Health
CDC on alert as 'Sloth fever' hits the US — a disease spread by travelers from Cuba and South America
![CDC on alert as 'Sloth fever' hits the US — a disease spread by travelers from Cuba and South America CDC on alert as 'Sloth fever' hits the US — a disease spread by travelers from Cuba and South America](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/Sloth-collage.jpg)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 21 cases of Oropouche virus disease, also known as sloth fever, in travelers returning from Cuba.
Twenty cases have been reported in Florida and one in New York.
The disease is spread primarily through bites from midges and from some mosquitoes. Symptoms of the disease include headache, fever and muscle aches and joint pains, but the virus is rarely fatal.
PARVOVIRUS OR ‘SLAPPED CHEEK DISEASE’ IS ON THE RISE, CDC WARNS: HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW
A mosquito on human skin. Some mosquitoes can carry sloth fever and give it to humans via bites. (iStock)
There is no indication that the virus is spreading in the U.S. but health officials are warning doctors to be on the lookout for infection in travelers coming from Cuba and South America.
Most patients returning from Cuba reported their symptoms between May and July.
Overall, three patients were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported, the CDC said in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
A dire economic crisis in Cuba has made it difficult to control the spread of Oropouche. Frequent power outages mean many sleep with windows open during the hot Caribbean summer. Few Cubans have access to insect repellents, and fumigation efforts have been stymied by fuel shortages.
WITH MPOX A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA, WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT INCREASED VIRUS RISK
![Signage stands outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/1200/675/8d5683e4-CDC.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The health body on Tuesday reported 21 cases of Oropouche virus disease, also known as sloth fever, in travelers returning from Cuba. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about an increase in Oropouche virus disease in the Americas region.
The virus is endemic to the Amazon basin and more than 8,000 cases have been reported in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, and Cuba so far this year, including two deaths, and five cases of vertical transmission, where viruses can pass between mother and fetus.
The CDC has recommended that pregnant women avoid non-essential travel to Cuba and suggested all travelers take steps to prevent bug bites, such as using insect repellents and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Currently, there are no vaccines available for the disease and treatment for symptoms can include rest, fluids and use of analgesics and antipyretics.
People can become infected when visiting these forested areas and getting bitten. They can then introduce the virus to urban areas, where biting midges and certain mosquitoes spread the virus from person to person.
![A three-toed sloth with a teddy bear](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/Sloth-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
A baby three-toed sloth holds a teddy bear at a wildlife center in Alajuela, Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
Approximately 60% of people infected with Oropouche virus become symptomatic, according to the CDC. The incubation period is typically three to 10 days.
It has sometimes been called sloth fever because scientists first investigating the virus found it in a three-toed sloth, and believed sloths were important in its spread between insects and animals.
The virus was first detected in 1955 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Health
Tennessee woman awarded $3.45M after she was disfigured by 'unnecessary' surgery
![Tennessee woman awarded .45M after she was disfigured by 'unnecessary' surgery Tennessee woman awarded .45M after she was disfigured by 'unnecessary' surgery](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/microscope.png)
A Tennessee woman won a $3.45 million lawsuit after she was left with a “completely unnecessary” and “permanent” disfigurement from surgery.
Kellianne Goodnight said doctors at the Chattanooga Skin and Cancer Clinic on Shallowford Road in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2017 removed several layers of her skin just above the bridge of her nose while performing a Mohr’s surgery. The doctors allegedly told her the layers were filled with cancer cells, but they were not.
In the Mohr’s surgery, the doctors would remove a layer of tissue at the crease of Goodnight’s nose and face and examine it microscopically to figure out if there were cancer cells, according to the lawsuit, WZTV reported.
If cancer cells are found, the doctors would remove another layer of tissue and examine it, and repeat this process until they found a layer that did not have cancer cells.
WORKING THE NIGHT SHIFT MAY CAUSE DANGEROUS HEALTH CONDITIONS, LONG-TERM RISK OF DISEASE
A Tennessee woman won a $3.45 million lawsuit after she was left with a “completely unnecessary” and “permanent” disfigurement from a surgery. (iStock)
Doctor Mark G. Tusa and nurse practitioner Sharon Ann Brown told Goodnight that they had to remove a total of seven layers of tissue. But a third-party examination of the tissues found that none of the layers removed had any sign of skin cancer, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also said Tusa “never told the Plaintiff she had an additional or changed diagnosis.”
Later, after a followup procedure that lasted roughly eight hours, Goodnight specifically asked for amplifying information. She was informed that the cancer had spread, was the size of a baseball and was located under her nose and mouth.
TENNESSEE MAN ALLEGEDLY KILLED WOMAN BEFORE LIGHTING CHURCH ABLAZE, SAID HE WAS ‘GOING TO GET GOD’S WATER’
Based on opinions that the pathologist provided, Tusa made a misinterpretation that the layers contained basal cell carcinoma, when they did not.
“Dr. Tusa created a huge, deep, irreparable and completely unnecessary crater on Kelliane Goodnight’s face,” the lawsuit said.
The procedure left Goodnight with “permanent disfigurement of her face as well as structural damage to the muscles which underlie her face,” according to the lawsuit.
“The unnecessary wound created by Dr. Tusa has required several surgeries, and it is anticipated that she will require several more surgeries in the future to attempt to correct this medical error,” it continues.
![medical background](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2019/11/1200/675/iStock-medical.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The procedure left Goodnight with “permanent disfigurement of her face as well as structural damage to the muscles which underlie her face,” the lawsuit said. (iStock)
For months after the surgery, Goodnight “could not go out in public without a mask because of the embarrassment and humiliation of having a devastating and horrendous wound created on her face.”
The lawsuit also said Goodnight lost her job at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee due to the procedure.
Last week, Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Michael Sharp ruled in favor of Goodnight and awarded her nearly $3.45 million, including $800,000 for past pain and suffering, $500,000 for future pain and suffering, $1,500,000 for permanent impairment and disfigurement, $100,000 for the past loss of the ability to enjoy life, $400,000 for the future ability to enjoy life and nearly $150,000 for past medical care and services.
Health
Shingles infection linked to risk of cognitive decline, says study: ‘Long-term implications’
![Shingles infection linked to risk of cognitive decline, says study: ‘Long-term implications’ Shingles infection linked to risk of cognitive decline, says study: ‘Long-term implications’](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/shingles-dementia-split.jpg)
Getting shingles just once could increase the risk of long-term confusion and memory loss, a new study has found.
The study, led by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, linked the virus to greater chances of “subjective cognitive decline,” according to a Harvard press release.
The findings were published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy on Aug. 14.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE RASH CAUSED BY A VIRUS
“Subjective cognitive decline” captures early changes in cognition that are noticed before evidence of cognitive impairment shows up on standard neuropsychological tests, explained study author Sharon Curhan, M.D., a physician and epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
It was also associated with a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
Getting shingles just once could increase the risk of long-term confusion and memory loss, a new study has found. (iStock)
“Shingles may contribute to dementia risk through neuroinflammation, damage to cerebral blood vessels (cerebral vasculopathy), or direct neuronal damage,” Curhan told Fox News Digital.
In this particular study, the researchers analyzed data from three large cohorts of more than 150,000 women and men over a 13-year period.
The data came from the Nurses’ Health Study, the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, according to Curhan.
“We were surprised by the large magnitude and long duration of the increased risk.”
“There was a suggestion that the magnitude of the elevated risk may be greater among those who were not vaccinated with the shingles vaccine,” she said.
The researchers determined that shingles was associated with a greater than 20% higher long-term risk of subjective cognitive decline.
THESE ADULT VACCINES COULD REDUCE SENIORS’ RISK OF ALZHEIMER’S, STUDY FINDS: ‘HEIGHTENED IMMUNE RESPONSE’
“We were surprised by the large magnitude and long duration of the increased risk, and [the fact] that it may be different in women and men,” Curhan told Fox News Digital.
The elevated risk was even higher among those who were genetic carriers of APOE e4 — the gene that increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease — than men who were not APOE e4 carriers, she noted, but this was not the case in women.
![Shingles virus](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/shingles-virus.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Known medically as herpes zoster, shingles is a painful, blistering rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox. (iStock)
Although he noted that this is an observational study and does not prove cause and effect, Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, said he believes “the observation is real.”
“Shingles is a reactivation of a virus that has been hiding inside nerves,” he told Fox News Digital. “It causes inflammation — and when inflammation involves the brain, it is associated with cognitive decline, which can lead to Alzheimer’s.”
DEMENTIA-DEPRESSION CONNECTION: EARLY SADNESS CAN LEAD TO LATER COGNITIVE ISSUES, STUDY FINDS
Previous studies have also looked at the association of herpes zoster and other viruses with Alzheimer’s and the other diseases that cause dementia, according to Heather M. Snyder, PhD, senior vice president of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago.
“It is unclear if the virus is present in individuals because of changes associated with the diseases that cause cognitive decline, changes of the immune system, or some sort of cause and effect,” Snyder, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“When inflammation involves the brain, it is associated with cognitive decline.”
Previous research has also shown that a history of shingles is also associated with higher long-term risk of a major cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or heart attack, which could last for many years after infection, Curhan warned.
What to know about shingles
Shingles — medically known as herpes zoster — is a painful, blistering rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is the same virus that causes chickenpox, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The rash and blisters usually scab over within seven to 10 days.
The infection is common, affecting about one in every three people in the U.S. in their lifetime.
![Man with shingles](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/dca0665c-man-with-shingles.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
In addition to the rash, which typically appears as a stripe around one side of the body or face, symptoms can include fever, chills, headache and upset stomach. (iStock)
“A majority of adults have herpes zoster hidden in their brain cells, from prior infection at some previous point in their life,” said Snyder.
In addition to the rash — which typically appears as a stripe around one side of the body or face — symptoms can include fever, chills, headache and upset stomach, according to the CDC.
In some cases (10% to 18%), the virus can lead to complications like long-term nerve pain.
One in every three people in the U.S. will have shingles in their lifetime.
Other rare but serious adverse effects can include vision loss, bacterial infections, pneumonia, brain inflammation (encephalitis), impaired hearing and death, per the CDC.
These complications are most likely to affect those with compromised immune systems.
Antiviral treatments and pain relief medications are available for those with the condition.
Means of prevention
These findings show the “long-term implications” of shingles and highlight the importance of public health efforts to prevent the infection, Curhan noted.
The vaccination has been shown to be 90% effective at preventing the infection and long-term nerve pain in adults age 50 and over who have healthy immune systems, according to the CDC.
![Shingles vaccine](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/shingles-vaccine.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Shingles vaccination has been shown to be 90% effective at preventing the infection and long-term nerve pain in adults age 50 and over who have healthy immune systems, according to the CDC. (iStock)
“Given the growing number of Americans at risk for this painful and often disabling disease and the availability of an effective vaccine, shingles vaccination could provide a valuable opportunity to reduce the burden of subsequent health issues due to shingles, such as chronic pain (postherpetic neuralgia), cardiovascular complications, or cognitive decline and dementia,” said Curhan.
The CDC recommends routine shingles vaccination for people age 50 and older, regardless of whether they have had a prior episode of shingles or have had a previous vaccine.
CDC RECOMMENDS ADDITIONAL COVID VACCINE FOR ADULTS 65 AND OVER
“Anyone who may be eligible for the vaccine or who may have questions or concerns about vaccination should consult with a health care provider,” said Curhan.
Siegel echoed the merits of vaccination.
“This study adds to the growing group of evidence that the shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is important for all those over 50 (who have had chicken pox or the varicella vaccine) to decrease the risk of reactivation of the shingles virus and/or complications of active infection,” he said.
Potential limitations
This was an observational study that primarily focused on a White, highly educated population, Curhan noted — which means future studies in other populations could strengthen the research.
“Also, we did not have information on vaccination status in the full study population, so we could only examine this relation among a subset,” she added.
![Woman itchy rash](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/woman-itchy-rash.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
“A majority of adults have herpes zoster hidden in their brain cells, from prior infection at some previous point in their life,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Much of the study period took place before the shingles vaccine became widely available, Curhan said — and even once it was introduced, the uptake was generally low.
The more recent vaccine was not available until after the study.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“As uptake of the newer shingles vaccine increases, additional studies that evaluate whether vaccination status influences the relation of shingles and risk of cognitive decline would be informative,” Curhan said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“Therefore, we are currently collecting this information among our participants and hope to conduct these studies in the future.”
Health
People with brain aneurysms at higher risk of some mental health disorders, study finds
![People with brain aneurysms at higher risk of some mental health disorders, study finds People with brain aneurysms at higher risk of some mental health disorders, study finds](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/woman-anxious-headache.jpg)
People who have been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm may be more susceptible to certain mental health conditions, according to a study published by the American Heart Association (AHA).
The knowledge of an unruptured aneurysm increased the risk of anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and alcohol or drug misuse by 10% over a 10-year period, the researchers found.
An unruptured aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and bulges out — creating the risk of a potentially deadly rupture, per the AHA.
RUPTURED BRAIN ANEURYSM LANDS SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA AFTER EMERGENCY C-SECTION
The effect was most seen in adults under 40 years of age, and the risk was three times greater among those who received an official mental health diagnosis.
The researchers analyzed data for 85,438 adults with untreated aneurysms between 2011 and 2019, comparing them to 331,000 adults without aneurysms.
An unruptured aneurysm occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes weak and bulges out, creating the risk of a potentially deadly rupture. (American Heart Association)
The data came from the National Health Information Database in South Korea.
The findings were published in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the AHA.
MICHIGAN MOM: ‘I HAD A STROKE AT 39 — AND THE WARNING SIGNS WEREN’T WHAT YOU’D EXPECT’
“As a neurosurgeon who treats cerebral aneurysms, I often see people who do not undergo surgery, yet feel fear and/or anxiety about their condition before each imaging or screening test to monitor their condition,” said study co-author Na-Rae Yang, M.D., PhD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery in the department of neurosurgery at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, in a press release.
“Even when it is medically judged and explained that follow-up observation is the best course for their aneurysm rather than surgery, they still worry about the very slim chance of developing a fatal brain bleed.”
![Woman anxious headache](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/woman-anxious-headache.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The fact that younger adults were more likely to have a “significant psychological burden” could be linked to other life stressors, an expert noted. (iStock)
The fact that younger adults were more likely to have a “significant psychological burden” could be linked to other life stressors, Yang noted, such as building their career and/or raising a family.
“This elevated rate of mental health conditions suggests that younger people might be particularly vulnerable, highlighting the need for targeted mental health support and interventions for this age group,” she added.
TIAS AND MINI-STROKE RISKS: CARDIOLOGIST SHARES WARNING SIGNS AND PREVENTION TIPS
Dr. Daniel T. Lackland, an American Heart Association EPI and Stroke Council member and professor of epidemiology at the Medical University of South Carolina, was not involved in the study but said he was not surprised by the findings.
“While there is no evidence that aneurysms directly cause anxiety and mental disorders, this study suggests there may be a connection between stress and aneurysms, and that unruptured aneurysms can increase emotional distress,” he told Fox News Digital.
![Man anxious headache](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/man-anxious-headache.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The knowledge of an unruptured aneurysm increased the risk of anxiety, stress, depression, insomnia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and alcohol or drug misuse by 10% over a 10-year period, the researchers found. (iStock)
“For example, an enlarging aneurysm may physically affect nearby sympathetic ganglia, which could produce panic or anxiety symptoms.”
Extreme emotional stress could also increase the risk of an enlarged aneurysm rupturing, which could increase anxiety, Lackland added.
ANGER CAN INCREASE HEART ATTACK RISK, STUDY FINDS: ‘CHRONIC INSULT TO ARTERIES’
Based on the findings, Lackland recommends maintaining active and regular communication with health providers, particularly for individuals with a family history of brain aneurysms.
“If diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, [the patient should] follow through with the appropriate and proper treatment,” he advised.
“Brain aneurysms, like aortic aneurysms, are life-threatening if they rupture, but can be treated with appropriate therapy and/or procedures.”
![Woman with headache](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/06/1200/675/woman-with-headache-outside.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Although the findings suggest an association between aneurysms and mental health conditions, they can’t prove cause and effect, the researchers noted. (iStock)
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, a Cincinnati-based company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, has also noticed this phenomenon in his own practice.
“Whether the patient is told they have a brain aneurysm or they have an abnormal heart valve, irregular heart rhythm or aortic aneurysm, the psychological ramifications are significant,” Serwer, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
Younger patients may have fewer coping mechanisms, he noted.
“They tend to perseverate more on the medical conditions, and this can lead to anxiety.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
This study highlights the importance of taking a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, Serwer said, as well as the “dramatic need” for more behavioral and mental health services to support these individuals.
Potential limitations
The study did have some limitations, the researchers acknowledged.
The analysis relied on a national database of medical codes rather than input from individual patients.
“Brain aneurysms, like aortic aneurysms, are life-threatening if they rupture, but can be treated with appropriate therapy and/or procedures.”
Additionally, the research did not take into account the size or location of the aneurysms.
Although the findings suggest an association between aneurysms and mental health conditions, they can’t prove cause and effect, the researchers noted.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
“As the authors indicate, there is inadequate evidence to indicate that brain aneurysms cause increased mental health risks,” said Lackland.
“Also, the study was done in Korea — and it is unclear if the results can be generalized to other populations.”
-
Technology7 days ago
Breakthrough robo-glove gives you superhuman grip
-
Connecticut5 days ago
Oxford church provides sanctuary during Sunday's damaging storm
-
News1 week ago
Video: Biden Delivers Keynote on First Night of D.N.C.
-
News1 week ago
Video: Protesters Clash With Police Near the Democratic National Convention
-
News1 week ago
Ex-officer convicted in George Floyd's killing is moved to new prison
-
Politics1 week ago
Former teacher reveals which students suffered 'the most' under Walz's pandemic-era guidelines
-
News1 week ago
Video: D.N.C. Holds Enthusiastic Roll Call to Nominate Harris
-
World1 week ago
Panama deports 29 Colombian migrants from Darien Gap under US deal