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Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Plague became less deadly to last longer, study finds
Paris: The bacteria that cause the plague evolved to become less deadly over time, allowing it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years, new research said Thursday. The first pandemic -- the plague of Justinian -- struck in the 500s at the start of the Middle Ages and lasted for around 200 years. The Black Death began in the mid-1300s and would become the deadliest pandemic in human history, killing up to half of the people in Europe, western Asia and Africa, with outbreaks continuing for centuries. The third bubonic plague pandemic broke out in China in the 1850s and continues today, with some cases still being recorded in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. "The plague bacteria have a particular importance in the history of humanity, so it's important to know how these outbreaks spread," said Javier Pizarro-Cerda, a microbiologist at France's Pasteur Institute and co-author of the study published in the journal Science on Thursday. The researchers examined samples of Yersinia pestis , the bacteria that cause the plague, dating back to each pandemic. In all three cases, the genes of each plague bacteria evolved to become less virulent and less deadly over time, according to the study. By causing less severe infections, the bacteria are thought to have extended the length of the pandemics because it gained more opportunities to spread between people. The researchers confirmed this theory by infecting rats with recent plague samples, showing that the disease lasted longer when the virulence decreased. While antibiotics can now effectively fight off the plague, the research could shine a light on how other pandemics might evolve. "This allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how pathogens can adapt to different situations," Pizarro-Cerda said. "We finally better understand what the plague is -- and how we can develop measures to defend ourselves," he added.
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
Plague became less deadly to last longer, study finds
PARIS, France - The bacteria that cause the plague evolved to become less deadly over time, allowing it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years, new research said Thursday. The first pandemic -- the plague of Justinian -- struck in the 500s at the start of the Middle Ages and lasted for around 200 years. The Black Death began in the mid-1300s and would become the deadliest pandemic in human history, killing up to half of the people in Europe, western Asia and Africa, with outbreaks continuing for centuries. The third bubonic plague pandemic broke out in China in the 1850s and continues today, with some cases still being recorded in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. "The plague bacteria have a particular importance in the history of humanity, so it's important to know how these outbreaks spread," said Javier Pizarro-Cerda, a microbiologist at France's Pasteur Institute and co-author of the study published in the journal Science on Thursday. The researchers examined samples of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that cause the plague, dating back to each pandemic. In all three cases, the genes of each plague bacteria evolved to become less virulent and less deadly over time, according to the study. By causing less severe infections, the bacteria are thought to have extended the length of the pandemics because it gained more opportunities to spread between people. The researchers confirmed this theory by infecting rats with recent plague samples, showing that the disease lasted longer when the virulence decreased. While antibiotics can now effectively fight off the plague, the research could shine a light on how other pandemics might evolve. "This allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how pathogens can adapt to different situations," Pizarro-Cerda said. "We finally better understand what the plague is -- and how we can develop measures to defend ourselves," he added. — Agence France-Presse
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Plague bacteria became less deadly to last longer, study finds
Yersinia pestis bacteria infected people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years by becoming less deadly. PHOTO: AFP Plague bacteria became less deadly to last longer, study finds PARIS - The bacteria that caused the plague evolved to become less deadly over time, allowing it to continue infecting people in three separate pandemics over more than a thousand years, new research said on May 29. The first pandemic – the plague of Justinian – struck in the 500s at the start of the Middle Ages and lasted for around 200 years. The Black Death began in the mid-1300s and would become the deadliest pandemic in human history, killing up to half of the people in Europe, western Asia and Africa, with outbreaks continuing for centuries. The third bubonic plague pandemic broke out in China in the 1850s and continues today, with some cases still being recorded in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. 'The plague bacteria have a particular importance in the history of humanity, so it's important to know how these outbreaks spread,' said Dr Javier Pizarro-Cerda, a microbiologist at France's Pasteur Institute and co-author of the study published in the journal Science on May 29. The researchers examined samples of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that caused the plague, dating back to each pandemic. In all three cases, the genes of each plague bacteria evolved to become less virulent and less deadly over time, according to the study. By causing less severe infections, the bacteria are thought to have extended the length of the pandemics because it gained more opportunities to spread between people. The researchers confirmed this theory by infecting rats with recent plague samples, showing that the disease lasted longer when the virulence decreased. Yersinia pestis bacteria are pictured under an electron microscope. PHOTO: AFP While antibiotics can now effectively fight off the plague, the research could shine a light on how other pandemics might evolve. 'This allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how pathogens can adapt to different situations,' Dr Pizarro-Cerda said. 'We finally better understand what the plague is – and how we can develop measures to defend ourselves,' he added. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Cambodia reports fourth bird flu death this year
A total of 43 people died from bird flu in Cambodia between 2003 and 2024, according to the World Health Organization. (Reuters pic) PHNOM PENH : Cambodia registered its fourth death from bird flu this year, double last year's toll, after an 11-year-old boy died from the virus, authorities said Wednesday. The child from Kampong Speu province in the west had 'fever, cough, and difficulty breathing' when he was taken to hospital before he died on Tuesday, the health ministry said. Tests by the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia confirmed he was positive for the H5N1 virus which causes avian influenza, according to the statement. It said there were chickens and ducks getting sick and dying near the child's house one week before he showed symptoms. A 28-year-old man who raised poultry at home died from bird flu in January. In February and March, the virus killed two children aged two and three. The H5N1 virus is generally transmitted to humans after contact with infected birds or in high-risk environments, such as farms or live animal markets, but the likelihood of transmission remains rare. A total of 43 people died from bird flu in Cambodia between 2003 and 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). There were no cases between 2014 and 2022, following which the WHO reported an uptick as the virus killed four people in the kingdom in 2023 and two last year.
Euronews
18-02-2025
- Health
- Euronews
More and more adults are wondering if they have autism. These signs could help with a diagnosis
Natasha Nelson, a 35-year-old entrepreneur in the United States, didn't know why people meeting for the first time would choose to engage in small talk instead of deep conversations, or why people like to make their beds. Then, a few years ago, she was diagnosed with autism, just after her youngest daughter received the same. In the US, a study published last year in JAMA Network Open showed a 452 per cent increase in autism diagnoses among US adults aged 26 to 34 from 2011 to 2022. A 2021 study in the United Kingdom, meanwhile, found that between 1998 and 2018, there had been a 787 per cent increase in autism diagnoses. The researchers of that study, which was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, said this could be due to increased prevalence or "more likely, increased reporting and application of diagnosis". "Rising diagnosis among adults, females, and higher functioning individuals suggest augmented recognition underpins these changes," the authors added. Here's more information on what you should know about adult autism diagnoses. What is autism and when is it usually diagnosed? Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by a range of intellectual, language, and social difficulties, like rigidly following routines, having fixed or obsessive interests, and struggling to hold eye contact or understand nonverbal communication. Autism typically manifests during early childhood before the age of 3, according to France's Pasteur Institute. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all children be screened as early as 18 months. Why are more adults being diagnosed with autism? More adults have sought insight into their own neurodiversity in the last decade, often after their children are diagnosed or after seeing social media posts. Some traits of autism can go unnoticed until adulthood when there are new social demands. Others may have learned how to hide certain behaviours, known as masking. "Adults have learned to compensate over time," said Whitney Ence, a psychologist at the University of California San Francisco who works with autistic adults. "They may have learned like 'I can't display that in public, and so I do that in private'". There's also an overlap of symptoms between various disorders like ADHD and OCD that can complicate an autism diagnosis due to difficulties with nonverbal social cues or executive functions like attention span, working memory, and problem-solving. What are the symptoms of autism in adults? Symptoms present differently for everyone, and many of the traits are common for people without autism, like enjoying routines or enjoying going down rabbit holes of information. But to meet the diagnostic definition of autism, the symptoms must cause significant impairment, said Dr Arthur Westover, a psychiatrist who specialises in autism at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "We're human beings in general. We like routines... just having a bit of pleasure and feeling better with routines does not mean you're autistic," Westover said. "It goes a little bit deeper than that". Russell Lehmann, 34, has lived with his autism diagnosis for more than 20 years. The motivational speaker has routines that he describes as both comfortable and stressful. Eating the same food and buying the same groceries, he said, brings him comfort. But if he skips going to the gym for an hour and a half every day, he becomes overwhelmed with feelings of depression and failure. "It's like no gym, no day," he said, calling the routine "an incredibly existential burden".
