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Flu vaccines play an important role in protecting against bird flu. But not for the reason you might think

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The current strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu, has change into a world problem. This virus has affected many tens of millions birds, some others animal speciesand a small number of individuals.

Last week the Australian government issued a warning for residents traveling to Europe, North America, South America and Asia about the risk of bird flu.

Alert posted on Smartraveller websiteprovides advice on ensuring your flu vaccine is up thus far. If you are planning to travel, this often means you have had a flu vaccine this 12 months, although whether it is 3-6 months since your vaccination you should discuss this together with your doctor.

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But the seasonal flu vaccine we get yearly doesn’t actually prevent bird flu in humans. So why is it really useful in this context?

Some facts about bird flu

Smartraveller’s Notes several strains Bird flu viruses are currently circulating.

The most annoying strain, called clade 2.3.4.4bemerged several years ago from the influenza A (H5 or A/H5) strain that had been circulating for several many years.

Clade 2.3.4.4b primarily affects birds, including wild birds and poultry. It has had devastating effects on bird populations, in addition to on farmers and others involved in the poultry industry.

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In recent years, clade 2.3.4.4b has adapted to infect some mammalsUnfortunately, it seems to cause serious illness in some animalsSome marine mammals have been particularly hard hit, causing mass mortality events reported in elephant seals and sea lions. Bird flu has also spread to the United States amongst dairy cows.

Compared to the huge variety of cases in animals, a comparatively small number have been reported. people infected with bird fluSince 2003, 878 cases Human cases of A/H5N1 influenza have been reported, with a small percentage reported after 2020, when clade 2.3.4.4b first appeared. Reported cases have been in individuals who had close contact with infected animals. The disease does not appear to spread from individual to individual.

In reference to the risk for travelers is lowThere are situations where the risk could also be greater, reminiscent of for people visiting livestock markets or people travelling specifically to work with wildlife or in food production.

Infections in humans H5 flu can vary greatly in severity, from mild conjunctivitis to deadly pneumonia. H5 flu strains look like sensitive to antiviral drugs (oseltamivir, also referred to as Tamiflu) and so they are generally recommended as a treatment for infections in humans, but that is not clear whether or not they reduce the risk of death in individuals with severe disease.

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To date, one case of A/H5 influenza (not 2.3.4.4b) has been reported. reported in Australiain a baby who has recently returned from abroad.

One sec clade 2.3.4.4b detected on all continents except Australiaother strains of bird flu (A/H7) were reported here earlier this 12 months.

There are many various strains of the bird flu virus.
Snowboy/Shutterstock

Seasonal flu vaccines are not effective against bird flu

Seasonal flu refers to the strains of flu that flow into every year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, three different strains have circulated in various proportions – Influenza A H1N1 (originating from 2009 swine flu strain), influenza A H3N2 (which has in circulation since 1968) and a strain of influenza B. Interestingly, the second strain of influenza B (Yamagata lineage) it seems to have disappeared during the COVID pandemic.

Seasonal flu vaccines contain the current variants of those types (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B), that are really useful annually by the World Health Organization. These are moderately effectivereducing the risk of hospitalization by roughly 40–60%.

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Flu vaccines are quite specific in the protection they supply. In the case of seasonal vaccines, even very small changes that occur in the virus from 12 months to 12 months are enough to permit it to “escape” vaccine-induced immunity. That is why seasonal flu vaccines they do not provide any protection against influenza A/H5.

Preventing the emergence of a bird-human hybrid strain

The rationale for recommending influenza vaccination for travellers in the context of the current avian influenza epidemic is that seasonal influenza vaccines may help reduce the risk of co-infection with an A/H5 strain and a seasonal influenza strain.

When this happens, there may be a likelihood that the genetic code of the two strains of the virus will “recombine.” This could have the ability to hold a seasonal human virus with the severity of a bird flu virus. The 2009 swine flu strain arose from recombination Over the years, several strains have change into more contagious to humans.

Of course, a more practical vaccine would come with an H5 strain to generate immune responses specific to the H5 influenza strain. Vaccine manufacturers have H5 vaccines have been developed for years, but up to now only Finland implemented the H5 vaccine amongst a small group of people that work closely with potentially infected animals.

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Currently risk level The risk that H5 poses to humans is not considered to be sufficient to require a particular vaccination programme because the potential advantages are small in comparison with the costs and potential risks of any recent vaccination programme.

The Value of the Flu Vaccine for Travelers

Seasonal flu vaccines protect against flu infection and may reduce the risk of simultaneous infection with human and bird flu strains. Bird flu aside, for most travelers who haven’t received a flu shot this 12 months, reducing the risk of their travel plans being disrupted by the disease must be reason enough to get vaccinated.

For individuals who have already received a flu vaccine this season, as with COVID vaccines, protection appears to be greater after vaccination fade over timeSo if you’re travelling to the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months and it’s been greater than 3 to six months since your last flu shot, your doctor may recommend you get one other one.

Bird flu poses a low risk to most travellers, but people should take sensible precautions, reminiscent of avoiding close contact with birds at markets.

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This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Light saving time ends on Sunday. Why are we changing our clocks? And how does this affect our bodies?

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When summer disappears in autumn, most Australian states and territories He will postpone his clocks for an hour when the sunshine saving time and standard time resumes.

ABOUT one third The world also adapts their seasonal clocks, walking forward in spring and back in autumn (remember: spring forward; fall).

In the spring, losing the time of sleep could make us feel drained, naned and non -asynchronous, which makes it difficult to shake this long -term drowsiness in the next days.

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Although the extra sleep hour in autumn may sound great, it is usually not completely positive, since it moves from the time you gain or lose an hour – it could possibly disturb our biological clock.

This is why Sleep experts and scientists who examine the body clock (Chronobiologists) They often oppose the changes of the biannic clock. They claim that we should eliminate light saving time and keep on with the usual time all year long.

So why do we to begin with save daylight? And why is it controversial?

What time for light?

Light saving time was first introduced during World War I as a war means Keep your fuel.

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However, modern studies show that the time of saving light just isn’t significantly reduce General energy consumption. Maybe increase IT: while Australians Use less power We use more for air con for lighting when saving daylight in hot weather.

Nowadays, saving daylight is discussed mainly resulting from the potential economic and social advantages, corresponding to prolonged evening daylight for recreation, purchases and movement of movement, in addition to for its health consequences.

What happens in our body?

People have a protracted -lasting, evolutionary biological or circulated clock.

Our biological clock regulates our dream and plenty of other body functions, including when to eat and when we can achieve optimal physical and cognitive efficiency.

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For every thing to work easily, the biological clock depends on the natural daylight. The exhibition at the suitable time is especially necessary for sleep. Morning sunlight helps you wake you up, and the evening light signals your body in order not to go to sleep, which suggests that you just stick later and stand up later.

When we adapt time for our clocks by an hour, we change our social schedules, corresponding to work or school times and social activities, in addition to the time of sunshine exposure. When we switch our clocks to plain time, most individuals experience sunrise and sunset earlier in relation to their biological clock.

When our clocks change, our schedules change.
Lair /Unsplast

And vice versa, in daylight the morning light is delayed, so later we meet sunlight in relation to our internal clock. This “Extremely circular“It can throw our biological clock from synchronization, adversely affecting body functions.

This is especially problematic for individuals who already experience persistent non -coffee -free.Social jetlag), corresponding to shift employees and people who prefer to stay late within the evening and get up later within the morning (night owls).

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Like “Spring ahead” can affect your health

Most research on changes in biian clocks historically focused on the spring switch, the transition from the usual saving of time to sunlight.

Spring switch may cause lack of sleep inside every week after the change of time and is related to a rise of 5.7% Working injuries.

It can be related to the next risk cardiovascular and mental health problems, in research reporting a rise of 4-29% heart attack and a rise by 6% Mental health crises and improper use. They are attributed to sharp disturbances in a dream and a body clock.

A bakery employee holds a receipt with confused
Sleep loss could make it difficult to pay attention.
Krakenimages.com/shutterstock

Light saving time can be related Long -term health consequencesEven after just a few months.

At the usual time, the mornings are light and the evenings are dark. But over time saving sunlight appears later, so you may stay later and you continue to must get up at the identical time due to social duties.

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When this pattern persists, it could possibly cause long -term circular reference. This “social jetlag” was related to worse cognitive performance AND Sanity.

How “fall” can affect your health

The autumn transition from every day time to save lots of time to plain time is usually seen as helpful resulting from an extra hour of sleep.

However, some studies show Autumn passage Since the day of saving time back to plain time, it could possibly disturb your well -being. It is connected with Increased anxiety At night, which violates sleep.

Has also been related to growth Depressive episodes In Denmark, as much as ten weeks after switching to plain time. This may result from a sudden starting of earlier sunset, which signals the start of a protracted short period.

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The couple go down the stairs on the subway
The days grow to be shorter shortly after the time of saving daylight.
Son Tuyen Dinh/Shutterstock

Where does it leave the controversy?

. European Union AND United States They are on the trail of lifting double -sided clock changes.

The EU proposal regarding the tip of the 2 -seized clock changes was fundamentally approved and is waiting for the ultimate agreement by all Member States.

The US Senate adopted the SUNSHINE Act, which now requires additional consent to grow to be a law.

From the perinive health perspective, a relentless standard time Align higher with our biological clocks than permanently saving daylight.

But people don’t have to sacrifice their lifestyle preferences to live in harmony with their biological clocks. The time of saving daylight does not provide more sunlight, it only changes the time.

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Such easy lifestyle adaptations corresponding to Flexible working hoursIt can allow people to start out working earlier in the summertime months and revel in longer evenings, even without changing the clock twice a 12 months.

This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

Lizzo says that “she no longer wanted to live” in a last speech during the show in Los Angeles

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Lizzo says that

Ghettos

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The singer Lizzo had a sensitive moment on the stage during her concert at Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. During a conversation with the audience, the artist said that she fought depression in 2023. Explaining the inspiration of her upcoming album, the singer said

“I called it because about a year and a half ago – it is so difficult for me to talk about it – I was in such a dark, deep depression,” she told the crowd. “I was so broken by the world and so deeply hurt that I did not want to live anymore, and I was so afraid of people that I did not want to be seen. In the end I experienced this fear.”

In 2023, Lizzo was accused of sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by her former dancers. Court trials are underway, but the 36-year-old still denies all claims. During the last concert, Lizzo said that she had “saving life” when she participated in the concert.

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“When I walked through the crowd to get to my place, something wonderful happened. Someone I didn’t know looked at me and said:” Lizzo, I really like you. ” And they reached out, and I reached, and we hugged, and it was so rattling good – she said.

“And after this experience I thought:” Damn, you may’t get it … on the Internet, old. This is a type of love that you may only get in real life. And I don’t share this story to get some sympathy. We are besides, female dog. Look at me! “

The singer really shines and seems to be in a higher mental place. Although it’s more elusive online since the start of the trial, the artist documents her journey of biological renewal. Sis recently lost her noticeable weight and shared the post on Instagram, saying that she had achieved her fitness goals.

While the artist clearly stated that she was not searching for mercy, she explained that sharing sharing, hopefully, would help someone cope with “depression or darkness, or so betrayed by someone they trusted or was lying or hated for these lies.”

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During the concert, Lizzo also encouraged fans to search for support after they move in difficult situations.

“If you are depressed, contact someone who will listen. If you are angry with the government, please contact someone who is angry with the government and F – organize”

“If you hate your appearance, contact someone who loves you and who says:” You are beautiful like now, no matter how your body changes. ” Because you may not believe, but you are unique, “Lizzo said.

We are glad that this queen pushing through life challenges, taking good care of herself and still creating music.

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If you’re fighting suicide thoughts, remember that some resources may help.

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This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

What is glioma, aggressive brain cancer that killed the former US representative Mia Love?

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The death of the Sunday of former US representatives Mia Love, the first black Republican woman chosen to the US, drew attention to the aggressive type of brain cancer, which killed her at the age of 49.

The former legislator from Utah underwent treatment with glioma, a malignant brain tumor and received immunotherapy as a part of a clinical examination. Her daughter said at the starting of this month that she now not responds to treatment.

Love died at her house in Saratoga Springs, Utah, in accordance with the declaration shared by her family.

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Who was Mia Love?

Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, was the daughter of Haitan immigrants and the Pioneer Republican Congressmen, who represented Utah at Capitol in 2015-2019.

She appeared in politics in 2003 after winning a spot in the City Council in Saratoga Springs, 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, and later became the mayor of the city. During this role, Love spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2012 and drew thrilling shouts with criticism of the then President Barack Obama.

This yr, she barely lost a proposal for the democratic chamber. She ran again two years later and defeated the candidate for the first time about 7,500 votes, becoming the first Black Republican woman chosen for Congress.

Love was briefly recognized as a rising star in GOP, but her power in the party set off when President Donald Trump began. Love maintained her distance from Trump and called him in 2018 in the case of vulgar comments about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and a few African nations. Later the same yr, she lost in the intra -fifteenth election as the democrats increased.

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How did love die?

Love was diagnosed with glioma in 2022. She said that her doctors estimated, that she was only 10-15 months old, but she crossed it.

While speaking in Salt Lake City, she described how she discovered the tumor. Love said she was on vacation together with her family and developed a foul headache when the plane landed. When she went to the beach, the reflection of the sun on the water made her headache unbearable. Her husband brought her to the hospital, and the series of X -rays revealed a tumor in her brain.

Love rushed home to Utah and had surgery to remove about 95% of the tumor. Biopsy results have shown that it was cancerous and possibly spread to the surrounding brain tissue.

She appeared in a clinical trial at Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, which consisted of using the immune system of her body to attack the tumor. Initially, the tumor shrunk, but eventually stopped responding to treatment.

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What is glioma?

“The glioma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor that is known to humanity and has no cure for it,” said Dr. Yasmeen Rauf, a neuro-oncologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which treats the disease. “He is still forced to do. No matter what you do, he always comes back.”

The glioma is a rapidly growing glioma, a variety of tumor that arises from glial cells that protect nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Although there is no known medicine, aggressive treatment, reminiscent of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other targeted therapies, can decelerate tumor growth. Even if the surgeon is in a position to remove every little thing you may see, Rauf said that normally some cancer cells remain in the brain that can’t be seen and multiplying quickly.

Family of Mia Love - the first republican black woman chosen for Congress - provides a sad update of the battle with cancer

How is this common?

According to Cleveland Clinic, about 13,000 Americans were diagnosed with glioma, which is almost half of all cancer of the brain tumors. National Brain Brain Society tumor informs that over 10,000 people in the USA will suffer from sickness.

The glioma can occur at any age, but more often occurs in the elderly. The average age in the diagnosis is 64.

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This is the same variety of brain cancer that killed the son of former president Joe Biden Beau Biden in 2015 and senator John McCain in 2018.

Can or not it’s prevented?

Scientists haven’t found a approach to prevent glioma, and the reason behind most of those tumors is unknown. The glioma occurs when glial cells in the brain or spinal cord mutate, changing their genetic makeup.

Rauf explained that he doesn’t work in families and you don’t convey it to your kids.

People who were exposed to significant amounts of radiation have an increased risk of developing glioma.

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How long are you able to live with it?

According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, the diagnosed glioma normally is about 15-18 months, with only a 10% likelihood of survival after five years.

Thanks to aggressive treatments, love lived for about three years after receiving the diagnosis.

“My life has been expanded by exceptional medical care, science and unusual professionals who became dear friends,” Love wrote in a recent packaging in Deseret News. “My additional season of life was also the result of faith and prayers of countless friends, known and unknown.”

Harriet Tubman: The Legacy of A Freedom Fighter and Abolitionist

(Tagstotranslate) @Ap

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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