Weekly Health Digest: Mpox, Babesiosis, Listeria, Parasites, Bird Flu, and COVID Neurology

Epidemiological Update –Week 36/2024: Mpox due to monkeypox virus clade 1

By the staff of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) 

The Monkeypox epidemiological update for 2024 Week 36, focusing on Clade I, highlights the current spread and prevention efforts surrounding this viral disease in Europe and Africa. Mpox, similar to smallpox, has recently resurfaced as a global concern, particularly due to outbreaks in non-endemic regions. The report underscores the necessity of continued surveillance and vaccination to control transmission. The article discusses about how treatments that have been tested en vivo and in vitro are not properly displaying effective chemical reactions that are established as safe for human treatment.

This topic is especially pressing due to the increased interconnectedness of global health and the rise in cases outside traditionally affected areas. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there is currently a high rate of disease incidence, Mpox remains a major public health challenge due to frequent limited healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, the frequency of human-to-animal interaction is also a major contribution to the difficulty of mitigating the spread of disease. The Congolese population faces recurring outbreaks that can strain healthcare systems and exacerbate existing health disparities. Furthermore, with the ongoing global push to strengthen pandemic preparedness, Mpox serves as an important case study for how rapidly diseases can spread and the importance of a coordinated global response.

This update highlights the importance of improving public health infrastructure in vulnerable regions, enhancing disease surveillance globally, and promoting vaccination efforts to prevent large-scale outbreaks. As health threats like Mpox emerge, public awareness and scientific understanding are critical in curbing its spread and preventing it from becoming a larger crisis.

— Jaden Hayes

Babesiosis, another disease spread by ticks, is on the rise

By Kevin Loria, Washington Post

A 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that Babesiosis cases are rising. Babesiosis is a parasitic tick-borne illness. Unlike most other tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, Babesiosis is spread by Babesia microti parasites that live in ticks and infect humans’ red blood cells. Most cases are asymptomatic. A doctor can order a tick-borne diseases panel for those who feel its signature flu-like symptoms (including fever, chills, body aches, nausea, or fatigue) and have had possible recent exposure. Following a diagnosis, the treatment for mild to moderate symptoms is a 7 to 10-day course of azithromycin, an antibiotic, and atovaquone, an antifungal and antiparasitic. Those who do not have a spleen, have a weakened immune system, health complications, or advanced age are most at risk for complications. Most healthy adults, however, can clear the infection without treatment within a year.

According to a CDC surveillance data from 2011-2019, Babesiosis is now endemic in 10 states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. In previous years, it was only endemic in 7 states. The most cases were found in New York, with about 526 reported per year. According to a 2023 CDC study, the US had 16,456 cases from 37 states between 2011 and 2019.

Tick infections are most common in late spring and early summer, although they can happen anytime ticks are active. It is recommended to wear long sleeves and pants when in grassy or forested areas. An insect repellent should be applied to any exposed skin. After spending time outside, take a shower and perform a tick check on yourself.

— Diyya Ganju

How Do You Get Drugs to the Brain? Maybe Try a Parasite.

By Bill Sullivan, WIRED

Researchers have discovered a way for Toxoplasma gondii to treat neurological conditions through inoculation, the concept of purposely exposing an uninfected person to a disease to protect them from severe illness.

Alternative ways to get medicine into the body, like pills, may not be as effective as Toxoplasma because chemical drugs are easily absorbed into the bloodstream, but are not effective at penetrating through to the brain. Toxoplasma parasite, on the other hand, is effective at invading brain cells. In a new study, researchers found success in a genetically engineered Toxoplasma delivering a specific MECP2 protein into brain cells. MECP2 is a protein that is associated with a rare brain development disorder called Rett syndrome. This study could pave a path for Toxoplasma to become a treatment option for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases.

Treatment via Toxoplasma is still far from entering the clinic anytime soon. The parasite is still at risk of producing lifelong infections that are damaging to critical organ systems. It is known that up to one-third of people worldwide already carry Toxoplasma in their brain. This would disqualify many people from using it as a potential treatment.

— Joy Lee

Yet another person got bird flu. Now should I freak out?

By Keren Landman, M.D., Vox

Among the 15 human cases of bird flu reported in the US, one has caught the eye of the public. Despite having no contacts with animals, a patient developed bird flu and required hospitalization. Until we know how the patient became infected, we must be open to all theories of spread, including casual contact with an infected person or even raw milk consumption. 

To counteract the pandemic potential of bird flu, experts suggest that having a flu surveillance system in place can prevent the possibility of outbreaks. This infrastructure, however, does not seem to be in place now. This patient’s story was announced two weeks after hospitalization, suggesting that surveillance is extremely poor. Further, the lack of testing in dairy farms and dependance on self-reporting provide the virus with spatial and temporal opportunities to adapt in humans. The virus continues to spread without the public health agencies investigating. With the seasonal flu incoming, the best way to move forward is to minimize our risk of contracting this or other viruses by getting vaccinated, gathering outdoors and wearing a mask in busy spots. 

— Ananya Dash

Teen Girls’ Brains Aged Rapidly During Pandemic, Study Finds

By Ellen Barry, New York Times

A recent study found neural evidence that teenage brains aged at a faster rate during the COVID-19 lockdown, especially in girls. As we get older, pandemic aside, the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer, naturally thins. This process is not harmful, but, under stressful conditions, it can be accelerated. 

When comparing scans of cortical thicknesses in teens before and after COVID-19, researchers noticed a general trend of accelerated thinning. This meant teenage brains were aging rapidly, where girls’s brains aged 4.2 years faster than expected, and 1.4 years for boys. The scans revealed thinning in 30 brain regions for girls, in areas mostly associated with facial recognition and emotional processing. Meanwhile, boys’ brains were generally thinner in 2 regions, both related to visual processing. 

Researchers suggested that social isolation during the pandemic, particularly the lack of face-to-face interaction, may have had a stronger impact on teenage girls. Experts caution, however, that, while these changes might seem concerning, there is not enough evidence to consider them pathological. Instead, they highlight the brain’s fascinating adaptability in response to a new form of stress.

— Alya Khoury

‘Imminent Threat’ Found at Boar’s Head Plant 2 Years Before Fatal Listeria Outbreak

By Christina Jewett and Teddy Rosenbluth, New York Times

A listeria outbreak at a Boar’s Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia has resulted in the deaths of several elderly people and left others in critical condition. Two years prior, U.S. health inspectors discovered unsanitary conditions at the facility, including mold, garbage, and insects. Despite these findings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not enforce strict measures, allowing the plant to continue producing beef and pork products as issues persisted. Genome sequencing tests linked listeria in Boar’s Head meats to the outbreak, prompting a recall of various products in July 2024. While Boar’s Head has temporarily closed the facility to investigate the contamination, concerns remain that hospitalizations may increase, as listeria symptoms can take weeks to appear. This outbreak underscores significant shortcomings in food safety oversight and raises concerns about U.S. food regulation practices.

— Rama Esrawee

Items summarized by: Jaden Hayes, Diyya Ganju, Joy Lee, Ananya Dash, Alya Khoury, and Rama Esrawee