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☆ Walking pneumonia is spreading. Doctors share the tell-tale symptoms to look for, and varied ways to treat it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Walking pneumonia infections rose nationwide as kids returned to school this fall. Look out for a persistent cough, fever, and fatigueHistorically, walking pneumonia has been most common among school-aged children. People who've recently had the flu are also at increased risk for developing walking pneumonia. In rare cases, walking pneumonia can prompt brain swelling, kidney issues, and difficulty breathing, and people with lung issues, and weakened immune systems may be especially at risk of hospitalization with walking pneumonia. Without any testing, the daughter was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, and prescribed a Z-Pak (azithromycin).

Persons: —, Dr, Elizabeth Schlaudecker, pneumoniae, Russell Migita, Migita, we're, who've, Amoxicillin, Gerard Bottino, Schlaudecker Organizations: Service, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Seattle Children's Hospital, CDC, Getty Images Locations: Cincinnati, Seattle

Doctors have long urged people ages 50 and older to get a yearly shot to protect against pneumonia. On Wednesday, an independent group of advisers to the CDC voted 14 to 1 to lower the age for routine pneumococcal vaccines to 50. “The peak in serious invasive pneumococcal infections occurs earlier in the Black population” at about 55 to 60, he said. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 older adults who get either pneumococcal bloodstream infections or pneumococcal meningitis will die from the disease. A quarter-million hospitalizations from pneumococcal pneumonia are estimated to occur every year in the United States, according to the CDC.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, “ I’m, ”, William Schaffner, “, Bob Blancato, ” Blancato Organizations: Disease Control, CDC, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, National Association of Nutrition, Aging, Hispanic, National Hispanic Council, National Caucus, Center, Black Aging Locations: United States

☆ A sudden spike in cases of a rare infection often linked to flesh-eating bacteria is happening in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Julia Naftulin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewIn Japan, cases of an uncommon but deadly bacterial infection have spiked in recent months, concerning health officials, the Washington Post reported. At least 77 deaths have been reported due to these STSS infections, with most fatal cases occurring in people over 50. Since the coronavirus pandemic, health officials worldwide have expressed concern about increasing bacterial and viral infection rates. In 2022, UK health officials reported 19 child deaths due to group-A streptococcal infections, the same bacteria that causes STSS. Vaccines could help prevent the spread of these rare but potentially deadly bacterial infections, health experts said.

Persons: —, Steer, we've, Andrew Steer Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Japan's Health Ministry, Business, CDC, Murdoch Children's Research Locations: Japan, Melbourne, Australia

☆ Japan reports record spike in potentially deadly bacterial infection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Helen Regan | Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. STSS is a rare but serious bacterial infection that can develop when bacteria spread into deep tissues and the bloodstream. In March, Japanese authorities warned of a jump in STSS cases. The reason for this year’s rise in cases of STSS in Japan remains unclear, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. “So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases.”

Persons: iGAS “, Ken Kikuchi, people’s, ” Kikuchi Organizations: CNN, Japan’s Health, Japan’s National, of Infectious, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, World Health, of Infectious Diseases, NHK, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Locations: Japan, STSS, Tokyo

☆ Lumina’s Cavity Vaccine and a New Era of D.I.Y. Medicine - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“Cavities are a communicable disease, and if you’re among the 90 percent of Americans who’s ever had one, you probably got them from your mother.”So begins “The Rise and Impending Fall of the Dental Cavity,” a remarkably engrossing and, for me, genuinely eye-opening survey of the history and science of tooth decay, published last week by the pseudonymous Cremieux Recueil on his Substack. The bacterium Streptococcus mutans might not seem like the likeliest subject for a 7,600-word general-interest deep-dive, but Cremieux takes detours into the immaculate teeth of dinosaurs, the practice of Neolithic dentistry, the agricultural and industrial revolutions and their effect on our diets, and the dental agony of America’s founding fathers. Probably, you remember admonitions from childhood that eating candy will rot your teeth, but that story turns out to be a bit simplistic — the problem isn’t that your teeth hate sugar but that Streptococcus mutans loves it. And when it consumes sugar, the byproduct is lactic acid, which is what really starts to eat away at your dental enamel. Not everyone has an oral microbiome dominated by Streptococcus mutans, but chances are if you do, it was passed to you by your parents, very early on — and if you eat any sugar, you’re very likely to suffer tooth decay.

Persons: who’s, ”, Recueil, Cremieux, Streptococcus mutans

☆ Unusual find in Bronze Age teeth shows consequences of a shift in the human diet
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The rare find could help scientists further understand how changes in the human diet have led to the prevalence of cavities today. Uncovered during two excavations from 1993 and 1996, the teeth were among several human teeth and other remains found within a limestone cave in County Limerick in Ireland. One tooth had a surprising abundance of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), an oral bacteria that causes cavities. Researchers also believe the bacteria is not as commonly found within ancient teeth because the human diet included less refined sugar and fewer processed foods than are consumed today, Cassidy said. … ancient teeth can help us understand how the human oral microbiota (range of microorganisms) has evolved over time and the impact of these changes on human health in the past and today,” Humphrey said in an email.

Persons: Lara Cassidy, Cassidy, mutans, —, “, would’ve, Tannerella, mutans “, Louise Humphrey, ” Humphrey Organizations: CNN, Trinity College Dublin Locations: County Limerick, Ireland, France, London

☆ Yogurt can make limited claim to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, FDA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —In a decision nearly five years in the making, the US Food and Drug Administration has decided that yogurts can now make a limited claim that the food may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, the federal agency concluded Friday. The decision marks the first-ever qualified health claim the federal agency has issued for yogurt. Qualified health claims “are supported by scientific evidence, but do not meet the more rigorous ‘significant scientific agreement’ standard required for an authorized health claim,” according to the FDA. The submission set in motion an FDA review of existing research on the relationships between yogurt and type 2 diabetes, according to a news release. Qualified health claims have been allowed by the FDA for dietary supplements since 2000 and for food since 2002, but they are rarely announced.

Persons: “, Gurbuz, Streptococcus, Lisa Drayer Organizations: CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, ”, Getty, Danone North America

CHICAGO (AP) — The cause of death for a 5-year-old Venezuelan boy who died in December after becoming ill at a temporary shelter for migrants in Chicago was sepsis and a bacterial infection that causes strep throat, an autopsy released Friday shows. Jean Carlos Martinez died Dec. 17 as a result of sepsis due to streptococcus pyogenes group A infection, which can cause strep throat and other life-threatening illnesses, the autopsy released by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office showed. Contributing factors in his death were listed as COVID-19, adenovirus and rhinovirus, the autopsy showed. The boy was a resident at a warehouse retrofitted as a shelter in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood when he suffered a medical emergency, the city has said. Earlier this month, hundreds of asylum-seekers still awaited placement at airports and police stations in Chicago, some of them still camped on sidewalks outside precinct buildings.

Persons: Jean Carlos Martinez Organizations: CHICAGO, Cook Locations: Chicago, Cook County, Chicago’s Pilsen, U.S, Texas

☆ Ohio announced an outbreak of pneumonia. Similar outbreaks are happening in China and Europe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Kate Hull | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ohio public health officials announced an outbreak of pneumonia in children on Wednesday. Experts say the Ohio outbreak is unrelated to pneumonia outbreaks in China and Europe. Although pneumonia cases are rising in Ohio, experts say the number of cases isn't out of the norm. AdvertisementCases of pneumonia in children are increasing in Ohio, leading public health officials to declare an outbreak. Health officials in Ohio said that there is "zero evidence" that the Ohio outbreak is connected to other outbreaks of respiratory illness nationally or internationally.

Persons: —, pneumoniae, Clint Koenig Organizations: Service, Health District, World Health Organization, Children, Centers for Disease Control, ABC News, Warren, Warren County Health District Locations: Ohio, China, Europe, Warren, Denmark, Netherlands, lockdowns, Warren County

☆ The threat of respiratory illnesses is underway, CDC director says, and hospitalizations are on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Brenda Goodman | Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“RSV season is in full swing,” Cohen told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Respiratory virus activity is especially high in the Southern and Western US. The pathogens involved include adenovirus, Streptococcus pnuemoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, bacteria that have been linked to a rising number of respiratory infections in China. Respiratory virus season is especially affecting children. Hospitalizations for respiratory viruses – including Covid-19, flu and RSV – have been on the rise for months.

Persons: Mandy Cohen, ” Cohen, ”, “ We’re, ” Covid, “ Covid, Cohen, it’s, pnuemoniae, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, House Energy, “, CDC, CNN Health, Prevention Locations: Southern, Western, Warren County, Ohio, China

☆ How concerning is the spike in respiratory illnesses in China? A doctor explains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Deblina Chakraborty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Hospitals in northern China and Beijing have reported a surge in the number of children with respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia. Why might there be a surge in respiratory illnesses? CNN: How concerning is the spike in respiratory illnesses being reported in China? Dr. Leana Wen: Thus far, based on what we know from WHO, I don’t think the spike in respiratory illnesses should cause global concern. It’s very possible that other areas, especially those with previously strict virus mitigation measures, will see a rise in respiratory illnesses this winter.

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen, It’s, ”, it’s Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, WHO, People's, Wen, US Centers for Disease Control Locations: China, Beijing, Fuyang, Covid, United States

☆ 'The silent pandemic': A hotter world makes it harder to stop the spread of deadly superbugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which the World Health Organization has referred to as the "silent pandemic," is an often overlooked and growing global health crisis. Sakis Mitrolidis | Afp | Getty ImagesMaking matters worse, research has shown that climate change is exacerbating the AMR crisis in several ways. "AMR bacteria is known as a silent pandemic. Extreme heat is fueled by the climate crisis, which makes extreme weather more frequent and more intense. "We hear people talking about this 'silent pandemic,' but it shouldn't be silent.

Persons: Sakis Mitrolidis, Tina Joshi, Joshi, University of Plymouth Robb Butler, Butler, Plymouth's Joshi Organizations: Planck, Biology, Getty, World Health, United, AMR, WHO, Afp, University of Plymouth, CNBC, UN, United Arab Emirates, Polygiene, Aircraft, Bloomberg, Plymouth's Locations: United Nations, Sikorahi, Alexandroupoli, Greece, WHO Europe, United Arab, UAE, Hamburg, Germany

☆ Common antibiotics are still in shortage as strep cases rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Some group A Strep bacteria are resistant to these antibiotics,” according to Dr. Kristina Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville. The precautions many people took to protect themselves from Covid-19, like wearing masks and social distancing, also protected them from strep throat. “Strep throat is a routine infection, and we know that cases are going to go up every year,” she said. If your child’s strep throat doesn’t get better with antibiotics, Bryant says, it may be that other bacteria in the throat are making the antibiotics less effective. “If the strep infection goes untreated, that individual can potentially be contagious with strep for weeks,” she said.

Persons: Amoxicillin, Kristina Bryant, Jennifer Stevenson, ”, “ Strep, ” Stevenson, Bryant, “, hasn’t, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Stevenson, McPhillips, Brenda Goodman Organizations: CNN, US Food, FDA, Norton Children’s Hospital, US Centers for Disease Control, Epic Research, Henry Ford Medical Center, CDC, Rapid, CNN Health Locations: Louisville, Dearborn , Michigan, Covid

☆ Pfizer Group B strep vaccine for infants returns encouraging mid-stage trial results
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pfizer on Wednesday said its experimental vaccine targeting the potentially deadly bacterial disease Group B Streptococcus returned strong mid-stage clinical trial results, a promising step as the drug inches toward potential approval. Pfizer is among several drugmakers racing to develop the world's first shot targeting Group B strep disease, which is linked to nearly 150,000 infant deaths worldwide each year, especially in lower-income countries. Pfizer's single-dose shot generated antibodies that may provide infants with meaningful protection against the disease, according to the data released Wednesday from a phase two clinical trial. Pfizer's encouraging phase two trial results provide hope that maternal vaccination against the disease, also known as GBS, could help prevent thousands of cases in babies. The results will also help the company plan its phase three clinical trials on the shot, which are typically required before the FDA approves a drug.

Persons: Streptococcus, Melinda Gates Organizations: Pfizer, Drug Administration, FDA, Melinda Gates Foundation

Its peak sales forecast is of more than $2 billion annually together from the maternal vaccine and an RSV shot for older adults. The case highlights how equitable global access will require better advance planning by drugmakers, governments and health organizations, health officials say. "They could have tried sooner," said Erin Sparrow, WHO's technical officer for the RSV vaccine, referring to Pfizer. Pfizer has yet to take a number of steps needed to make the vaccine available in developing countries, according to global health officials and the company. She still expects it to be several years before the RSV vaccine is launched in lower-income countries.

☆ US FDA approves Pfizer's next-generation pneumococcal vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) next-generation vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease in children aged six weeks to 17 years, the company said late on Thursday. The vaccine, Prevnar 20, offers more protection against the disease versus the company's widely-used Prevnar 13 vaccine, by targeting seven more serotypes of the streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria that causes those infections. The pneumococcal disease can lead to infections in several parts of the body including the lungs, where they can cause pneumonia. The approval is based on results from mid-stage and late-stage studies that showed the vaccine's safety and tolerability was similar to Prevnar 13. Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu SahuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Flu vaccine study unrelated to Group A Strep doesn't show increase of illness
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is the name for bacteria that can cause infections like strep throat, scarlet fever and impetigo. However, the 2014 study examined different bacteria and found that while their numbers increased following the nasal flu vaccine, that did not lead to increased bacterial disease. A recent UK study has also found that while infections of influenza itself be linked to increased cases of Group A Strep, the nasal vaccine is associated with a reduction in bacterial infections. But it did not investigate group A strep bacteria; rather, the study investigated Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, which Mina said in an email, are “very different” pathogens to group A strep. A 2014 study does not show the nasal spray flu vaccine causes Group A Strep.

☆ Nearly 250,000 kindergarteners in U.S. are vulnerable to measles due to slide in vaccination rates, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"And we know that measles, mumps and rubella vaccination coverage for kindergarteners is the lowest it has been in over a decade," Peacock said. Nearly a quarter of a million kindergartners are potentially vulnerable to measles due to a dip in vaccination coverage during the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kindergarteners are required to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, chickenpox, polio, and diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. The vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella was 93.5% during the 2021-2022 school year, below the target coverage of 95% to prevent outbreaks. The CDC report looked at whether the kindergarteners had received the second dose of their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

☆ Pandemic curbs linked to early start to Europe's winter flu season
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

This winter, health officials have warned of what has been dubbed a tripledemic of influenza, RSV and continued COVID-19 cases, adding to the pressure on over-burdened health services. In Wales, for instance, there were 111.6 confirmed RSV cases per 100,000 in children aged under five in the week ending Nov. 27. In the week ended Dec 18, European cases rose 7% over the week prior, according to ECDC figures. But scientists are concerned that social interaction during the festive season could lead to further increases in respiratory infections, especially as people meet vulnerable elderly relatives. As an added complication, viral respiratory infections can predispose patients to bacterial infections, just when some common antibiotics that can treat them are in short supply in Europe.

☆ Strep A is surging in the UK and has already killed at least 19 children. Here's why it's taken so long to make a vaccine against this deadly pathogen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Sarah Braner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Strep A is surging in the UK and has killed at least 19 kids, the UK Health Security Agency said. A vaccine would be better, but research groups have hit roadblocks during its development. Researchers have been trying to make a strep-A vaccine for decadesIf it's caught in time, strep A can be treated with antibiotics. There is no vaccine commercially available, but several research groups are working on developing one. A GSK spokesperson confirmed to Insider that it's also in the early stages of developing a strep-A vaccine but that it had not started human testing.

☆ U.S. hospitals report rise in severe strep A infections in kids after 15 deaths in U.K.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In the U.K., at least 15 children have died from invasive group A strep since mid-September. Anyone can get invasive strep A, including healthy adults, but people over 65 and those with chronic illnesses are more susceptible. Between 1,500 and 2,300 people die of the invasive infections every year. But children's hospitals in several other states — California, New York, Illinois and Minnesota — said they have not detected any increase in invasive group A strep. It is important for kids with strep to get care right away so they can start taking antibiotics like penicillin.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence group A strep present in flu vaccine given to children
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“The LAIV vaccine used in the UK does not contain Streptococcus A,” an MHRA spokesperson told Reuters via email. The bacteria are not listed in the ingredients for Fluenz Tetra (bit.ly/3HesXo4), which is also marketed in the U.S. as fluMist. “Group A strep is not used at any stage of the development of the nasal flu vaccine. The vaccine does not contain Group A strep,” Pollard said via email. The MHRA and AstraZeneca told Reuters that group A strep is not an ingredient in the Fluenz Tetra vaccine, and two independent experts said there are no reports of contamination.

☆ UK health officials warn parents to be alert after 6 child deaths linked to Strep A infections
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty ImagesHealth officials in the U.K. are warning parents to be alert after a recent spate of Strep A infections resulted in the deaths of at least six children. The U.K.'s Health Security Agency issued a rare health warning Friday urging parents to monitor their children for tell-tale symptoms of the illness, which can include a sore throat, headache, fever, and body rashes. While most cases are mild and often go unnoticed, it can also lead to more serious illness and complications, such as scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is a highly contagious bacterial infection that mostly affects young children. Make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is showing signs of deteriorating after a bout of scarlet fever.

☆ What is Strep A, the common bacterium that has killed 6 children in the UK?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Health officials in the United Kingdom are advising parents and schools to watch for Strep A infections following the recent deaths of six children. While there is no vaccine to prevent Strep A or iGAS infections, antibiotics are usually effective at treating them. The increase in iGAS this year has particularly been observed in children under 10, the UKHSA added. For children aged 5 to 9, there were 1.1 cases per 100,000, compared with the pre-pandemic average of 0.3. The last period of high infections was between 2017 to 2018, with four children under 10 dying in the equivalent period, the statement added.

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