Tag: Pathogen

  • Increase in food poisoning cases in Helsinki in 2023

    Increase in food poisoning cases in Helsinki in 2023

    However, 15% of the premises had areas in need of improvement, primarily related to self-monitoring, hygiene, packaging labels, temperature control and cleanliness of the premises. A significant finding of last year's inspections was the higher number of reported suspected food poisoning cases, a total of 795 cases, which is a significant increase from 654 in…

  • How bird feeders help small species fight infection

    How bird feeders help small species fight infection

    Every day, all over the world, people put out huge amounts of food at feeding stations for birds and other wildlife. Although we know that contact with nature benefits human health and well-being, scientists still know relatively little about the consequences of providing food for wild animals. My team's latest researchhowever, have found that feeding…

  • Nobel prize awarded to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine researchers

    Nobel prize awarded to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine researchers

    london – Two scientists who worked together on the breakthrough technology behind some of the most effective covid-19 vaccines have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine, one of the most prestigious awards in the field. Hungarian American researcher Katalin Kariko and her American colleague, Drew Weissman, began working on so-called “mRNA” technology in…

  • HS: The majority of Finns consider fur farming to be unethical

    HS: The majority of Finns consider fur farming to be unethical

    The proportion of those in favor of banning the industry has increased by four percentage points in the last two years. More than a quarter, or 27 percent, of the respondents were of the opinion that fur farming is ethically acceptable and 33 percent that it should not be banned. Most EU countries have banned…

  • Finland’s THL issues warning about risks of bird-flu outbreak at fur farms

    Finland’s THL issues warning about risks of bird-flu outbreak at fur farms

    It is important to monitor how the avian influenza mutates because the virus is prone to mutations and its ability to cause infections also in people rises as a result of so-called mammalian adaptation. Otto Helve, the head of health security at THL, warned that at worst the situation could cause a global pandemic. “The…

  • A highly pathogenic subtype of bird flu found in fur farms in Finland

    A highly pathogenic subtype of bird flu found in fur farms in Finland

    The authorities are currently analyzing samples taken from ten other fur farms and expect to find new infections. “There will be new facilities for studying. It is likely that new infections will also be detected,” Terhi LaaksonenThe Food Agency’s director responsible for animal health and welfare told Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday. Olli Vapalahtiprofessor of zoonotic…

  • New mosquito species discovered in Finland – 44 species have now been officially identified

    New mosquito species discovered in Finland – 44 species have now been officially identified

    Made the discovery Lorna Culverwell, researcher from the Department of Virology, University of Helsinki. The new mosquito species was found in insect samples collected by Culverwell from the coastal areas of Finland in the summer of 2022. Based on examination of the mosquito’s genitalia and DNA analysis, Culverwell confirmed the species as Culex modetus. “Although…

  • Improvements to reporting the origin and traceability of meat in Helsinki restaurants

    Improvements to reporting the origin and traceability of meat in Helsinki restaurants

    63 restaurants participated in the study, from which a total of 120 samples were collected. Salmonella was not found in the 44 Finnish meat samples examined. However, one foreign meat sample was found to be positive for salmonella. The positive sample was raw frozen chicken from Poland. No EHEC bacteria were detected. For meat traceability,…

  • Long covid linked to air pollution exposure in young adults – new study

    Long covid linked to air pollution exposure in young adults – new study

    Although covid-19 infections are usually less severe in young adults, this does not mean that they are not still at risk of complications from covid-19. For example around one in 25 adults over 16 have reported suffering from prolonged covid-19 symptoms after their first infection. For some, these symptoms lasted almost two years. While we…

  • Studies reveal why humans contract rodent-borne diseases

    Studies reveal why humans contract rodent-borne diseases

    Washington [US]Dec 14 (ANI): In a global study, scientists have identified that most reservoirs of rodent-borne diseases tend to live exclusively or occasionally in or near human dwellings, showing wide fluctuations in numbers. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to better understand the transmission routes of diseases spread by animals. The study shows how…

  • Gut microbes disrupted by COVID-19 infection, antibiotics: a study

    Gut microbes disrupted by COVID-19 infection, antibiotics: a study

    The first findings from an ongoing study of the microbiomes of patients and volunteers at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick were published in the scientific journal Molecular Biomedicine. The study, which began in May 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, was designed to reset the microbiome because many patients with…

  • The EU is worried when the bird flu spreads at record levels in Europe

    The EU is worried when the bird flu spreads at record levels in Europe

    BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union’s food safety agency said that with nearly 50 million poultry culled this year, Europe is experiencing its worst bird flu crisis, raising the risk of widespread infections next season. Because of the damage caused by avian influenza to flocks, the possibility of trade restrictions and the risk of human transmission,…

  • New strain of Monkeypox identified in the UK

    New strain of Monkeypox identified in the UK

    “Preliminary genomic sequencing by the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) indicates that this case is not a current outbreak strain circulating in the UK,” UKHSA said in a statement. The individual has been admitted to the High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in accordance with Advisory Committee on Dangerous…

  • Half of healthcare facilities worldwide lack basic hygiene services: UN report

    Half of healthcare facilities worldwide lack basic hygiene services: UN report

    “Hygiene facilities and practices in healthcare are non-negotiable. Improving them is essential for pandemic recovery, prevention and preparedness. Healthcare hygiene cannot be guaranteed without increasing investment in basic measures such as clean water, clean toilets and safely managed healthcare waste,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Health. “I encourage…

  • Most infectious diseases can be exacerbated by climate change

    Photo: Pixabay/tortugadatacorp Climate change could worsen a whopping 58% of the infectious diseases humans come into contact with worldwide, from common waterborne viruses to deadly diseases like the plague, our new research shows. Our team of environmental and health scientists has reviewed decades of scientific papers on all known pathogenic disease pathogens to create a…

  • The feed material at COVID risk is imported to Finland

    The feed material at COVID risk is imported to Finland

    In 2021, a Finnish fur feed mixture imported fish waste from Denmark for use as a feed raw material. In Denmark, fish waste was stored in a farm that also had dead minks that had been killed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Danish party should have applied to the Finnish Food Safety Authority for…

  • Avian influenza spreads to mammals

    Avian influenza spreads to mammals

    Avian flu is becoming more common in Finland and has begun to spread from birds to mammals, according to nature conservation authorities. So far, the disease has been diagnosed in two foxes, one otter and one lynx. So far, the worst bird flu epidemic last year was in Janakkala in southwestern Finland, where thousands of…

  • The United States buys millions of vaccines for dangerous viruses

    The United States buys millions of vaccines for dangerous viruses

    Officials have rushed to secure vaccines as cases of the rare appox virus continue to appear in the United States and Europe The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has signed an agreement for $ 119 million in vaccines against the appox virus, after a Massachusetts man was diagnosed with the rare but potentially…

  • The United States buys millions of vaccine doses for new viruses

    The United States buys millions of vaccine doses for new viruses

    Officials have rushed to secure vaccines as cases of the rare appox virus continue to appear in the United States and Europe The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has signed an agreement for $ 119 million in vaccines against the appox virus, after a Massachusetts man was diagnosed with the rare but potentially…

  • Science Round-Up: Minorities still underrepresented in Danish media

    Science Round-Up: Minorities still underrepresented in Danish media

    Get minority recordsJørndrup further said that minorities are rarely used as sources in stories about childcare, schooling, finances or taxes. The study also found that journalists with a minority background accounted for less than 1 percent of the 1,244 articles viewed. Read the full report here. A new crying curve? Researchers from Aarhus University have…

  • Researchers are creating a new test to quickly identify COVID-19 infection and its severity

    Researchers are creating a new test to quickly identify COVID-19 infection and its severity

    The researchers developed a blood test that quickly detects whether someone has COVID-19 and predicts how severely the immune system will react to the infection. The study was published in PLOS One. The findings may one day lead to an effective tool to help physicians determine the best treatment plan for COVID-19 patients. There is…

  • Research shows that face masks halve the distance of airborne pathogens

    Research shows that face masks halve the distance of airborne pathogens

    The findings are important because airborne viral pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, can be encapsulated and migrated through liquid droplets and aerosols formed during human respiratory functions such as speaking and coughing. Knowing how to reduce this spread can help keep people safe and manage the response to pandemics such as COVID-19, which have led to…

  • New research is moving closer to harnessing viruses to fight bacteria and reduce the use of antibiotics

    New research is moving closer to harnessing viruses to fight bacteria and reduce the use of antibiotics

    More and more infections, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and salmonellosis, are developing antibiotic resistance, meaning they are more difficult to treat, increasing mortality, prolonging hospital stay and higher costs. Phage therapy uses viruses that are harmless to humans (known as phage) to kill bacteria. Phage therapy can be used in combination with antibiotics to more…

  • The baby’s immune system is stronger than the adult’s immune system: A study

    The baby’s immune system is stronger than the adult’s immune system: A study

    The baby’s immune system has a reputation for being weak and underdeveloped compared to an adult, but the comparison is not quite fair. Donna Farber, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Professor of Surgical Sciences at George H. Humphreys II, Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Babies get a lot of respiratory…

  • The nasal vaccine may help fight new variants of COVID-19: Research

    The nasal vaccine may help fight new variants of COVID-19: Research

    The study was published in the “Journal of Science Immunology”. “The best immune defense takes place at the gate, protecting against viruses trying to get in,” said Iwasaki, a senior author of the study. The mucous membranes have their own immune system that fights airborne or dietary pathogens. When exposed, these barrier tissues produce B…

  • An early responder in the immune system can fight COVID-19: Research

    An early responder in the immune system can fight COVID-19: Research

    The molecule, known as SLR14, is a simple, easy-to-make RNA loop that can trigger the production of interferons, a group of proteins produced by immune cells that play a key role in the body’s innate or initial response to infection. Several studies have shown that COVID-19 patients who produce high levels of interferons have much…

  • The researchers identified a new antibody to COVID-19 variants

    The researchers identified a new antibody to COVID-19 variants

    The antibody was identified by the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) team and tested on animal models at UNC-Chapel Hill. The researchers published their findings in the journal Science Translational Medicine. “This antibody has the potential to be therapeutic in the current epidemic,” said another senior author Barton Haynes, MD, Director of DHVI. “It may…

  • Climate change, human pressure, means that migration may no longer be worth it to animals

    Climate change, human pressure, means that migration may no longer be worth it to animals

    The study was published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Many animals, including mammals, birds, and insects, migrate long distances north to reproduce, taking advantage of seasonally abundant food, fewer parasites and diseases, and relative safety from predators. However, an international research team, including researchers at the University of Bath, found that climate…

  • WHO has removed barriers to Sputnik V approval: Russian Minister of Health

    WHO has removed barriers to Sputnik V approval: Russian Minister of Health

    “All obstacles have been removed as of today. We do not see any obstacles to continuing the work. This was confirmed by the WHO Director General,” Murashko said at a news conference in Geneva in response to the Russian news agency TASS. Russia first applied to the WHO for approval of the vaccine in February,…

  • Finland’s first UVC disinfection robot cleans in Turku

    Finland’s first UVC disinfection robot cleans in Turku

    A new cleaning device is being tested at Turku University Hospital (Tyks). It is Uve, Finland’s first UV (ultraviolet) disinfection robot, a device of 80,000 euros, which the facility received as a donation from the EU. Administrative Director of Tyksin Hospital Hygiene Unit, Tiina Kurvinen, said he welcomed EU donations. "Patient rooms have a lot…

  • The study identifies a possible factor contributing to the severity of COVID-19

    The study identifies a possible factor contributing to the severity of COVID-19

    A study entitled ‘Possible role of the CD47-SIRPalpha axis in the pathogenesis of COVID-19’ has been published in the scientific journal Current Issues in Molecular Biology. SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Although many individuals develop only mild or no symptoms with SARS-CoV-2 infection, others develop serious, life-threatening illnesses. Researchers have found that infection…

  • Major investments in improving our ability to detect the likelihood of premature death

    Major investments in improving our ability to detect the likelihood of premature death

    Thanks to the latest legislative changes, the Danish regions have entered into an agreement to invest DKK 5 million a year in the country’s three forensic institutes for research into hereditary diseases and premature death. This budget will allow forensic pathologists to perform another 150 autopsies with the aim of detecting the presence of pathogens…

  • Research: Surface cleaning removes most of the coronavirus

    Research: Surface cleaning removes most of the coronavirus

    The coronavirus appears to stick to surfaces of varying intensity, and some materials are easier to clean than others. According to the preliminary findings of the study led by the University of Tampere, the cleaning agents used also affected the results. The study was a joint project of the University of Tampere and companies, the…