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Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Rare flesh-eating bacteria kills at least four people in Florida
A flesh-eating bacteria has infected at least 11 people so far and has killed five people in Florida, USA. Patients can die within two days of becoming infected Holidaymakers have been issued a warning after four-people were killed by a rare flesh-eating bacteria. Health officials in the United States have addressed the devastating affects of picking up the deadly bacteria, which can often be found in warm saltwater. So far, 11 people have been infected by the bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus in recent months in Florida. Patients who become struck by the bacteria can die within two days of becoming infected. Even if the infection doesn't prove fatal, patients may need to undergo amputation or be placed in intensive care. The state's health department said the bacteria has been detected across central Florida's Bay, Broward, Hillsborough and St Johns counties. Dr Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health, explained why the bacteria can be found in certain conditions. He told WESH: 'There's a lot of bacteria that just live in different areas, even in, like, waterborne spots.' He added: 'So there's fresh water, salt water, and this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus likes salt water.' The death rate of the infection stands at 20% overall, yet it can reach up to a staggering 50% if Vibrio vulnificus enters the bloodstream, reports Express. The often fatal bacteria can cause necrotising fasciitis, which is an infection causing flesh around an open wound to die - often leading to amputation of the limb. Those who are healthy can recover, yet people with long-standing conditions or weakened immune systems are at a greater risk of serious complications. Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally and thrives in warm seawater and other saltwater environments such as rivers. The bacterium is typically most active between May and October when waters are warmest. Between 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections are reported to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year, yet cases have surged in recent years. In 2024, reports of the bacterium reached a record high, with the CDC logging 19 deaths and 82 infections which is nearly double from the year prior. The huge increase followed Hurricanes Milton and Helene as floodwaters pushed the warm saltwater further inland. Dr Kami Kim, the director of infectious disease at Tampa General Hospital, told WUSF media: 'There are people running around, lifting, moving stuff that normally they wouldn't do, so the probability of getting that cut or exposure is higher.' By 2090, the US Department of Agriculture predicts that the total cost of infections from bacteria such as Vibrio vulnificus will reach £4,540,358.10 annually. Symptoms to look out for Vomiting Diarrhoea Fever Chills Elevated heart rate Disorientation
New York Post
18-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
This could be the stealthy source of your pain — how to fix it without surgery
Brace yourself — your neck pain may not actually be a problem with your neck. Nearly 1 in 4 US adults suffer from chronic pain, but many refuse to get help because they are afraid they need surgery. Around 42% are blindly medicating themselves with over-the-counter pain relievers without necessarily knowing the underlying cause of their agony, according to survey data released this week by Orlando Health Spine Center, a spine care program in central Florida. 4 Don't self-diagnose and medicate your way through your pain, advised Dr. Brian Braithwaite of Orlando Health Spine Center. Orlando Health Dr. Brian Braithwaite, an interventional spine and pain physician at Orlando Health, cautions against guessing your way through your pain. The source of the issue might be in a different location than where the pain is felt. For example, numbness or tingling in the fingers could be from a pinched nerve in the neck or a nerve trapped in the elbow or wrist. If you have hip or knee pain, it may come from those joints, or you could have a pinched nerve in your back that radiates down the leg. 'It is vital that we're able to distinguish the source of pain in order to provide appropriate treatment options,' Braithwaite told The Post. 4 Determining the root cause of your pain with a thorough exam and imaging is key to getting you on the road to recovery. Orlando Health Shoulder pain and arm numbness sidelined retired attorney Reeta Brendamour, 66, from teaching yoga and playing golf. The Villages resident was initially reluctant to go to the doctor because she feared surgery. She opted instead to take anti-inflammatories and ice and electrically stimulate the sore areas. She even tried self-massage with a hard ball to no avail. When none of that worked, she found her way to Braithwaite, who diagnosed her with arthritis and degenerative disc disease and pinpointed her neck as the culprit. She underwent steroid injections to reduce inflammation — her pain and numbness subsided in two days. 'It was a miracle. It truly was a miracle,' Brendamour said in a statement. 'I can now do things that I didn't think I was going to be able to do anymore.' 4 Retired attorney Reeta Brendamour, 66, got relief from her shoulder pain and arm numbness with steroid injections. Knowing the specific cause of a patient's pain is the first and most important step to getting them on the road to recovery, Braithwaite said. A thorough exam and imaging such as an MRI or CT scans can help identify the core issue to prevent acute pain from snowballing into a long-term, debilitating condition. Oftentimes patients don't need something invasive to feel better — conservative measures might do the trick. These might include physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy, dry needling, oral medication and topical treatments like cream and hot/cold applications. 4 Braithwaite said a patient may need injection therapy if steps like physical therapy and medication don't work. Orlando Health 'If your pain does not resolve with these conservative measures, the next step would be to consider injection therapy,' Braithwaite said. 'Injection therapy ranges from trigger point injections (injections into painful muscles), joint injections (targeting inflamed joints), epidural steroid therapy (for pinched nerves in the spine) and ablation therapy (using heat to deactivate nerves that transmit arthritic joint pain).' If meaningful or long-lasting relief isn't on the horizon with these options, then patients typically undergo a surgical consultation to determine if an operation is the next step. Less than 1% of patients at Orlando Health actually receive spine surgery — to the relief of many.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Rare flesh-eating bacteria has already killed four beachgoers in Florida this year
Florida has already seen four deaths tied to a flesh-eating bacteria this year. State health authorities have reported 11 infections with fatal cases in Central Florida's Bay, Broward, Hillsborough, and St. Johns counties. "There's a lot of bacteria that just live in different areas, even in, like, waterborne spots," Dr. Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health, explained to WESH. "So there's fresh water, salt water, and this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus likes salt water." Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare, but naturally occur in brackish seawater. Cases often spread through open cuts. A person may also be infected when they eat raw shellfish, and the bacterium is frequently found in oysters from warm coastal waters. Most healthy individuals experience mild disease following exposure, including symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, fever, chills, high heart rate, and disorientation. However, if the bacterium invades the bloodstreams of those with weakened immune systems, people may be affected by fever, chills, septic shock and skin lesions. Sometimes, infection may even result in amputation, and rare cases may cause necrotizing fasciitis, when the flesh around an open wound dies. Beaches in Florida and around the Gulf Coast are leaving residents vulnerable to bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus. Exposure has led to four deaths in the state so far this year (Getty Images) Antibiotics and wound care should be given to patients immediately, the Florida Department of Health says. Infections that enter the bloodstream are fatal about 50 percent of the time. One in five people who contract infection die, sometimes within just a couple of days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, cases have been on the rise in recent year and last year reached record levels. The department reported 19 deaths and 82 cases -- marking an increase of seven deaths and nearly double the tally of cases in 2023. Notably,Vibrio vulnificus is underreported. Before 2007, there was no national surveillance system for the bacterium. A sign warns of a storm surge before Hurricane Debby last August in Cedar Key, Florida. Vibrio vulnificus ases and deaths reached record levels last year after late-season storms (Getty Images) Last year's 'unusual' influx of cases was tied to late-season hurricanes that pounded Florida and the Southeast. Cases more than doubled following Hurricanes Milton and Helene, with saltwater moving inland and people coming in contact with water that they normally wouldn't. Dr. Kami Kim, director of infectious disease at Tampa General Hospital and the USF Health Department of Internal Medicine, told WUSF that storm surge can also contaminate other sources of water, such as freshwater rivers and lakes. With the climate crisis, these risks are becoming more common. A hotter climate provides all the ingredients of stronger and more frequent hurricanes and other storms, including record sea surface temperatures. Climate change is forecast to increase the costs of infections with bacterium that require salt, according to the Department of Agriculture, rising from nearly $2.6 billion in 1995 to a projected $6.1 billion in 2090. People can avoid exposure by not eating raw shellfish, not exposing open wounds to warm salt or brackish water, and wearing gloves and other protective clothing. A man walks through a flooded street after Hurricane Milton in Port Richey, Florida, last October. Climate change-induced flooding is increasing chances for exposure to the flesh-eating bacteria (Getty Images) But, the problem isn't going away any time soon, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University. A 2023 study found that Vibrio pathogens are adapting to 'stick' to microplastics. They can also combine with the smelly sargassum blooms that often plague Sunshine State shores. 'Think of all the plastic debris that just went into the water because of the hurricanes,' Mia McCormick, of the non-profit group Environment Florida, told Florida Phoenix. Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Rare flesh-eating bacteria has already killed four beachgoers in Florida this year
Florida has already seen four deaths tied to a flesh-eating bacteria this year. State health authorities have reported 11 infections with fatal cases in Central Florida's Bay, Broward, Hillsborough, and St. Johns counties. "There's a lot of bacteria that just live in different areas, even in, like, waterborne spots," Dr. Daniel Egan, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health, explained to WESH. "So there's fresh water, salt water, and this bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus likes salt water." Vibrio vulnificus infections are rare, but naturally occur in brackish seawater. Cases often spread through open cuts. A person may also be infected when they eat raw shellfish, and the bacterium is frequently found in oysters from warm coastal waters. Most healthy individuals experience mild disease following exposure, including symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, fever, chills, high heart rate, and disorientation. However, if the bacterium invades the bloodstreams of those with weakened immune systems, people may be affected by fever, chills, septic shock and skin lesions. Sometimes, infection may even result in amputation, and rare cases may cause necrotizing fasciitis, when the flesh around an open wound dies. Antibiotics and wound care should be given to patients immediately, the Florida Department of Health says. Infections that enter the bloodstream are fatal about 50 percent of the time. One in five people who contract infection die, sometimes within just a couple of days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, cases have been on the rise in recent year and last year reached record levels. The department reported 19 deaths and 82 cases -- marking an increase of seven deaths and nearly double the tally of cases in 2023. Notably, Vibrio vulnificus is underreported. Before 2007, there was no national surveillance system for the bacterium. Last year's 'unusual' influx of cases was tied to late-season hurricanes that pounded Florida and the Southeast. Cases more than doubled following Hurricanes Milton and Helene, with saltwater moving inland and people coming in contact with water that they normally wouldn't. Dr. Kami Kim, director of infectious disease at Tampa General Hospital and the USF Health Department of Internal Medicine, told WUSF that storm surge can also contaminate other sources of water, such as freshwater rivers and lakes. With the climate crisis, these risks are becoming more common. A hotter climate provides all the ingredients of stronger and more frequent hurricanes and other storms, including record sea surface temperatures. Climate change is forecast to increase the costs of infections with bacterium that require salt, according to the Department of Agriculture, rising from nearly $2.6 billion in 1995 to a projected $6.1 billion in 2090. People can avoid exposure by not eating raw shellfish, not exposing open wounds to warm salt or brackish water, and wearing gloves and other protective clothing. But, the problem isn't going away any time soon, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University. A 2023 study found that Vibrio pathogens are adapting to 'stick' to microplastics. They can also combine with the smelly sargassum blooms that often plague Sunshine State shores. 'Think of all the plastic debris that just went into the water because of the hurricanes,' Mia McCormick, of the non-profit group Environment Florida, told Florida Phoenix.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sugar, sex and your health: The connection you might be ignoring
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt is a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health and an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine. When most of us think about sugar, I bet we're not thinking about our sex lives. We're thinking about dessert. I'm writing this with the help of a bowl of vanilla ice cream by my side. Sugar makes us feel good in the moment, but over time, too much of it may cause us to lose out on some of life's most intimate moments. In 2025, everyone's been buzzing about GLP-1 injections to help control sugar and lose weight. This new class of medication has helped many achieve meaningful health gains — including improved blood sugar, weight loss — and even improvements to people's sex lives (because they could be getting better sleep, too). My goal here isn't to discount the use of GLP-1 drugs or suggest people are taking them unnecessarily (although some people may be). My intent is to spark a broader conversation: What if we also paid more attention to the root cause: our love for sugar and its downstream effects on mood, metabolism, sex and more? Is your blood sugar normal? Most people associate blood sugar with diabetes, but few know what is 'normal.' Blood sugar levels can be checked in real time with a simple finger stick, via home glucose monitor or through wearable devices such as continuous glucose monitors (those coin-size devices you may see on people's upper arms), which provide feedback on glucose levels throughout the day. What do we see when this test is done? Following is the American Diabetes Association range of reference for blood glucose levels, but they are not meant for you to diagnose yourself with diabetes. In many instances, your provider may double- or even triple-check these numbers before labeling you with 'diabetes.' All numbers should be evaluated by your health care provider. Fasting blood sugar (no food for at least eight hours prior): Normal: below 100 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) Prediabetes: 100 to 125 mg/dL Diabetes: 126 mg/dL or higher Random blood sugar (taken any time of day): Diabetes is often diagnosed if levels are 200 mg/dL or higher with symptoms. The point-of-care glucose test gives a snapshot, but there's one lab that tells the full story — the hemoglobin A1c. What is hemoglobin A1c, and why does it matter? This blood test measures the percentage of hemoglobin proteins in your blood that have glucose attached to it — giving you and your health care providers a picture of your average blood sugar over the past two to three months. This makes it a reliable indicator of how well your body manages glucose over time. Here's how the American Diabetes Association breaks it down: Normal: A1c below 5.7% Prediabetes: 5.7% to 6.4% Diabetes: 6.5% or higher In my work as a surgeon, checking A1c before any procedure — especially those involving implants — is standard practice. Elevated A1c levels are strongly linked to poor recovery, infection risks and surgical complications. So, whether it's a major urologic procedure or something else, keeping your glucose in check matters more than most people realize. What high blood sugar does to your sex life Sexual health is rarely the first thing people associate with blood sugar, but chronically high glucose levels can have an impact on intimacy — for everyone. In men, high blood sugar can damage the nerves and blood vessels essential for achieving and maintaining erections. Over time, this can present as erectile dysfunction, before a man is ever diagnosed with or thought to be at risk for diabetes. High blood sugar can also lower testosterone levels, which then reduce libido and energy. Many of my patients who do not get routine screenings from their primary care providers come to see me because of changes in sexual performance — only to later discover their blood sugar is out of control. For these patients, their first clue that something was wrong wasn't thirst, weight changes or fatigue (the more common early signs of diabetes) — it was trouble in the bedroom. In women, high blood sugar can lead to reduced blood flow and hormone imbalances, which may cause vaginal dryness, painful sex or problems with orgasm. It can also increase the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections, which can make intimacy painful or less appealing. Many women can feel frustrated and confused about whether these changes are expected from aging, post-menopause, stress or something else. A poor sugar level is usually the last thing on their mind. How high blood sugar is treated Diabetes is incredibly common — about 38 million Americans have it — and nearly 1 in 4 don't even know it, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Traditionally, diabetes treatment started with oral medications like metformin, which helps lower glucose by reducing sugar production in the liver. Other classes of pills work in different ways, either by increasing insulin release or helping the kidneys flush out excess sugar. These medications are typically prescribed for people in the earlier stages of diabetes or with mildly elevated A1c. Injectable medications may be necessary when oral pills aren't enough to treat the disease. For years, that often meant daily insulin injections, which many patients found to be burdensome but necessary. Insulin needs to be carefully timed with meals, and dosing can be tricky. There's also a real fear of low blood sugar episodes, which can make some people hesitant to start or stick with the therapy. Over the past few years, GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs have become part of many people's treatment regimens. This class of medication is known by names like semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide. These injections mimic a natural hormone in your body that helps regulate blood sugar, slows down digestion and make you feel fuller faster. While they were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, they've gained worldwide attention for helping people lose weight. In fact, many patients now ask and get these medications before any other option — not just to manage blood sugar, but to lose weight. Better control over sugar can improve testosterone These medications also may help normalize testosterone levels in men with obesity or type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary research presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting this week. Researchers tracked 110 men who were prescribed GLP-1 injections but were not taking any testosterone therapy. Over the course of 18 months, as participants lost on average about 10% of their body weight, the number of men with normal testosterone levels increased from 53% to 77%. This rise highlights how medications originally designed for diabetes and weight loss also may improve hormone levels in men. While this abstract has not yet been peer-reviewed and more research is needed, these findings add to a growing body of evidence that managing weight and blood sugar can have ripple effects across nearly every aspect of health — including testosterone, energy and sexual function. Try this harder alternative first Before turning immediately to medications, don't underestimate what consistent lifestyle changes can do, not just for your blood sugar but for your whole life. Regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, supports weight loss, boosts energy and even enhances sexual function by improving blood flow and hormone balance. A balanced diet — one that's rich in whole foods, fiber and lean protein — can stabilize blood sugar and reduce inflammation that contributes to chronic disease. Better sleep, reduced alcohol and managing stress all play a role, too. So, if you're debating between an injection or a new routine, maybe this time reach for the gym bag before you try anything else. You might just find it changes more than your labs. It might change how you feel about yourself. As for me, the next time I help myself to that scoop of ice cream while writing, I'll remember that it's not just about my waistline — it's about my energy, my heart and my sexual health. And now that I'm done with this article, I'll pick up my gym bag and walk the walk (to the gym) that I'm talking here. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. 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