Vaccinologists go nuts for cashews
But now vaccinologists are going nuts for the superfood.
Cashew nutshell liquid has been found to be a crucial ingredient in mRNA vaccines.
Yes, that's the same tech behind the jabs you received during the Covid pandemic.
Now, Wits Antiviral Gene Therapy Research and Synthetic Organic Chemistry Units has secured a R7-million grant for further research.
We crack the shell with Professor Patrick Arbuthnot, head of the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit at Wits University.
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Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Out of this World and into the Next — how life began on Earth, and how human civilisation will expand beyond it
A theoretical physicist's grand tour of how life emerged on Earth and how human civilisation will begin expanding beyond our home planet. In Out of this World and into the Next, theoretical physicist Adriana Marais explores the discoveries that lie beyond our world. This extract reflects on the origins of human exploration, particularly space exploration and how it can be traced back to early technological advancements in South Africa. Explorers The day cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin bravely hurtled around Earth in the first ever craft to take a human into Earth orbit was arguably the beginning of human space exploration. Going back even further, however, palaeoanthropologist Francis Thackeray, former director of the Institute for Human Evolution in Johannesburg, makes the case that the first steps towards space exploration were taken right here in my home country, South Africa. Here there are multiple cave sites that have been excavated by archaeologists for about 100 years, generating a range of insights into human prehistory. For example, the controlled use of fire was inferred from burnt bones discovered at Swartkrans in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The bones had been heated to temperatures higher than that of naturally occurring grass fires. Other evidence was obtained at Wonderwerk cave, 30 metres in from the entrance. The fires were probably used in the same place, over and over again. The people responsible were possibly of the species Homo erectus, the first human ancestor to spread from Africa throughout Eurasia, existing between around 2 million years ago up until about 300,000 years before present. Evidence of the controlled use of fire at least 1 million years ago, in Africa, is the earliest technological precursor to rocket propulsion. Wonderwerk means miracle in Afrikaans. Our origins: forged in fire During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020, my partner at the time, Kurdt Greenwood, and I built a cabin deep down in a valley in the ancient indigenous Tsitsikamma forest. We lived there over the first half-year of lockdown, the only access being a 1.2-kilometre rugged footpath down a 300-metre descent and across a river, the route the two of us carried down a couple of tonnes of supplies to build the cabin. It was a time to contemplate resources, the most important of these being shelter, power, water and food; if we did not collect kindling from the upper slopes of the valley during sunshine, during rain, we would have no hot water or cooked food. Collecting water and driftwood from the river, and medicinal plants in what appeared to be ancient terraced north-facing gardens above our cabin, I had the feeling of being part of a long lineage of humans living beside this ancient stream. We spent a lot of time exploring the area, and one day Kurdt discovered a collection of seashells in the compacted ground under a rock overhang beside the river. This is around 13 kilometres, or a six-hour trek, upstream from the coast where, at the river mouth, one of the largest shell midden deposits on the planet is located in a rock shelter; home to the earliest people of Southern Africa, the San, for over 12,000 years, and a place I've been visiting with my dad to look for stone tools since I was a child. A collection of seashells in compacted ground so far from the coast could mean just one thing. We returned to the site about a kilometre upstream from our cabin the next day with brushes and buckets and started digging. Kurdt's hole revealed pebbles carved into fishing sinkers and long bone hooks, stone cutting blades and smooth grinding rocks. As a survival expert and animal behaviourist, he was hopping with excitement, theorising that the tool maker fished for eel in the deep pockets of the river, and immediately planned to try the technique himself. The hole I dug right next to his contained nothing at all, so I stepped back to look around. I was drawn to the very back of the overhang, where some fine, dry sand lay in the shadow. I crouched under the overhang and brushed away slowly at the surface. I found a piece of an old bottle, then a pottery shard, then beneath that a collection of crystals and small animal bones, and then suddenly a round, hard shape appeared. A sense of gravity fell upon me. Even as we discussed whether it was a stone, a bulb, a baboon skull … I knew it was someone's story we were uncovering, a voice that had last spoken thousands of years ago, in another time. We alerted local archaeologists, who confirmed from the tools with the skeleton, as well as the position in which the body was laid to rest facing east, that it is a San burial site. We await the dating of the site, which could be anything between a couple of hundred to tens of thousands of years old. The night of the discovery, the forest was so close as I closed my eyes to sleep; the deep, damp stillness of the trees, the gurgle of the stream over the rocks, which often sounded like women and children laughing upstream, as they had done in this valley for at least 10,000 years. With some trepidation, I asked that the person whose remains we had uncovered, if unhappy about us doing so, would come to me and let me know. I fell uneasily asleep into a strangely clear dream: I saw a time-lapse of layers of atoms and molecules accumulating through life and weather on the surface of the Earth; I saw that the person who had once lived in this body was no longer attached to the layers of matter left behind. I was told that I was free to sift through this record of what was, if I so desired. I felt more at ease for the rest of our excavation. While so much has changed since this person last roamed the Earth, holding the tools that they used to navigate this same environment so long ago, I felt the unity of all humanity through the ages; a continuity in the story of who we are. DM
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Chikungunya virus: symptoms, treatments and how to protect yourself from the mosquito-borne threat
Southern China is experiencing a chikungunya outbreak, reviving memories of COVID-19 controls. Image: Jimmy Chan/pexels In what feels eerily like a return to 2020, southern China is facing an outbreak that's reviving memories of the pandemic, but this time, it's not Covid-19. It's chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquito bites that causes sudden fever and severe joint pain, often lingering for months or even years. According to Bloomberg, the outbreak's epicentre is Foshan, a city in Guangdong province in South China, where over 6500 cases have been reported in just a few weeks. The local government is acting swiftly: hospitals are keeping patients under mosquito nets, drug purchases are being monitored, and communities are undergoing mass testing and disinfection campaigns. What is chikungunya Pronounced chik-un-GUN-yuh, the virus was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, but only arrived in China in 2008. Today, it's known to circulate in over 110 countries, mostly in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and now, more prominently, southern China. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), symptoms usually appear 3–7 days after a mosquito bite and include: Sudden high fever. Intense joint and muscle pain. Skin rashes. Headaches. Swelling of the joints. While most people recover within a week, some may suffer from chronic joint pain for months, sometimes even years. Fortunately, deaths are rare, and the virus is not spread person-to-person, only through mosquito bites. Still, in vulnerable groups like newborns, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses like diabetes or heart disease, the illness can hit harder. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ With over 7,000 cases reported, authorities are implementing measures reminiscent of the pandemic. Image: Saeed Saeed/pexels Not another lockdown, but a wake-up call. Though the virus itself isn't new, the scale of the response in China is catching attention worldwide. Authorities are now tracking people buying over-the-counter fever or pain relief medication, a tactic used during the Zero-Covid strategy, reports "Bloomberg". Rather than lockdowns or digital tracking, outbreak control should focus on vector management and reducing human mosquito contact, Dr Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist at RTI International, a nonprofit research group, told BBC News. According to Kang Min, Director of Guangdong CDC's Institute of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, new cases are slowing down, but challenges remain due to international travel and the flood season, which fuels mosquito breeding. Here's what local authorities are doing: Mass disinfection drives and stagnant water removal. Encouraging window screens and mosquito nets. Fines of up to 1,000 yuan (R2 600) for businesses not cleaning up mosquito habitats. Seven-day health campaigns in high-risk towns like Lecong. Communities light mosquito coils at the same time daily to maximise the repellent effect. What does this mean for travellers and locals alike? With the outbreak spreading to 12 cities in Guangdong province and a first imported case in Hong Kong, a 12-year-old boy who had visited Foshan, global attention is growing. The US State Department has even advised travellers to China to exercise increased caution. In an interview with eNCA, Professor Tulio de Oliveira from the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University discussed the chikungunya virus. He noted that in South Africa, the NICD has recorded ten travel-related cases of this virus from December to July. During the winter months, there are no immediate concerns about widespread outbreaks in South Africa. However, emphasised that the real concern for South Africa will arise in the summer when mosquito populations increase. "The variant causing concern originated in Réunion Island in March, leading to a significant outbreak with nearly 50 000 infections. While it also spread to Mauritius, effective measures helped control it there." He added, 'This variant has mutations that allow it to spread more easily through certain mosquito species.' 'Climate change and rising temperatures are expanding the areas where mosquitoes thrive, which could lead to more chikungunya cases. ' He urged vigilance as the situation evolves, especially with the potential for more introductions of the virus into South Africa as the seasons change. How to protect yourself Use mosquito repellent daily, especially in humid, rainy seasons. Install mosquito screens on windows and doors. Sleep under mosquito nets, especially if you live near standing water. Wear long sleeves and pants if you're outside at dawn or dusk. Eliminate stagnant water in plant pots, buckets, or outdoor containers. If you've travelled to affected areas and develop fever, joint pain, or rash, see a doctor and mention your travel history. Early detection helps avoid complications and stops the spread.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Does SA need a Covid-like ministerial advisory committee to deal with HIV funding cuts?
Increase health taxes. Roll out the twice-a-year anti-HIV jab lenacapavir to stop HIV from spreading. Use artificial intelligence (AI) to do more with less. Convene a ministerial advisory committee. These are some of the things that have surfaced as potential solutions to fill the huge gap that US President Donald Trump's administration's sudden funding cuts in February have left. But would they work — and are they doable? Only if we move fast, and get lots of each thing, it seems. Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Bhekisisa's TV show, Health Beat, in July, that he 'would strongly consider' a ministerial advisory committee (MAC), like the one we had during the Covid pandemic for which scientists advised the health department on what to do. 'There's nothing wrong with establishing a MAC [to deal with funding cuts],' Motsoaledi admitted ... but we've not yet established anything like that for [the funding crisis].' No MAC or emergency think-tank with input beyond government structures has since been announced by the health department. But scientists warn such a committee should be an important part of the country's response to the crisis. 'We need to urgently convene a national think-tank,' medical doctor and the head of Wits RHI, Helen Rees, cautions. 'There are some really superb people who've been working in the programmes closely and well with the health department who could contribute their ideas and experience ... [and help figure out] what [strategies] can we [the health department] retain that aren't hugely expensive.' In Johannesburg, research released at the Conference on HIV Science in Kigali in July, shows HIV testing between January and March 2025 was 8.5% lower than the same time last year (before the funding cuts), and 31% less people were diagnosed with HIV in 2025. During the same period, there was also a 30% reduction in people who tested positive, who started on antiretroviral treatment, compared to 2024. So what has South Africa done so far? Motsoaledi has managed to raise a small amount of extra funding — R735m — from the treasury through the Public Finance Management Act. But it's less than 10% of the R7.9bn we've lost (and are in all likelihood about to lose in September, the end of the US financial year). The country is, however, starting to make progress with the rollout of lenacapavir, an injection that is taken once every six months, that provides near complete protection against HIV infection. About 170,000 people got newly infected with HIV in 2024, according to the latest Joint UN Programme on HIV and Aids report. A modelling study has shown if between two- and four-million people in the country take the jab, each year, for the next eight years, South Africa could end Aids as a public health threat by 2032. South Africa's medicines regulator, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, has told Bhekisisa the shot will be registered in the country before the end of the year. And, at a presentation at the Kigali conference, health department consultant Hasina Subedar said, if all goes well, the department will start to roll out the jab in April 2026. In July, the health department accepted an offer from the Global Fund for Aids, TB and Malaria, to reallocate R520m of its funds to buy lenacapavir from its maker, Gilead Sciences, over the next three years until cheaper generic versions become available. The funds will become available in October. But, if the health department budgets for the $60 per patient per year that the Global Fund has told them to, the grant is only enough to put about 400,000 people on preventive treatment for three years — about 10% of what is needed to end Aids by 2032. One more way to generate 'a stable and predictable funding stream' without donors, according to a July report by the public health organisation Vital Strategies, is to increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks to a level where taxes constitute 50% of the selling price of the products. That money can then be used, among other things, to improve health infrastructure. According to the report, 45.7% of the price of a box of cigarettes, 27.6% of a bottle of beer and 3.4% of sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks currently go towards taxes in South Africa. Mia Malan recently asked Wits RHI's Helen Rees how the country should go about to find solutions to the HIV and TB funding crisis. Following is an edited version of the full TV interview.
