Latest news with #healthOfficials
Gizmodo
9 hours ago
- General
- Gizmodo
Texas Woman Dies From Brain-Eating Amoeba After Using Tainted RV Water
Cases of Naegleria fowleri infection are incredibly rare, but nearly always fatal. A woman's practice of nasal irrigation led to her death via brain-eating amoeba. In a recent case report, health officials described how she contracted a fatal infection of Naegleria fowleri through tainted tap water sourced from a recreational vehicle. Federal and local health officials in Texas detailed the unusual death last week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The 71-year-old woman developed neurological symptoms days after using a nasal irrigation device and died only a week later. These infections, while rare, can be prevented through practical safety measures, such as only using sterilized water for nasal irrigation, officials say. N. fowleri is a shapeshifting amoeba that lives in soil and warm freshwater. It typically feeds on bacteria and isn't dangerous to humans when it's simply ingested. But when the amoeba enters our body through the nose, it can end up in the brain. Once there, the amoeba will literally feast on brain cells and trigger massive inflammation, causing a severe brain infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. According to the MMWR report, the previously healthy woman sought medical care with fever, headache, and altered mental status. Four days earlier, she had irrigated her nose with tap water from an RV's water system at a campground in Texas. Doctors quickly suspected PAM, but even with treatment, she developed seizures and died eight days after her symptoms began. The bizarre nature of her death then prompted an investigation by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC. Officials tested both the water from the woman's RV and the nearby municipal water system that the RV may have been connected to during the trip. Neither source tested positive for the amoeba, and officials were only able to sample the water 23 days after the woman's exposure, so the environmental conditions may have simply changed by then. But they did find evidence that the RV's water system wasn't properly disinfected to prevent contamination, likely explaining how the amoeba found its way into the woman's tap water. 'This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards,' the officials wrote. PAM is very rare, with only around 150 cases reported since the amoeba was discovered in the 1960s, but it's nearly always fatal once symptoms start. Most infections are typically caught when people get water up their nose while swimming in warm lakes. But the amoeba can also survive in drinking or recreational water systems, especially if they're not properly sterilized. And there have been several cases of people getting infected through using contaminated tap water for nasal irrigation (irrigation is usually performed to clear the sinuses in people with allergies or respiratory infections). The report authors say that PAM can be easily prevented through recommended nasal irrigation practices, which include only relying on distilled, sterilized, or boiled and cooled tap water for irrigation. This latest case also highlights the unique danger posed by improperly cleaned RV water systems. So Texas and federal health officials have now created an infographic for RV users to follow so they can lower their risk of PAM and other waterborne illnesses.
The Independent
9 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Expert warns of spread of super-gonorrhoea resistant to antibiotics
Health officials have issued a warning over a "concerning jump" in cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to strong antibiotics. New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals that the number of cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea, which are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, has already surpassed the total number of cases recorded in the previous year. While overall gonorrhoea cases in England saw a 16 per cent decrease in 2024, with 71,802 diagnoses compared to 85,370 in 2023, the rise in antibiotic-resistant strains remains a significant concern for health authorities. However, ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea cases are being detected more frequently – with 14 in the first five months of 2025 compared with 13 in the whole of the previous year. Six of the 14 cases this year have been 'extensively drug-resistant', which means that they were resistant to ceftriaxone and then to second-line treatment options, according to the UKHSA. Ceftriaxone is a strong antibiotic and the main treatment for gonorrhoea. Experts are therefore concerned when infections fail to respond to it. Most of these drug-resistant cases are linked with travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region, where the prevalence of ceftriaxone resistance is high. Elsewhere, among people in England, early-stage syphilis diagnoses rose 1.7%, from 9,375 in 2023 to 9,535 in 2024. The overall figure for syphilis, including late-stage syphilis or complications from the infection, increased 5% from 12,456 in 2023 to 13,030 in 2024. Chlamydia fell 13%, from 194,143 diagnoses in 2023 to 168,889 in 2024, while people diagnosed for the first time with genital warts also dropped. Among women aged 15 to 24 who are recommended to be screened through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), there was a 10.7% decrease in the number of chlamydia tests carried out, from 673,102 to 601,295. Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: 'Levels of STIs in this country remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing. 'These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners – particularly if they are antibiotic resistant. 'If you've had condomless sex with new or casual partners – either in the UK or overseas – get tested for STIs and HIV at least yearly, even if you don't have symptoms. Regular testing protects both you and those you're having sex with. 'From August, eligible people will also be offered vaccination to reduce the risk of gonorrhoea and we expect to see the immunisation programme have an impact on diagnoses of this infection in coming years – please take up the vaccine if you are offered it.' Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: 'Whilst it is encouraging to see a fall in the total number of STI diagnoses this year, we nonetheless continue to see historically high rates of sexual infection, with particularly worrying continued increases in infections such as syphilis, which are at their highest-ever levels, and the continued spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. 'It is vital that clear steps are put in place to reverse these trends. He added: 'Sexual health services remain under immense pressure and these new tools risk being deployed into overstretched systems unable to support them effectively. 'We find ourselves at a critical point for securing the long-term viability of sexual health services in this country. 'Only a joined-up, ambitious national strategy can ensure that we are prepared not just for today's sexual health challenges, but for those we know are coming.'
The Independent
15 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Experts warn of ‘concerning jump' in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea
There has been a 'concerning jump' in cases of gonorrhoea resistant to strong antibiotics, health officials have warned. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show there have been more cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea that are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone so far in 2025 than the whole of last year. Overall, there was a 16% drop in gonorrhoea cases in 2024 in England, with 71,802 diagnoses, compared with 85,370 in 2023. However, ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea cases are being detected more frequently – with 14 in the first five months of 2025 compared with 13 in the whole of the previous year. Six of the 14 cases this year have been 'extensively drug-resistant', which means that they were resistant to ceftriaxone and then to second-line treatment options, according to the UKHSA. Ceftriaxone is a strong antibiotic and the main treatment for gonorrhoea. Experts are therefore concerned when infections fail to respond to it. Most of these drug-resistant cases are linked with travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region, where the prevalence of ceftriaxone resistance is high. Elsewhere, among people in England, early-stage syphilis diagnoses rose 1.7%, from 9,375 in 2023 to 9,535 in 2024. The overall figure for syphilis, including late-stage syphilis or complications from the infection, increased 5% from 12,456 in 2023 to 13,030 in 2024. Chlamydia fell 13%, from 194,143 diagnoses in 2023 to 168,889 in 2024, while people diagnosed for the first time with genital warts also dropped. Among women aged 15 to 24 who are recommended to be screened through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), there was a 10.7% decrease in the number of chlamydia tests carried out, from 673,102 to 601,295. Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: 'Levels of STIs in this country remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing. 'These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners – particularly if they are antibiotic resistant. 'If you've had condomless sex with new or casual partners – either in the UK or overseas – get tested for STIs and HIV at least yearly, even if you don't have symptoms. Regular testing protects both you and those you're having sex with. 'From August, eligible people will also be offered vaccination to reduce the risk of gonorrhoea and we expect to see the immunisation programme have an impact on diagnoses of this infection in coming years – please take up the vaccine if you are offered it.'
Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
All international travelers should get measles vaccinations, CDC says
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials have changed their advice to international travelers about measles, saying that Americans should be vaccinated against the virus no matter where they're going. U.S. residents are recommended to get measles-mumps-rubella shots, anyway. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously emphasized the importance of vaccination for travelers going to countries with outbreaks.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Israeli troops open fire close to Gaza aid site, killing three, say officials
Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip have opened fire as people headed towards an aid distribution site, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, health officials and a witness said. The military said it fired warning shots at 'suspects' who approached its forces in Rafah. Advertisement The shooting occurred at the same location where witnesses say Israeli forces fired a day earlier on crowds of people heading toward the aid hub in southern Gaza run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Palestinians with aid packages received from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) The Israeli military said it fired warning shots on Monday towards 'several suspects who advanced toward the troops and posed a threat to them', around a kilometre away from the aid distribution site at a time when it was closed. The army denied it was preventing people from reaching the site. The United Nations and major aid groups have rejected the foundation's new system for aid distribution. They say it violates humanitarian principles and cannot meet mounting needs in the territory of roughly two million people, where experts have warned of famine because of an Israeli blockade that was only slightly eased last month. In a separate incident on Monday, an Israeli strike on a residential building in northern Gaza killed 14 people, according to health officials. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the toll from the strike in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp, saying five women and seven children were among those killed. Advertisement The military said it had struck 'terror targets' across northern Gaza, without elaborating. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militant group is entrenched in populated areas. A Red Cross field hospital received 50 wounded people, including two declared dead on arrival, after the shooting in southern Gaza, according to Hisham Mhanna, a Red Cross spokesman. He said most had gunfire and shrapnel wounds. Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis said it received a third body. On Sunday, at least 31 people were killed and more than 170 wounded as large crowds headed toward the aid site, according to local health officials, aid groups and several witnesses. The witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire on the crowds after ordering them to disperse and come back when the distribution site opened. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has denied accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Israel's military on Sunday denied its forces fired at civilians near the aid site in the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah, a military zone off limits to independent media. An Israeli military official said troops fired warning shots at several suspects advancing toward them overnight. Advertisement The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has denied previous accounts of chaos and gunfire around its sites, said it had delivered aid on both days without incident. On Sunday night, the foundation issued a statement, saying aid recipients must stay on the designated route to reach the hub on Monday, and that Israeli troops were positioned along the way to ensure their security. 'Leaving the road is extremely dangerous,' the statement said. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said he was 'appalled by the reports of Palestinians killed and injured while seeking aid in Gaza'. 'It is unacceptable that Palestinians are risking their lives for food,' he said in a statement. 'I call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for perpetrators to be held accountable.' Advertisement Israel and the US say they helped establish the new aid system to circumvent Hamas, which they accuse of siphoning off assistance. UN agencies deny there is any systemic diversion of aid and say the new system violates humanitarian principles by allowing Israel to control who receives aid and by forcing Palestinians to travel long distances to receive it. Palestinians must pass close to Israeli forces and cross military lines to reach the GHF hubs, in contrast to the UN aid network, which delivers aid to where Palestinians are located.
