Horror as 'Frankenstein' drug that's FORTY TIMES stronger than fentanyl wreaks havoc across the US... and kids are buying it on their phones
Nitazenes, a class of synthetic drugs pouring in from China, are up to 2,000 times more potent than heroin, meaning that a tiny dose can kill.
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The Guardian
42 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Scientists identify bacterium behind devastating wasting disease in starfish
A decade after the onset of a sea star wasting disease (SSWD) epidemic considered the largest ever documented in the wild, researchers have identified the microbial culprit responsible: a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida. In 10 years the bacterium has ravaged sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides), a large sea star or starfish, along the western coast of North America, with a loss of 5.8 billion since 2013 – or 90% of the total global population. The sunflower sea star is now included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of critically endangered species. Previous studies had tested for V pectenicida in tissue samples and yielded inconclusive results. Instead, by examining the sea stars' coelomic fluid, which acts like blood, researchers were able to confirm with certainty V pectenicida's role in causing SSWD due to its high abundance there. Infection with the V pectenicida strain FHCF-3 begins with exterior lesions, leading to limb loss and contortion, and ultimately kills afflicted individuals by melting their tissues into a white, mucus-like paste. Identifying the disease in afflicted sea stars was impossible without a known pathogen, as sea stars can respond with similar visual signals to other stressors such as low oxygen, salinity variation and extreme heat. The indirect link between rising ocean temperatures and SSWD remains a key area of interest, since V pectenicida is known to proliferate in warm water during seasonal variations and anomalous marine heating events. The research, published this week in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, was led by Dr Melanie Prentice and Dr Alyssa Gehman of the Hakai Institute in British Columbia, Canada, as part of a four-year international collaboration involving the University of British Columbia, the University of Washington and the Nature Conservancy, among other parties. The decline of sunflower sea stars has ramifications for marine ecosystems beyond the loss of a single species. 'Identifying the cause of SSWD is incredibly impactful,' Prentice said. 'In the absence of sunflower stars, [kelp-eating] sea urchin populations increase, which means the loss of kelp forests, and that has broad implications for all the other marine species and humans that rely on them.' Kelp forests provide a habitat for thousands of marine creatures, support local economies through fisheries and recreation, and are culturally important for First Nations and tribal communities. They also stabilise sediments, protect coastlines from storms, and are an important carbon sink for sequestering carbon dioxide. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Though the epidemic is still ongoing, the hope is that this breakthrough will aid recovery and treatment efforts for various sea star species across the world and the ecosystems affected by their decline. Methods being explored include captive breeding for resistant individuals and developing probiotic solutions which can be introduced to ecosystems. 'Now that we have found the causative agent of disease, it makes me hopeful that we might actually be able to do something for sunflower sea stars,' says Gehman. 'We can be really targeted in how we work with them, and I think that's going to help us move a lot faster and to try to tackle SSWD.'
BBC News
42 minutes ago
- BBC News
Chikungunya virus: China reports 7,000 cases
More than 7,000 cases of a mosquito-borne virus have been reported across China's Guangdong province since July, prompting measures similar to those taken during the Covid-19 Foshan city, which has been hit the hardest, chikungunya patients must stay in hospital, where their beds will protected with mosquito nets. They can only be discharged after they test negative or at the end of a week-long through the bite of an infected mosquito, the virus causes fever and severe joint pain, which sometimes can last for rare in China, chikungunya outbreaks are common in South and South East Asia and parts of Africa. How widespread are the infections in China? Aside from Foshan, at least 12 other cities in the southern Guangdong province have reported infections. Nearly 3,000 cases were reported in the last week Monday, Hong Kong reported its first case - a 12-year-old boy who developed fever, rash and joint pain after traveling to Foshan in virus is not contagious, and only spreads when an infected person is bitten by a mosquito that then goes on to bite others. Officials say all the reported cases have been mild so far, with 95% of the patients were discharged within seven the cases have led to some panic, given the virus is not widely known in the country."This is scary. The prolonged consequences sound very painful," one user wrote on Chinese social media platform US has urged travellers to China to exercise "increased caution" following the outbreak. What else is China doing to curb infections? Authorities across Guangdong province have vowed to take "decisive and forceful measures" to stop the spread of the with symptoms, such as fever, joint pain or rashes, are being urged to visit the nearest hospital so they can be tested for the have instructed residents to remove stagnant water in their homes, such as in flowerpots, coffee machines or spare bottles - and warned of fines up to 10,000 yuan ($1,400) if they don't do this. They are also releasing giant "elephant mosquitoes" that can devour smaller, chikungunya-spreading bugs; and an army of mosquito-eating fish. Last week, officials in Foshan released 5,000 of these larvae-eating fish into the city's lakes. In parts of the city, they are even flying drones to detect sources of stagnant neighbouring cities had ordered travellers from Foshan to undergo a 14-day home quarantine, but that has since been people have compared these measures to those imposed during the pandemic, and questioned their necessity.A user on Weibo wrote, "These feel so familiar... But are they really necessary?" Another wrote: "What's the point of the quarantine? It's not as though an infected patient will then go around biting other people?" China implemented severe restrictions during the pandemic, including forcing people into quarantine camps and sealing residential buildings and whole neighbourhoods on short notice for days or even weeks. What is chikungunya? Most people bitten by an infected mosquito will develop symptoms of chikungunya within three to seven from fever and joint pain, other symptoms include rash, headache, muscle pain and swollen joints. In most cases, patients will feel better within a week. In severe cases however, the joint pain can last for months or even years. Those at risk for more severe disease include newborns, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease or is no cure, but deaths from chikungunya are virus was first identified in Tanzania in 1952. It then spread to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. To date, it has been reported in more than 110 countries. The best way to prevent the virus from spreading is to reduce pools of stagnant water that allow the mosquitoes to breed, according to the World Health Organization.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
FDA upgrades nationwide honey brand recall over steel shards discovered
Health officials are asking consumers to throw away popular whipped honey products over fears they may be contaminated with small flakes of stainless steel. The FDA issued a recall for hundreds of jars of three Queen Bee Gardens whipped honey products on July 16. Experts warn that consuming small flakes of stainless steel can pose a choking hazard if they are 7mm (0.3 inches) or larger, especially for young children. But on August 1, the department updated the recall to Class II, meaning that the use of any these products can cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences. The recalled products, which were distributed throughout the US, had been purchased between June 1 and July 16, 2025. The Wyoming-based company had manufactured the Whipped Honey Raspberry and QBee Whipped Honey Pure products, both with lot codes 206235, on June 23. The QBee Whipped Honey Huckleberry with the lot code 206305 was made on June 30. While it remains unclear how the flakes entered the whipped honey jars, experts believe it could be due to degradation of older or non-food-grade metal equipment, improper handling or cleaning of equipment. The recalled products include 129 jars of QBee Whipped Honey Raspberry with the UPC 788394182358, 112 jars of QBee Whipped Honey Pure with the UPC 788394182006, and 24 jars of QBee Whipped Honey Huckleberry with the UPC 788394182259. In most cases, accidentally ingesting a small flake of stainless steel is unlikely to cause serious harm and can easily pass through the digestive system. However, stainless steel contains nickel, a common allergen which can be released from the metal into food items. When consumed in excessive amounts through food items such as whipped honey, these stainless steel flakes can cause allergic reactions such as contact dermatitis, presenting as itchy rashes and redness. In severe cases, the skin may become dry, scaly or develop blisters. Additionally, if the flakes have sharp edges, they could potentially scratch the throat or cause internal injuries in the digestive system. Consuming steel flakes can be especially dangerous for infants, young children and others in special risk groups as it may cause difficulty breathing, coughing, gagging and trouble breathing. Ingestion of metal fragments can also lead to a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody stool, chest or throat pain in young children. Consumers who experience any health concerns related to the ingestion of these or similar products are encouraged to consult a medical professional and report the incident to the FDA's MedWatch program. No incidents of injury caused by consuming the contaminated whipped honey have yet been reported. This comes weeks after a recall was issued for ready-to-eat chicken sausages over fears of throat lacerations, health officials announced. Massachusetts-based Kayem Foods Inc has voluntarily recalled 24,000lbs of its 'All Natural Al Fresco Chicken Sausage Sweet Apple with Vermont Maple Syrup' after customers reported finding white pieces of plastic inside of them. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was 'concerned that some products may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers.' 'The problem was discovered after the firm notified USDA-Food Safety Inspection Service that it received three consumer complaints reporting white pieces of plastic in the chicken sausage products,' the agency said. Affected products were produced on June 28, 2025, and have a use- or freeze-by date of October 1, 2025. Each 11-ounce package contains four sausages and has the lot code 179 printed on the back package label. They also have 'P-7839' printed on the inside of the USDA mark of inspection. The sausages were sold at Walmart and other retailers in 26 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
