Public Health in the News – October 26, 2014

Global

• The latest Ebola updates:
  • As you have probably heard by now, a doctor in New York is now battling a case of Ebola. They have been treating him by giving him a blood transfusion donated by someone who survived the disease. Meanwhile, the governors of New York and New Jersey have implemented a rule requiring the mandatory quarantine of all aid workers returning from West Africa, which the White House is urging against.
  • The CDC has changed its guidelines for health professionals working with Ebola patients, in order to stress that every inch of skin should be covered by personal protective equipment when around patients.
  • As is the case with most diseases, fear and panic about Ebola can cause people to believe crazy things. Will drinking your urine help cure Ebola? Short answer: no. Long answer: read more about the (lack of) science behind this claim at the science blog In Scientio Veritas.
  • One aid worker travels to Sierra Leone and finds things to be hopeful about when it comes to the country’s future ability to fight Ebola.
  • Things we can learn from Nigeria and Senegal about stopping the virus.
• A rare fungal infection, traditionally associated with the prick of a rose thorn, is on the rise in Brazil because it is being transmitted to humans by cats.
• “I think the biggest single factor that pushed me to work on this problem was the incredulity of a bereaved relative of one of my patients – how can a young, healthy person die of flu in the 21^st century?” The Wellcome Trust blog posted an interview with Dr. Kenneth Baillie, who is researching which human genes may make people more likely to get the flu.
• A paralyzed man underwent an operation, where doctors in Poland transplanted nerve cells from his nose into his spinal cord. Sound like science fiction? It’s not, and the patient is now able to walk!
• A certain type of contraceptive used in several African countries may increase the risk of HIV infection. What to do with this information, however, is not so simple: is it more helpful or harmful to run a clinical trial to test this hypothesis? And will banning this drug be more helpful or harmful to women?

National

• “Most of you is not alive at all, nor is it even permanent or unique enough to merit a personal name.” Why most of your body is younger than you are – a fantastic read on science blog The Crux.
• A new study has found that cancer cells leak out waste products, which can enter into other cells and cause them to turn cancerous.
• On NPR’s Science Friday this week: using hand sanitizer may increase the amount of BPA that your skin absorbs. And be careful with handling receipts – thermal paper has BPA in it!
• The blood-brain barrier keeps your brain safe from things that may harm it. However, it also blocks cancer drugs. Now, for the first time, scientists have figured out a way to temporarily open the barrier for patients with brain tumors.
• How do the brains of autistic people differ from those of people without the disorder? According to a new study, the differences are actually very few.

Chicago

• The Chicago Department of Public Health’s social media campaign against e-cigarettes was analyzed, and researchers found that while Twitter can be used to spread useful information, public health officials should be careful that the response to the campaign does not promote misinformation.

Northwestern

• NU’s Katherine L. Wisner was quoted in a New York Times article about the difficulties of treating postpartum depression.
• Dr. Neil J. Stone, chair of a group that wrote guidelines for cholesterol management, is focusing on educating physicians in order to clear up misinformation that persists about treating patients with high cholesterol.
• A study by NU researchers shows that music education may help troubled kids.
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital has agreed to accept any Ebola cases that may arise in Chicago.