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News & Articles By Frances Bloomfield

04/24/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

A simple trip to the dentist caused one man to have a life-threatening heart infection

What was supposed to be a routine dental check-up turned out to be the cause of a man’s near brush with death by way of infection. According to the case report, published in the New England of Journal of Medicine, a 27-year-old man in Vancouver, Canada, went to the emergency complaining of a lump on […]

04/15/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

New device nukes STD viruses with microwaves… including HPV

In the future, treating human papillomavirus (HPV) may be done with a microwave system. Tests with the device, a compact and portable applicator developed by Emblation Microwave, are underway and have yielded positive results thus far. According to HPV experts from the University of Glasgow, it works by delivering a precise and controlled low-energy dose […]

04/14/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

An unlikely hero in antibiotic resistance: Platypus milk could be used to fight superbugs

Back in 2010, researchers uncovered special antibacterial properties in platypus milk. Its antibacterial potency is such that the team believed it could one day help combat superbugs. Come 2018, a new group of scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has found out why. The milk on its own is unique. Firstly, […]

02/02/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

Tips for avoiding the flu when you’re on a plane

It might not seem like it at first, but riding an airplane greatly increases your chances of getting sick. Picture it: You’re trapped in a cramped space with dozens, if not hundreds, of different people for the better part of your day. Some of these people could be the picture of good health; others not […]

02/01/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

“Zombie deer” disease is spreading – can humans catch it?

Hunters, beware: That deer you’ve got in your sights could be a literal zombie, thanks to the chronic wasting disease (aptly known as the “zombie deer disease”). According to the DailyMail.co.uk, the condition has been spotted in deer across 22 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. To top it all off, aside from causing deer to […]

01/24/2018 / By Frances Bloomfield

Quarantine: Experts warn the live flu virus is infectious in the air around sick people – it can spread through breathing (no sneezing required)

Covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing may actually do little to stop the flu. Simply breathing out is more than enough for people with influenza to spread the disease. This is what a research team from the University of Maryland uncovered in their alarming study, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy […]

11/27/2017 / By Frances Bloomfield

Scientists look at how human activity has altered evolution in the natural world: The consequences of exploding populations of rats, bedbugs, mosquitoes in cities

Nature may no longer be the primary force impacting evolution. A duo of researchers from the University of Toronto and Fordham University have put out a revolutionary new study on the evolutionary influence of urbanization. The study, which was published in Science, serves as a grim reminder on how far-reaching man’s power truly is. For […]

10/18/2017 / By Frances Bloomfield

New hope for old antibiotics: Scientists have found a way to supercharge them for increased effectiveness against superbugs

Quantum dots are light-activated, nano-sized crystals with unique structures made from semiconductors. They’re highly tunable and can be precisely controlled for all sorts of applications, some of which lie in the field of medicine. While they’ve been used in place of organic dyes in biological analysis, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have uncovered […]

07/17/2017 / By Frances Bloomfield

SHOCKING: Only three percent of general practitioners in the U.K. have had Lyme disease training

The vast majority of general practitioners in the United Kingdom are ill-equipped to handle Lyme disease. So much so that, according to Lyme Disease UK, a mere three percent of general practitioners have completed the free online course on Lyme disease being offered by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Taking into account the […]

06/14/2017 / By Frances Bloomfield

Dietitian singles out ground-up insects in red velvet cupcakes as the cause for growing food allergies

The red velvet cupcake has cemented itself as one of the most fashionable treats of the moment. But according to one leading dietitian in the UK, the growing popularity of red velvet cupcakes has brought with it a surge of food allergies. Consultant allergy dietitian Dr. Isabel Skypala has cited the red velvet cupcake as […]

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