Latest news with #KamranKhan
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Bird flu in humans hasn't officially been seen in U.S. in 3 months: "We just don't know why"
Health officials are making a renewed call for vigilance against bird flu, but some experts are puzzling over why reports of new human cases have stopped appearing. Has the search for cases been weakened by government cuts? Are immigrant farm workers, who have accounted for many of the U.S. cases, more afraid to come forward for testing amid the Trump administration's deportation push? Is it just a natural ebb in infections? "We just don't know why there haven't been cases," said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University. "I think we should assume there are infections that are occurring in farmworkers that just aren't being detected." The H5N1 bird flu has been spreading widely among wild birds, poultry and other animals around the world for several years, and starting early last year became a problem in people and cows in the U.S. In the last 14 months, infections have been reported in 70 people in the U.S. — most of them workers on dairy and poultry farms, and mostly with mild symptoms. One person died in Louisiana. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the virus still poses a low risk to the general public, an infectious disease expert noted that every new infection increases the odds that bird flu could mutate and lead to more severe disease. "We are really at risk of this virus evolving into one that has pandemic potential," Dr. Kamran Khan recently told "60 Minutes." "And the reality is none of us know whether this is next week, or next year, or never. I don't think it's never. But it may be here far sooner than any of us would like." California had been a hotspot, with three-quarters of the nation's infections in dairy cattle. But testing and cases among people have fallen off. At least 50 people were tested each month in late 2024, but just three people were tested in March, one in April and none in May so far, state records show. Overall, the state has confirmed H5N1 infections in 38 people, none after Jan. 14. Possible natural reason During a call with U.S. doctors this month, one CDC official noted there is a seasonality to bird flu: Cases peak in the fall and early winter, possibly due to the migration patterns of wild birds that are primary spreaders of the virus. That could mean the U.S. is experiencing a natural — maybe temporary — decline in cases. It's unlikely that a severe human infection, requiring hospitalization, would go unnoticed, said Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases. What's more, a patchwork system that monitors viruses in sewage and wastewater has suggested limited activity recently. New infections are still being detected in birds and cattle, but not as frequently as several months ago. "Given the fact that the number of animal detections has fallen according to USDA data, it's not surprising that human cases have declined as well," the CDC said in a statement. Are government cuts affecting bird flu monitoring? Dr. Gregory Gray said he wasn't concerned about the CDC not identifying new cases in months. "I don't think that anybody's hiding anything," said Gray, an infectious disease speicialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. But Osterholm and some other experts think it's likely that at least some milder infections are going undetected. And they worry that the effort to find them has been eroding. Resignations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine could slow the government's bird flu monitoring, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Three of 14 experts accepted deferred resignation offers at the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which responds to disease outbreaks with crucial diagnostic information, he said. They are among more than 15,000 USDA staff to accept the offers, an agency spokesperson said. And dozens of staff were fired at the FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, which investigates animal diseases caused by problems including contaminated pet food. Cats in several states have been sickened and died after eating raw pet food found to contain poultry infected with H5N1. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, said "targeted surveillance has really dropped off precipitously since Trump took office." She wonders if immigrant farmworkers are too scared to come forward. "I can't argue with anyone who would be risking getting shipped to a Salvadoran gulag for reporting an exposure or seeking testing," she said. CDC says risk to public remains low The CDC characterizes the risk to the general public as low, although it is higher for people who work with cattle and poultry or who are in contact with wild birds. Earlier this month, an agency assessment said there is a "moderate risk" that currently circulating strains of bird flu could cause a future pandemic, but the CDC stressed that other emerging forms of bird flu has been similarly labeled in the past. Still, research is continuing. Texas A&M University scientists have collected blood samples from dairy workers in multiple states to test for signs of past H5N1 exposure, said David Douphrate, a workplace health and safety expert leading the project. The yearlong study is funded by a nearly $4 million grant from the CDC and is expected to conclude in July. Douphrate said he leveraged two decades of relationships with dairy producers and workers to gain access to the farms. "We have had very good participation," Douphrate said. "They have been very willing." Research has found evidence suggesting some cases are going undetected. "In a recent study of dairy workers, their blood was tested for antibodies to H5N1, not looking for the virus, but looking for the immune system's memory of this virus. And it turns out that 7% of them, one out of roughly every 15 workers, actually had antibodies to H5N1," Khan told "60 Minutes." Similar surveillance is "urgently needed" among domestic cats, said Kristen Coleman, a researcher at the University of Maryland at College Park who studies emerging animal diseases. She recently released a paper reviewing bird flu in infections in cats between 2004 and 2024. Barn cats that died after drinking raw milk were one of the first signs that dairy cows were becoming infected with bird flu in 2024. Since then, the Agriculture Department has confirmed more than 120 domestic cats infected with the virus across the U.S. Infections have mostly been found in cats that died. Less is known about milder infections, whether cats can recover from bird flu — or whether the virus can spill over into people.
Jordan Times
24-03-2025
- Health
- Jordan Times
AI in health and biology
Artificial Intelligence attracted headlines when Chat GPT 4 was released in March 2023. But many interesting developments took place earlier, which helped humanity to deal with critical health problems. Dr Kamran Khan, a professor at the University of Toronto, is the founder of Blue Dot, a company that uses AI to predict infectious diseases. They have developed a platform that tracks 100,000 daily pieces of information in 65 languages from sources ranging from news websites to airline bookings. In December 2019, they tracked a new virus in the Wuhan market in China. They alerted that the virus would spread beyond China. They advised their clients in Canada to avoid the routes going to Wuhan. This was a month before the World Health Organisation proclaimed the Covid emergency. The AI they used is known as 'narrow AI', or a specialised AI system dedicated to a specific problem. It is not a general-purpose AI like Chat GPT. Pfizer and Moderna, two pharmaceutical giants, used narrow AI for vaccine development for Covid-19. The platform used by these companies had been under development for decades. AI helped with analysing protein structures and optimizing candidate vaccines. This made it possible to create the new vaccine. Chat GPT can be used for finding solutions to protracted medical problems for which doctors have no answers. In 2019, Courtney, an American mother found that the growth of her four-year old son, Alex, had stopped. He was in constant pain and had several abnormal tendencies. She visited America's top 17 hospitals including some of the most famous ones. She could not find a remedy for her son. Finally, a few months after Chat GPT 4 was launched in 2023, she uploaded all the detailed medical notes on this AI tool. ChatGPT suggested that Alex's symptoms might be consistent with tethered cord syndrome (TCS), a neurological disorder. In this rare condition, the spinal cord is attached to the spinal canal, restricting its movement, leading to nerve damage and pain. Once the correct diagnosis was made, she could find a neurosurgeon to perform surgery successfully. She now expects her son to live a normal life. I am aware of how AI is being used to find medicines for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Kit Gallagher, a postgraduate student at Oxford, has found a new method of detecting cancer in its early stage using Artificial Intelligence. He is a mathematician. He has devoted his life to apply mathematics to biology. There are also many other researchers at Oxford University exploring the use of AI to find a cure for cancer. India and other countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America suffer from infectious diseases and rare diseases. They can work together to create AI-powered tools that identify diseases early and predict their spread, helping to save millions of lives. They can establish shared data centres and joint research centres. They can help the growth of hundreds of companies like the Blue Dot company in Toronto. While using AI for a healthy future for half of the world's people, it is necessary to be aware of the dangers of AI if proper care is not taken. A model developed by Demis Hassabis was able to predict 200 million protein structures, making it possible to develop medicines to treat diseases in an early stage. An advanced model developed by his company, known as Alfa-Fold 3, is even more efficient in helping companies to develop drugs. AI can construct new drug molecules. Moreover, AI can structure new chemicals which do not exist in nature. AI can also make infections very deadly. A rogue scientist can cause havoc by misusing AI. Some AI models can even do it themselves, without human instruction. We should be careful that while AI can help stop the spread of diseases, it can also create new, deadlier ones. The biggest danger from AI is that it can create new pathogens. In 2022, a company in North Carolina in the United States instructed AI to produce dangerous toxic molecules. Within six hours, the AI created 40000 dangerous molecules, including the chemical structure for VX nerve agent, the deadliest chemical weapon ever made. The AI also structured dangerous compounds which never existed on the planet before. The company was only performing a scientific experiment. It published its findings in a scientific journal. The experiment is now well known among scientists. And that is why scientists feel scared of AI. They know that AI can detect disease and find medicines which no doctor can. They also know that AI can develop biological weapons which do not exist on the earth. If we take a narrow competitive approach to AI to win the race against other countries, AI will unleash weapons that will harm all countries. Two of the top companies, OpenAI and Anthropic strongly indicated in early 2025 that their new models might enable novices to create biological threats. The only alternative is to collaborate on the global stage to harness AI to make a healthy planet and to prevent its evolution into a monster that will create biological weapons. Sundeep Waslekar is the President of Strategic Foresight Group, an international think tank, and author of A World Without War.
Mid East Info
18-02-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Bluewater Achieves Showstopping Brand Success in UAE and Middle East After World of Coffee Trade Show in Dubai
Dubai, UAE, February 16, 2025 — Bluewater, a globally recognized leader in innovative water purification and beverage solutions for home, work, and play, has achieved a breakthrough in brand awareness across the UAE and the Middle East following a highly successful engagement at the Dubai World of Coffee trade show. Held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in early February, the event proved the perfect platform for Bluewater to showcase its cutting-edge products and sustainability mission, drawing widespread attention from coffee professionals, UAE businesses, and local and international media – and winning the accolade of Best New Product for the game-changing Bluewater Café Station. Highlighting Bluewater's presence was the debut of the brand's Café Station, recently named a 2024 'Best Buy' for specialty coffee shops by the The Caterer Magazine. The solution – slated as the next evolution in the coffee industry – attracted unprecedented footfall to the Bluewater booth, with hundreds of visitors eager to experience the benefits of its advanced water purification technology firsthand. The immense interest and positive feedback from industry professionals cemented Bluewater's status as a premier water solutions provider for specialty coffee establishments, Horeca businesses, and consumers across the Arabic. In close collaboration with its local UAE distribution partner, NIA, Bluewater's participation in the trade show further solidified its position as a major player in the UAE's water sector. NIA CEO Kamran Khan expressed his enthusiasm about the growing recognition of Bluewater's products, stating, 'We are thrilled to witness the overwhelming response to Bluewater's innovative solutions. The engagement at World of Coffee Dubai has reinforced Bluewater Brand's leadership in sustainable water purification and beverage solutions, marking a significant milestone in our joint journey to provide pristine drinking water across the region.' Beyond its trade show booth, Bluewater made a tangible impact on the event by strategically placing its state-of-the-art water dispensers – including the outdoor City Station, offering digital signage options via two giant 55-inch screens – at key locations around the venue. These dispensers provided thousands of visitors with free, purified drinking water, encouraging them to refill their reusable bottles and actively support sustainability efforts. This initiative demonstrated the commitment by Bluewater and NIA to reducing single-use plastic waste and promoting eco-conscious hydration practices. Further amplifying its sustainability efforts, Bluewater has now affiliated with the Dubai Can initiative and is officially listed as a supplier on the Dubai Can website. Dubai Can, a visionary initiative launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai, aims to reduce single-use plastic waste and encourage the use of refillable water bottles across the city. Bluewater's participation in this initiative marks a significant step toward establishing itself as a key player in the region's sustainability movement. Commenting on the partnership, NIA's Kamran Khan emphasized the significance of this collaboration, saying, 'Dubai Can's invitation for providers like us to become exclusive suppliers of water filtration systems is a testament to the quality and sustainability of the Bluewater solutions. By signing up, we have joined a cause that directly contributes to reducing single-use plastics around the city.' Bluewater's Founder and CEO, Bengt Rittri, who was recently recognized as a top 2025 ecopreneur by the UK's British Sublime lifestyle magazine, expressed his pride in supporting Dubai Can's mission. 'We are deeply honored to be associated with and committed to this sustainability initiative spearheaded by the Crown Prince of Dubai. It's an important city-wide movement that champions a refill culture, reduces plastic waste, and safeguards our oceans and marine life for generations to come. Our goal is to help provide residents and visitors in Dubai with safe, great-tasting drinking water while driving a culture of refill-conscious consumerism.' Rittri further highlighted the alignment of Bluewater's mission with Dubai Can, stating, 'We admire Dubai Can's efforts to reduce waste and prevent millions of plastic bottles from ending up in landfills. At Bluewater, we are dedicated to pioneering innovative water purification solutions that empower individuals and businesses to make sustainable choices without compromising on quality or convenience.' With the overwhelming success at the World of Coffee trade show and its growing footprint in the UAE and Middle East, Bluewater is poised to lead the region's shift toward sustainable, high-quality drinking water solutions. As the company continues to expand its reach, its unwavering commitment to innovation, sustainability, and consumer well-being will remain at the core of its mission. For media inquiries, please contact: Bluewater local press inquiries UAE/GCC, contact: Hannah Hall, +971 52 549 3067 / hannah@ NIA media inquiries, please contact: Rohith Thomas, Asst Manager – Marketing & Communications, rohith@ / +971 56 5391445 About Bluewater Founded in 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden, Bluewater has set its sights on being the world's most planet-friendly water purification and beverage company by innovating and marketing disruptive hydration solutions for home, work, and play. Honoured with two Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards, a K&B Kitchen Innovation of the Year Award, and a coveted 2024 GOOD DESIGN® Award from the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, Bluewater products are available in the UAE and elsewhere across the GCC region to consumers, hotel and catering operations, event and venue organizations, and educational institutions. Discover how Bluewater empowers businesses and consumers to achieve unparalleled water and beverage excellence here. About NIA NIA is a leading supplier of quality and innovative HVAC solutions, living appliances and well-being products to the Middle East region; driven by the pursuit to bring the best products to the home and workplace. Its operations are administered through a network of subsidiary companies in the United Arab Emirates and other parts of the GCC with its office registered in JAFZA.
