Author: admin

  • Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlights Navy's initiatives for peace in region – RADIO PAKISTAN

    1. Admiral Naveed Ashraf highlights Navy’s initiatives for peace in region  RADIO PAKISTAN
    2. COAS Munir, Libyan armed forces’ chief agree on defence industrial collaboration: ISPR  Dawn
    3. Libyan Commander in Chief calls on CNS Admiral Naveed Ashraf  Ptv.com.pk
    4. Pakistan and Libya to expand defense industrial collaboration after top military meeting  Arab News
    5. Lieutenant General Saddam Khalifa Haftar, Commander in Chief of Libyan Armed Forces called on Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff at General Headquarters  dailyindependent.com.pk

    Continue Reading

  • Transform the Post-Pregnancy Body with Blackhawk’s Mommy

    Danville, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa has launched a fresh approach to cosmetic surgical treatments, emphasizing personalized care and the latest medical practices. A highlight of this initiative is the Mommy Makeover at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery in Danville. This makeover combines several cosmetic procedures to help individuals regain their pre-pregnancy body. The goal is to provide personalized experiences and results for individuals seeking aesthetic enhancements.

    The Mommy Makeover at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery in Danville includes several body and facial treatments. Options such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction are available. These procedures are designed to address various changes that occur after childbirth. This package offers a comprehensive way to reach one’s aesthetic goals. Dr. Stephen J. Ronan, the founding surgeon, emphasizes the importance of these treatments in boosting self-confidence and overall well-being.

    Mommy Makeover

    The practice is committed to high standards of care and patient safety. This new offering demonstrates their dedication to meeting each patient’s unique needs through the use of advanced techniques and equipment. With recent advancements in technology and surgical procedures, they provide services that meet modern expectations for cosmetic results.

    Dr. Ronan explained, “Our aim is to provide personalized and effective treatments that meet the unique needs of every individual. The Mommy Makeover at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery in Danville combines multiple procedures to offer transformative results.”

    For more information about these procedures, please visit the company’s website.

    This new service addresses common body changes that occur after pregnancy, with a focus on safety and efficiency. The experts at the facility ensure a thorough consultation process, matching each plan to the patient’s desires and needs. Patients participate in discussions about what to expect and the options available, with professional guidance during their transformation.

    Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa is recognized for its meticulous care approach, which includes pre-surgery consultations and follow-up visits to monitor progress and ensure optimal outcomes. This comprehensive method underscores their commitment to patient satisfaction and high medical standards.

    The staff at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa includes highly trained professionals with many certifications. They adhere to strict safety measures to ensure positive experiences for their patients. This standard of care is vital for building trust and maintaining a strong reputation in the field of cosmetic surgery.

    Additionally, the medspa section offers many non-surgical treatments alongside surgical procedures. These services include skin care, laser treatments, and other rejuvenating options, supporting a well-rounded approach to beauty and wellness.

    Dr. Ronan added, “We aim to provide a wide range of services so each patient can select what fits their needs and lifestyle best. Our mix of surgical and non-surgical options embodies a holistic approach.”

    Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa remains committed to integrating patient-centered care with the latest advancements in cosmetic surgery. This ensures every patient receives focused treatment that meets today’s standards and their personal expectations.

    For those interested in learning more about the full range of services, including the Mommy Makeover at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery in Danville, exploring options through their website or booking a consultation is encouraged. They combine new medical techniques with patient-focused care innovations, resulting in improved satisfaction and outcomes.

    As the desire for personalized cosmetic treatments grows, Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa continues to be a leader by offering customized, effective solutions that address the evolving needs of its clients.

    ###

    For more information about Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa, contact the company here:

    Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa
    Dr. Stephan Ronan
    (925) 736-5757
    info@blackhawkplasticsurgery.com
    Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa
    3600 Blackhawk Plaza Cir
    Danville, CA 94506

    Continue Reading

  • Hamas says no interim truce possible without work toward permanent ceasefire deal – Reuters

    1. Hamas says no interim truce possible without work toward permanent ceasefire deal  Reuters
    2. Hamas says Israel rejected ceasefire deal releasing all captives in Gaza  Al Jazeera
    3. Trump to meet Qatari PM as push for Gaza ceasefire deal continues  Dawn
    4. ‘Tangible progress’ reported in talks for Gaza hostage deal  The Times of Israel
    5. Gaza ceasefire talks on verge of collapse, Palestinian officials say  BBC

    Continue Reading

  • Germany deports 81 Afghan nationals to their homeland in 2nd flight since the Taliban’s return

    Germany deports 81 Afghan nationals to their homeland in 2nd flight since the Taliban’s return

    Germany deported dozens of Afghan men to their homeland on Friday, the second time it has done so since the Taliban returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin.
    | Photo Credit: Getty Images

    Germany deported dozens of Afghan men to their homeland on Friday (July 18, 2025), the second time it has done so since the Taliban returned to power and the first since a new government pledging a tougher line on migration took office in Berlin.

    German authorities said a flight took off Friday (July 18, 2025) morning carrying 81 Afghans, all of them men who had previously come to judicial authorities’ attention and had had asylum applications rejected.

    Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the deportation was carried out with the help of Qatar and preceded by weeks of negotiations. He also said there were contacts with Afghanistan, but didn’t elaborate.

    More than 10 months ago, Germany’s previous government deported Afghan nationals to their homeland for the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to step up deportations of asylum-seekers.

    Merz noted that, while diplomatic relations between Germany and Afghanistan have not formally been broken off, Berlin doesn’t recognize the Taliban government in Kabul.

    “The decisive question is how one deals with this regime, and it will remain at technical coordination until further notice,” he said at a news conference in Berlin.

    The Interior Ministry said the government aims to carry out more deportations to Afghanistan, but didn’t specify when that might happen.

    Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany’s election in February.

    Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border — stepping up border checks introduced by the Scholz government — and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe’s biggest economy would be turned away. It also has suspended family reunions for many migrants.

    Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.

    “You can see from the figures that we are obviously on the right path, but we are not yet at the end of that path,” Merz said.

    The Afghan deportation flight took off hours before German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt plans to discuss migration with his counterparts from five neighboring countries — France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic — as well as the European Union’s commissioner responsible for migration, Magnus Brunner. Dobrindt is hosting the meeting on the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, on the Austrian border.

    Published – July 18, 2025 11:19 pm IST

    Continue Reading

  • Woman flooded with calls about nonexistent cat due to a T-shirt

    Woman flooded with calls about nonexistent cat due to a T-shirt

    July 18 (UPI) — A British Columbia woman’s phone has been flooded with calls about a missing cat that doesn’t exist, and it’s all because of a T-shirt.

    Natasha Lavoie and Jonathan McCurrach said dozens of calls have come in from people claiming to have found their cat, Torbo — but their cat is named Mauser, and isn’t missing.

    “Sometimes, like six times a day, I’m getting these really random phone calls and people leaving me voicemails saying that they found my cat and they want money for my cat,” Lavoie told CBC News. “I’m like, ‘My cat’s at home in the air conditioning.’”

    The couple discovered Lavoie’s phone number had been printed on a T-shirt sold by company Wisdumb NY. The shirt features a missing cat poster and Lavoie’s phone number.

    A Wisdumb NY representative said the shirt has been pulled from the online store.

    “The use of a real number within the art created was not intentional,” the representative said in an email to CBC News.

    Lavoie said she does not want to change her phone number as it bears a 604 area code, which is difficult to get.

    “I’ve had my number for 20 years,” she said. “I don’t want to change it. I’ll just keep not answering.”

    Lavoie said she would like a “real apology” from the company.

    “I feel like I deserve a T-shirt after this,” Lavoie said. “I think we both do.”


    Continue Reading

  • Association of specific microbiota taxa in the amniotic fluid at birth with severe acute and longer-term outcomes of very preterm infants: a prospective observational study | BMC Medicine

    Association of specific microbiota taxa in the amniotic fluid at birth with severe acute and longer-term outcomes of very preterm infants: a prospective observational study | BMC Medicine

  • Gilbert J, Blaser MJ, Caporaso JG, Jansson J, Lynch SV, Knight R. Current understanding of the human microbiome. Nat Med. 2018;24:392–400.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynch SV, Pedersen O. The human intestinal microbiome in health and disease. N Engl J Med. 2016;375:2369–79.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • de Vos WM, Tilg H, Van Hul M, Cani PD. Gut microbiome and health: mechanistic insights. Gut. 2022;71:1020–32.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanna S, van Zuydam NR, Mahajan A, Kurilshikov A, Vich Vila A, Võsa U, et al. Causal relationships among the gut microbiome, short-chain fatty acids and metabolic diseases. Nat Genet. 2019;51:600–5.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabke K, Hendrick G, Devkota S. The gut microbiome and metabolic syndrome. J Clin Invest. 2019;129:4050–7.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Fung TC, Olson CA, Hsiao EY. Interactions between the microbiota, immune and nervous systems in health and disease. Nat Neurosci. 2017;20:145–55.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiemsma LT, Michels KB. The role of the microbiome in the developmental origins of health and disease. Pediatrics. 2018;141: e20172437.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy M, Kolodziejczyk AA, Thaiss CA, Elinav E. Dysbiosis and the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2017;17:219–32.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Pattaroni C, Watzenboeck ML, Schneidegger S, Kieser S, Wong NC, Bernasconi E, et al. Early-life formation of the microbial and immunological environment of the human airways. Cell Host Microbe. 2018;24:857-865.e4.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu BG, Sulaiman I, Tsay J-CJ, Perez L, Franca B, Li Y, et al. Episodic aspiration with oral commensals induces a MyD88-dependent, pulmonary T-helper cell type 17 response that mitigates susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;203:1099–111.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyr-Depauw C, Hurskainen M, Vadivel A, Mižíková I, Lesage F, Thébaud B. Characterization of the innate immune response in a novel murine model mimicking bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Pediatr Res. 2021;89:803–13.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace B, Peisl A, Seedorf G, Nowlin T, Kim C, Bosco J, et al. Anti–sFlt-1 therapy preserves lung alveolar and vascular growth in antenatal models of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018;197:776–87.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong Y, Rivetti S, Lingampally A, Tacke S, Kojonazarov B, Bellusci S, et al. Insights into the black box of intra-amniotic infection and its impact on the premature lung: from clinical and preclinical perspectives. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23:9792.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • DeMauro SB. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2021;56:3509–17.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Liu S, Lu M, Huang T, Huang L. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm with necrotizing enterocolitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Pediatr. 2024;183:3147–58.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoll BJ, Hansen NI, Adams-Chapman I, Fanaroff AA, Hintz SR, Vohr B, et al. Neurodevelopmental and growth impairment among extremely low-birth-weight infants with neonatal infection. JAMA. 2004;292:2357–65.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Diggikar S, Gurumoorthy P, Trif P, Mudura D, Nagesh NK, Galis R, et al. Retinopathy of prematurity and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Pediatr. 2023;11:1055813.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Horbar JD, Greenberg LT, Buzas JS, Ehret DEY, Soll RF, Edwards EM. Trends in mortality and morbidities for infants born 24 to 28 weeks in the US: 1997–2021. Pediatrics. 2024;153: e2023064153.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Hong HK, Lee HJ, Ko JH, Park JH, Park JY, Choi CW, et al. Neonatal systemic inflammation in rats alters retinal vessel development and simulates pathologic features of retinopathy of prematurity. J Neuroinflammation. 2014;11:87.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Young KC, Del Moral T, Claure N, Vanbuskirk S, Bancalari E. The association between early tracheal colonization and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. J Perinatol. 2005;25:403–7.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauer T, Behnke J, Oehmke F, Baecker J, Gentil K, Chakraborty T, et al. Bacterial colonization within the first six weeks of life and pulmonary outcome in preterm infants <1000 g. J Clin Med. 2020;9:2240.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Pammi M, Lal CV, Wagner BD, Mourani PM, Lohmann P, Luna RA, et al. Airway microbiome and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants: a systematic review. J Pediatr. 2019;204:126-133.e2.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal CV, Kandasamy J, Dolma K, Ramani M, Kumar R, Wilson L, et al. Early airway microbial metagenomic and metabolomic signatures are associated with development of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2018;315:L810–5.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Staude B, Gschwendtner S, Frodermann T, Oehmke F, Kohl T, Kublik S, et al. Microbial signatures in amniotic fluid at preterm birth and association with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Respir Res. 2023;24:248.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Härtel C, Herting E, Humberg A, Hanke K, Mehler K, Keller T, et al. Association of administration of surfactant using less invasive methods with outcomes in extremely preterm infants less than 27 weeks of gestation. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5: e2225810.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Dargaville PA, Kamlin COF, Orsini F, Wang X, De Paoli AG, Kanmaz Kutman HG, et al. Effect of minimally invasive surfactant therapy vs sham treatment on death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome. JAMA. 2021;326:1–10.

    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulman J, Stricof R, Stevens TP, Horgan M, Gase K, Holzman IR, et al. Statewide NICU central-line-associated bloodstream infection rates decline after bundles and checklists. Pediatrics. 2011;127:436–44.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Colaizy TT, Poindexter BB, McDonald SA, Bell EF, Carlo WA, Carlson SJ, et al. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants fed donor milk or preterm infant formula: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2024;331:582–91.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Behnke J, Estreich V, Oehmke F, Zimmer K-P, Windhorst A, Ehrhardt H. Compatibility of rapid enteral feeding advances and noninvasive ventilation in preterm infants—an observational study. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2022;57:1117–26.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Voigt M, Schneider KTM, Jährig K. Analyse des Geburtengutes des Jahrgangs 1992 der Bundesrepublik Deutschland [Analysis of a 1992 birth sample in Germany. 1: New percentile values of the body weight of newborn infants]. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 1996;56:550–8.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobe AH, Bancalari E. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;163:1723–9.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson DJ, Andersen CC, Smith K, Holberton J. Pharyngeal pressure with high-flow nasal cannulae in premature infants. J Perinatol. 2008;28:42–7.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh M, Engle W, Laptook A, Kazzi SNJ, Buchter S, Rasmussen M, et al. Oxygen delivery through nasal cannulae to preterm infants: can practice be improved? Pediatrics. 2005;116:857–61.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Deeg KH, Staudt F. von Rohden L [Classification of intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants]. Ultraschall Med. 1999;20:165–70.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Leistner R, Piening B, Gastmeier P, Geffers C, Schwab F. Nosocomial infections in very low birthweight infants in Germany: current data from the National Surveillance System NEO-KISS. Klin Padiatr. 2013;225:75–80.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Franz AR, Engel C, Bassler D, Rüdiger M, Thome UH, Maier RF, et al. Effects of liberal vs restrictive transfusion thresholds on survival and neurocognitive outcomes in extremely low-birth-weight infants: the ETTNO randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2020;324:560–70.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheong JLY, Olsen JE, Lee KJ, Spittle AJ, Opie GF, Clark M, et al. Temporal trends in neurodevelopmental outcomes to 2 years after extremely preterm birth. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175:1035–42.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Lueders T, Manefield M, Friedrich MW. Enhanced sensitivity of DNA- and rRNA-based stable isotope probing by fractionation and quantitative analysis of isopycnic centrifugation gradients. Environ Microbiol. 2004;6:73–8.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Nossa CW, Oberdorf WE, Yang L, Aas JA, Paster BJ, DeSantis TZ, et al. Design of 16S rRNA gene primers for 454 pyrosequencing of the human foregut microbiome. World J Gastroenterol. 2010;16:4135–44.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Caporaso JG, Kuczynski J, Stombaugh J, Bittinger K, Bushman FD, Costello EK, et al. QIIME allows analysis of high-throughput community sequencing data. Nat Methods. 2010;7:335–6.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Callahan BJ, McMurdie PJ, Rosen MJ, Han AW, Johnson AJA, Holmes SP. DADA2: high-resolution sample inference from Illumina amplicon data. Nat Methods. 2016;13:581–3.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblad AJJ. Faraway: Extending the linear model with R: generalized linear, mixed effects and nonparametric regression models. Comput Stat. 2009;24:369–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallacher D, Mitchell E, Alber D, Wach R, Klein N, Marchesi JR, et al. Dissimilarity of the gut–lung axis and dysbiosis of the lower airways in ventilated preterm infants. Eur Respir J. 2020;55:1901909.

  • Takahashi Y, Takahashi T, Usuda H, Carter S, Fee EL, Furfaro L, et al. Pharmacological blockade of the interleukin-1 receptor suppressed Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation in preterm fetal sheep. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023;5: 101124.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay S, Miloudi K, Chaychi S, Favret S, Binet F, Polosa A, et al. Systemic inflammation perturbs developmental retinal angiogenesis and neuroretinal function. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54:8125–39.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Sentenac M, Benhammou V, Aden U, Ancel P-Y, Bakker LA, Bakoy H, et al. Maternal education and cognitive development in 15 European very-preterm birth cohorts from the RECAP Preterm platform. Int J Epidemiol. 2022;50:1824–39.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Seppänen A-V, Draper ES, Petrou S, Barros H, Andronis L, Kim SW, et al. Follow-up after very preterm birth in Europe. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2022;107:113–4.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrhardt H, Aubert AM, Ådén U, Draper ES, Gudmundsdottir A, Varendi H, et al. Apgar score and neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 5 years in infants born extremely preterm. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6: e2332413.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Cnattingius S, Johansson S, Razaz N. Apgar score and risk of neonatal death among preterm infants. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:49–57.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah PS, Norman M, Rusconi F, Kusuda S, Reichman B, Battin M, et al. Five-minute Apgar score and outcomes in neonates of 24–28 weeks’ gestation. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2022;107:437–46.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Salmon F, Kayem G, Maisonneuve E, Foix-L’Hélias L, Benhammou V, Kaminski M, et al. Clinical chorioamnionitis and neurodevelopment at 5 years of age in children born preterm: the EPIPAGE-2 cohort study. J Pediatr. 2024;267.

  • Glaser K, Jensen EA, Wright CJ. Prevention of inflammatory disorders in the preterm neonate: an update with a special focus on bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Neonatology. 2024;121:636–45.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay S, Puopolo KM, Hansen NI, Lorch SA, DeMauro SB, Greenberg RG, et al. Impact of early-onset sepsis and antibiotic use on death or survival with neurodevelopmental impairment at 2 years of age among extremely preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2020;221:39-46.e5.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Behnke J, Dippel CM, Choi Y, Rekers L, Schmidt A, Lauer T, et al. Oxygen toxicity to the immature lung—part ii: the unmet clinical need for causal therapy. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22:10694.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruski P, Correia GDS, Lewis HV, Capuccini K, Inglese P, Chan D, et al. Direct on-swab metabolic profiling of vaginal microbiome host interactions during pregnancy and preterm birth. Nat Commun. 2021;12:5967.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Polglase GR, Dalton RGB, Nitsos I, Knox CL, Pillow JJ, Jobe AH, et al. Pulmonary vascular and alveolar development in preterm lambs chronically colonized with Ureaplasma parvum. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2010;299:L232-241.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallapur SG, Kramer BW, Knox CL, Berry CA, Collins JJP, Kemp MW, et al. Chronic fetal exposure to Ureaplasma parvum suppresses innate immune responses in sheep. J Immunol. 2011;187:2688–95.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Staude B, Misselwitz B, Louwen F, Rochwalsky U, Oehmke F, Köhler S, et al. Characteristics and rates of preterm births during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7: e2432438.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammond JD, Kielt MJ, Conroy S, Lingappan K, Austin ED, Eldredge LC, et al. Exploring the association of male sex with adverse outcomes in severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Chest. 2024;165:610–20.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Blaser MJ, Devkota S, McCoy KD, Relman DA, Yassour M, Young VB. Lessons learned from the prenatal microbiome controversy. Microbiome. 2021;9:8.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • de Goffau MC, Lager S, Sovio U, Gaccioli F, Cook E, Peacock SJ, et al. Human placenta has no microbiome but can contain potential pathogens. Nature. 2019;572:329–34.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto T, Nomiyama M, Oshima Y, Ono T, Kozuma Y, Nakura Y, et al. Prenatal exposure to intra-amniotic infection with Ureaplasma species increases the prevalence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2024;37:2320670.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Kusanovic JP, Jung E, Romero R, Mittal Green P, Nhan-Chang C-L, Vaisbuch E, et al. Characterization of amniotic fluid sludge in preterm and term gestations. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2022;35:9770–9.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosang L, Canals RC, van der Flier FJ, Hollensteiner J, Daniel R, Flügel A, et al. The lung microbiome regulates brain autoimmunity. Nature. 2022;603:138–44.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Argaw-Denboba A, Schmidt TSB, Di Giacomo M, Ranjan B, Devendran S, Mastrorilli E, et al. Paternal microbiome perturbations impact offspring fitness. Nature. 2024;629:652–9.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Staude B, Oehmke F, Lauer T, Behnke J, Göpel W, Schloter M, et al. The microbiome and preterm birth: a change in paradigm with profound implications for pathophysiologic concepts and novel therapeutic strategies. Biomed Res Int. 2018;2018:7218187.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Romero R, Miranda J, Chaemsaithong P, Chaiworapongsa T, Kusanovic JP, Dong Z, et al. Sterile and microbial-associated intra-amniotic inflammation in preterm prelabor rupture of membranes. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2015;28:1394–409.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiang Q, Yan X, Shi X, Huang Y, Li L, Zhong J, et al. Prolonged premature rupture of membranes with increased risk of infection is associated with gut accumulation of Pseudomonas from the environment. Comput Struct Biotechnol J. 2024;23:2851–60.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Dos Anjos Borges LG, Pastuschek J, Heimann Y, Dawczynski K, PEONS study group, Schleußner E, et al. Vaginal and neonatal microbiota in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes and consecutive early onset neonatal sepsis. BMC Med. 2023;21:92.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Ma J, Li X, Zhao H, Ai Q, Zhang L, et al. No microorganism was detected in amniotic fluid of healthy pregnancies from the second trimester to the delivery. Microbiome. 2025;13:20.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Croxen MA, Finlay BB. Molecular mechanisms of Escherichia coli pathogenicity. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2010;8:26–38.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Florez ID, Morgan RL, Foroutan F, Chang Y, Crandon HN, et al. Probiotics, prebiotics, lactoferrin, and combination products for prevention of mortality and morbidity in preterm infants: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2023;177:1158–67.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu CW, Popovic MM, Dhoot AS, Arjmand P, Muni RH, Tehrani NN, et al. Demographic risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity: a systematic review of population-based studies. Neonatology. 2022;119:151–63.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Been JV, Rours IG, Kornelisse RF, Jonkers F, de Krijger RR, Zimmermann LJ. Chorioamnionitis alters the response to surfactant in preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2010;156:10-15.e1.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Levesque BM, Kalish LA, Winston AB, Parad RB, Hernandez-Diaz S, Phillips M, et al. Low urine vascular endothelial growth factor levels are associated with mechanical ventilation, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity. Neonatology. 2013;104:56–64.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang L-W, Lin Y-C, Wang S-T, Huang C-C. Identifying risk factors shared by bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe retinopathy, and cystic periventricular leukomalacia in very preterm infants for targeted intervention. Neonatology. 2018;114:17–24.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellström A, Ley D, Hansen-Pupp I, Hallberg B, Ramenghi LA, Löfqvist C, et al. Role of insulinlike growth factor 1 in fetal development and in the early postnatal life of premature infants. Am J Perinatol. 2016;33:1067–71.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

Continue Reading

  • Long-term clinical sequelae among Sudan ebolavirus disease survivors 2 years post-infection: a matched cohort study | BMC Medicine

    Long-term clinical sequelae among Sudan ebolavirus disease survivors 2 years post-infection: a matched cohort study | BMC Medicine

  • Jacob ST, Crozier I, Fischer WA, Hewlett A, Kraft CS, Vega M-AdL, et al. Ebola virus disease. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2020;6(1):13.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Feldmann H, Geisbert TW. Ebola haemorrhagic fever. The Lancet. 2011;377(9768):849–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baize S, Pannetier D, Oestereich L, Rieger T, Koivogui L, Magassouba NF, et al. Emergence of Zaire Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(15):1418–25.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Izudi J, Bajunirwe F. Case fatality rate for Ebola disease, 1976–2022: A meta-analysis of global data. J Infect Public Health. 2024;17(1):25–34.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Tozay S, Fischer WA, Wohl DA, Kilpatrick K, Zou F, Reeves E, et al. Long-term Complications of Ebola Virus Disease: Prevalence and Predictors of Major Symptoms and the Role of Inflammation. Clin Infect Diseases. 2020;71(7):1749–55.

    CAS 

    Google Scholar 

  • Sneller MC, Reilly C, Badio M, Bishop RJ, Eghrari AO, Moses SJ, et al. A Longitudinal Study of Ebola Sequelae in Liberia. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(10):924–34.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattia JG, Vandy MJ, Chang JC, Platt DE, Dierberg K, Bausch DG, et al. Early clinical sequelae of Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16(3):331–8.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark DV, Kibuuka H, Millard M, Wakabi S, Lukwago L, Taylor A, et al. Long-term sequelae after Ebola virus disease in Bundibugyo, Uganda: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2015;15(8):905–12.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Godwin CL, Wohl DA, Fischer Nd WA, Singh K, Hawks DA, Devore EE, et al. Reproductive health sequelae among women who survived Ebola virus disease in Liberia. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2019;146(2):212–7.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Howlett PJ, Walder AR, Lisk DR, Fitzgerald F, Sevalie S, Lado M, et al. Case Series of Severe Neurologic Sequelae of Ebola Virus Disease during Epidemic. Sierra Leone Emerg Infect Dis. 2018;24(8):1412–21.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly JD, Ryn CV, Badio M, Fayiah T, Johnson K, Gayedyu-Dennis D, et al. Clinical Sequelae Among Individuals With Pauci-Symptomatic or Asymptomatic Ebola Virus Infection and Unrecognised Ebola Virus Disease in Liberia: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022;22(8):1163–71.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Leligdowicz A, Fischer WA, Uyeki TM, Fletcher TE, Adhikari NKJ, Portella G, et al. Ebola virus disease and critical illness. Crit Care. 2016;20(1):217.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Bah AJ, James PB, Bah N, Sesay AB, Sevalie S, Kanu JS. Prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among Ebola survivors in northern Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2020;20(1):1391.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawry LL, Stroupe Kannappan N, Canteli C, Clemmer W. Mixed-methods assessment of health and mental health characteristics and barriers to healthcare for Ebola survivors in Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo. BMJ Open. 2021;11(8): e050349.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Shantha JG, Crozier I, Yeh S. An update on ocular complications of Ebola virus disease. J Curr Ophthalmol. 2017;28(6):600–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiedemann A, Foucat E, Hocini H, Lefebvre C, Hejblum BP, Durand M, et al. Long-lasting severe immune dysfunction in Ebola virus disease survivors. Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):3730.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Bwire G, Sartorius B, Guerin P, Tegegne MA, Okware SI, Talisuna AO. Sudan Ebola virus (SUDV) outbreak in Uganda, 2022: lessons learnt and future priorities for sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Med. 2023;21(1):144.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Glynn M, Drake WM. Hutchison’s clinical methods: An integrated approach to clinical practice. 25th ed: London: Elsevier; 2022;9780323775847.

  • Chan Y, Fornace K, Wu L, Arnold BF, Priest JW, Martin DL, et al. Determining seropositivity-A review of approaches to define population seroprevalence when using multiplex bead assays to assess burden of tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(6): e0009457.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohl DA, Fischer WA, Mei W, Zou F, Tozay S, Reeves E, et al. Post-Ebola Symptoms 7 Years After Infection: The Natural History of Long Ebola. Clin Infect Diseases. 2023;76(3):e835–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond NG, Grant DS, Himmelfarb ST, Engel EJ, Al-Hasan F, Gbakie M, et al. Post-Ebola Syndrome Presents With Multiple Overlapping Symptom Clusters: Evidence From an Ongoing Cohort Study in Eastern Sierra Leone. Clin Infect Diseases. 2021;73(6):1046–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vetter P, Kaiser L, Schibler M, Ciglenecki I, Bausch DG. Sequelae of Ebola virus disease: the emergency within the emergency. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16(6):e82–91.

    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi AI, Chughtai M, Loua TO, Pe Kolie J, Camara HF, Ishfaq MF, et al. Study of Ebola Virus Disease Survivors in Guinea. Clin Infect Diseases. 2015;61(7):1035–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe AK, Bertolli J, Khan AS, Mukunu R, Muyembe-Tamfum JJ, Bressler D, et al. Clinical, virologic, and immunologic follow-up of convalescent Ebola hemorrhagic fever patients and their household contacts, Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Commission de Lutte contre les Epidémies à Kikwit. J Infect Dis. 1999;179 Suppl 1:S28-35.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Billioux BJ, Smith B, Nath A. Neurological Complications of Ebola Virus Infection. Neurotherapeutics. 2016;13(3):461–70.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • The PREVAIL III Study Group. A Longitudinal Study of Ebola Sequelae in Liberia. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(10):924–34.

    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandizadza OO, Phebeni RT, Ji C. Prevalence of somatic symptoms among Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) survivors in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):1511.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Varkey JB, Shantha JG, Crozier I, Kraft CS, Lyon GM, Mehta AK, et al. Persistence of Ebola Virus in Ocular Fluid during Convalescence. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(25):2423–7.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Velazquez JV, Bond NG, Schieffelin JS, Gunn BM. Survivors of Ebola virus disease exhibit elevated levels of autoantibodies. J Immunol. 2023;210(1_Supplement):59.27-59.27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu L, Jin J, Wang T, Hu Y, Liu H, Gao T, et al. Ebola virus sequesters IRF3 in viral inclusion bodies to evade host antiviral immunity. eLife. 2024;12:RP88122.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley C, Bavinger JC, Kuthyar S, Shantha JG, Yeh S. Pathogenesis of Uveitis in Ebola Virus Disease Survivors: Evolving Understanding from Outbreaks to Animal Models. Microorganisms. 2020;8(4):594.

  • Subtil F, Delaunay C, Keita AK, Sow MS, Touré A, Leroy S, et al. Dynamics of Ebola RNA Persistence in Semen: A Report From the Postebogui Cohort in Guinea. Clin Infect Diseases. 2017;64(12):1788–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deen GF, Broutet N, Xu W, Knust B, Sesay FR, McDonald SLR, et al. Ebola RNA Persistence in Semen of Ebola Virus Disease Survivors – Final Report. N Engl J Med. 2017;377(15):1428–37.

    CAS 
    PubMed 

    Google Scholar 

  • Mate SE, Kugelman JR, Nyenswah TG, Ladner JT, Wiley MR, Cordier-Lassalle T, et al. Molecular Evidence of Sexual Transmission of Ebola Virus. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(25):2448–54.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo D, Zheng R, Wang D, Zhang X, Yin Y, Wang K, et al. Effect of sexual transmission on the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2014: a mathematical modelling study. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):1653.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Surani A, Marfatia YS, Pal A, Shah R. Ebola virus: An emerging sexually transmissible infection pathogen. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2018;39(1):65–7.

    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Vetter P, Fischer WA II, Schibler M, Jacobs M, Bausch DG, Kaiser L. Ebola Virus Shedding and Transmission: Review of Current Evidence. J Infect Dis. 2016;214(suppl_3):S177–84.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Riesle-Sbarbaro SA, Wibbelt G, Düx A, Kouakou V, Bokelmann M, Hansen-Kant K, et al. Selective replication and vertical transmission of Ebola virus in experimentally infected Angolan free-tailed bats. Nat Commun. 2024;15(1):925.

    CAS 
    PubMed 
    PubMed Central 

    Google Scholar 

  • Guidelines for the management of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the context of Ebola virus disease. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020. ISBN-13: 978-92-4-000138-1.

  • de St. Maurice A, Ervin E, Orone R, Choi M, Dokubo EK, Rollin PE, et al. Care of Ebola Survivors and Factors Associated With Clinical Sequelae—Monrovia, Liberia. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018;5(10):239.

  • Henwood PC, Bebell LM, Roshania R, Wolfman V, Mallow M, Kalyanpur A, et al. Ebola Virus Disease and Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Patients Managed at 5 Ebola Treatment Units in West Africa. Clin Infect Diseases. 2017;65(2):292–9.

    Google Scholar 

    • Continue Reading

  • Jersey teenager fights stigma around girls and sport

    Jersey teenager fights stigma around girls and sport

    Zhara Simpson

    BBC News, Jersey

    BBC Lauren wearing a grey hooded jacket. She is smiling at the camera and is stood in front of a purple Radio Jersey sign.BBC

    Lauren, 15, says the Every Girl Moves event is about breaking barriers and the stigma facing girls in sport

    A Jersey teenager has set up an event to inspire girls between the ages of eight and 18 years old to take part in all sports.

    Event organiser and young worker for Jersey Youth Service, Lauren, 15, said the event was about breaking barriers and the stigma facing girls in sport.

    The free event, called Every Girl Moves, will take place at the sports facility at Les Quennevais School on Monday.

    Lauren said “everybody is welcome”.

    Josh Twohig-Jones on the left wearing a blue top with a Jersey Youth Service badge, and Lauren wearing a grey hooded jacket. They are both smiling at the camera and stood in front of a purple Radio Jersey sign.

    Josh Twohig-Jones said Lauren was the “driving force” behind Every Girl Moves

    Lauren, who joined the youth service in Year 4, said it was a chance to try out new sports that some people might not have known was available to them.

    “When we were organising this event I didn’t even know there was a Jersey cricket team – apparently they are really good and keep winning competitions,” she said.

    ‘Get people involved’

    “It is really cool to learn about different sports in the island.”

    At the beginning of Year 7, Lauren said she joined an all-boy football training session before finding another group called the Wonderers, which she is still a part of.

    She said: “We are trying to get rid of the stigma and get more people involved.

    “I know most people want to do a sport but they think it’s a boys sport or worry about what people will think of them.”

    The event, which will have various sports organisations attending such as basketball, fencing, kickboxing and skateboarding, among others, takes place from 10:00 until 15:00 BST.

    “There’s plenty to try out,” added Lauren.

    Youth Worker Josh Twohig-Jones said Lauren was the “driving force” behind Every Girl Moves.

    He said Lauren ran consultations around the island at various youth clubs and schools to encourage as many girls to attend the event and try a new sport.

    Continue Reading

  • NASA-Derived Textiles are Touring France by Bike

    NASA-Derived Textiles are Touring France by Bike

    During the Tour de France, athletes have to maintain a constant speed while bike riding for dozens of miles through cold rains and summer heat. These cyclists need gear that adapts to the different environments they encounter. One company is using a material with NASA origins to ensure these athletes stay comfortable while taking their grand tours.

    Phase-change materials use basic properties of matter to maintain a steady temperature. When a substance melts from a solid to a liquid, the material absorbs heat, and when it becomes solid again, it releases that heat. In the 1980s, Triangle Research Corporation received a NASA Small Business Innovation Research award to explore how phase-change materials could be incorporated into textiles to control temperatures in spacesuit gloves. By placing phase-change materials in small capsules woven throughout a textile, these temperature-regulating properties can be tuned to the comfort of the human body. While these textiles weren’t incorporated into any gloves flown on NASA missions, they formed the basis for a new product, sold under the name Outlast.

    Outlast has since become one of the most widely distributed temperature-regulating fabrics, found in products such as bedding, loungewear, and office chairs. It has seen especially extensive use in activewear, ranging from jogging clothes to professional sports gear. 

    Founded in 2001 and based in Fréjus, France, the company Ekoï makes clothing and accessories for cyclists, particularly those who bike competitively. The company first encountered Outlast at the Performance Days fabric trade fair in Munich, Germany, and was impressed with its capabilities as well as its NASA heritage.

    “When you say NASA, it’s always impressive.” said Celine Milan, director of textiles at Ekoï. “At the beginning we were even saying in here in our offices, ‘Wow, this technology was developed by NASA.’ It’s on another level.”

    Ekoi’s Outlast line officially launched in July 2022, during that year’s Tour de France. Over the course of that race, the company found it improved cyclists’ performance in the event’s mountain stages, where elevation changes mean wide swings in temperature. It also improved athletes’ aerodynamics, as their jerseys could stay closed in warmer environments, rather than opening them to let in wind.

    Today, Ekoï sells several products that incorporate Outlast materials, including jerseys, gloves, and socks. These products are internationally known for their NASA heritage. Whether engineering for astronaut’s comfort in space or competitive athletes, NASA aims for excellence. 

    Learn more about NASA’s Spinoff Technologies: https://spinoff.nasa.gov/

    Continue Reading

  • Case report describes offseason plague case transmitted via cat

    Case report describes offseason plague case transmitted via cat

    An Oregon man contracted plague from his pet cat in January last year—by far the earliest case ever recorded in a calendar year in the state—possibly indicating a seasonal shift of the disease in people.

    The man’s case was detailed yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is most commonly confirmed in people in late spring or summer. It typically spreads through fleas from rodents.

    Oregon had not confirmed a human plague case since 2015, when it recorded two.

    Cat contact following knife injury

    The man’s saga began on January 19, 2024, when his 2-year-old cat began receiving veterinary care in central Oregon for a neck abscess and vomiting. The cat received oral antibiotics, and a veterinarian drained and excised the abscess on January 24.

    The next day, the 73-year-old man cut his right index finger with a kitchen knife and received treatment at an urgent care center. Healthcare practitioners sutured the wound and sent the man home.

    Later that day the man had contact with his cat, which was still receiving veterinary care. The next day, on January 26, the man noticed a new tender, raised ulcer on his right wrist. On January 30 he sought care at a local emergency department with symptoms that included skin infection (cellulitis) and swollen lymph nodes extending from the wound on his wrist up to his right armpit.

    He was admitted to the hospital and was initially treated with the intravenous (IV) antibiotics ceftriaxone and metronidazole. Hospital lab testing revealed Y pestis in the man’s blood, and plague was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacteriophage-lysis testing at the Washington State Public Health Laboratory on February 6.

    Veterinarians and medical personnel should maintain a high index of suspicion for Y. pestis infection.

    The man’s antibiotic therapy was changed to IV gentamicin and levofloxacin, and his symptoms subsequently improved. He was discharged from the hospital on February 7 and prescribed a 9-day course of oral levofloxacin. “At his follow-up appointment on February 15, he appeared to have made a full recovery, with only mild residual fatigue,” wrote the study authors, who are from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Deschutes County Health Services.

    Unfortunately, the man was not able to give the cat its antibiotics after its surgery, and the cat died on January 31. Scientists with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later confirmed Y pestis in tissues from the cat via PCR and tissue culture.

    Staying vigilant, even in winter

    According to OHA data, previously the earliest case in a calendar year in Oregon occurred in May, way back in 1934. The other 18 cases were confirmed from June through November, in years ranging from 1970 through 2015. Two (10%) of 20 cases in Oregon have proven fatal, 1 of them involving a young child.

    The study authors write, “Temperate climates of California’s Central Valley and the Pacific Northwest can be conducive to flea emergence year-round, and various factors, such as unseasonal warm temperatures during the winter, can extend the flea life cycle and potentially promote enzootic [among-animal] transmission.” Fleas can hatch when the temperature is as low as 50°F (10°C), similar to temperatures in central Oregon at the time the cat fell ill. 

    “The effect of environmental factors, including climate, on plague transmission remains an area of active research,” the authors add.

    The effect of environmental factors, including climate, on plague transmission remains an area of active research.

    They conclude, “Regular treatment of pets and their surroundings for fleas might reduce the risk for infection with pathogens transmitted by fleas. Y. pestis infection was not considered during the cat’s veterinary screening. Had it been, the pet owner could have been counseled about the risks of animal-to-human plague transmission, potentially preventing zoonotic spread.

    “Veterinarians and medical personnel should maintain a high index of suspicion for Y. pestis infection.”

    Continue Reading