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Saturday, 3 February 2018

Smileband health topics

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is associated with more tropical climates, recreational activities, and is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.

Symptoms are nonspecific and include fever, headache, red eyes, abdominal pain, vomiting, rash, and jaundice. Some infected people may have no symptoms at all, however, without treatment; Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, and even death. Domestic animals are also susceptible to Leptospirosis infections.

There have been 3 cases of leptospirosis in Arizona over the past 10 years. All 3 cases had travel-related exposures.

Arizona 5 year median: 1 case

Transmission

People can become infected through contact with the urine or other body fluids of infected animals, or contact with water, soil, or food that has been contaminated with urine of infected animals. Drinking contaminated water can also cause infection.

The incubation period is typically 5-14 days but can range from 2-30 days. Isolation Precautions

Person to person transmission is rare.

Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.

Prevention for Patients

Avoid swimming, kayaking or other recreational activities in water that might be contaminated with animal urine, or eliminating contact with potentially infected animals.
Wear protective clothing or footwear to avoid exposure to potentially contaminated water or soil.
Have pets vaccinated against leptospirosis.

Public Health Actions
Public health will conduct an epidemiological investigation on a case or suspect case.

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Smileband general news

Nearly 13,000 years ago, Earth may have plunged suddenly into an apocalyptic scene; a barrage of fireballs lit up the sky, followed by powerful shock waves and fires that blazed across 10 percent of the planet’s land surface. The sky turned black as dust blocked out the sunlight, and temperatures rapidly plummeted, causing plants to die out and glaciers to advance, in what soon became a near ice age state.

And, humans were there to witness it all – with grave consequences.

This is according to new research, which suggests fragments of a 62-mile-wide disintegrating comet struck Earth 12,800 years ago and spurred burning events larger than those caused by the ‘dinosaur killers. The new study on geochemical and isotopic markers, which involved two dozen researchers, argues that a cosmic impact thousands of years ago left behind high concentrations of platinum across the Northern Hemisphere.

This could be found at a number of sites, including ice cores collected from the Greenland Ice Sheet, linked to the Younger Dryas boundary – a period roughly 12,800 years ago toward the end of the last Ice Age when glacial conditions temporarily began to advance again.

According to the new research, an impact could have triggered this cooling episode.

‘The work includes measurements made at more than 170 different sites around the world,’ said Adrian Melott, University of Kansas Emeritus Professor of Physics & Astronomy.

‘The hypothesis is that a large comet fragmented and the chunks impacted the Earth, causing this disaster.

‘A number of different chemical signatures – carbon dioxide, nitrate, ammonia, and others – all seem to indicate that an astonishing 10 percent of the Earth’s land surface, or about 10 million square kilometers, was consumer by fires. The pollen analysis indicated that pine forests were likely burned off and later replaced by poplar.

This species is known to colonize cleared areas.

The impact would have been equally catastrophic for the humans and animals alive at the time.

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Wednesday, 31 January 2018

Smileband health topics

What is Degenerative Brain Disease?

Imagine coming home and being unable to remember who the people in the photos on your desk are. Your couch and handmade blanket don't ring any bells, either, and you wonder why there is a dog bowl in the kitchen.

For most people this scene would feel like home, but for someone with degenerative brain disease, one's home feels like someone else's place. Degenerative brain disease causes brain tissue to break down over time. The symptoms of degenerative brain disease can be divided into cognitive symptoms, or those that affect thoughts and emotions, and muscular symptoms, or those that affect the body.

Cognitive Symptoms

The brain is the control center for the body. It is composed of millions of neurons, or brain cells that relay messages between the brain and the body, telling our entire body what to do. Specific pathways of communication between neurons are responsible for all of our thoughts and emotions, or cognitive function. Each part of the brain has a specific job, so depending on what part of the brain is affected, there are different symptoms. Let's look at some examples of cognitive symptoms in different diseases.

Alzheimer's Disease

Probably the most well known degenerative brain disease is Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this disease neurons in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that regulates memory storage, start to die. The neuronal death spreads to other parts of the brain later in the disease. What might start off as confusion, difficulty regulating emotions, and minor slips in memory will become extreme memory lapses in later stages, with patients struggling to recognize family members and familiar places. Eventually the disease will advance so that patients may not know who they are, or what time or place they are in.

Prion Disease

Although most degenerative diseases of the brain are genetic or have unknown causes, prion disease is caused by transmissible proteins called prions. Prions are part of normal, healthy neurons, but the diseased prions are shaped incorrectly. They cause the normal prions in the brain to become misshapen also, leading to neuronal death. Prion disease is transmitted through consuming contaminated tissue from the nervous system, which can sometimes be spread through processing and consuming contaminated meat.

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Smileband general news

A woman fell onto the rails at a busy London Tube station after witnesses saw her being dragged off the platform by her bag and coat. Fellow rush hour commuters at Notting Hill Gate reported hearing the woman yelling 'help me' after ending up under the carriage after her clothing had got caught in the doors.

The station was closed as emergency services worked to free the woman and take her to hospital after the incident shortly before 5pm today. Shabana Khan, who saw the incident, said: 'Horrified right now woman has fallen under our train carriage at Notting Hill Gate station.

'Heard the thud as the train moved we're all in tears thinking she's died under our feet but she's alive and stuck under the train yelling help.

'We've been evacuated out of the train.

'They got her bag and coat out from under the door of our carriage, which had got stuck.

'Everyone tried to stay calm not have panic attacks but all of us in tears. Thanks to the brave guys on our carriage for reassuring us that she's OK.'

Many feared the passenger had died but officers found a female who was then taken to hospital to have her injuries assessed.

British Transport Police said the force received help from the ambulance service, air ambulance and fire brigade.

The incident is being investigated but is not being treated as suspicious.

British Transport Police said they were unable to confirm the age of the victim.

One passenger said the victim's coat and bag had got stuck under the door of one of the Tube carriages.

She added: 'Everyone tried to stay calm, not have panic attacks but all of us were in tears.

'Thanks to the brave guys on our carriage for reassuring us that she's OK.

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Smileband health topics

Aspergillosis is a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus, a common mold that lives indoors and outdoors. Most people breathe in Aspergillus spores every day without getting sick. However, people with weakened immune systems or lung diseases are at a higher risk of developing health problems. The types of health problems caused by Aspergillus include allergic reactions, lung infections, and infections in other organs.

Transmission

People can get aspergillosis by breathing in microscopic Aspergillus spores from the environment. Aspergillosis can’t spread between people or between people and animals from the lungs.

Lab Tests & Specimen Info

Test*	Specimen
Microscopic examination	Respiratory Specimen
Culture	Sputum, Bronchial Aspirate, Lung biopsy
Galactomannan Antigen Test	Serum, Bronchoalveolar Lavage
IgG Serology	Serum
PCR	Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Tissue

Isolation Precautions

Standard precautions are recommended in healthcare settings.

Prevention for Patients
It’s difficult to avoid breathing in Aspergillus spores because the fungus is common in the environment. For people who have weakened immune systems, there may be some ways to lower the chances of developing a severe Aspergillus infection. It’s important to note that although these actions are recommended, they have not been proven to prevent aspergillosis.

Try to avoid areas with a lot of dust like construction or excavation sites. If you can't avoid these areas, wear an N95 respirator while you're there.
Avoid activities that involve close contact to soil or dust, such as yard work or gardening.
To reduce the chances of developing a skin infection, clean skin injuries well with soap and water, especially if they have been exposed to soil or dust.
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Smileband health topics

A little boy with Down's Syndrome was locked on a council's school bus for six hours - after teachers forgot to check he'd got off. Reuben Wilson, nine, from Chew Magna, Bristol, was strapped into his seat, and only discovered when the driver came back from his lunchbreak.

His mother Sharon, 45, a lecturer claims her son – who cannot speak and communicates using sign language - is now frightened to step on the bus. She said: 'The night after it happened Reuben signed to me, "Bus, big wait, Reuben sad mummy". The thought of Reuben sat there, literally abandoned, for hours on end has given me sleepless nights.

'Since the incident Reuben has become really clingy. I feel so angry and upset. I just can't understand how he was left sat on the bus for so long and why no one checked he'd got off.'

The nightmare journey began when shortly before Christmas, Mrs Wilson waved her son off on the bus at 7.45am as usual on the hour-long trip to Fosse Way special education school in Bristol.

'When Reuben first began taking the bus to school eight months ago, I was really worried. He's such a sweet adorable and trusting little boy. He can't speak and can only use Makaton gestures and signs. 'But after a few weeks I relaxed and there has never been any problem before.'

The first sign anything was wrong was around an hour after Reuben should have got to school.

She says: 'I was at work when I received a generic text message from the school saying they noted Reuben wasn't there today. But as he had been off from school the day before, I thought it related to that. I didn't query it as obviously he'd gone off to school fine.

'A carer on the bus is supposed to check everyone is off, a teacher is supposed to tick everyone off on the register and the driver is supposed to check there is no one on the bus too. The last thing I expected was that all of these checks hadn't been done and Reuben had been left on the bus.

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Smileband general news

California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability.

The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems.

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island on January 23 2018 was just the latest reminder of major seismic activity along the Pacific Rim.

Tragic quakes that occurred in 2017 near the Iran-Iraq border and in central Mexico, with magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.1, respectively, are well within the range of earthquake sizes that have a high likelihood of occurring in highly populated parts of California during the next few decades.

The earthquake situation in California is actually more dire than people who aren't seismologists like myself may realise.

Although many Californians can recount experiencing an earthquake, most have never personally experienced a strong one.

For major events, with magnitudes of 7 or greater, California is actually in an earthquake drought.

Multiple segments of the expansive San Andreas Fault system are now sufficiently stressed to produce large and damaging events.

The good news is that earthquake readiness is part of the state's culture, and earthquake science is advancing – including much improved simulations of large quake effects and development of an early warning system for the Pacific coast.

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Smileband general news

Ten drug dealing gangsters have been jailed for more than 116 years after police busted their network when they discovered a bag full of cocaine in a Cardiff street. Officers from south Wales, Essex, Thames Valley and the Metropolitan police forces dismantled seven organised crime gangs linked to a multi-million pounds Albanian drugs network.

Police recovered around £450,000 in cash as well as several kilos of cocaine, expensive clothes and jewellery worth about £100,000.

The gang created 'hides' behind the back seats in their vehicles to store their drugs and cash, with £80,000 found in one van alone. The joint police investigation led officers to Albanian national Bledar Mziu, who was responsible for flooding the streets of south Wales and the south east of England with massive quantities of high purity cocaine.

Officers spent months tracking Mziu, 31, as he sourced the Class A drug from his own suppliers in the south east of England, and used fellow Albanian nationals Hysen Lika, 24, and Robert Xhepa, 29, to run drugs into south Wales.

Police surveillance led officers to five recipients – Paul Wyatt, Nicky Watson, Kevin Patton, Tamar Sheblan and Hayder Sheblan – all of whom were running their own organised crime gangs in south Wales.

The gang used 'sophisticated' anti-surveillance tactics to avoid detection, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

The chance discovery of a rucksack containing 1.5 kilos of crack cocaine, which had been abandoned in the middle of a road in Cardiff in August 2016, provided a further boost as officers were able to forensically link brothers Ali Sheblan, 23, and Hayder Sheblan, 25, to the network.

Following a number of arrests throughout the investigation, during which some individual members of the gangs were convicted and sentenced, police carried out a series of raids across the UK in June 2017.

This led to the recovery of almost half a million pounds in cash, multiple kilos of cocaine and high-value clothing and jewellery wroth around £100,000, while multiple arrests were made throughout the UK and in Marbella.

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Smileband general news

Michaela Sheldrake, 41, described herself as a 'monster' after a court heard she had amassed indecent images and videos and had taken 356 indecent photographs of a girl under 16 - sending some of the pictures to a man.

Speaking after the case, a relative said the victim had been 'left serving a life sentence' and Sheldrake should be 'behind bars for the rest of her life'.

She was jailed after admitting nine offences at an earlier hearing.

They included two charges of taking indecent photographs of a child - three of the images were classed as category B and 353 were category C.

Sheldrake also admitted two charges of making indecent photographs of a young boy in connection with two images classified in category A - the most serious category - and five in category B. Sheldrake admitted one charge of inciting a girl aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity and one charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a girl under 16.

Sheldrake, of Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, admitted possessing 2,578 indecent images and 110 movies of children on a mobile phone.

She also admitted distributing indecent photographs of a child and attempting to pervert the course of justice by encouraging a child to provide false information to police.

Catherine Silverton, mitigating at Leeds Crown Court, said Sheldrake had no previous convictions and was ashamed of her offending.

She said: 'Nobody hates her as much as herself. 'She described herself as a monster.'

Miss Silverton said the case has been going on for almost three years.

Jailing Sheldrake, judge Sally Cahill, QC, said: 'It is said on your behalf that you have shown remorse. 'I have to say that, having read reports and reviewed the evidence, there is no real evidence of that in relation to your victims.

'You have realised the consequences of your behaviour and the consequences are severe. 'In my view you have not shown any real remorse.'

Det Insp Marc Bowes, of West Yorkshire Police, described the offences as 'absolutely appalling' and said Sheldrake's offending was 'significant and sustained'.

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Smileband health topics

A three-month-old girl is desperately waiting for surgery to remove a lump on her neck that has grown bigger than her head. Zareena Mangro, from Pakistan, was born with occipital encephalocele – a rare condition in which brain fluid bulges out of the skull bone.

The baby was born with a mass the size of a golf ball but within three months it grew rapidly and she is now not able to turn her head.

Her parents, father Wajid Mangro, 37, and mother Nasreen Mangro, 24, are anxious to get a date for the operation to change their daughter's life.

They said Zareena, their third child, was born through a normal delivery despite the ball-like mass.

Mrs Mangro, from Loralai in the Balochistan province, said: 'She was only two weeks old when we took her to hospital. Her lump was very small at that time. 'Doctors gave her medicines but her condition didn't improve rather went from bad to worse. Within three months, the lump has grown bigger than her head.

'We are worried about her condition as she is not able to turn her head. Also, she can't sleep on the back of her head.'

'Her life will change forever'

Mr Mangro, who works as a plumber in a construction company in United Arab Emirates took one month leave from work and flew back to Pakistan in order to get her daughter operated in a bigger hospital.

He and his wife travelled over 500 miles in a bus from Loralai to Karachi and had Zareena admitted in Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre.

The father said: 'It's our second visit to Jinnah Hospital but yet we have not received any date for surgery yet. Doctors are giving her medicines and antibiotics through syringe.

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