A blood donation service that partners with more than 300 hospitals in the southeast has suffered a ransomware attack that significantly reduced its capacity, according to a news release. 

OneBlood, a nonprofit blood center, said it is working with cybersecurity specialists, along with federal, state and local law enforcement, to respond to a “ransomware event” impacting its software system. 

“OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously.  Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event,” said Susan Forbes, OneBlood senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations.

“Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible.” 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DONATING BLOOD DURING RED CROSS MONTH

The nonprofit said its centers remain operational and continue to collect, test and distribute blood to hospitals, but at a significantly reduced capacity.  

“We have implemented manual processes and procedures to remain operational. Manual processes take significantly longer to perform and impacts inventory availability,” said Forbes.

“In an effort to further manage the blood supply, we have asked the more than 250 hospitals we serve to activate their critical blood shortage protocols and to remain in that status for the time being.” 

YOUNG GIRL SURVIVES CANCER THANKS TO LITTLE SISTER’S LIFESAVING DONATION: ‘A PERFECT MATCH’

OneBlood’s Big Red Bus is ubiquitous at blood drives across the southeastern United States. (Peter Titmuss/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The ransomware attack has created an urgent need for blood donations at OneBlood’s operational centers, the nonprofit shared in a call to action. The group said all blood types are needed, but specifically requested O positive, O negative and platelet donations.

Blood centers across the country are also donating blood and platelets to OneBlood, and the AABB Disaster Task Force is coordinating national resources to assist with additional blood products being sent to OneBlood, according to the news release.

BLOOD CANCER AWARENESS: COMMON TYPES, SIGNS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

People wait to donate blood at the OneBlood center on June 13, 2016 in Orlando, Florida, following a mass shooting at a gay nightclub. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“The blood supply cannot be taken for granted. The situation we are dealing with is ongoing. If you are eligible to donate, we urge you to please make an appointment to donate as soon as possible,” said Forbes.

OneBlood provides safe, available and affordable blood to 355 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, according to its website. 

The nonprofit operates more than 90 donor centers and its fleet of 250 Big Red Bus bloodmobiles are a familiar sight at blood drives throughout the southeastern United States. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Founded in 2012 when three independent Florida blood centers merged, OneBlood has grown to become the second-largest blood center in the United States. The nonprofit distributes more than 1 million blood products to hospitals annually. 

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

• A new study found that smokers with type 2 diabetes taking Ozempic had fewer tobacco-related medical encounters compared to those using other diabetes medications.
• The study, based on electronic health records of nearly 229,000 patients, suggests a potential link between Ozempic and reduced tobacco use.
• Reports indicated that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, might reduce smoking desire by affecting nicotine’s reward effects.

Smokers with type 2 diabetes taking Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic had fewer tobacco-related medical encounters and fewer interventions to help them quit smoking than those who received other diabetes drugs, according to a study of electronic health records published on Monday.

In the year after starting treatment, Ozempic users with a previous diagnosis of tobacco use disorder were up to 32% less likely to discuss tobacco use with a healthcare provider than those taking other diabetes medications. This was true even compared with those taking medicines in the same class, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, researchers reported in Annals of Internal Medicine.

They were also up to 68% less likely to receive prescriptions for smoking cessation medication and up to 21% less likely to receive smoking cessation counseling.

DIABETES PATIENTS USING OZEMPIC, OTHER TREATMENTS INSTEAD OF INSULIN HAVE LOWER CANCER RISK, STUDY FINDS

The findings were drawn from electronic health record data on nearly 229,000 patients, including 6,000 recipients of Ozempic.

The researchers called for clinical trials to evaluate the potential of the drug’s active ingredient, semaglutide, for use in smoking cessation to backup the findings from this study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

They noted earlier reports have suggested a reduced desire to smoke in patients treated with semaglutide, possibly related to a dampening of addictive nicotine’s reward effects in the brain. Novo’s wildly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy has the same active ingredient.

The current study did not include data showing whether patients actually stopped or decreased tobacco use after starting on the various drugs.

While the observed reduction in tobacco disorder-related encounters might suggest reductions in tobacco use or relapses, it “could also reflect other scenarios, such as a reduced willingness to seek help to quit smoking,” the researchers acknowledged.

The classes of diabetes drugs looked at in the study included insulins, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones and other GLP-1’s than Ozempic.

As Paris opened the 2024 Summer Olympic Games along the Seine River, it was easy for many to fall in love with the romantic waterway and forget what lies beneath.

But the steady rain this past Friday was a reminder of how the weather impacts the river’s water quality.

Organizers canceled the practice run for the upcoming triathlon on both Sunday and Monday due to concerns that the heavy rains negatively impacted the water quality, according to multiple reports.

LISTERIA INFECTION LINKED TO DELI MEATS KILLS 2, INFECTS 28 ACROSS US, CDC WARNS

Officials were still optimistic that warmer temperatures would reduce the bacteria levels so the men’s triathlon could proceed as planned on Tuesday — but the race was ultimately postponed.

“Despite the improvement in the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are above acceptable levels,” the World Triathlon said in a statement on X.

Experts from University of Florida (UF) Health, a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Medical Network, discussed with Fox News Digital how the Seine River could impact athletes’ health.

IN COLORADO, PLAGUE CASE CONFIRMED IN HUMAN, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY: ‘MUST BE TREATED PROMPTLY’

The quality of water may vary depending on the time of day and the number of infectious particles consumed, Kartikeya Cherabuddi, M.D., professor of infectious diseases and global medicine at the University of Florida, told Fox News Digital.

“Taking precautions and being aware of potential symptoms so they can be managed early is important,” he said.

River gets a makeover

For the past 100 years, swimming has been illegal in the Seine River due to poor water quality — with the exception of rare competitions, according to multiple reports.

“The city of Paris has put a great deal of effort into cleaning up the Seine,” Nicole Iovine, M.D., Ph.D., chief epidemiologist and chief quality officer at UF Health, told Fox News Digital.

A general view of the pontoon used by triathlon athletes moored on the River Seine, Paris, on the second day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. Poor water quality in the Seine caused swimming training for the triathlon to be canceled on Sunday. (Getty Images)

“[As in] many old cities, both sewage and storm runoff travel in the same pipe that is destined for water treatment plants,” she said.

“If there are heavy rains, the pipe capacity can be overwhelmed, and the excess can end up in the Seine.”

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JULY 20, 1968, FIRST SPECIAL OLYMPICS SUMMER GAMES ARE HELD IN CHICAGO

To prepare for the Olympics, the city spent $1.5 billion to build an underground storage basin, called “Austerlitz Basin,” along with a renovated sewer system and upgraded treatment plants.

The goal was for the improved system to collect excess rain to prevent wastewater from flowing into the Seine, according to a recent report.

Heavy rains, however, could thwart those efforts.

Daily water testing

About one week before the Olympic Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a highly publicized dip on July 17 to show that the waters were safe for the triathlon and marathon events.

Later testing, however, revealed that in some areas, levels of E. coli bacteria were above Europe’s maximum safety limit, which is 900 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters.

One person swimming in the river doesn’t prove that the water is safe, experts pointed out.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is shown swimming in the Seine River on July 17, 2024, in Paris. One person swimming in the river doesn’t prove that the water is safe, experts pointed out. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

“The risk of aspirating river water is much greater when engaged in a highly exertional activity like a competitive race compared to a more leisurely dip in the Seine,” Iovine said.

Eau de Paris, the largest public water company in France, found that the Seine’s water quality for the week of July 17 “reached the compliance thresholds of the European directive at all four points monitored over four days,” according to the city’s website.

DIVERS DISCOVER 19TH CENTURY SHIPWRECK CONTAINING HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS IN BALTIC SEA

The water is tested early each morning during the Olympics to ensure that the events can proceed as planned, officials say. 

The tests typically screen for certain types of bacteria called total coliforms, and generally do not look for other germs, like viruses and parasites, Iovine noted.

E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a group of bacteria in the intestinal tract that helps to digest food and protect the body from harmful germs, but some types can cause illness. (iStock)

Most coliforms, which are found naturally in the environment as well as in human and animal waste, are not harmful — and the ones that can cause illness are usually present in low amounts that don’t pose a threat, he said.

High levels of coliforms, however, can be a marker of excessive fecal matter, which can make people sick, according to experts.

“If the amount of coliforms increases, that could be because significant numbers of pathogenic bacteria, like E. coli, have entered the water, making it potentially unsafe,” Iovine warned.

Potentially harmful contaminants

E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a group of bacteria in the intestinal tract that helps to digest food and protect the body from harmful germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some types, however, can cause illness.

“I am concerned that if the level of harmful bacteria is too high, the athletes [could be] at risk for contracting gastrointestinal illness.”

People can get infected by swallowing water that is contaminated with the waste of an infected person.

Common bacterial symptoms include watery or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and vomiting that may be associated with a fever, according to the CDC.

WATER SAFETY TIPS FROM EXPERTS FOR FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS AS DROWNING DEATHS INCREASE

Other bacteria associated with sewage, such as Enterococcus, Salmonella and Campylobacter, can cause a similar array of infections, Iovine warned.

“I am concerned that if the level of harmful bacteria is too high, the athletes [could be] at risk for contracting gastrointestinal illness,” she said.

Skin and eye infections are also possible if people have small nicks or abrasions on their skin before entering the water.

Parasites, like Giardia, amoebas and Cryptosporidium — and viruses, such as norovirus, hepatitis A and hepatitis E — may also be present in human and animal sewage, Iovine added.

A tourist boat navigates on the Seine River under the Alexandre III Bridge, after the first triathlon training session was canceled during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 28, 2024, due to poor water quality. (Getty Images)

Symptoms of viruses and parasites are predominantly stomach-related, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, but can also include fevers, headaches, and respiratory or urinary issues, Cherabuddi noted.

“Symptoms may start within one to two days, but could present a week or two later,” he added.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Harmful pathogens carried by rodents can also enter the river with overflow from rainwater, Iovine said.

The urine of rodents, for example, can contain bacteria called Leptospires, which can cause a bacterial disease called leptospirosis. 

Triathlon athletes compete and swim in the Seine River during a test event for the women’s triathlon for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, on Aug. 17, 2023. (Getty Images)

That condition can cause nausea, vomiting, body aches, red eyes, fever and headache, according to Iovine.

“Since these athletes are young and healthy, I would expect them to recover from these infections if they occurred, but it could impact their ability to compete in their events if they are sick,” she said.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health

Athletes who are immunocompromised may experience more severe illness than those with healthy immune systems.

Fox News Digital reached out to the International Olympics Committee and Eau de Paris requesting comment.