Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings unhealthy air to large swaths of the Midwest
Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would remain for much of the day. People with lung disease, heart disease, children, older adults and pregnant women are most susceptible to the poor breathing conditions.
Canadian environmental officials said smoke from forest fires that was causing reduced visibility and poor quality would persist into Sunday for some areas.
The Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir, which assesses air quality in real time, listed the city of Minneapolis as having some of the worst air pollution in the world since Friday.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the red or unhealthy category in a large swath of Minnesota and will likely remain through Saturday. AQI is a system used to communicate how much air pollution is in the air. It breaks pollution down into six categories and colors, and advice on what isn't safe to do. They range from 'good' (the color green) to 'hazardous' (maroon).
The smoke could start to decline beginning Saturday before spreading as far south as Tennessee and Missouri. The air could remain unhealthy for sensitive groups through Monday, state health officials said.
The EPA's Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better. Anything below 50 is classified as 'healthy.' Fifty to 100 is 'moderate' while 100-150 is unhealthy for 'sensitive groups." Anything above 150 is bad for everyone. Parts of Minnesota exceeded that number on Saturday.
Health officials advise people with asthma and other lung disease, heart disease, children and older adults to avoid prolonged exposure to smoke and limit strenuous activities. They said to avoid burning things that could make the air pollution worse, and keep windows and doors closed to keep the smoke from getting inside.
___
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U-M Health breaks ground on $250M development at former Kmart headquarters site in Troy
The former home of the Blue Light Special will soon be an Oakland County outpost for the Maize and Blue. Leaders of University of Michigan Health broke ground Aug. 6 on the health system's approximately $250 million outpatient services and surgical center that is being built on the site of the old Kmart world headquarters on Big Beaver Road across from Somerset Collection mall. The four-story, 224,000-square-foot complex is expected to open in 2027 as the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Troy Center for Specialty Care. Members of the Eisenberg family founded and still own Dearborn-based Kenwal Steel, and Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg have given more than $80 million to U-M through the years, most recently a $40 million gift, of which $25 million was designated to support construction of the Troy complex. The U-M health complex is to anchor a future planned mixed-use development on the roughly 40-acre former Kmart HQ site that would take shape in phases over several years. That development could include up to 750 units of housing, a 250-room hotel, 300,000 square feet of retail space and 500,000 square feet of office space. That development is a joint venture involving the Forbes and Frankel families, who own nearby Somerset Collection. Troy City Council in June approved the mixed-use development's plan. Nathan Forbes, managing partner with the Forbes Co., told the Free Press at the Aug. 6 health complex groundbreaking that their timeline to construct the broader development is still in flux, although they hope to begin work on some portions of it within 12 months. The initial phase could include residential development and food and beverage businesses, he said. The medical complex will be the first of its kind for Michigan Medicine in Oakland County and offer numerous specialties, including orthopedics, sports medicine, advanced cancer care services and reproductive medicine. There will also be operating rooms and imaging services for mammograms, MRI and CT scans, although no hospital beds for overnight stays, because everything would be done outpatient. Michigan Medicine has lately been on an expansion push to areas of the state far beyond its Ann Arbor base, and health system officials have said that by opening a new medical complex in Oakland County, they anticipate gaining new patients as well as bringing greater convenience to existing patients who already see Michigan Medicine doctors. Roughly 150 people attended the Aug. 6 groundbreaking celebration, which was held in a white event tent in one of the former Kmart HQ's massive parking lots. Michigan Medicine CEO Dr. David Miller told the audience that the new complex would "build us toward our goal of creating an academic health system that serves the entire state, focused on providing the right care in the right place at the right time.' Kenneth Eisenberg and other family members attended the groundbreaking event. Frances Eisenberg, his wife of nearly 60 years, died in November at age 82. He and his wife each received bachelor's degrees from U-M in 1964. "Today is deeply meaningful for me and my family," Kenneth Eisenberg said. "It's a testament to a lifetime of love, service and belief in the power of medicine to transform lives. 'If Frances were here today," he added, "she would be overwhelmed with pride. Her commitment to healing — mind, body and spirit — guided so much of what we set out to accomplish.' More: Architecturally unique Kmart HQ in Troy will likely go down as last of its kind Troy Mayor Ethan Baker said the future U-M health complex, coupled with the planned mixed-use development, constitutes one of the biggest and most exciting development projects in the state. 'The question I've been asked more than anything is 'What the hell is going on with the Kmart property,' " the mayor said. "And we finally have this beautiful answer." The abandoned Kmart headquarters complex at 3100 West Big Beaver was torn down in late 2023 and early 2024. The architecturally distinct Kmart HQ building dated to 1972 and had been vacant since 2006, when Kmart finished relocating to suburban Chicago following its post-bankruptcy merger with Sears. In the late 2000s, the Forbes and Frankel venture bought the vacant property from various investors, including Blackrock, for $17.5 million. (Those investors once envisioned doing a retail, condo, office and hotel development there to be called the Pavilions of Troy, but that plan died in the Great Recession.) Nathan Forbes said at the Aug. 6 groundbreaking that he had been waiting 17 years for this day and is glad to have finally found the right partner and anchor tenant for the future development. 'I believe, in life, everything is a point in time," he said. "And we are at that point in time.' Speaking after the event, Forbes said they did give some consideration early on to possibly reusing the massive and since-demolished Kmart HQ building. "But it just had so many limitations to it," he said. "From the historic value, the constructability — it just wasn't current for modern day use, and the cost would have been prohibitive. But we did spend some time looking at it.' The university has bought a total of about 11.5 acres at the site from the Forbes and Frankel venture for just under $7 million. Contact JC Reindl: 313-378-5460 or jcreindl@ Follow him on X @jcreindl This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: U-M Health breaks ground on $250M development in Troy Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teva's Ajovy becomes first migraine prevention drug approved for children
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label expansion to Teva's Ajovy in certain children and adolescents, making it the first migraine prevention drug of its kind in the age group. Single-dose injectable Ajovy (fremanezumab-vfrm) is now approved for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in children and adolescent patients aged between six and 17 years who weigh 45kg or more. Ajovy is part of a class of drugs called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors, which block a protein involved in triggering migraines. The FDA approved Ajovy for adults in 2018. Israel-based Teva narrowly missed having the first CGRP-targeting drug approved for migraines at the time, following Novartis and Amgen's Aimovig (erenumab) approval earlier in the year. However, the therapy is not approved for children or adolescents, meaning its patient reach is now not as wide as Ajovy. One in ten children and adolescents in the US suffers from migraines, one of the most common neurological conditions. Paediatric migraine is often underrecognised and undertreated, disrupting lifestyle such as school attendance and social interactions. Episodic migraine refers to recurring severe headaches in children that do not occur daily but are frequent enough to interfere with daily activities. Ajovy is administered once a month and available for in-office or at-home use, offering an accessible treatment option for patients and their caregivers, such as parents. A higher-dose version, given every three months as three injections, is also available for adults. Teva's Phase III SPACE trial (NCT03539393) with the drug demonstrated statistically significant superior efficacy compared to placebo over three months in the paediatric population. The safety profile was consistent with that in the adult population – the most common side effects being itchiness, rash and drug hypersensitivity. Teva's global marketing business head Chris Fox said: 'Migraines are a common yet invisible condition that can severely disrupt daily life for children and adolescents, often leaving them overlooked and misunderstood. 'With this FDA approval, Ajovy now offers younger patients a new treatment option, addressing a long-standing gap in care and offering families added support as they navigate the challenges of this condition.' The label expansion in children and adolescents gives Teva an edge over Novartis/Amgen, as well as Eli Lilly, whose Emgality (galcanezumab) – also a CGRP inhibitor – is also approved and on the market. Last year, Teva's migraine treatment Ajovy generated $507m in global sales, an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Analysis by GlobalData forecasts sales of $885m by 2031. Neither Amgen nor Lilly disclosed specific sales for their two products in 2024. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. "Teva's Ajovy becomes first migraine prevention drug approved for children" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Death toll from New York Legionnaires' disease outbreak rises to 3
A Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City has infected 67 people and caused three deaths. File Photo by Shou Sheng/EPA A Legionnaires' disease outbreak in New York City has infected 67 people and caused three deaths, health officials say. The cases have been reported in Central Harlem. Officials believe the source of the outbreak is cooling towers on nearby buildings, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Cooling towers are large rooftop devices that release mist into the air to help cool buildings. But if the water inside the tower becomes too warm or isn't disinfected properly, bacteria called Legionella can grow. People can get sick when they inhale this contaminated mist. The disease does not spread from person to person. The city announced the outbreak on July 25. Since then, 11 cooling towers in the area tested positive for Legionella pneumophila, a strain of the bacteria. Those towers have now been remediated, the officials said. "Anyone in these Zip codes with flu-like symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible," Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse said in a news release. Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Symptoms can include: Cough, fever, headaches, muscles aches and shortness of breath. The infection can be treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, it may lead to serious complications like lung failure or death, the CDC explains. Each year, around 6,000 cases are reported in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says. But health officials suspect the true number is higher, because it can be hard to tell Legionnaires' apart from other types of pneumonia. More information The Mayo Clinic has more on symptoms and causes of Legionnaires' disease. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
