Brazil's Tocantins rules out highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial flock
Adapec, as the state's farm agency is known, said authorities started the investigation on a local commercial chicken farm after seven animals, out of about 40,000 individuals, presented "torticollis", the statement said.
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The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Health warning as chikungunya cases detected among returning travellers
Holiday makers have been urged to take precautions against mosquito bites while abroad amid a rise in cases of the chikungunya virus among travellers returning to Britain. Chikungunya is a virus spread by mosquito bites, the symptoms of which include a sudden fever and joint pain. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also detected the first cases of the emerging disease oropouche virus in the UK, all of which were linked to travel from Brazil. According to UKHSA, most people recover within two weeks, although the joint pain can last for months or even years in some cases. Serious complications are not common, but in rare cases the disease can be fatal, particularly in very young or older people, or those with underlying health conditions. The latest travel-associated infections report from UKHSA shows there were 73 cases of chikungunya reported between January and June 2025, compared to 27 cases for the same period last year. The majority were linked to travel to Sri Lanka, India and Mauritius. All cases were reported in England, primarily in London. There is currently no risk of onward transmission of chikungunya, as the two species of mosquito that transmit the disease are not established in the UK, UKHSA said. The illness mainly occurs in Africa and Asia, specifically southern Asia, although cases have been reported in Europe and parts of North America. However, this year there have been outbreaks in the Americas and Asia, with surges in China and the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion, Mayotte and Mauritius. Dr Philip Veal, consultant in public health at UKHSA, said: 'Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we're seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK. 'While this mosquito-borne infection is rarely fatal, it can cause severe joint and muscle pain, headaches, sensitivity to light and skin rashes. Thankfully symptoms usually improve within a few weeks, but joint pain may last for months or longer. 'It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling. 'Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk.' Two chikungunya vaccines are approved for use in the UK and are available to buy after an assessment at a private travel clinic. Meanwhile, the first UK cases of oropouche virus, which is spread by midge bites, have been detected by UKHSA. The three cases were all associated with travel to Brazil. The flu-like illness can cause a fever, headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea and vomiting. Officials urged anyone who becomes unwell with these symptoms after travel to affected areas, including parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean, to seek urgent medical advice. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), before late 2023, oropouche virus was mostly reported near the Amazon rainforest area. However, in 2024, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guyana, Peru and the Dominican Republic reported locally transmitted cases of the disease. The UKHSA report also shows a rise in travel-associated cholera cases in the UK, with eight cases in the first half of the year compared to just one in 2024. Most cases were linked with travel to India and Ethiopia. There was also a 67 per cent decrease in the number of dengue cases reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from January to June, and there were just four cases of zika virus during the period, down from nine in 2024.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Two-year-old boy dies after doctors use air hose to dislodge popcorn stuck up his nose, rupturing his lungs
A two-year-old boy has died after doctors used an air hose to dislodge a popcorn kernel that was stuck up his noise, rupturing his lungs and stomach. Ravi de Souza Figueiredo died hours after being treated and discharged from the Goiatuba Municipal Hospital in Goias state, Brazil, after the doctors performed the botched procedure. Two doctors have been indicted for manslaughter, after police and prosecutors opened an investigation into negligence at the hospital. His parents said they took him to the hospital after being unable to remove a corn kernel that got stuck in his nose. Hospital staff first tried to extract it with tweezers without success. They then inserted a rubber cannula into his nostril and blew compressed air twice in an attempt to dislodge it. The family said the kernel remained stuck and the child vomited immediately afterwards. His father noticed his stomach swell right after the procedure, and later forensic reports found his lung and stomach had ruptured. Ravi was given medication for gas, kept under observation for a few hours, and discharged. He later fell ill again and returned to the hospital, where further tests were carried out. 'He remained bloated, weak, and couldn't speak. He didn't look well, he was distressed, so we returned to the same hospital,' his father Josenilson da Silva Figueiredo said, reported the Mirror. A pediatrician ordered his transfer to a larger hospital, but on the way he developed breathing difficulties and was declared dead soon after on April 5. His mother, Priscila Marta de Souza, said: 'I saw the moment the nurse lowered her head. She said: "Unfortunately, your son has passed away." I went into despair.' The autopsy recorded acute respiratory failure as the cause of death. His father is quoted in Brazilian news website G1 as saying: 'Ravi was fine, breathing normally and even talking. He was a healthy child, running everywhere. I want justice. It's so painful.' Police chief Sergio Henrique said the compressed air procedure was not in line with standard practice and that an immediate X-ray could have prevented the tragedy. 'When trying to remove the corn kernel, which was in the boy's nose, the doctor used a non-standard technique, which is not recommended - introducing a compressed air cannula into the child's upper airways,' he said, addressing reporters on July 9. 'This caused air to enter the lungs and stomach with great force, leading to the rupture of these organs.' They have now charged Dr Daniella Carvalho Ferreira and Dr Isabella Helena Caixeta de Oliveira with negligence over the boy's death. The Public Prosecutor's Office has received the investigation and is awaiting technical information from the Regional Medical Council of the State of Goias. The family's lawyer, Vinicius Dias, said he would assist the prosecution and file a civil lawsuit, adding that the defence would be 'firm, technical, and combative' to ensure accountability.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- The Independent
Hair found in Inca device could change what's known about medieval civilisation
A hair strand uncovered from an Incan astronomical device suggests record-keeping in the empire was prevalent not only among elite individuals but also practiced by commoners. The finding, published in the journal Science Advances, changes what's known about numerical literacy among people in the medieval civilisation. Incas used knotted-string devices called khipus to maintain records, especially numerical information. These devices consisted of a main cord with numerous pendant cords attached, encoding information via the use of knots, their positions, and the colours. Sometimes human hair is found wound on a khipu as a 'signature' to indicate its creator. 'Hair in the ancient Andes was a ritually powerful substance that represented the individual from whom it came,' researchers explained. Until now, Spanish colonial-era documents have hinted that only male elites made khipus. It was thought that 'khipu literacy' was not widespread outside of bureaucrats charged with keeping records. 'On the basis of primarily Spanish-language colonial chronicles, it is thought that khipus were created exclusively by male bureaucratic elites,' researchers wrote. Much later in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the production of khipus was documented even among Andean labourers, peasant farmers, and female peasants. However, the latest analysis of human hair woven into a late 15th century khipu by its creator suggests that even then low-ranking Inkas made and used khipus. This particular khipu was found at a German auction with little documentation and later dated to 1498 AD. It's main cord was made of human hair about 104 centimetrers long, folded and twisted, representing about eight years of growth, researchers say. Scientists utilised advances in chemical analysis to make simultaneous measurements of levels of different elements, including carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur, from the hair sample. They found that the person who made the device ate a commoner's diet of tubers and greens, rather than a bureaucrat's diet of meat and maize. Further analysis, measuring oxygen and hydrogen values, determined that this low-ranking commoner likely lived in present-day southern Peru or northern Chile. 'Contrary to previous assumptions, commoners in the Inka Empire apparently created Inka-style khipus as well,' scientists wrote. The study results also corroborate other recent findings that women also made these recording systems, together challenging the idea that khipu literacy was the sole domain of male elites. 'Khipu literacy in the Inka Empire may have been more inclusive and widespread than hitherto thought,' researchers concluded.
