Latest news with #EmergingInfectiousDiseases
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A 58-year-old woman has died of a rare neurological condition. The cause of death? Being injected with hormones taken from a corpse.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A woman in the U.S. has died from severe neurological symptoms that were caused by an abnormal protein — which she was unknowingly injected with nearly 50 years earlier. Having shown no neurological symptoms in the decades since the injection, the 58-year-old recently began experiencing tremors and changes in her ability to balance while walking. In the following weeks, she developed urinary incontinence, difficulty speaking and abnormal breathing. After being admitted to hospital, she entered a coma and later died, according to a case report published May 14 in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. A follow-up MRI scan while she was in hospital revealed damage to her brain, and further testing showed positive results for an abnormal protein called a prion. Prions are found in cell membranes, the wall that surrounds every one of our cells, and are thought to be one of the molecules involved in cellular communication and other interactions. Though prions can exist safely in the body, when these proteins accumulate in the brain they can cause surrounding proteins to contort and "misfold," damaging nerve cells. Infection with an abnormally 'folded' prion from an external source – like eating contaminated meat, as in the case of 'mad cow' disease – can also spark a chain of misfolding in the body. The brain damage caused by prion diseases is always fatal, with most patients dying within one year of first developing symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic. In this case, the woman was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), an extremely rare and fatal brain wasting disease caused by prions. Related: Here's how dangerous, deadly prions spread to the brain It is thought the woman was given prion-infected hormones sometime between 1971 and 1980, while receiving treatment for a condition called panhypopituitarism. People with this condition have a lack of hormones produced by the pituitary gland, the organ that secretes a range of hormones including those involved in growth and sexual development. In the 1970s, panhypopituitarism was treated by injecting patients with human growth hormones extracted from the healthy pituitary glands of people who had died. At the time, this was common practice — as well as being used to treat pituitary conditions, hormones from cadavers were also given to women whose ovaries were not producing eggs. However, in 1985 researchers identified the first U.S. outbreak of CJD related to treatments with cadaver-derived growth hormones. The treatment was quickly suspended, and later a synthetic alternative hormone, produced by genetic engineering, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). RELATED STORIES — Alzheimer's comes in at least 5 distinct forms, study reveals — Shingles vaccine may directly guard against dementia, study hints — 13 proteins tied to brain aging seem to spike at ages 57, 70 and 78 So far, 0.4% of those treated in the U.S with growth hormones taken from the organs of deceased individuals have gone on to develop CJD. How these hormones were infected with prions is still unknown, and scientists cannot yet explain why there is such a long latency period between the infection and the symptoms arising. There is currently no treatment available to those with CJD, or any other form of prion disease. However, ongoing research projects seek to uncover treatments for the conditions. The researchers involved in the recent case study said that while the number of people developing CJD as a result of growth hormone treatment has slowed over the years, it is still possible that new cases will arise.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
American woman died of a mad-cow-like disease that lay dormant for 50 years: All you need to know
Image credits: Getty Images Sometimes life feels fine until the tragedy strikes and you realise that it was in the cards. An American woman recently died from an incurable prion disease that she had caught 50 years before. In a paper published on Wednesday in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, doctors revealed that the 58-year-old woman had developed a form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) that she likely contracted through contaminated human growth hormone (HGH) treatments she received as a child. While the globally fatal disease is popular, the death presented the longest latency period ever documented for it. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Image credits: Getty Images Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare, fatal and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by abnormal prion proteins. Prions are proteinaceous infectious particles, a rogue protein that triggers normal proteins to misfold and form a clump and disturb brain function. Over time, the accumulation of bad prions destroys the brain and leads to symptoms such as dementia and death. What's concerning is that they are resistant to most standard methods of sterilisation that are used to kill other infectious agents like bacteria and viruses. How are prions caused? Prions can emerge sporadically with no clear reason. They can be caused by inherited mutations or can be transmitted through close contact with infected bodily fluids or brain matter. In the 1980s, doctors discovered that one could catch CJD through human growth hormone extracted from prion-infected cadavers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Rates Undo A decade later, it was learned that one could catch the disease via tainted beef from cows infected with their own version of the prion disease, which is nicknamed the mad cow disease. What are the symptoms of CJD? Image credits: Getty Images According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the main symptoms of CJD include cognitive troubles leading to dementia, involuntary muscle jerks, and lack of coordination of movements. While it can be diagnosed through a neurological exam, EEG, MRI and CSE tests, it has no cure as of now. What happened to the woman? According to the report, the woman initially visited doctors with tremors and trouble balancing. Once the symptoms of the disease started, her condition worsened, she was hospitalised, fell into a coma and died. An autopsy revealed her death's cause as CJD but ruled out genetic causes. Since she had received HGH treatment, it was considered to be the root cause of her illness by doctors. HGH is used to treat severe growth-related conditions in children and has been used for many years. In this case, the woman received her first treatment 51.3 years before her symptoms appeared. Since the US switched the collection of HGH from cadavers in 1977, thus reducing the risk of prion contamination, the timeframe of the woman's infection is around 48.3 years earlier. According to the authors, people who have a history of HGH treatment before 1977 must look out for similar delayed cases. 'Although the US CJD outbreak has slowed substantially, the potential for new cases remains,' they wrote. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Gizmodo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
U.S. Woman Dies From Mad Cow-Like Brain Disease That Lay Dormant for 50 Years
The grim reaper can sometimes take decades to catch up with its victims. In a report out this week, scientists describe a woman who died from an incurable prion disease caught roughly 50 years earlier. Doctors detailed the unusual case in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The 58-year-old woman developed a form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) likely contracted through contaminated human growth hormone (HGH) treatments she received as a child, they determined. The tragic death may represent the longest latency period ever documented for this universally fatal disease. Disease-causing prions are one of the strangest things that can sicken people. They're the misfolded form of the normal (but still very mysterious) prion protein found in our bodies and brains. When a rogue prion comes across its harmless counterpart, it converts the latter into a misfolded copy of itself, much like a zombie outbreak. Over time, the exponential accumulation of bad prions destroys the brain, leading to symptoms like dementia and death soon after. If that's not scary enough, prions are naturally resistant to most standard methods of sterilization used to kill off other infectious agents like bacteria or viruses. The one saving grace is that prion diseases in general remain very rare, though other prion-like diseases like Alzheimer's are more common. Prions can emerge sporadically for no clear reason, can be caused by inherited mutations, or they can be transmitted though close contact with infected bodily fluids or brain matter. In the 1980s, for instance, doctors discovered that people could catch CJD through human growth hormone extracted from prion-infected cadavers. A decade later, we learned that people could also catch CJD via tainted beef from cows infected with their own version of prion disease (nicknamed mad cow disease). The discovery of HGH-related CJD quickly led to the end of cadaver-sourced HGH in the U.S. and other countries (thankfully, synthetic HGH became available soon after). Still, over two hundred cases of iatrogenic CJD—iatrogenic meaning it was caused by a medical treatment—from tainted HGH have been documented worldwide. Most of these cases were reported between five and 10 years after people had used HGH. But prion disease can sometimes take much longer to manifest in certain people, even decades. According to this latest report, the woman first visited doctors with tremors and trouble balancing. As is often the case, once symptoms started, her condition rapidly worsened. She was hospitalized just four weeks later, and several days into her stay, she fell into a coma that she would never awaken from. An autopsy confirmed the woman's death from CJD but ruled out known genetic causes. And since she received HGH treatment prior to the cadaver ban, it was likely the root source of her illness, the doctors concluded. HGH is used to treat severe growth-related conditions in children, and is typically taken over many years, including in this case. That makes it impossible to know exactly when the woman contracted CJD. Her first treatment was 51.3 years prior to her symptoms appearing, for instance, while her last treatment was 42.1 years earlier. But the U.S. switched to a different method of collecting HGH from cadavers in 1977, one that inadvertently and greatly reduced the risk of prion contamination. Based on that, the most likely timeframe for her infection is around 48.3 years earlier, the authors calculated. There are known cases of people dying from CJD infections caught over 30 years ago, as well as reports of other prion diseases emerging over a half century later. But this appears to be the longest case of HGH-related CJD documented so far, though it might not be the last. The researchers note that genetics can influence a person's chances of developing prion disease. And the woman possessed a mutation in the gene that codes for the prion protein linked to longer latency periods. So while tainted human growth hormone hasn't caused CJD for a very long time, some people out there may still one day succumb to their earlier exposure (it's estimated that around 7,700 people in the U.S. took HGH prior to the cadaver ban). The authors say that doctors treating neurological illness should at least be on the lookout for these delayed cases, especially if their patients have a history of HGH treatment before 1977. 'Although the US iCJD outbreak has slowed substantially, the potential for new cases remains,' they wrote.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts say a certain tick bite might make you allergic to red meat
It's nearly peak tick season and bites from the bugs may come with dangerous consequences for meat lovers — and everyone exposed. Three species are associated with a red meat allergy that can manifest in response to a bite, researchers found recently. The allergy is known as alpha-gal syndrome, which is also a potentially life-threatening condition. Scientists think that the sugar molecule certain tick species carry, called alpha-gal, gets into people's bodies, can disrupt their immune systems, and lead to a possibly deadly allergic reaction. Previously, it was believed that lone star ticks, which are found east of the Rocky Mountains, were the only species capable of triggering the disease. 'It was a very surprising finding to us,' Hanna Oltean, an epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health, told Science News on Tuesday. Oltean was the corresponding author of a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The study described the 2017 case of now-retired wildlife biologist Cathy Raley, who woke up with hives and later stopped being able to swallow at her home in Washington state. Another study detailed a similar incident in 2022 when a 45-year-old Maine woman discovered a western black-legged tick on her left bicep after walking on a wooded path. Nearly 10 days after the bite and following a meal of roasted rabbit, the unidentified subject began to experience abdominal pain. That pain continued after eating red meat. 'A severe episode of diarrhea and vomiting hours after beef consumption prompted the patient to visit a healthcare provider 20 days after the tick bite,' the study's authors said. The woman was able to resume eating red meat ten months after her first symptoms. The tick that had bitten her was a deer tick. There are dozens of species found across the United States. 'U.S. health and public health professionals should be aware of AGS outside the established lone star tick range,' the researchers warned. Even among healthcare providers, alpha-gal syndrome is not very well-known. There have been about 110,000 suspected cases across the U.S. from 2010 to 2022. However, researchers think that may be an undercount. Delayed symptoms can also make it hard to diagnose. Developing alpha-gal can cause a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis that can be deadly without treatment with a shot of prescription medicine called epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. There's no cure for the condition, and reducing exposure is the best defense against tickborne illness. Oltean says ticks commonly come out and seek 'blood meals' between March and May. However, warmer temperatures driven by climate change have meant ticks appear earlier, stay later, and thrive in a wider geographic range. 'It's important for people to be aware of the risk so that they can take appropriate precautions,' Oltean said.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Experts say a certain tick bite might make you allergic to red meat
It's nearly peak tick season and bites from the bugs may come with dangerous consequences for meat lovers — and everyone exposed. Three species are associated with a red meat allergy that can manifest in response to a bite, researchers found recently. The allergy is known as alpha-gal syndrome, which is also a potentially life-threatening condition. Scientists think that the sugar molecule certain tick species carry, called alpha-gal, gets into people's bodies, can disrupt their immune systems, and lead to a possibly deadly allergic reaction. Previously, it was believed that lone star ticks, which are found east of the Rocky Mountains, were the only species capable of triggering the disease. 'It was a very surprising finding to us,' Hanna Oltean, an epidemiologist at Washington State Department of Health, told Science News on Tuesday. Oltean was the corresponding author of a study published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The study described the 2017 case of now-retired wildlife biologist Cathy Raley, who woke up with hives and later stopped being able to swallow at her home in Washington state. Another study detailed a similar incident in 2022 when a 45-year-old Maine woman discovered a western black-legged tick on her left bicep after walking on a wooded path. Nearly 10 days after the bite and following a meal of roasted rabbit, the unidentified subject began to experience abdominal pain. That pain continued after eating red meat. 'A severe episode of diarrhea and vomiting hours after beef consumption prompted the patient to visit a healthcare provider 20 days after the tick bite,' the study's authors said. The woman was able to resume eating red meat ten months after her first symptoms. The tick that had bitten her was a deer tick. There are dozens of species found across the United States. 'U.S. health and public health professionals should be aware of AGS outside the established lone star tick range,' the researchers warned. Even among healthcare providers, alpha-gal syndrome is not very well-known. There have been about 110,000 suspected cases across the U.S. from 2010 to 2022. However, researchers think that may be an undercount. Delayed symptoms can also make it hard to diagnose. Developing alpha-gal can cause a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis that can be deadly without treatment with a shot of prescription medicine called epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. There's no cure for the condition, and reducing exposure is the best defense against tickborne illness. Oltean says ticks commonly come out and seek 'blood meals' between March and May. However, warmer temperatures driven by climate change have meant ticks appear earlier, stay later, and thrive in a wider geographic range. 'It's important for people to be aware of the risk so that they can take appropriate precautions,' Oltean said.
