Earlier this year, three German men who worked as squirrel breeders died of brain inflammation. This “cluster” of deaths was likely caused by a newly mutated bornavirus, which is usually found in animals like horses, birds and pigs, according to authorities at the European Center for Disease Control. Researchers were previously not sure if bornavirus can infect humans, but further investigation into these deaths indicates that humans are in fact at risk, and these viruses are a bigger threat than ever before, according to the report and reported by LiveScience.
Up until recently, anyone suffering from high cholesterol had a fairly easy option to improve health. All they needed was a prescription for a group of chemicals known as statins. For decades, this was the go-to drug to cost-effectively keep low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in check and prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease. Although this view has changed somewhat with the FDA providing advice on the potential risks associated with their use, the number of people taking these drugs continues to be high.
Dengue fever is so excruciating that it is often called the “bone breaker,” causing severe pain in the joints and abdomen, vomiting, and circulatory system failure. It's nearly impossible to treat, so the only way to cut down on incidences of the disease is to decrease the number of mosquitoes that carry it. One startling effective way to do that: genetically modifying mosquitos so their offspring won't survive. A year-long trial with genetically modified mosquitoes in northeast Brazil has been the most successful yet, reducing the population of the disease-carrying insects by 95 percent, according to a study published last week in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
In 2003, Carly Heyman fell ill with some bizarre symptoms. She was depressed, gained 50 pounds, would sleep all day but would wake up with a start from horrible nightmares and suicidal thoughts. Her parents took her to doctor after doctor, who would only treat the symptoms but couldn't identify the cause of her illness. After several years of this, a doctor finally diagnosed her with the rare genetic disorder Fragile X syndrome—all it took was a simple hormone patch to alleviate her symptoms.
A MERS outbreak in South Korea has infected 181 people and killed 33. For an overview on the virus, check out this National Geographic piece, and to understand why it may have spread so quickly, here's an explanation from NPR's Goats and Soda.