logo
Ohio researcher explains how bird flu spreads among flocks

Ohio researcher explains how bird flu spreads among flocks

Yahoo20-02-2025
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — With emergencies declared for bird flu in Mercer and Darke counties, 2 NEWS is digging deeper into how the virus spreads.
With bird flu hitting 1st Ohioan, what are the symptoms and how is it treated?
Avian Influenza has been detected at more than 60 poultry farms in the Miami Valley. While the risk to humans remains low, staying informed can't hurt.
A researcher at The Ohio State University recently took part in a CDC study of the virus and took the time to break it down to us.
'Wild bird's influenza is spread through a fecal, oral route and so birds it is in their digestive tracts and its shed in their feces. And then other birds like in the environment or in the water — when they're eating they are picking up the virus through that way, through their mouths,' said Jacqueline Nolting, an assistant professor and animal health and biosecurity extension specialist at the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Poultry Days announce 2025 festival dates
Nolting and her team provided logistic support, gathered samples and assisted the CDC in getting those samples down to Atlanta, Georgia.
Health officials are continuing to monitor the spread of the virus. Residents are urged to report any sightings of sick birds to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. On their website, there is also a tracker for Avian Influenza cases among flocks in Ohio.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The Silent Symptom That Could Be a Sign of Blood Clots
The Silent Symptom That Could Be a Sign of Blood Clots

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

The Silent Symptom That Could Be a Sign of Blood Clots

The Silent Symptom That Could Be a Sign of Blood Clots originally appeared on Parade. Your blood's ability to clot after a cut or injury is an important defense mechanism to keep you from bleeding too much. But blood clots can cause serious health issues like strokes and heart attacks when they happen outside of that. About 900,000 people in the U.S. develop a blood clot each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 Americans die from blood clot complications annually, making this an important health issue to be aware of. 'Awareness of blood clot symptoms is critically important because early recognition can be life-saving,' says, a pulmonologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. 'Recognizing symptoms early allows for prompt medical treatment.' That can help lower the risk of permanent damage to organs or tissues, he points the problem: Not all symptoms of blood clots are obvious, and one in particular can be easily mistaken for other, much less severe health issues. Here's what doctors want you to keep in mind about this symptom, why it can be confused with other things and when to take action. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊 How Do Serious Blood Clots Happen? Before we go over the symptom, it's important to first go over how blood clots can become serious. Blood clots that happen spontaneously usually start in the legs, explains , a vascular surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. 'They aren't life-threatening in themselves, but they occasionally dislodge and go to the lungs,' he says. This is called a pulmonary embolism. Related: With a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lung and blocks blood flow to part of the lung, Dr. Yi explains. There, it can cause permanent damage to the lungs, low oxygen levels in your blood, and damage to other organs in your body (from not getting enough oxygen), he says, adding, 'This can be life-threatening." The Silent Sign of Blood Clots To Know About, According to a Vascular Surgeon Back to that silent symptom: Shortness of breath is common with pulmonary embolisms. 'Shortness of breath is a hallmark symptom of pulmonary embolism because of how the condition affects the lungs and oxygen delivery,' Dr. Parson says. 'The blocked artery prevents blood from reaching parts of the lung, so oxygen can't be absorbed into the bloodstream efficiently, resulting in shortness of breath.' This blockage usually comes on suddenly, so the body doesn't have time to compensate for the lower-than-usual oxygen, he explains. That can lead to sudden and intense shortness of breath. Related: When Shortness of Breath Is a Sign of a Blood Clot Shortness of breath can also be a sign of a slew of other things, including being out of shape, having asthma or just having a cold, making this a tricky thing to pin on a blood clot. But doctors say there are a few key differences between 'regular' shortness of breath and feeling breathless due to a blood clot.'Standard shortness of breath usually comes with exercise or activity,' Dr. Yi says. 'With a blood clot, there is a sudden onset of shortness of breath where you feel like you can't catch your breath.' You may also start breathing faster than usual, he explains. Along with coming on hard and fast, shortness of breath from a blood clot tends to get worse with exertion or taking deep breaths, according to Dr. Other Signs of a Blood Clot and What To Do While sudden shortness of breath alone should raise concerns about a possible pulmonary embolism, there are other blood clot symptoms doctors warn should be on your radar: Fast breathing Chest pain (it usually gets worse when you cough or take a deep breath) A faster-than-usual heart rate Coughing, including coughing up blood Very low blood pressure Feeling lightheaded Fainting It can be tempting to write these signs off if you have one or two that can be explained away as something more minor. But doctors stress the importance of taking these seriously if you or someone around you has them. 'If someone experiences these symptoms, immediate medical attention is critical,' Dr. Parsons says. Up Next:Sources: How Does Blood Clot? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Data and Statistics on Venous Thromboembolism, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Christopher Yi, MD, a vascular surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA Pulmonary Embolism. US National Library of Medicine Dr. Jonathan Parsons, MD, a pulmonologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center The Silent Symptom That Could Be a Sign of Blood Clots first appeared on Parade on Jul 27, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword

Millions of people are suffering from brain fog. A new study will find out why
Millions of people are suffering from brain fog. A new study will find out why

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Millions of people are suffering from brain fog. A new study will find out why

Millions of people who recover from infections like COVID-19, influenza and glandular fever are affected by long-lasting symptoms. These include chronic fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, dizziness, muscle or joint pain and gut problems. And many of these symptoms worsen after exercise, a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. Medically the symptoms are known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The World Health Organization classifies this as a post viral fatigue syndrome, and it is recognised by both the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a brain disorder. Experiencing illness long after contracting an infection is not new, as patients have reported these symptoms for decades. But COVID-19 has amplified the problem worldwide. Nearly half of people with ongoing post-COVID symptoms – a condition known as long-COVID – now meet the criteria for ME/CFS. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, it is estimated that more than 400 million people have developed long-COVID. To date, no widely accepted and testable mechanism has fully explained the biological processes underlying long-COVID and ME/CFS. Our work offers a new perspective that may help close this gap. Our research group studies blood and the cardiovascular system in inflammatory diseases, as well as post-viral conditions. We focus on coagulation, inflammation and endothelial cells. Endothelial cells make up the inner layer of blood vessels and serve many important functions, like regulating blood clotting, blood vessel dilation and constriction, and inflammation. Our latest review aims to explain how ME/CFS and long-COVID start and progress, and how symptoms show up in the body and its systems. By pinpointing and explaining the underlying disease mechanisms, we can pave the way for better clinical tools to diagnose and treat people living with ME/CFS and long-COVID. What is endothelial senescence? In our review, our international team proposes that certain viruses drive endothelial cells into a half-alive, 'zombie-like' state called cellular senescence. Senescent endothelial cells stop dividing, but continue to release molecules that awaken and confuse the immune system. This prompts the blood to form clots and, at the same time, prevent clot breakdown, which could lead to the constriction of blood vessels and limited blood flow. By placing 'zombie' blood-vessel cells at the centre of these post-viral diseases, our hypothesis weaves together microclots, oxygen debt (the extra oxygen your body needs after strenuous exercise to restore balance), brain-fog, dizziness, gut leakiness (a digestive condition where the intestinal lining allows toxins into the bloodstream) and immune dysfunction into a single, testable narrative. From acute viral infection to 'zombie' vessels Viruses like SARS-CoV-2, Epstein–Barr virus, HHV-6, influenza A, and enteroviruses (a group of viruses that cause a number of infectious illnesses which are usually mild) can all infect endothelial cells. They enable a direct attack on the cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Some of these viruses have been shown to trigger endothelial senescence. Multiple studies show that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19 disease) has the ability to induce senescence in a variety of cell types, including endothelial cells. Viral proteins from SARS-CoV-2, for example, sabotage DNA-repair pathways and push the host cell towards a senescent state, while senescent cells in turn become even more susceptible to viral entry. This reciprocity helps explain why different pathogens can result in the same chronic illness. Influenza A, too, has shown the ability to drive endothelial cells into a senescent, zombie-like state. What we think is happening We propose that when blood-vessel cells turn into 'zombies', they pump out substances that make blood thicker and prone to forming tiny clots. These clots slow down circulation, so less oxygen reaches muscles and organs. This is one reason people feel drained. During exercise, the problem worsens. Instead of the vessels relaxing to allow adequate bloodflow, they tighten further. This means that muscles are starved of oxygen and patients experience a crash the day after exercise. In the brain, the same faulty cells let blood flow drop and leak, bringing on brain fog and dizziness. In the gut, they weaken the lining, allowing bits of bacteria to slip into the bloodstream and trigger more inflammation. Because blood vessels reach every corner of the body, even scattered patches of these 'zombie' cells found in the blood vessels can create the mix of symptoms seen in long-COVID and ME/CFS. Immune exhaustion locks in the damage Some parts of the immune system kill senescent cells. They are natural-killer cells, macrophages and complement proteins, which are immune molecules capable of tagging and killing pathogens. But long-COVID and ME/CFS frequently have impaired natural-killer cell function, sluggish macrophages and complement dysfunction. Senescent endothelial cells may also send out a chemical signal to repel immune attack. So the 'zombie cells' actively evade the immune system. This creates a self-sustaining loop of vascular and immune dysfunction, where senescent endothelial cells persist. In a healthy person with an optimally functioning immune system, these senescent endothelial cells will normally be cleared. But there is significant immune dysfunction in ME/CFS and long-COVID, and this may enable the 'zombie cells' to survive and the disease to progress. Where the research goes next There is a registered clinical trial in the US that is investigating senescence in long-COVID. Our consortium is testing new ways to spot signs of ageing in the cells that line our blood vessels. First, we expose healthy endothelial cells in the lab to blood from patients to see whether it pushes the cells into a senescent, or 'zombie,' state. At the same time, we are trialling non‑invasive imaging and fluorescent probes that could one day reveal these ageing cells inside the body. In selected cases, tissue biopsies may later confirm what the scans show. Together, these approaches aim to pinpoint how substances circulating in the blood drive cellular ageing and how that, in turn, fuels disease. Our aim is simple: find these ageing endothelial cells in real patients. Pinpointing them will inform the next round of clinical trials and open the door to therapies that target senescent cells directly, offering a route to healthier blood vessels and, ultimately, lighter disease loads. Burtram C. Fielding is Dean Faculty of Sciences and Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

How clean is a public pool? Expert reveals what is really lurking beneath the surface
How clean is a public pool? Expert reveals what is really lurking beneath the surface

Yahoo

time13 hours ago

  • Yahoo

How clean is a public pool? Expert reveals what is really lurking beneath the surface

On hot summer days, few things are more refreshing than a dip in the pool. But have you ever wondered if the pool is as clean as that crystal blue water appears? As an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, I study how germs spread in public spaces and how to prevent the spread. I even teach a course called 'The Infections of Leisure' where we explore the risks tied to recreational activities and discuss precautions, while also taking care not to turn students into germophobes. Swimming, especially in public pools and water parks, comes with its own unique set of risks — from minor skin irritations to gastrointestinal infections. But swimming also has a plethora of physical, social and mental health benefits. With some knowledge and a little vigilance, you can enjoy the water without worrying about what might be lurking beneath the surface. The reality of pool germs Summer news headlines and social media posts often spotlight the 'ick-factor' of communal swimming spaces. These concerns do have some merit. The good news is that chlorine, which is widely used in pools, is effective at killing many pathogens. The not-so-good news is that chlorine does not work instantly – and it doesn't kill everything. Every summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues alerts about swimming-related outbreaks of illness caused by exposure to germs in public pools and water parks. A 2023 CDC report tracked over 200 pool-associated outbreaks from 2015 to 2019 across the U.S., affecting more than 3,600 people. These outbreaks included skin infections, respiratory issues, ear infections and gastrointestinal distress. Many of the outcomes from such infections are mild, but some can be serious. Germs and disinfectants Even in a pool that's properly treated with chlorine, some pathogens can linger for minutes to days. One of the most common culprits is Cryptosporidium, a microscopic germ that causes watery diarrhoea. This single-celled parasite has a tough outer shell that allows it to survive in chlorine-treated water for up to 10 days. It spreads when faecal matter — often from someone with diarrhoea — enters the water and is swallowed by another swimmer. Even a tiny amount, invisible to the eye, can infect dozens of people. Another common germ is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that causes hot tub rash and swimmer's ear. Viruses like norovirus and adenovirus can also linger in pool water and cause illness. Swimmers introduce a range of bodily residues to the water, including sweat, urine, oils and skin cells. These substances, especially sweat and urine, interact with chlorine to form chemical byproducts called chloramines that may pose health risks. These byproducts are responsible for that strong chlorine smell. A clean pool should actually lack a strong chlorine odour, as well as any other smells, of course. It is a common myth that a strong chlorine smell is a good sign of a clean pool. In fact, it may actually be a red flag that means the opposite – that the water is contaminated and should perhaps be avoided. How to play it safe at a public pool Most pool-related risks can be reduced with simple precautions by both the pool staff and swimmers. And while most pool-related illnesses won't kill you, no one wants to spend their vacation or a week of beautiful summer days in the bathroom. These 10 tips can help you avoid germs at the pool: Shower before swimming. Rinsing off for at least one minute removes most dirt and oils on the body that reduce chlorine's effectiveness. Avoid the pool if you're sick, especially if you have diarrhoea or an open wound. Germs can spread quickly in water. Try to keep water out of your mouth to minimise the risk of ingesting germs. Don't swim if you have diarrhoea to help prevent the spread of germs. If diagnosed with cryptosporidiosis, often called 'crypto,' wait two weeks after diarrhoea stops before returning to the pool. Take frequent bathroom breaks. For children and adults alike, regular bathroom breaks help prevent accidents in the pool. Check diapers hourly and change them away from the pool to prevent faecal contamination. Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming to help prevent swimmer's ear. Don't swim with an open wound – or at least make sure it's completely covered with a waterproof bandage to protect both you and others. Shower after swimming to remove germs from your skin. Lisa Cuchara is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Quinnipiac University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store