Florida resident dies from brain-eating amoeba - BBC

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By Max Matza

BBC News

A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, officials say.

Health experts in Charlotte County, in southwest Florida, say the victim was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.

Naegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. Officials say that drinking it is not dangerous.

Infections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Officials have not identified the victim.

On 23 February, the Florida Department of Heath said that a patient had been infected "possibly as a result of sinus rinse practices" utilising tap water.

On Thursday, a spokesman for the state health agency confirmed that the patient had died.

Officials across multiple government agencies are "continuing to investigate how this infection occurred," spokesman Jae Williams said.

He added that officials are "working with the local public utilities to identify any potential links and make any necessary corrective actions".

The amoeba typically lives in warm fresh water such as swimming pools, lakes and ponds.

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It can lead to a severe infection if it enters through the nose, but it is normally safe through the mouth because stomach acid kills the single-cell microorganism.

People who are infected contract a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, a stiff neck, a loss of balance, seizures and/or hallucinations.

According to the CDC, around three Americans get infected each year, often with deadly consequences.

Between 1962 and 2021, only four of the 154 people infected in the US survived.

CDC data suggests infection in winter months is incredibly rare.

Officials warn that to avoid infections people should not rinse out their nasal passages with untreated tap water.

Sterile or distilled water are preferred options. Tap water can also be used if it is boiled for at least one minute and cooled before use.

People are also advised to avoid taking on water in their nose while in swimming pools or bathing or showering.

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• United States

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More than half of the world will be overweight or obese by 2035 - report - CTV News

LONDON -

More than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035 without significant action, according to a new report.

The World Obesity Federation's 2023 atlas predicts that 51 per cent of the world, or more than 4 billion people, will be obese or overweight within the next 12 years.

Rates of obesity are rising particularly quickly among children and in lower income countries, the report found.

Describing the data as a "clear warning," Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said that policymakers needed to act now to prevent the situation worsening.

"It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents," she said in a statement.

"Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to the younger generation."

The report found that childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels, to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035.

The cost to society is significant as a result of the health conditions linked to being overweight, the federation said: more than US$4 trillion annually by 2035, or three per cent of global GDP.

However, the authors said they were not blaming individuals, but calling for a focus on the societal, environmental and biological factors involved in the conditions.

The report uses body mass index (BMI) for its assessments, a number calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared. In line with the World Health Organization's guidelines, a BMI score over 25 is overweight and over 30 is obese.

In 2020, 2.6 billion people fell into these categories, or 38 per cent of the world's population.

The report also found that almost all of the countries expected to see the greatest increases in obesity in the coming years are low or middle-income countries in Asia and Africa.

The data will be presented to United Nations policymakers and member states next week.

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A Florida Man Died From A Brain-Eating Amoeba After Rinsing His Nose & Here's What We Know - Narcity Canada

A man living in Florida died after getting infected with a brain-eating amoeba while rinsing his nose using tap water in the area of Charlotte County.

The case was reported by the Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County (DOH-Charlotte) on February 23. According to the press release, an infection of Naegleria fowleri originates from a microscopic amoeba, and it’s very rare.

"Infection with Naegleria fowleri is rare and can only happen when water contaminated with amoeba enters the body through the nose. You cannot be infected by drinking tap water," the release reads.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed to local Southwest Florida station Fox 4 that the patient had died on February 20 after rinsing his sinuses on a daily basis with unboiled tap water.

Here’s what we know about this deadly amoeba, according to the DOH-Charlotte and the CDC.

What can people do to avoid a brain-eating amoeba infection?

The DOH-Charlotte released the following instructions to prevent a Naegleria fowleri infection:

• When making sinus rinse solutions, use distilled or sterile water. Tap water should be boiled for at least one minute and cooled before doing the procedure.
• Don’t allow tap water to go up your nose or sniff it when you’re showering, bathing, washing your face, or swimming.
• Don’t jump into or put your head under bathing water. Walk or lower yourself in.
• Don’t allow children to play unsupervised with hoses or sprinklers. Avoid slip-n-slides or any other activities where it’s difficult to prevent water from going up the nose.
• Clean, scrub, and empty hard plastic or blow-up pools and let them dry after using.
• Keep your swimming pool disinfected before and during use.

What are the signs of a brain-eating amoeba infection?

According to the DOH-Charlotte, if you experience any of the following symptoms after swimming in lakes, rivers or after a nasal water exposure, you are urged to seek medical assistance immediately:

• Headache
• Fever
• Nausea
• Disorientation
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Seizures
• Loss of balance
• Hallucinations

How common is an infection by a brain-eating amoeba?

The CDC states that Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. Between zero to five cases were diagnosed annually from 2012 to 2021.

Additionally, the CDC says that most of these infections happen in young males, especially 14 and younger. They state that the reasons for this aren't clear, but posit that it might be because this demographic is more likely to participate in the discouraged activities mentioned above.

What is the cause of death of a brain-eating amoeba?

"The infection destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and death," according to CDC data.

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Vaccines were hot topic at local Health Unit - inquinte.ca

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Study says vitamin D prevents dementia - CP24

Colette Derworiz , The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, March 1, 2023 12:44PM EST

Researchers at the University of Calgary are starting a national project to try to get more insight into the brain as people age.

The CAN-PROTECT project, led by Dr. Zahinoor Ismail, begins Wednesday — the same day that a new paper he co-authored shows taking vitamin D could help prevent dementia.

"We compared older adults who were on vitamin D to those who were not on vitamin D over 10 years for the rate of development of dementia," said Ismail, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the U of C and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

The 12,000 participants in the study, published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, were part of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center in the United States. They had an average age of 71 and didn't have dementia when they signed up for it. About 37 per cent of those involved took vitamin D supplements.

"What we found was that persons who were taking vitamin D at baseline compared to those who took no vitamin D over that time developed dementia probably at a 40 per cent lower rate, so it's quite a significant association," Ismail said in an interview.

Researchers also found the effects were greater in women than men and in those with normal cognition than those with mild cognitive impairment, which is associated with a higher risk of getting dementia.

Ismail said that could suggest "the earlier you start, the more you can prevent progression."

He and others are now working to get Canadian-specific data through the national research project. It is modelled after an online platform called PROTECT, based at the University of Exeter, that asks annual questionnaires on detailed lifestyle factors combined with some cognitive testing to determine what keeps the brain sharp later in life.

The Canadian project, he said, will build on the results of the vitamin D study with U.S. participants.

"We're farther north and there are other variables that we want to measure more closely regarding your ethnocultural group, whether you live in a sunny place or not, whether you go south for the winter," said Ismail.

"There are many other variables that we'd like to know about that would allow us to refine our understanding even more."

The study will be conducted online and researchers hope to recruit about 10,000 participants from across Canada.

"People sign up along with a study partner — someone who knows them well for at least five years — and then there are annual measures of health and wellness, risk and resilience, cognition, behaviour function," he said.

The study will run for 20 years, and he said people from all areas and backgrounds can join at any time.

"It's a way to really get an understanding of brain aging over time," said Ismail, noting researchers will look closer at vitamin D and many other factors that could affect the brain.

The research, he added, will also include an examination of people who care for those with dementia — both family caregivers as well as nurses, occupational therapists and others who work in a caregiving role.

Calgarian Andrea Protzner, who has previously been involved in one of Ismail's studies, helps care for her father who has Alzheimer's disease.

"It's really hard," she said. "The person you love has totally changed emotionally, in terms of behaviour, in terms of what they can and can't do. I can't even imagine doing that full time. Even part time, with my dad in a home, it's a huge part of my life and it takes a lot.

"If we can create supports for the caregiver, then the person who is responsible for everything to do with the loved one can do a better job, can have an easier time at it, can get through it."

Protzner said it's also important to learn more about how her brain is aging.

"Alzheimer's has a hereditary component, so knowing that my dad has it means that I know that I have a higher risk," she said. "For me, information is power. Having the information is huge."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2023. 

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Just 11 minutes of daily moderate-intensity exercise can lower disease risk: study - The Hill

Story at a glance

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• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends American adults complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.

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• New research shows those who complete half of this recommended amount can also reap health benefits.

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• This evens out to around 11 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each day, and can be achieved through activities like going on a brisk walk or cycling. 

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For those who have a hard time squeezing daily exercise into their busy schedules, a new study offers some good news.

Completing just 11 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each day can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and several cancers. 

That’s according to a new review of 196 articles that include data on more than 30 million participants, followed for an average of 10 years. Findings were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 

Examples of moderate-intensity physical activity, or exercise that raises your heart rate but not enough to where you can’t speak, include going for a brisk walk, dancing, riding a bike, playing tennis and hiking. 

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death around the world. However, the new research indicates as many as one in ten early deaths could be prevented if everyone managed at least half of the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. 

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Overall, 75 minutes of moderate-intensity activity was linked with a 23 percent lower risk of premature death. It also reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 17 percent and cancer by 7 percent.

Researchers found even greater benefits for specific cancers. Meeting the 75 minutes per week goal was linked with a 14 to 26 percent lower risk of head and neck, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, and gastric cardia cancers.

For lung, liver, endometrial, colon, and breast cancer researchers found a 3 to 11 percent reduced risk. 

The new analysis marks the largest to date assessing the association between physical activity levels and heart disease, cancer, and early death risk, researchers said. 

“If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news,” said study author Soren Brage of the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. 

“Doing some physical activity is better than doing none. This is also a good starting position — if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount,” Brage said in a statement.

Data showed that outside of work-related activity, two out of three people reported activity levels below the recommended 150 minutes per week. Less than one in ten achieved more than 300 minutes each week. 

“Moderate activity doesn’t have to involve what we normally think of exercise, such as sports or running. Sometimes, replacing some habits is all that is needed,” added author Leandro Garcia from Queen’s University Belfast. 

This can include walking or cycling to work or school instead of using a car, or playing with your children or grandchildren more often, Garcia said. 

“Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active.”

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CDC Warns About Drug-Resistant Shigella: What to Know - Healthline