Imaginative Worlds Paranormal and Supernatural Forum - Health and Wellness Worlds

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Brain Disease Outbreak In B.C., Canada

Judee — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:08:56 GMT

CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE - CANADA: (BRITISH COLUMBIA)
************************************************** ****
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

Date: Sun 16 Jun 2013
Source: The HuffPost, British Columbia [edited]

One case of a rare, degenerative brain disease has been confirmed in
British Columbia [BC]'s Fraser Valley, and a health official says 2
other cases are now suspected. However Paul Van Buynder, chief medical
officer for the Fraser Health authority, said late on Friday [14 Jun
2013] that even if the 2 suspected cases end up being
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases, it's not "drastically unusual".

The confirmed case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD, was a
resident in a long term care home who died a year ago, Van Buynder
said. He said the 2 other patients suspected of having
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are currently in hospital. None of the
patients are related, and they all resided in different towns, Van
Buynder added. The findings stem from a review officials conducted
after they initially believed there were 6 CJD cases in the Fraser
Valley, east of Vancouver, over the past year.

Buynder said it's "highly unlikely" that the remaining 3 cases will be
confirmed as CJD. Cases can only be confirmed after a sample of brain
tissue, taken from the patient post-mortem, is tested at a national
laboratory, he said. Before that happens, doctors make an initial
diagnosis based on MRI images, blood tested for specific proteins, and
an electroencephalogram, a test that measures the brain's activity.
Only 30 to 50 cases are reported annually in Canada, and 5 of those
cases [would be expected] to occur in BC, he said. "I think the public
really need to know that this is probably one or 2 more than I expect,
but it's not drastically unusual," said Van Buynder.

"It's not mad cow disease. It has nothing to do with the food chain.
Neither the public nor anybody in our hospitals should be worried that
they're about to get this nasty disease." Provincial health officer Dr
Perry Kendall said CJD causes the rapid onset of dementia leading to a
coma, usually within a 6 month time frame, because agents known as
prions destroy the brain. One strain has been linked with mad cow
disease, but Van Buynder said more than 90 per cent of the cases are
sporadic, and health officials don't know their cause, and there is no
treatment and no cure. "It's a tragic disease that is rapidly
progressing," he said. "It's a degenerative disease of the brain, and
usually within 6 months, the afflicted pass away. It's a tragic
disease for families, and we just really don't understand it."

[byline: Keven Drews]

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka

[According to the Fraser Valley Regional [FVR] District
Administration, the population of the district in 2011 was estimated
to be 277 593
().
Therefore, the occurrence of more than a single case of CJD would be
unusual, and 3 cases exceptional, since the incidence of CJD in the
population is generally accepted to be about one in one million. The
single confirmed case and the 2 suspected cases are clearly not cases
of variant CJD, since there is no evidence that the food chain is
involved. It would be relevant also to investigate whether blood
transfusion is involved in any of these cases. Confirmation of the
diagnosis in the 2 suspected cases is awaited. - Mod.CP

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at:
.]

Sugar Overload Can Damage Heart

Judee — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:46:24 GMT

If this is true, it doesn't bode well for todays kids that are practically raised on sugar, from the very formula they're fed as infants, to all the sugary drinks they consume growing up, and continue to drink as adults.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/
130614165135.htm

Sugar Overload Can Damage Heart

June 14, 2013 � Too much sugar can set people down a pathway to heart failure, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

A single small molecule, the glucose metabolite glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), causes stress to the heart that changes the muscle proteins and induces poor pump function leading to heart failure, according to the study, which was published in the May 21 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association. G6P can accumulate from eating too much starch and/or sugar.

Heart failure kills 5 million Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The one-year survival rate after diagnosis is 50 percent and there are 550,000 new patients in the United States diagnosed with heart failure each year.

"Treatment is difficult. Physicians can give diuretics to control the fluid, and beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors to lower the stress on the heart and allow it to pump more economically," said Heinrich Taegtmeyer, M.D., D.Phil., principal investigator and professor of cardiology at the UTHealth Medical School. "But we still have these terrible statistics and no new treatment for the past 20 years."

Taegtmeyer performed preclinical trials in animal models, as well as tests on tissue taken from patients at the Texas Heart Institute who had a piece of the heart muscle removed in order to implant a left ventricle assist device by O.H. "Bud" Frazier, M.D., and his team. Both led to the discovery of the damage caused by G6P.

"When the heart muscle is already stressed from high blood pressure or other diseases, and then takes in too much glucose, it adds insult to injury," Taegtmeyer said.

The study has opened doors to possible new treatments. Two drugs, rapamycin (an immunosuppressant) and metformin (a diabetes medication) disrupt signaling of G6P and improved cardiac power in small animal studies.

"These drugs have a potential for treatment and this has now cleared a path to future studies with patients," Taegtmeyer said.

The study was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL061483, TL1RR024147, R21 HL102627 and R01 HL08972).

The New Meat Label That could Save Your Life

Judee — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:06:27 GMT

The New Meat Label that Could Save Your Life
Keep your eyes peeled for beef with this new label to keep E. coli out of your kitchen.
By Emily Main

The flame will sear off any bacteria on the outside of your steak, but it won't kill bugs that were driven in by tenderization.

The meat industry has a lot of dirty little secrets. Chicken producers add the carcinogenic heavy metal arsenic to chicken feed to speed growth. Poultry producers "enhance" their meats with brines that keep the meat moist when cooking but expose you to so much potassium that doctors are worried it could be raising rates of kidney failure. And beef producers routinely use a process called mechanical tenderization that increases the likelihood that you'll be exposed to dangerous E. coli bacteria.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just proposed a new rule that could eliminate some of the risk of that last one. The agency has decided that any cuts of beef that have been mechanically tenderized need to be labeled so consumers can treat them carefully. The rule would also require beef producers to provide instructions on how to cook such beef so that any and all bacteria would be killed.
9 Appalling Facts about Meat

Mechanical tenderization is a risky process, born out of a dirty, unsustainable beef production system. The heavy use of antibiotics and the reliance on corn and other grains as feed produce tough meat, Sarah Klein, a senior attorney in the food-safety program at Centers for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), told Rodale News earlier this year. So before that meat is sold, it's pierced with needles or blades that help cut tough muscle fibers. However, in doing so, she says, those needles or blades drive any bacteria that may be living on the exterior of a piece of meat farther into the flesh. So when that filet or T-bone reaches the restaurant and you order it medium-rare, the bacteria on the outside—usually E. coli—will be killed when the steak is seared, but any E. coli that was driven into the flesh of the meat by needles or blades will continue to thrive.

The new labeling requirements will, at the very least, alert you to cuts of beef that have been tenderized so you (or the chef at your favorite restaurant) will know that those cuts need special handling. According to CSPI, you should cook mechanically tenderized beef until the internal temperature is at least 145�F (160�F is safest) and then let it rest for 3 minutes to let the heat destroy any lingering bacteria.
How Dirty is the Meat You Eat?

That simple difference in handling could save your life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked five separate E. coli outbreaks back to mechanically tenderized beef in the last 10 years, and in its own independent evaluations, CSPI has determined that half of the 82 outbreaks attributable to steak were caused by E. coli, the bacteria most likely to worm its way inside a mechanically tenderized cut of beef.

The new labels are currently undergoing a 60-day comment period, after which the USDA will determine when they should go into effect.

Until that happens, stick with grass-fed beef, which is raised with neither antibiotics nor corn and therefore, doesn't need to be mechanically tenderized. Buy from farmers certified by the American Grassfed Association.

http://www.rodalenews.com/mechanical...Save_Your_Life

Hemp: Are You Eating This Protein Wonder Food?

Judee — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 02:39:38 GMT

Are You Eating This Protein Wonder Food?

Jun 7, 2013 by Casey Danson

By Leah Zerbe

The benefits of hemp are boundless. This wonderfood balances your hormones, nourishes your skin and hair, calms post-workout inflammation, and relaxes your muscles. Once a mainstay crop in the United States with the Declaration of Independence drafted on hemp, and early American flags were made of this durable, plant-based fabric.
In the early 1900s, one report declared 25,000 uses for hemp, everything from ropes and sails to linens and food. But its confusion with marijuana, also in the cannabis family, led to an American campaign that ultimately made it impossible for U.S. farmers to capitalize on this important agricultural crop.
Bringing it back could prove to be a potent economic booster that could help clean up agriculture (hemp grows readily without toxic pesticides) while providing healthy, low-impact protein to millions.
So just to be clear: Although hemp plants resemble pot plants, hemp is not marijuana and will not cause false positives on drug tests, explains Michael Fata, CEO and cofounder of Manitoba Harvest, a leader in the hemp food movement.
Instead of getting hung up on the drug myth, Fata would much rather talk about hemp�s amazing healing powers. Tasting like what he calls a cross between a sunflower seed and a pine nut, shelled hemp seeds and hemp protein powders are pleasant-tasting protein powerhouses, containing all 10 essential amino acids to form a complete vegetarian protein source. Hemp is better for the planet, too.
According to Environmental Working Group, animal proteins can create up to 20 times the climate-damaging emissions compared to plant-based protein sources.
With U.S. demand up 62 percent in the first quarter of 2013, hemp is turning out to be quite a trendy little seed. Industry data shows hemp is growing at a rate of 115 percent, compared to an 84 percent increase in chia seeds. It�s a powerhouse in the protein powder category, too. As whey and soy proteins are slowing, hemp protein powder sales are up 30 percent in the first part of 2013.
Ready to give hemp a try? Consider these facts.

It�s one of the world�s most potent natural sources of magnesium�a mineral required for a healthy metabolism and one that as much as 75 percent of the U.S. population doesn�t get enough of .
It�s a key food for exercisers, thanks to its levels of iron and phosphorus, important trace elements that maximize oxygen levels It contains twice the protein found in chia and flax seeds.
 It�s naturally non-GMO.

Here�s how to work hemp into your diet:

Sprinkle shelled hemp hearts on salads, yogurt, and cereal 
Add shelled hemp seeds to soup for a creamy, nondairy protein boost
 Toss protein powder into smoothies and mix with any ingredients that would be complemented by hemp�s subtle, nutty flavor

Source Link: http://www.rodale.com/benefits-hemp

http://www.globalpossibilities.org/a...n-wonder-food/

FDA Wants Consumers To Report Problems

Judee — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:29:34 GMT

WANTED: Consumers to Report Problems
06/03/2013 01:30 PM EDT

A new consumer-friendly form is now available for making reports to MedWatch, FDA's on-line system for collecting information about serious problems with drugs, medical devices and other FDA-regulated products.
The less technical form is part of a larger effort to encourage consumers to submit quality reports. By reporting your experience or suspicion of a product problem to MedWatch, you could help identify an unknown risk and potentially spark a variety of actions�from changes to a warning label to removal of the product from the market.
Read this Consumer Update to learn more about what FDA is doing to increase consumer participation in MedWatch.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Cons...ce=govdelivery

MERS - Novel New coronavirus Shows Up In Mid East

Judee — Fri, 31 May 2013 01:31:07 GMT

This has been going on for quite some time now, so I decided to start a thread on it. Reports indicate it seems to kill mostly older people, or people with chronic conditions.

Situation Update No. 26
On 2013-05-30

Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: Provinces of Eastern and Al-Qassim MultiProvinces Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has reported that three more people have died from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing the total number of deaths globally to 30. The Ministry of Health said Thursday the three deceased, ranging in age from 24 to 60, had chronic diseases, including kidney failure. It says they were hospitalized a month ago. The Ministry also announced a new case of the respiratory virus called MERS, bringing to 38 the number of those infected in the kingdom. It identified the afflicted person only as a 61-year-old from the Al-Ahsa region where the outbreak in a health care facility started in April. The World Health Organization said the new germ, a respiratory infection, was first seen in the Middle East and sickened more than 49 people worldwide.

MERS-COV - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (14): MOROCCO ex UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** *********************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases

Date: Thu 30 May 2013
Source: Lakome, Moroccan News [in Arabic, machine trans., summ.,
edited]

1st recorded nCoV case in a UAE citizen in Morocco
--------------------------------------------------
Moroccan Health Defense Network revealed the 1st MERS-CoV case in
Morocco involving a United Arab Emirates citizen who is a tourist. He
was hospitalized in Sheikh Zayed's hospital in Rabat on [Wed 29 May
2013].

The head of the network confirmed that this is the 1st case in Morocco
and that most cases have been recorded in Saudi Arabia, in addition to
Jordan, Qatar, UK, UAE, Germany, Tunisia, and France.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail

[This is the 1st report of a presumably laboratory confirmed case of
MERS-CoV in a UAE citizen visiting Morocco. More details on the
epidemiology of this case (age, gender, location of probable exposure,
possible risk factors, date of onset of illness, clinical
presentation, etc) would be greatly appreciated.

If in fact this case is laboratory confirmed this will be the 51st
case of confirmed MERS-CoV infection.

For a map of Morocco, see . For a map
showing the location of the UAE see . -
Mod.MPP]

[see also:
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (13): Saudi Arabia, WHO
20130530.1745063
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (12): Saudi Arabia, France
20130528.1741836
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (11): Saudi Arabia, new death
20130527.1738597
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (10): animal reservoir, research
20130524.1735984
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (09): Saudi Arabia, WHO, Jordan
20130523.1733317
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (08): Saudi Arabia, new case, fatal,
RFI 20130522.1731245
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (07): Tunisia ex Saudi Arabia/Qatar,
fatal, WHO 20130522.1730663
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (06): Saudi Arabia, new fatality,
meeting 20130521.1726656
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (05): Tunisia ex Saudi Arabia/Qatar,
fatal, RFI 20130520.1725864
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (04): Saudi Arabia, WHO
20130520.1723626
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (03): animal reservoir, RFI
20130519.1723544
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (02): WHO summary, ECDC risk
assessments 20130518.1721873
MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean: Saudi Arabia, new case, RFI
20130518.1721601
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (29): MERS-CoV, ICTV
nomenclature 20130516.1717833
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (28): Saudi Arabia, WHO
20130516.1716274
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (25): Saudi Arabia deaths,
WHO 20130512.1708475
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (24): France, 2nd case
20130512.1707305
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (20): France ex UAE, WHO,
Saudi Arabia 20130508.1700034
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (15): camel exposure
20130405.1623188
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (14): Germany ex UAE, WHO,
fatal 20130326.1604564
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (11): UK, pers to pers
transm 20130316.1588808
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (10): Saudi Arabia, WHO
20130313.1584076
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (09): Saudi Arabia, WHO
20130306.1574423
Novel coronavirus - East. Med. (07): Saudi Arabia, UK, Germany
20130221.155410
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (06): UK, fatality
20130220.1552014
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (05): UK, 3rd case,
20130215.1544940
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Med. (04): UK, pers to pers trans susp
20130213.1541531
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Med. (03): Saudi comment 20130212.1540011
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Med. (02): UK ex Saudi Arabia, Pakistan
20130212.1539086
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean: bat reservoir
20130122.1508656
2012
---
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (06): comments
20121225.1468821
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (05): WHO, transmission
route 20121223.1465597
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (04): receptor charact.
20121211.1446670
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (03): research, ISARIC (UK)
20121208.1443486
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (02): diagnostics
20121207.1442473
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean: WHO, Jordan, conf., RFI
20121130.1432498
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (18): WHO, new cases, cluster
20121123.1421664
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (16): whole genome sequence
20121114.1409556
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (14): KSA MOH 20121022.1358297
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (11): clin. lab. & epi.
investigations 20121004.1324712
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (10): WHO, revised case def.
20120930.1315960
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (09): real-time RT-PCR, addition
20120929.1315725
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (08): real-time RT-PCR assay
20120928.1314254
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (07): Eurosurveillance reports
20120928.1313337
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (06) 20120927.1311743
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (05): WHO, case def., nomenclature
20120926.1309747
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (03): UK HPA, WHO, Qatar
20120923.1305982
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia (02): additional cases, RFI
20120923.1305931
Novel coronavirus - Saudi Arabia: human isolate 20120920.1302733]