-cup—of legumes a few times a week (either from a can or dry beans that've been soaked and cooked) to your usual rotation of greens or other veggies. 

Source: Yahoo

5-Point Increase in BMI Lead You 31% Closer to Death - - Even a Bit Overweight is Riskier Revealed by New Study

Your risk of death rises steadily with every overweight pound you gain, a huge study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirms.

A recent study, funded by National Institutes of Health, confirms that every extra pound of weight, someone gains, is a step towards the risk of his/her death. 

Risk of death rises by threatening 31% with every 5-point increase in BMI, a measure of body mass based on weight and height. Most importantly this conclusion prevails even if one is not used to smoke an apparently enjoying good health.

Data is being presented here; shows clearly that how close an increase in BMI can take you to the death risk! The data below; compares the increase in BMI with the normal BMI i.e. 22.5 to 24.9.

* A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 increased death risk by 13%

* A BMI of 30.0 to 34.9 increased death risk by 44%

* A BMI of 35.0 to 39.9 increased death risk by 88%

* A BMI of 40.0 to 49.9 increased death risk by 251%

The above-mentioned figures are for men and women who do not smoke and who have no underlying disease.

Being underweight may also increase death risk, but it's not clear whether underlying, undetected disease might account for this finding.

Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, DPhil, of the National Institutes of Health, and colleagues stated:

"We conclude that for non-Hispanic whites, both overweight and obesity are associated with increased all-cause mortality," they conclude. "All-cause mortality is generally lowest within the BMI range of 20.0 to 24.9."

Follow The Diet Plan That Don't Stop You Eating - - Holiday Season May Hurt Your Weight Loss Plans

Researchers discovered the ideal food consumption promoting weight maintenance involves eating lean meats, low-fat dairy, and beans. Also, consuming less foods with a high glycemic index (GI), usually simple carbohydrates, like white bread or refined starches. Following this diet plan allows individuals to eat until satisfied, without gaining additional weight.

The study found adults who lost a significant amount of their body weight (at least 8 percent) were able to maintain and continue weight loss based on desired goal when following this diet.

Research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM.

Foods with a high glycemic index are digested quickly and essentially spikes blood sugar levels upon consumption. Foods with a lower GI are digested slowly, allowing blood glucose to enter the bloodstream more regularly.

For this study, 938 overweight adults from 772 families completed a weight loss program for eight weeks. Calorie intake was limited to 800 kcals/day and the average weight loss was 24 lbs.

After the eight week weight loss period, adults were randomly assigned a new maintenance diet for the following six months.

Data showed the worst diet for maintaining weight loss to be a low-protein and high glycemic index diet. The best diet for maintaining weight loss was high protein and low glycemic index.

This study shows increasing protein while reducing consumption of foods with a high glycemic index will typically result in successful weight loss and weight maintenance following significant weight loss.