| Australia’s ‘mice plague’ is horrific. Consider yourself warned. - The Washington Post Posted: 29 Apr 2021 10:02 AM PDT |
| HEALTH CARE NOTEBOOK: Grant to aid study of plague bacterium | Cheese substitute is subject of recall | McDonald chosen to lead group board - Arkansas Online Posted: 25 Apr 2021 01:49 AM PDT Grant to aid study of plague bacterium A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher has received a $1.7 million grant to study the bacterium that causes three types of plague. Roger Pechous, an assistant professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Microbiology and Immunology, received the federal award to study Yersinia pestis. It's an upgrade of an earlier $249,635 grant he received. Pechous said in a statement that he's interested in this pathogen because he wants to learn about the progression of severe pneumonia, "and this type of pneumonia is as severe as it gets." Bubonic plague -- among the types of plague caused by this bacterium -- is thought to have killed more than 20 million people in Europe during a 14th-century epidemic. Cheese substitute is subject of recall A cheese substitute distributed in Arkansas and 16 other states has been recalled as part of an investigation into a salmonella outbreak, the Food and Drug Administration said. The manufacturer of Jule's Cashew Brie, a vegan cheese alternative, has voluntarily recalled several products. They include Cashew Brie, Truffle Cashew Brie and Black Garlic Cashew Brie, all of which were pulled from retailers. Five people tested positive for the pathogen, which regulators think may be linked to the cheese substitute. T People who purchased the cheese substitute recently shouldn't eat it, regulators said. Symptoms of salmonellosis, the sickness caused by salmonella, include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. McDonald chosen to lead group board The Community Health Centers of Arkansas' governing board has elected a new chairwoman, according to a news release. Brigitte McDonald was elected to the position last week. She's served as chief executive officer of Corning-based 1st Choice Healthcare since 1997. McDonald was the Community Health Centers of Arkansas' board chairwoman from 2005 to 2009.  |
| US steelmakers downplay auto demand pinch from chip shortages - S&P Global Posted: 30 Apr 2021 01:52 PM PDT Highlights Ford warns about worsening impact of chip shortages in Q2 US steelmakers see minimal impact in their shipments to the automotive sector Houston — US steelmakers were able to mostly brush off automotive-related demand reductions as semiconductor shortages plague automotive OEMs, according to executives during first-quarter earnings calls. Not registered? Receive daily email alerts, subscriber notes & personalize your experience. Register Now The executives downplayed the overall impact on steel demand of the shortages even as automakers noted the severity of the issue. The shortage has even led President Joe Biden to sign an executive order at the end of February looking to address the vulnerabilities of essential goods' supply chains, including semiconductors. Ford missed its global first quarter production forecast by 17% and expects the loss to widen to 50% in the second quarter, according to the company's Q1 earnings report. Despite the struggles for automakers, steel mill executives did not seem worried about reduced steel consumption during Q1 earnings calls in recent days. Even with the production losses, steelmakers were bullish on steel demand from automakers. Cleveland-Cliffs which generated 33% of sales in Q1 from the automotive sector, said it was not seeing much of an impact on shipments. "We have been running our coating lines at full capacity in response to outstanding demand and are restarting our Columbus Coatings galvanizing line," said Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves. Nucor CEO Leon Topalian noted the struggles of the automotive sector: "The shortage of semiconductors, severe weather impacts and other issues have hurt recent production volumes in the auto market," and expected those difficulties to continue into the third quarter. "Even with these disruptions, our mills have been running full-out to satisfy customer requirements from the auto sector," Topalian said during the company's first quarter conference call. "With low automotive inventories and strong demand for light vehicles, he expected the auto sector will be "running hard to get caught up with the demand for at least the rest of the year." Steel Dynamics Inc. CEO Mark Millett anticipated a slight negative impact in automotive output in 2021 but cited no drop in SDI's shipments to automotive end-users: "All I can say is through our lens – and it's quite fortuitous, I guess – but the plants that are down are not ones that we supply." US Steel CEO David Burritt also shared remarks about semiconductor issues during its earnings call: "This has gotten some global attention in terms of making the improvements, but for our business, and where we see ourselves now, we're in a good place."  |
| Mouse plague a health risk to those in Dubbo and wider region - Daily Liberal Posted: 29 Apr 2021 09:00 PM PDT  A Charles Sturt University (CSU) expert is warning disease from wild mice can spread to humans and domestic animals, a further voice calling attention to the threats posed by the plague in the Orana region. Dr Andrew Peters also urged people to take precautions when disposing of hundreds of mice a day to minimise the risks. The Associate Professor in Wildlife Health and Pathology with CSU's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences warned of the dangers of mouse urine and faeces in food, or dead mice contaminating water tanks, potentially proving harmful to the health of people and their pets. READ ALSO: - What it's like selling pet mice and rats during a plague - Molly 'stunned' following surprise appearance from footy star Kezie Apps - Man threatened two people with samurai sword after drug deal goes wrong Contact with wild mice can lead to symptoms ranging from nothing to very serious illness, including leptospirosis and salmonella, and hospitalisation, he reports. "There are a number of infectious diseases in mice that can cause illness in people, especially through contamination of food or water," he said. "These can be a significant risk to human health." Residents have been baiting and trapping the rodents for months, but Dr Peters said there were risks in handling them and disposing of their carcasses. "It's important to make sure that, when handling mouse carcasses especially, adequate care is taken to protect yourself and others," he said. When faced with having to dispose of hundreds of mouse carcasses a day, Dr Peters advises contacting the local council, as this can pose a risk to workers involved in waste disposal. There is little evidence on the risk of infection associated with contact with wild mice because many cases of zoonotic diseases (where an animal infects a person) are underreported or undiagnosed, he reports. "While we don't know exactly how serious the health risk is to people during mouse plagues, the extra level of contact with wild mice during these events probably causes additional risk, and that is worth trying to prevent," Dr Peters said. Dr Peters said to limit the chance of infection or disease, people should take precautions including regular washing of hands, wearing gloves when handling mice, keeping mice away from food and seeking expert advice on water treatment. Disposal of dead mice should follow local council advice but could include commercial bio-waste composting or double-bagging for removal with standard waste, he said. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: A Charles Sturt University (CSU) expert is warning disease from wild mice can spread to humans and domestic animals, a further voice calling attention to the threats posed by the plague in the Orana region. Dr Andrew Peters also urged people to take precautions when disposing of hundreds of mice a day to minimise the risks. The Associate Professor in Wildlife Health and Pathology with CSU's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences warned of the dangers of mouse urine and faeces in food, or dead mice contaminating water tanks, potentially proving harmful to the health of people and their pets. Contact with wild mice can lead to symptoms ranging from nothing to very serious illness, including leptospirosis and salmonella, and hospitalisation, he reports. "There are a number of infectious diseases in mice that can cause illness in people, especially through contamination of food or water," he said. "These can be a significant risk to human health." Residents have been baiting and trapping the rodents for months, but Dr Peters said there were risks in handling them and disposing of their carcasses. "It's important to make sure that, when handling mouse carcasses especially, adequate care is taken to protect yourself and others," he said. When faced with having to dispose of hundreds of mouse carcasses a day, Dr Peters advises contacting the local council, as this can pose a risk to workers involved in waste disposal. There is little evidence on the risk of infection associated with contact with wild mice because many cases of zoonotic diseases (where an animal infects a person) are underreported or undiagnosed, he reports. "While we don't know exactly how serious the health risk is to people during mouse plagues, the extra level of contact with wild mice during these events probably causes additional risk, and that is worth trying to prevent," Dr Peters said. Dr Peters said to limit the chance of infection or disease, people should take precautions including regular washing of hands, wearing gloves when handling mice, keeping mice away from food and seeking expert advice on water treatment. Disposal of dead mice should follow local council advice but could include commercial bio-waste composting or double-bagging for removal with standard waste, he said. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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