THURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the general public that colorfully dyed fentanyl — dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” — is available throughout the United States.

“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” mentioned DEA administrator Anne Milgram.

“The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States,” Milgram added in an company information launch.

The DEA and different regulation enforcement officers seized brightly coloured fentanyl and fentanyl capsules in 18 states in August. The confiscated medication embrace capsules, powders and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk.

Despite assertions that some colours could be stronger than others, DEA laboratory testing has discovered no proof to help these claims. Still, fentanyl is extraordinarily harmful, regardless of the colour, form or dimension, the DEA mentioned.

An artificial opioid, fentanyl is 100 occasions stronger than morphine and 50 occasions stronger than heroin. A deadly dose of fentanyl is considered as little as 2 milligrams, or about 10 to fifteen grains of desk salt. It is inconceivable to find out how a lot fentanyl is concentrated in a capsule or powder with out conducting laboratory testing, in response to the DEA.

Moreover, fentanyl stays essentially the most deadly drug risk to the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 107,622 Americans overdosed and died in 2021, with artificial opioids like fentanyl the reason for 66% of these deaths. Drug poisoning is the main reason for dying for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

If you encounter any type of fentanyl, chorus from dealing with it and name 911 instantly, the DEA suggested.

More data

The DEA’s Fentanyl Awareness web page lists further neighborhood and parental sources.

SOURCE: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, information launch, Aug. 30, 2022

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July 15, 2022 – The doubtlessly deadly parechovirus is now circulating in a number of states, inflicting fevers, seizures, and sepsis-like signs, together with confusion and excessive ache, in keeping with the CDC.

Human parechoviruses are frequent in kids, and most have been contaminated earlier than they begin kindergarten, the CDC stated. Between ages 6 months and 5 years, signs embody an higher respiratory tract an infection, fever, and rash.

But infants youthful than 3 months might have extra critical, and presumably deadly, infections. They might get “sepsis-like illness, seizures, and meningitis or meningoencephalitis, particularly in infants younger than 1 month,” the CDC stated. At least one new child has reportedly died from the an infection.

Parechovirus can unfold like different frequent germs, from feces which can be later ingested – seemingly resulting from poor hand-washing – and thru droplets despatched airborne by coughing or sneezing. It may be transmitted by individuals each with and with out signs of the an infection.

The microbe can reproduce for 1 to three weeks within the higher respiratory tract and as much as 6 months within the gastrointestinal tract, the CDC stated.

Kristina Angel Bryant, MD, a pediatric infectious illness specialist on the University of Louisville Hospital, says parechoviruses typically trigger rashes on the fingers and toes, which some consultants consult with as “mittens and booties.”

The CDC is urging medical doctors to check for parechovirus in the event that they acknowledge these signs in infants if there isn’t any different rationalization for what is perhaps distressing them.

There isn’t any particular remedy for parechovirus. And with no customary testing system in place, consultants are not sure if the variety of parechovirus circumstances is greater in 2022 than in earlier years.

The message for folks, Bryant says, is: Don’t panic. “This is not a new virus.”

”One of the commonest signs is fever, and in some youngsters, that’s the solely symptom,” she says. “Older infants and toddlers may have only cold symptoms, and some kids have no symptoms at all.”

Parents can take the same old steps to guard their little one from the viral sickness, together with diligent handwashing and having much less contact with people who find themselves sick, Bryant says.

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TUESDAY, July 5, 2022 (HealthDay News) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked a latest Listeria outbreak to ice cream made by Florida-based Big Olaf Creamery.

One individual has died within the outbreak involving 10 states, whereas 22 have been hospitalized.

The company stated that well being officers interviewed 17 of these those that acquired sick and 14 reported consuming ice cream. Among the 13 who remembered the kind of ice cream they ate, six recognized the model as Big Olaf Creamery or a location that served that kind of ice cream.

On Friday, the corporate started voluntarily started contacting retail areas to advocate in opposition to promoting their ice cream merchandise, the CDC stated.

On Sunday, the corporate issued its personal assertion on social media in regards to the outbreak.

“For now it’s only hypothesis as it’s an ongoing investigation, our model has not been confirmed to be linked to those instances…,” the corporate acknowledged. “The authentic report we acquired from the Florida Department of Health on Friday July 1st, was that there are 23 instances reported… 6 out of the 23 sufferers talked about having consumed Big Olaf ice cream, however nothing has been confirmed.”

The assertion added that the corporate has been cooperating with state and federal well being officers as quickly because it was knowledgeable in regards to the state of affairs.

Listeria is a micro organism that may trigger extreme sickness when it spreads past the intestine to different elements of the physique, a situation often known as invasive listeriosis.

Consumers who’ve Big Olaf Creamery model ice cream, which is just offered in Florida, ought to throw it away, the CDC stated in its alert. Clean any areas, containers or serving utensils which will have touched the ice cream. Retailers who’ve bought merchandise from the model mustn’t serve it till additional discover. Any tools, ice cream scoops, serving utensils or areas which will have come into contact with the ice cream must be cleaned.

While most individuals don’t turn into severely sick from Listeria, it may be harmful for pregnant girls and their newborns, individuals ages 65 and older and people with weakened immune techniques.

Symptoms of extreme sickness sometimes begin inside two weeks of consuming the contaminated meals, however can even begin the identical day or as many as 70 days later.

Symptoms can embody diarrhea and fever, in addition to headache, stiff neck, confusion, lack of steadiness, muscle aches and convulsions.

Pregnant girls sometimes expertise solely fever, fatigue and muscle aches, however the an infection can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, untimely supply or a life-threatening an infection of the new child.

More data

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extra data on Listeria.

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, information launch, July 2, 2022

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TUESDAY, Feb. 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — A genetically modified herpes virus seems to ship a “one-two punch” to the uncommon and lethal type of mind most cancers that killed U.S. Sen. John McCain, new findings present.

Glioblastoma mind tumors are a most cancers nightmare, with a median survival of 12 to fifteen months from preliminary analysis and 4 to 6 months after recurrence, researchers say. McCain died in August 2018, one 12 months after docs found he had the aggressive most cancers.

“Despite 50 to 60 years of analysis and advances in surgical procedure, chemotherapy and radiation, we have not pushed the needle a lot in any respect by way of survival,” stated senior researcher Dr. James Markert, chairman of neurosurgery on the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heersink School of Medicine. “Only 5% to 10% of sufferers stay longer than 5 years. It’s nearly universally deadly.”

But an experimental cancer-fighting herpes simplex virus referred to as G207 has proven promise in preventing glioblastoma, and a paper revealed Feb. 1 in Clinical Cancer Research gives a greater thought how.

It’s been identified that G207 instantly assaults and kills mind tumor cells, Markert stated.

“There’s one thing totally different about tumor cells’ protection in opposition to viruses, in order that the adjustments within the DNA that stored the virus from being infectious in regular human cells weren’t current within the tumor cells,” he stated. “As a outcome, the virus grew to become selective for infecting and killing tumor cells.”

Now it seems the virus has one other trick up its sleeve — it robs glioblastoma of its potential to evade detection by the immune system. Highlighted by the virus, the mind most cancers comes underneath assault from the physique’s pure defenses.

“It grew to become obvious to us there was a very one-two punch,” Markert stated. “The virus was invoking an immune response in opposition to the tumor as a secondary type of anti-tumor response produced by the an infection.”

Results from a part 1B scientific trial involving six grownup glioblastoma sufferers with recurring or progressing tumors supplied Markert and his group with a brand new understanding of how the modified herpes virus assaults the most cancers.

In the trial, sufferers had their glioblastomas surgically eliminated, after which most underwent radiation and chemotherapy.

The herpes virus was then injected instantly into the location of their tumors.

A couple of days after the virus remedy, researchers drew genetic materials from the handled tumors so they might higher perceive what occurs contained in the most cancers as G207 assaults.

Untreated glioblastoma cells sometimes comprise no genetic proof of any immune response. “The tumor really produces quite a lot of components to discourage the immune system from attacking it. It’s attempting to behave as a stealth invader as finest it may,” Markert stated.

But after remedy with G207, the tumors “are teeming with immune cells,” he stated. The viral an infection seems to provide a “hazard sign” that directs the immune system’s consideration to the most cancers.

“In learning the genes related to survival, [the researchers] discovered it was associated to immune cell activation, turning on the physique’s immune system to assist combat the most cancers,” stated Dr. William Cance, chief medical and scientific officer for the American Cancer Society. “It provides us hope we will flip the immune system in opposition to these lethal mind tumors.”

Further evaluation revealed about 500 genes which are considerably related to affected person survival after G207 remedy, and about half are associated to immune response, Markert stated.

“We hope that info goes to foretell who’re going to be the individuals who will reply very well, and who may want one other remedy,” he stated.

Five ongoing scientific trials are utilizing genetically engineered herpes viruses to assault tumors of the mind and spinal twine, researchers stated.

Trials have proven that the herpes virus remedy produces normal however not uniform enhancements in total survival, researchers famous. For instance, two of 36 glioblastoma sufferers handled with G207 in part 1 trials had long-term survival of greater than 5 and 7 years.

In the latest trial, the G207 virus stored 4 of 11 pediatric sufferers alive 18 months following remedy, Markert famous. Those outcomes have been revealed final spring within the New England Journal of Medicine.

“It seems kids do even higher with the virus,” Markert stated. “We suppose it is as a result of their immune methods is perhaps stronger and their tumors are a bit extra delicate to the virus.”

Plans are underway to begin a part 2 research although a pediatric mind tumor consortium, Markert stated.

“The irritating factor about glioblastoma is that there are very restricted therapies which have very restricted efficacy. We want novel approaches to deal with mind tumors like this,” stated Cance, who wasn’t a part of the brand new research.

He stated the brand new paper gives a clearer rationalization of how the virus remedy works, and who may finest profit from it.

“Hopefully, as they study what predicts response, they’re going to be capable to be extra selective with the sufferers who obtain it,” Cance stated.

Since glioblastoma is a uncommon illness, Markert stated researchers hope to influence the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to permit accelerated approval of G207.

This would not be the primary FDA-approved herpes remedy for most cancers, Markert famous. In 2015, the company authorized Imlygic, an Amgen-produced remedy for melanoma that additionally makes use of a modified herpes simplex virus.

“Melanoma, it seems, may be very attentive to immunotherapies, and so it is fairly logical that the virus would assist put issues excessive and produce a great immune response in opposition to a most cancers that is already vulnerable to this sort of factor,” Markert stated. “Glioblastoma is way more of a tricky nut to crack.”

More info

The American Brain Tumor Association has extra about glioblastoma.

SOURCES: James Markert, MD, MPH, chairman, neurosurgery, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham; William Cance, MD, chief medical and scientific officer, American Cancer Society; Clinical Cancer Research, Feb. 1, 2022

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