Mental health urgent care now available to all in Clermont County
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Watch out for this new invasive tick. It could saddle you with a little-known, debilitating infection
An invasive tick species is creeping its way into more parts of the country, as warming temperatures help it spread a little-known infection that can leave people with debilitating symptoms, and in rare cases, dead. In May, scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven discovered for the first time that the longhorned tick had become a carrier for the bacteria that causes the Ehrlichiosis infection. With cases already on the rise, that was a big cause of concern. 'I am afraid to say that it is a storm brewing,' said Goudarz Molaei, the director of the lab's tick-testing program. 'Climate change eventually will almost eliminate winter in our region. And this tick, like other tick species, will be active year round.' Warming temperatures, which have already translated into shorter winters, allow the longhorned tick and other tick species to wake up early from hibernation, increasing the risk of getting bitten. The longhorned tick, which is native to East Asia, first invaded places like Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. It has now been detected in at least 21 states in the U.S. with Michigan reporting its first sighting at the end of June. Researchers aren't sure how the tick made it to the U.S., but it's likely it arrived on the backs of imported livestock or other animals. In 2017, scientists identified the country's first longhorned tick in New Jersey, though it's likely the species has been in the U.S. since at least 2010. 'The fact it was here for so long without us actually knowing about it was really a wakeup call,' said Dana Price, an associate research professor in the department of entomology at Rutgers University. Modeling indicates areas from southern Canada throughout the continental U.S. are environmentally suitable to the longhorned tick. That means the threat is two-fold: The longhorned's geographic range is expanding and so is the time that they're active and able to transmit disease, scientists said. Ehrlichiosis is becoming so prevalent that there is a region of the country unofficially named after it: The 'Ehrlichiosis Belt' stretches from as far north as Connecticut and New York to as far west as Arkansas. The lone star and blacklegged ticks have long carried Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the bacteria that causes Ehrlichiosis. The infection sends about 60% of patients to the hospital and claims the lives of about 1 in 100 patients, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Infected individuals will typically experience fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue one to two weeks after being bitten. But if people aren't treated quickly, the infection can sometimes lead to brain and nervous system damage, respiratory failure, uncontrolled bleeding and organ failure. The number of Ehrlichiosis cases has risen steadily since 2000 when the CDC reported 200 cases of Ehrlichiosis compared with 2,093 in 2019. Studies suggest that the number of annual Ehrlichiosis cases are grossly underreported with one study from Rutgers University researchers saying 99% of cases go undetected. The CDC reported earlier this month that there have been more emergency room visits in July for tick bites than the past eight Julys. In early July, officials closed Pleasure Beach, a popular swim spot in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the summer after discovering an infestation of several tick species including the longhorned tick. Manisha Juthani, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, said that as climate change makes 'tick season' less predictable, Connecticut residents should take precautions like wearing long pants, tucking them into their socks and conducting tick checks on family members and pets after being outdoors for extended periods of time. 'The reality is that with the changes we're seeing in climate, we have to be more prepared and more aware of the infections and the pathogens that we can be exposed to by being outside and potentially being aware of the things that can really cause the most harm to people,' Juthani said. While longhorned ticks often prefer the blood of livestock to humans, entomologists say their unique biology makes them a formidable public health hazard. They can establish populations of thousands from a single female because, like bees, they have the ability to reproduce without a mate. They can also ingest and become carriers for pathogens typically carried by other tick species if they happen to feed on the same host. The process, known as co-feeding transmission, is common among most tick species. Molaei said his recent discovery of the Ehrlichiosis-causing bacteria in the longhorned tick raises concerns about what other pathogens the tick may be able to contract and transmit to humans. The longhorned tick and the lone star tick, one of the original carriers of ehrlichia, both feed on similar hosts, like white-tailed deer. 'We live in this part of the world with several important tick species, and we have to learn how to live with this many ticks,' Molaei said. 'And the key is to protect ourselves.' The World Health Organization reports that more than 17% of infectious diseases globally are transmitted through vectors, intermediary animals that ferry viruses, bacteria and other pathogens from one animal to the next. Tick-borne diseases in the U.S. accounted for 77% of vector-borne disease reports from 2004 to 2016, with cases more than doubling in the last 13 years, according to data collected by the CDC. Jennifer Platt was bitten by a tick during that time. She contracted Ehrlichiosis from a tick bite in North Carolina in the summer of 2011. When she couldn't pick up and carry her 2-year-old son, her friend, who is a nurse, suggested she go to the hospital immediately. The friend suspected Platt might have a tick-borne infection. Platt was sick and on antibiotics for months after her diagnosis. Her shoulder locked due to the infection — a rare but contractable chronic symptom of tick-borne disease — leading to months of physical therapy and putting her out of work for three months. It took her more than a year to fully recover from the lasting impacts of the infection. 'The best way I'd describe it,' she said, 'is I felt like death.' A few years after she started feeling better, she was diagnosed with Lyme and Babesiosis diseases — which she attributes to the same tick bite. Platt, who co-founded the advocacy nonprofit Tick-Borne Conditions United, said she hopes the recent discovery of the Ehrlichia bacteria in the longhorned tick will help raise awareness among doctors and the general public about the threat of tick-borne diseases, especially little-known ones like Ehrlichiosis. 'My mission in life is to support people in being who they are,' Platt said. 'And if you're sick from a tick-borne disease, you can't be who you are.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Standard Textile Selected to Exhibit SURPASS™ Reusable Underpad at Vizient Innovative Technology Exchange
CINCINNATI, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Standard Textile has been selected to exhibit SURPASS™, a game-changing reusable underpad, at the Vizient® Innovative Technology Exchange. Vizient, the nation's largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, will hold the Exchange Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. The annual Innovative Technology Exchange offers selected suppliers the unique opportunity to demonstrate their product or service to supply chain and clinical leaders from Vizient's hospital clients and subject matter experts who serve on their supply councils. Each product or service will showcase how it improves clinical outcomes, enhances safety or drives incremental improvements to healthcare delivery or business models. Standard Textile's SURPASS™ reusable underpad was selected for offering a smarter alternative to single-use disposable underpads, which are convenient and effective but contribute to the healthcare industry's 29 pounds of waste per bed per day¹ and increase long-term expenses. SURPASS™ meets or exceeds the performance of current disposable and reusable options and can replace up to 60 disposables over its lifespan. By minimizing moisture accumulation, it helps maintain a healthier microclimate,² essential in preventing moisture-associated skin damage.³ The result is a solution that enhances patient care, reduces environmental impact, and improves cost efficiency for healthcare providers. "Vizient's Exchange is an ideal setting to highlight how SURPASS™ can make a real impact," said Alex Heiman, President of Standard Textile. "As long-time champions of reusable textiles, Standard Textile is proud to support healthcare providers looking for new ways to improve care and reduce waste. SURPASS™ offers a practical path forward that enhances patient care, minimizes environmental impact, and helps healthcare organizations manage long-term costs." "The Innovative Technology Exchange fosters a unique opportunity for healthcare providers to interact with products and services that have the potential to impact the healthcare industry and improve clinical care or the business model of organizations," said Kelly Flaharty, senior director of contract services, Vizient. "We are pleased to invite Standard Textile to the Exchange." The annual Innovative Technology Exchange is part of Vizient's Innovative Technology Program that includes product review of supplier-submitted technologies by provider-led councils. Since 2003, Vizient has reviewed over 1,700 product submissions as part of its Innovative Technology Program. To learn more about SURPASS™, visit 1Practice Greenhealth. (n.d.). Waste: Waste prevention and management. Retrieved December 4, 2024, from 2 WoundSource. (2021, May 31). Managing your patient's microclimate. 3 WoundSource. (2018, February 1). Preventing moisture-associated skin damage. About Standard Textile Founded in 1940, Standard Textile has developed a culture of innovation, quality, and service. With more than 150 patents issued, its products are engineered to deliver durability, longevity, and value. A vertically integrated company, Standard Textile is a leading global provider of total solutions in the institutional textiles and apparel markets. Leveraging textile design, manufacturing, and laundry expertise, and its global infrastructure, this company serves customers in the healthcare, hospitality, interiors, workwear, and consumer markets worldwide. For more information visit Contact: David ParedesDirector, Brand Marketing and CommunicationsStandard TextileOne Knollcrest DriveCincinnati, OH 45237(646) 853.9219dparedes@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Standard Textile Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
E&E News
4 minutes ago
- E&E News
Congress is lukewarm on RFK Jr.'s plans. In the states, they're catching fire.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign to 'make America healthy again' has spread from Washington to state capitols with nearly 900 measures introduced this year echoing his agenda. Those capitols span Republican strongholds, such as Austin, Texas, and Tallahassee, Florida, as well as Democratic ones, such as Albany, New York; Boston; and Trenton, New Jersey. A POLITICO analysis found more than 130 bills aimed at regulating ultraprocessed foods and improving nutrition, over 60 bills restricting the application of pesticides and other chemicals, and more than 130 bills expanding vaccine exemptions or prohibiting mandates this year. Lawmakers also introduced dozens of bills to promote the use of psychedelics, authorize sales of raw milk and ivermectin, and ban the fluoridation of drinking water. Advertisement The measures emerging from state legislatures, long seen as testing grounds for federal policy, show how Kennedy's movement to combat chronic disease has struck a chord across the country — even as it conflicts with traditional Republican views about regulating industry. The number of bills on the subjects has increased at least 45 percent from the prior year and in 2023 for the four states that convene biennially. The outpouring of interest in Kennedy's agenda also shows how he has outmaneuvered a public health establishment that has condemned aspects of his agenda, such as expanding vaccine exemptions and ending water fluoridation, as unscientific and dangerous.
