Browsing: Health

NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Scientists have captured the molecular machinery that malaria parasites use to enter human red blood cells. The finding overturns a decades-old view of the moving junction as a passive ring. Researchers found that the structure acts as an active machine that grips and reshapes the cell membrane during invasion. The study appeared in the scientific journal Cell and focused on Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of malaria. Researchers at Columbia University isolated the moving junction while parasites were entering red blood cells. The structure exists for less than 60 seconds,…

MICHIGAN / Content Syndication Services / – A cyclosporiasis outbreak in Southeast Michigan has reached 992 confirmed cases, state health data showed July 8. The regional total has topped 1,000 when nearby Ohio cases are included. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the source has not been identified. The outbreak count covers cases reported in Michigan since June 22. The rise has far exceeded the state’s usual annual level of about 50 cases. Health officials first announced more than 170 cases on June 30, then reported 572 cases by July 4. No deaths have been reported in…

A proposed New York ban on potassium bromate focuses attention on pizza, bagels and the handling of flour additives in commercial baking.

Hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne disease, drove a multinational health response after three reported deaths aboard MV Hondius off Cape Verde.

CALIFORNIA: Revolution Medicines said on April 13 that its experimental pancreatic cancer drug daraxonrasib significantly extended survival in a pivotal late-stage trial, marking one of the strongest reported results to date for a targeted medicine in previously treated metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The company said patients in the overall study population lived a median of 13.2 months on the once-daily oral drug, compared with 6.7 months for those who received standard intravenous chemotherapy, while the Phase 3 RASolute 302 study also met its progression-free survival endpoint. The results came from a global, randomized, controlled trial in patients whose metastatic pancreatic cancer had…

SACRAMENTO: A new analysis of California residue testing data found that 37% of conventional fruits and vegetables grown in the state carried residues from PFAS pesticides, adding new attention to a class of chemicals that has become a major issue in food and environmental oversight. The Environmental Working Group said it reviewed 930 state-tested samples from 78 types of California-grown produce collected in 2023 and found PFAS pesticide residues in 348 samples, spanning 40 of the produce categories examined. The crops with the highest detection rates were stone fruits and berries. The analysis said more than 90% of sampled nectarines, plums and peaches…

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is investigating a multistate E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to Raw Farm brand raw cheddar cheese made by Raw Farm LLC of Fresno, California, after seven confirmed illnesses were reported in three states. Federal health officials said two people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. The outbreak involves five cases in California and one case each in Florida and Texas, with illnesses beginning between Sept. 1, 2025, and Feb. 13, 2026. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than half of the illnesses are in children younger than 5,…

CALIFORNIA: Researchers reported an experimental nasal-spray vaccine that protected mice against multiple respiratory viruses, bacteria and an allergen for at least three months, according to a study published Feb. 19 in the journal Science. The intranasal formulation, called GLA-3M-052-LS+OVA, was tested in mice exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, as well as the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. The study also evaluated responses to a protein from house dust mites, a common trigger for allergic asthma. The vaccine was designed to stimulate immunity in the lungs by combining two immune-activating compounds that target toll-like receptors with a model antigen, ovalbumin, an egg protein…

CALIFORNIA: A California jury has awarded $25 million, to a U.S. man who said he developed a chronic lung disease after years of using a butter flavored version of PAM cooking spray. The verdict was returned Feb. 4 in Los Angeles County Superior Court in a case involving Conagra Brands, the maker of PAM, and claims that inhalation of cooking spray fumes containing a butter flavoring chemical contributed to his illness. Jurors found Roland Esparza suffered bronchiolitis obliterans, sometimes called “popcorn lung,” and concluded the PAM butter flavored cooking spray failed to perform as safely as an ordinary consumer would expect when used…

GENEVA: The World Health Organization has granted prequalification to an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2, expanding the pool of quality assured vaccines that can be bought for international immunization programmes and deployed in outbreak settings. WHO said the decision confirms the vaccine meets its standards for quality, safety and efficacy and enables procurement through United Nations agencies, including UNICEF, for use by countries and partners responding to poliovirus transmission. Prequalification is a gatekeeping step used by global health agencies to guide large scale purchases and support regulatory decision making in lower income and emergency contexts. WHO said the newly prequalified vaccine is designed…