Latest news with #infections
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Doctor issues urgent warning against daily bathroom habit that can lead to illness and infection
A doctor has warned against sharing towels with members of your family, revealing it can lead to infection and illness. Dr Hussain Ahmad, who works for click2pharmacy based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said that the dampness from the shared towel can cause fungi to grow. If one person has an infection such as athlete's foot it can easily spread around the household and cause others to become infected. Speaking to Metro, Dr Ahmad added that sharing towels 'might seem harmless' but can cause infections to be 'passed on easily'. 'Even things like cold sores or warts can in theory be transmitted this way, though that's less common. 'The worst thing that could happen is you pass on an infection that keeps bouncing between you both, or ends up needing treatment. 'Fungal infections between toes or in the groin area are common with shared towels.' A furious woman recently went on the anonymous British parenting forum Mumsnet to vent about how her partner had used her pink bath towel after having a shower. A furious woman recently went on the anonymous British parenting forum Mumsnet to vent about how her partner had used her pink bath towel after having a shower She wrote: 'Am I being unreasonable to think my husband should use his own towel when showering/bathing? I've told him so many times to use his own towel. 'He just doesn't seem to get it. I only changed the towels this weekend and now he has used both of ours, so I'm going to have to get another clean towel tomorrow morning!' The woman then asked other Mumsnetters whether she was being unreasonable for getting angry with her husband - but many admitted that sharing towels is normal in their household. One person wrote: 'We have communal towels. I don't care who in the family is using it as long as it's hung up afterwards.' Another penned: 'Well after 40 years of towel sharing and not caught anything, I've risk assessed and happy to continue!' A third said: 'Well I never realised that people in a family household had their own towels. We just have shared towels. Are we the weird ones?' The NHS also warns against people using the same towel - especially if one person is ill and feeling under the weather, as germs can easily spread to healthy individuals. However, others could not believe that people were using each other's towels and were on the woman's side. The woman then asked other Mumsnetters whether she was being unreasonable for getting angry with her husband - but many admitted that sharing towels is normal in their household However, others could not believe that people were using each other's towels and were on the woman's side One wrote: 'That would really annoy me too because it's not hard just to reach for your own towel is it? 'My husband washes his hands in our bathroom and instead of using the provided hand towel uses my large bath towel that is hung on the bathroom door. 'When I use my towel it's always got lots of wet patches!' Another penned: 'That would annoy me too. 'Either keep your towel somewhere else or just get another towel out for yourself when you shower.' A third said: 'I would rather walk to the airing cupboard naked and dripping from the shower than use my [partner's] towel!! And I would hate it if he used mine. You're not [being unreasonable] at all.' A fourth commented: 'I found this out about my [husband] too and was horrified. I have a main towel and a hair towel. I don't use the hair towel on my body and feel it's 'clean' - I caught [my husband] with it round his waist and drying very thoroughly.'
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Cholera outbreak in Sudan kills 172 in one week: Health ministry
Sudan's health ministry reported Tuesday a sharp uptick in cholera cases in the war-torn country, which recorded 2,700 infections and 172 deaths in one week. In a statement, the health ministry said 90 percent of cases were reported in Khartoum state, where water and electricity supply have been severely disrupted in recent weeks by drone strikes attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), at war with the army since April 2023.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Experts issue urgent warning to Memorial Day vacationers over deadly flesh-eating bacteria overrunning beaches
While sharks and jellyfish stings may be what most people are afraid of when swimming in the ocean, public health officials warn of a deadlier threat at the beach. Lurking in warm, coastal waters is the flesh-eating vibrio vulnificus. This deadly bacteria can enter the body through the smallest - sometimes even imperceptible - opening from a cut or scrape. After finding a way in, it enters the bloodstream, and release enzymes and toxins that break down proteins, fats, and collagen, destroying skin and muscle tissue. It evades the immune system's defenses while triggering a widespread inflammatory response that causes even more tissue damage. Reduced blood flow to the infected area worsens this damage, ultimately leading to the death of tissue beneath the skin. This results in amputations to try and cut away the infection or - in severe cases - death. Vibrio requires warm water to grow and proliferate, making Gulf Coast beaches prime breeding grounds. But colder regions are becoming gradually more hospitable as ocean temperatures rise, attracting and nurturing colonies of the bacteria. Vibrio infections have been confirmed on the East coast, Alaska, the Baltic Sea, and Chile, which scientists now believe could be the next hotspots. The CDC has not issued an annual report on vibrio in the US since 2019, when 2,685 infections were reported. A sweeping review of CDC data on East Coast states from 1988 through 2018 showed vibrio wound infections increased eightfold, from about 10 cases to more than 80 annually. Florida reported 83 Vibrio vulnificus cases and 18 deaths in 2024 — surpassing previous records of 74 cases (17 deaths) in 2022 and 46 cases (11 deaths) in 2023. Vibrio vulnificus can also infect a person who eats raw or undercooked shellfish, causing painful abdominal cramps and diarrhea, and, in cases where the bacteria enters the bloodstream, sepsis and death. The CDC estimates that 80,000 Americans are infected with vibrio every year, although there are only 1,200 to 2,000 confirmed cases annually as it is often misdiagnosed Vibriosis, the infection caused by the bacteria, is typically treated with antibiotics, specifically, doxycycline and ceftazidime. Once the the bacteria reaches the bloodstream, the infection is fatal about 50 percent of the time. The threat from the insidious bacteria is only growing, scientists say. Sky-high seafood consumption around the world, using coastal waters for recreational activities, and the compounding effects of global climate change are setting humans up to see a marked increase in both reported cases and fatalities in the near future,' according to scientists from the UK and Spain. The vast majority of vibrio infections have occurred in Florida, tied to post-hurricane flooding, and Texas, largely due to fishing and oyster harvesting injuries, as well as Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Gulf Coast (highest risk) Florida has the most reported cases of vibrio infections, with outbreaks concentrated at Siesta Key and Lido Beach in Sarasota. Health officials recorded multiple wound infections from 2023 to 2024, including necrotizing fasciitis in swimmers with cuts. In 2024, the state recorded 82 cases and 19 deaths. In Tampa Bay at Ben T. Davis Beach and Cypress Point Park, at least five wound infections from 2022 to 2023 were confirmed, most often in fishermen. The Florida Panhandle (Destin, Panama City Beach) saw about eight cases post-Hurricane Idalia in 2023, mostly from floodwater exposure. In Fort Myers at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, there were more than 10 cases post-Hurricane Ian in 2022, including severe wound infections from contaminated storm surges. Texas saw clusters in Galveston (Stewart Beach, East Beach), with at least six wound infections in 2023 from swimming with cuts and three fatal cases linked to oyster consumption. At Rockport Beach and Corpus Christi five infections were reported in 2023, including among oyster harvesters with hand injuries. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana reported fewer but still notable cases. This graph shows Vibrio infections reported in the United States. It reveals that Vibrio vulnificus — the large grey dashed line — has seen cases gradually rise Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island in Alabama had at least four wound infections from 2021 to 2023, often in crabbers. In Mississippi, Biloxi and Gulfport recorded three cases in 2022, mostly post-flooding. Grand Isle, Louisiana saw three infections in 2023, linked to cuts while handling seafood. Randy Bunch, a 66-year-old seasoned fisherman from Freeport, Texas, died on June 8 after contracting a deadly Vibrio infection from a small scrape on his foot while crabbing in shallow Gulf waters. His daughter, Brandy Pendergraft, said he had worn flip-flops instead of his usual protective wading boots. Within hours, Bunch developed severe pain, a 104°F fever, and confusion. Doctors initially couldn't identify the issue, but the infection—marked by bruising and blisters—rapidly worsened. He was placed on a ventilator but died within days. North Carolina experienced outbreaks at Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach, with at least seven wound infections from 2022 to 2023, including surfers with scrapes. South Carolina saw over five infections from 2021 to 2023 in Myrtle Beach marshes and Folly Beach, primarily from wading with cuts. Days after walking barefoot on the beach, the health-conscious man was in excruciating pain and said his foot (pictured) became swollen and he could no longer walk Nearby last year, Brent Norman was strolling along the shores of Sullivan's Island and the Isle of Palms near Charleston, when he stepped on a shell that caused a cut in his foot. Within days, his foot swelled severely, causing excruciating pain, which doctors attributed to vibriosis, the infection caused by the bacteria. From Virginia to New Jersey, scattered cases included around four infections around the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia in 2023 mostly in crab fishermen; at least two wound infections in 2022 at Maryland's Assateague Island and Ocean City bayside; and one confirmed case in New Jersey's Barnegat Bay from a boating injury in 2023. California reported a single case of Vibrio from a wound in San Diego Bay in a sailor with a blister in 2022. Hawaii saw isolated cases from 2021 to 2023 in Keehi Lagoon (Oahu), linked to brackish water exposure. While the flesh-rotting complication is more common when the bacteria enters the body through a wound, necrotizing fasciitis can occur when a person consumes the bacteria as well. Laura Barajas, a 40-year-old mother from San Jose, underwent quadruple amputation after contracting a severe Vibrio vulnificus infection from undercooked tilapia she prepared at home in July. The bacteria — which the CDC warns can cause life-threatening sepsis — left her in a medically induced coma with failing kidneys and necrotic limbs. Barajas, who has a six-year-old son, survived but faces a lifelong disability. Her friend Anna Messina shared that Barajas' 'fingers were black, her feet were black her bottom lip was black' and her kidneys were failing as the infection ravaged her body.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Covid cases reaching a peak in China and will start falling next month: leading expert
Covid-19 infections in China are reaching a peak and will start to decline next month, the country's best known respiratory diseases specialist has said, as the authorities urged the public to take precautions. Zhong Nanshan told the opening of the Guangzhou Science and Technology and Activity Week on Saturday that people with symptoms – particularly the elderly – should seek medical treatment within 48 hours. He said that in the current cycle, the virus was more infectious and the symptoms were similar to general influenza but with a more obvious sore throat, according to Shanghai-based news site 'This round of coronavirus infections is at its peak and is predicted to decline in June,' said Zhong, who is often described as China's Anthony Fauci. 'From March to May, the number of people infected with the coronavirus has risen, according to data from Hong Kong, Singapore, Britain, France, Brazil and Norway.' Citing data from the Chinese Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he said that between March 31 and May 4, tests on outpatients with flu symptoms and hospital patients with severe symptoms had seen an increase in the number of positives from 7.5 per cent to 16.2 per cent. However, the overall number of acute respiratory infectious diseases remained at a low level, according to the CDC report released on May 8, but there was an upward trend in the number of positives in April. Test results showed that all detected pathogens were known common ones and no unknown pathogens or newly emerging infectious diseases had been found.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor reveals 'often overlooked' body part that you MUST clean everyday, or risk serious health issue
A skin doctor has warned that forgetting to wash behind the ears could lead to eczema, nasty infections and even life-threatening sepsis. According to Dr Roger Kapoor, a dermatologist at Beloit Health System in Wisconsin, this part of the body is rife for trapped dirt, oil and dead skin—yet people rarely think to clean it. Bacteria 'stuck' in the crease can migrate to open wounds, such as ear piercings or scratches inside the ear, and trigger dangerous infections, he added. ''I always recommend people wash the skin behind their ears intentionally and specifically to get into the creases of where the ear meets your skin,' he told Parade. 'It can always trap grime.' In severe cases, these infections could spread to other parts of the body and enter the bloodstream. While rare, this could lead to life-threatening sepsis—when the body attacks its own tissues, causing organs to gradually shut down. Dr Kapoor also flagged the risk of eczema, an inflammatory condition that causes sufferers to develop flaky, scaly patches which are often itchy and look red. The build up of oil, dirt and sweat can create a moist environment for bacteria and fungus to thrive, which can cause or worsen eczema as well as general skin irritation. Over time, the oil build-up can block pores, causing unsightly spots or acne breakouts. The combination of dirts trapped behind your ear is also likely to leave you with a foul smell. Dr Kapoor said while shampoo contains ingredients to help break down oil and bacteria, they are not the best option as it washes away when rinsing. This means the cleansing substances don't have contact with the skin for long. He advised using a gentle soap and scrubbing behind the ears with fingers to clean the area thoroughly. The dermatologist also recommended washing the arms of glasses regularly as they rest behind the ears and can easily transfer bacteria to the skin. It comes as a significant portion of Britons say they miss certain body parts during showers, like washing their feet (49 per cent) or toes (60 per cent), a 2020 survey by Plumbworld revealed. One survey, conducted by YouGov in 2019, found only half of people in the UK shower every day, with one in four only opting for one every two days. Nearly one in 20 Britons reported only shower once a week, and one in 100 once per month.
