Health
Raccoon roundworm infections reported in Los Angeles County, health officials warn
A rare parasitic infection known as raccoon roundworm has been confirmed in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Two people in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County have been diagnosed with the infection, Baylisascaris procyonis, which is caused by a parasitic worm from the raccoon’s intestines.
When it infects humans, the parasite can affect the brain, spinal cord and eyes, potentially causing brain swelling and eye disease, the health department warned.
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After maturing in the raccoon’s intestines, the worms produce eggs that are then passed with the animal’s feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A rare parasitic infection known as raccoon roundworm has been confirmed in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (iStock)
After two to four weeks, the eggs become infectious. The eggs can survive for years in the right conditions.
“Aside from its natural host, the raccoon, some accidentally infected species include domestic dogs and humans,” Erica Susky, a certified infection control practitioner based in Canada, told Fox News Digital.
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“The roundworm infects new hosts via ingestion of the infective larval stage, either by eating the infected host or by ingestion of contaminated feces in the environment.”
Although it is rare, infection can happen when people accidentally ingest the roundworm’s eggs (which are in the raccoon’s feces) from soil, water or on contaminated objects, according to the CDC.
When it infects humans, the parasite can potentially cause eye disease, the health department warned. (iStock)
Young children and developmentally disabled persons are at the highest risk, as they are more likely to accidentally put contaminated fingers, soil or objects into their mouths, the CDC warned.
The infection cannot be transmitted among people.
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“While Baylisascariasis is rare in people and the risk to the general public is low at this time, it is concerning because a large number of raccoons live near people, and the infection rate in raccoons is likely high,” stated the LA health department.
The parasite is present in the U.S. and Canada, Susky noted, though it is more common in the Southern latitudes, the Northeast, the Midwest and the West coast.
“It is concerning because a large number of raccoons live near people, and the infection rate in raccoons is likely high.”
Fewer than 25 cases of raccoon roundworm have been reported in the U.S., the CDC noted, but the number may be larger due to misdiagnosis or lack of diagnosis.
As of 2018, there had been 23 confirmed cases and six deaths in the country.
Symptoms of raccoon roundworm
Effects of raccoon roundworm may vary depending on the volume of eggs consumed and where they travel in the body.
“Some of those infected have had no symptoms, known as subclinical infections,” Susky said.
Swelling of the brain is one adverse effect of raccoon roundworm, health experts warn. (iStock)
Larger numbers of eggs can lead to a variety of symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, enlarged liver, loss of muscle control, loss of coordination, blindness, coma and lack of attention to people and surroundings, according to the CDC.
Those at the highest risk of severe disease include children, adults 65 and older, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems, the agency warned.
Preventing infection
Studies show that up to 60% of infectious diseases in humans come from animals.
“Our health is closely linked to the health of the animals around us,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, a health officer with Los Angeles County, in the press release.
“Our health is closely linked to the health of the animals around us.”
“Simple precautions, like washing your hands regularly, avoiding direct contact with wild animals and their waste, keeping pets healthy, and preventing wildlife from sheltering or living in or next to our homes or properties can help keep our neighborhoods and families safe and healthy.”
The best means of prevention is to avoid contact with wild animals or birds whenever possible, including dead ones, according to Susky.
“One way to do this is to ensure that open attics and crawl spaces remain closed up, thus eliminating potential hiding places,” she said.
People are advised to keep pets indoors whenever possible, and to keep them on leashes when outdoors.
The infection, Baylisascaris procyonis, is caused by a parasitic worm from the raccoon’s intestines. (iStock)
“Take pets frequently to the veterinarian if they are outside for regular deworming, or to find out whether it is required and with what frequency, and seek veterinarian treatment if a pet becomes ill,” Susky recommended.
Hand-washing is especially crucial, she said, as eggs could inadvertently be in soil and water.
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“It is always good infection prevention to wash one’s hands frequently — for example, before preparing food or after contact with animals,” Susky added.
“And if one is spending time outdoors, they should wash their hands upon completing their outdoor activities.”
Hand-washing is especially crucial for prevention, experts say, as eggs could inadvertently be in soil and water. (iStock)
Adults should help remind children to wash their hands after playing outside, Susky advised, as they are more at risk of accidentally ingesting soil and water.
“For this reason, cover sandboxes when not in use, so that animals cannot use the sandbox for defecating or urinating,” she added.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
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A new injectable therapy is showing positive results in reducing melanoma throughout a five-year period.
The personalized mRNA cancer therapy, called intismeran autogene, combined with the cancer immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), is a collaboration between Merck and Moderna.
The results from the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 27.
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After about a five-year follow-up, the combo drug was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
The researchers analyzed data from 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma whose cancer had been removed via surgery. The participants were split into two groups — one received the combo therapy and the other only received pembrolizumab, according to a press release.
The therapy was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone after a five-year follow-up. (iStock)
The findings revealed that the combination group saw benefits that were “sustained and durable over time.”
Intismeran autogene is designed using mutations identified in a patient’s own tumor, with the intention of teaching the immune system what the cancer looks like so that it can recognize and attack it.
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According to the researchers, intismeran is “well-tolerated” with a “manageable” safety profile.
The most commonly cited side effects of the personalized mRNA vaccine plus KEYTRUDA were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever and headache. The researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns and no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study — the final confirmation stage.
Patients with late-stage melanoma have a “significant risk” of cancer recurrence, according to an expert. (iStock)
In a Merck press release from January, Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna’s senior vice president and head of development, oncology and therapeutics, noted that this data highlights the “potential of a prolonged benefit … in patients with resected high-risk melanoma.”
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“We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,” he said.
Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, also commented that for many patients with stage 3 or 4 melanoma, there is a “significant risk of recurrence following surgery.”
Researchers confirmed that the combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study. (iStock)
“As such, demonstrating the longer-term potential of intismeran autogene and KEYTRUDA to reduce the risk of recurrence for certain patients with melanoma is a meaningful milestone,” she said.
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The company cited encouraging five-year follow-up data and pointed to upcoming late-stage INTerpath trial results with Moderna in several hard-to-treat cancers.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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