Infection From Brain-Eating Amoeba Kills Boy in South Carolina
Jaysen Carr, a middle school student, contracted the deadly infectious amoeba after swimming in Lake Murray, a reservoir roughly 15 miles from Columbia, S.C., the law firm of Tyler D. Bailey said on Facebook. Jaysen died on July 18.
In a briefing on Thursday, Prisma Health Children's Hospital in South Carolina confirmed that Jaysen died from Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater.
It was not immediately clear when he had gone swimming. Dominion Energy, which owns the lake and runs recreational access to it, could not be immediately reached on Saturday.
The amoeba is 'ubiquitous to any fresh water in the state of South Carolina' and much of the Southeastern United States, Anna-Kathryn Burch, a doctor of pediatric infectious diseases, said at the briefing.
As the weather heats up, the number of amoeba in the water increase while water levels decrease. That is often when infections occur.
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Doctors Explain What They Really Think of Biohacking
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Meet the experts: Mikhail Kogan, M.D., medical director of the George Washington University Center for Integrative Medicine; Bert Mandelbaum, M.D., sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles; Kanwar Kelley, M.D., physician and co-founder of Side Health in Orinda, CA; Salim Hayek, M.D., chair of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Whatever your take on biohacking, it's important to at least know what's out there and what it all means. With that in mind, here's what doctors want you to know about biohacking, as well as how to decide if it's right for you. What is biohacking? Biohacking is a broad term used to describe the process of making tweaks to try to improve your health. It can involve sleep, workout routines, supplements, dietary changes, and more. 'Biohacking is essentially DIY biology—making intentional changes to your lifestyle, diet, or environment to optimize health and performance,' explains Salim Hayek, M.D., chair of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch. 'It ranges from simple tweaks like tracking your sleep or trying intermittent fasting, to more extreme practices like implanting microchips.' Biohacking in the traditional sense means that it's experimental, says Dr. Kogan. 'It wouldn't be called 'biohacking' if it's scientifically proven—that would be standard of care,' he says. But some doctors look at biohacking as people simply trying to improve their health beyond what they may discuss in a routine exam with their physician. 'It's a marketing term that describes things that enhance health, healthspan, and playspan,' says Bert Mandelbaum, M.D., sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles. 'The essential aspect is that you are what you eat, think, drink, and do. Those are all very important.' The right ways to try biohacking—according to experts Dr. Mandelbaum prefers to look at biohacking as enhancing what you've got with the help of scientifically-proven methods. Kanwar Kelley, M.D., physician and co-founder of Side Health in Orinda, CA, also suggests this approach. 'Biohacking does not need to be overly complicated or require specialized equipment,' he says. 'Adjusting your approach to diet, supplementation, and sleep can help enhance performance and overall health, leading to increased productivity and longevity.' Even meditation and incorporating foods with beneficial properties can fall into this category, he says, among other things. On the supplement front, it's important to talk to your doctor before trying anything new—and your doctor may recommend a blood test to identify if you have any deficiencies. 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2 hours ago
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After a Long Day of Travel, She Woke Up Unable to Walk. Then Crawled to Her Car and Drove to the ER (Exclusive)
Ella Katenkamp opens up to PEOPLE about the week she spent in the hospital, the unexpected condition that sidelined her, and what she wishes others understoodNEED TO KNOW Ella Katenkamp was days from finishing school when she woke up unable to walk At first, she assumed the pain in her calves was from working out after a long trip A week later, she left the hospital with a diagnosis that changed how she views her healthElla Katenkamp was days away from finishing school when she woke to a sharp, searing pain in her calves, her feet curled into a locked position and muscles frozen. What followed was a weeklong hospital stay, a terrifying diagnosis and a viral TikTok that sparked a conversation amongst millions. 'I took a trip the week before to Georgia, and it was a lot of, like, hiking,' Katenkamp tells PEOPLE, looking back on what seemed like a fun getaway before things spiraled. 'On the last day, we did a hike with thousands of stairs, and then I drove 13 hours straight back to Florida.' The former college athlete wasted no time jumping back into her routine. 'As soon as I got back, I did a leg workout at the gym,' she says, noting that cramps didn't seem like a big deal at first. 'I got, like, really bad calf pain after that,' she explains. 'My feet locked into a pointed toe position, and I couldn't walk flat-footed. My calves were stuck like that.' Assuming it was a standard athletic cramp, Katenkamp drank water, stretched, and went to bed. But by 5 a.m., the pain was excruciating, and her legs refused to move. 'I lived with a roommate at the time, but it was, like, five in the morning and I didn't want to wake her up,' she says. 'So I crawled to my car and drove myself to the hospital.' At the ER, her condition worsened. 'As soon as I got in there, they ran over and put me in a wheelchair, and that was it for about a week,' she recalls. 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Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. If she could tell social media users one thing, it's this: don't pretend to be an expert. 'You never know what's going on,' she says. 'There were over 20 different comments guessing the cause. It's different for every person.' Katenkamp says she understands the appeal of quick judgments, especially online. But she hopes her story shows why empathy matters. 'Don't speak on other people's health,' she says. 'If there's one thing I learned, it's that you really don't know what someone's going through.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
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Alnylam reaches new highs on strong sales of closely watched rare disease drug
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