Rats sniff out TB in children

Research shows that rats can detect tuberculosis in children with higher accuracy than standard microscopy tests

Date:  April 9, 2018

Source:  Springer

Rats are able to detect whether a child has tuberculosis (TB), and are much more successful at doing this than a commonly used basic microscopy test. These are the results of research led by Georgies Mgode of the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania. The study, published by Springer Nature in Pediatric Research, shows that when trained rats were given children's sputum samples to sniff, the animals were able to pinpoint 68 percent more cases of TB infections than detected through a standard smear test. Inspiration for investigating the diagnosis of TB through smell came from anecdotal evidence that people suffering from the potentially fatal lung disease emit a specific odour. According to Mgode, current TB detection methods are far from perfect, especially in under-resourced countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia where the disease is prevalent, and where a reasonably cheap smear test is commonly used. Problems with this type of test are that the accuracy varies depending on the quality of sputum sample used, and very young children are often unable to provide enough sputum to be analysed.

Continued  

Viral video of child with 12ft snake sparks online debate – via Herp Digest

Video at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJNuq_MQOq46x0vSnkvNWg

The Scottsman, July 10, 2017

An online video on a Harry Potter fan page involving a young girl wrapped in a large snake has sparked an online debate.

The video, titled “Raising a young Slytherin” shows a girl sitting as a snake perches just above her on the couch.

The Harry Potter fan site is clearly linking video to Parseltongue, the language of serpents linked to Slytherin House in Harry Potter.

In the video, as the girl says “do it” the snake opens its mouth in apparent yawn.

However, the post has sparked an online debate over the safety of the child.

Some users have expressed concern while others have praised the parents for making sure the child feels comfortable with snakes

User Emily Parvin wrote: “It’s an albino python. They will stop eating when sizing something up so no need to worry as long as it’s eating the food on offer to it.

“If it stops eating, then you should be concerned. As for not being dangerous, of course it’s dangerous, but so can any animal be. I love snakes though. But I’ll stick to cats for pets.”

Shannon Kerr posted: “Having a snake is just like having a dog or anything else like that, yeh it’s quite unlikely but if it wanted to the dog could snap and bite a child just like a snake could wrap itself around you but honestly, most PET snakes I’ve met are pretty chill.”

Dorothy Locke Mancinelli wrote: “Well this is a news story waiting to happen. I get of it were a little corn snake or something but this is just stupid. Haven’t we seen the stories of snakes that were “gentle” or “harmless” that have strangled kids or the family dog or cat? Stupid stupid stupid!”

A debate has been sparked over the safety concerns with Jordan Pemble writing: “Yeah, no freakin way. That snake is sizing that child up to eat.”

The video has been viewed more than 319,000 times on the page alone.

Survey reveals some children struggle to identify turtles, rays and even penguins

British children are struggling to identify some of the most common sea life, according to research commissioned by the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, with some as old as 12 unable to correctly name a turtle.

The research was carried out to establish the extent of children’s knowledge of marine life. More than 500 youngsters between the ages of five and 12 were shown images of various species of sea life including a ray, turtle, otter, seahorse, octopus, jellyfish, penguin, clown fish, crab and starfish.

Overall, boys performed slightly better than girls of the same age, and children in the Midlands, East Anglia, Scotland and Wales were the best performers by region. Those in Northern Ireland, the North East and London had the highest number of incorrect answers.

Read on

Online pack to educate children about wildlife crime

January 2014: Children in Scotland will be taught about the impact of wildlife crime and how they can help combat the problem through a new online wildlife crime detectives’ education pack.

The interactive pack will help to raise children’s awareness of wildlife crime issues and increase their knowledge of legitimate countryside practices. Children will be encouraged to explore the moral issues surrounding wildlife crime while learning important safety messages.

The Scottish Minister for Environment and Climate Change and chair of PAW Scotland, Paul Wheelhouse, said:

“This new education pack provides an interactive way to educate and excite young people about our wildlife and help them to understand the damaging effects wildlife crime can have on Scotland’s animals, birds and habitats and why the eradication of wildlife crime is in the public interest.

“It will also encourage pupils and teachers to think more about our role in protecting our natural environment and instil an appreciation and set of values which will resonate with them for years to come.”

Read on

Children to be banned from feeding birds in parks (Editorial)

Kevin Heath

In a measure that is certain to increase the alienation of wildlife from people Stoke City Council is set to ban the feeding of wildlife in its parks. Citing complaints of large congregations of ‘intimidating’ birds that are leaving droppings on footpaths and attacking people the council has decided that feeding ducks, swans and other wildlife needs to be stopped.

Many parents are unhappy that their children can no longer enjoy the simple pleasure of feeding the ducks on the park. At a time when there is an increasing disconnect between people and nature it also does nothing to help people appreciate the importance of wildlife in the environment.

Read on

Just one in five children connected to nature, says study

Large numbers of children in Britain are missing out on the natural world, a study from the RSPB suggests.

The three-year project found that only 21% of children aged 8-12 were "connected to nature".

Girls were much more likely than boys to be exposed to the great outdoors, while children in Wales had the lowest score across the UK.

The RSPB says that a perception among some adults that nature is dangerous or dirty could be holding children back.

There has been an increasing amount of research in recent years underlining the lack of contact and experience with nature among modern children.

Some have argued that this is having a negative impact on their health, education and behaviour.

In 2012, the National Trust published a report on the phenomenon of "nature deficit disorder", though it is not recognised as a medical condition.

Gender difference

The RSPB says its new study is the first to quantify the scale of British children's exposure, or lack of it, to the natural world.

They came up with a definition of what "connected to nature" actually means and then developed a questionnaire with 16 statements designed to assess the level of connection among children.

Continued

Grandad who wrestled shark away from toddlers on beach sacked after bosses saw TV footage of incident

A BRITISH holidaymaker who wrestled a shark away from a group of toddlers at a Queensland beach has been sacked after returning home because he was meant to be on sick leave.

Paul Marshallsea, 62, was praised by the lifeguards after he rushed from a beach-side barbecue to keep the children safe.

The encounter was caught on camera by a nearby Channel 9 television crew.

The footage showed Mr Marshallsea grabbing the shark by the tail and dragging it away from the beach.

The grandfather said: “Where this shark actually came ashore, it’s shallow for about five or six yards, and a lot of babies and toddlers splash about there. It could have been very nasty"

But after returning from two months Down Under, Paul and his wife Wendy have been sacked by the charity they both worked for because they were off work for stress, The Daily Mail reports.

Mr Marshallsea is now facing life on the dole in one of Britain's worst unemployment blackspots in Merthyr Tydfil in  South Wales.

"What am I going to do now? There’s not much call for shark-wrestlers in Merthyr Tydfil," he said.

The couple had headed to Australia for a 'get away from it all' sunshine break.

But charity trustees decided Mr Marshallsea was skiving after seeing footage of him wrestling with the shark.

Continued:  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/grandad-who-wrestled-shark-away-from-toddlers-on-beach-sacked-after-bosses-saw-tv-footage-of-incident/story-e6frg6n6-1226596057035

'Alien-Like' Skulls Excavated in Mexico

Human skulls deliberately warped into strange, alien-like shapes have been unearthed in a 1,000-year-old cemetery in Mexico, researchers say.

The practice of deforming skullsof children as they grew was common in Central America, and these findings suggest the tradition spread farther north than had been thought, scientists added.

The cemetery was discovered by residents of the small Mexican village of Onavas in 1999 as they were building an irrigation canal. It is the first pre-Hispanic cemetery found in the northern Mexican state of Sonora.

Continued:  http://www.livescience.com/25743-alien-like-skulls-excavated-mexico.html

African Children Denounced As "Witches" By Christian Pastors

EKET, Nigeria — The nine-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall.

His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him – Mount Zion Lighthouse.

A month later, he died.

Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of "witch children" reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files.

Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity," said Gary Foxcroft, head of nonprofit Stepping Stones Nigeria.

Continued:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/18/african-children-denounce_n_324943.html

Fareham youngster earns an RSPB award

GREEN-fingered Jacob Stokes is now the proud recipient of an award from the RSPB after creating a pond in his garden.

The conservation charity presented the eight-year-old, from Fareham, with the Gold Wildlife Action award after being so impressed with his efforts.

Jacob submerged a vegetable trough into the soil and surrounded it with stones to create a rockery.

He wanted to encourage newts to hibernate and he included a sunken ceramic flowerpot as refuge for frogs.

The wildlife enthusiast, who is a member of his local RSPB Wildlife Explorers group, even wrote a letter to 10 Downing Street expressing his thoughts about proposals to cull buzzards.

He said: ‘I’ve enjoyed encouraging wildlife and helping them.’

Jacob’s mum Richenda Stokes said: ‘We’re really proud of Jacob. He has loved working towards this award and is already planning his next wildlife project.’

The awards were introduced in 1995 and more than 10,000 youngsters have taken part. More than 100 ponds and more than 200 wildlife gardens have been created as part of the awards, as well as 4,500 nestboxes.

Around 2,000 children have written to their MPs on issues from protecting the marine environment to recycling waste.

Continued:  http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/environment/fareham-youngster-earns-an-rspb-award-1-4388265

Dartford and Gravesend families encouraged to get involved in autumn survey

A WILDLIFE charity is encouraging families in Dartford and Gravesend to make the most of autumn and get involved in their latest survey.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) launched its Changes through Autumn survey last month.

It encourages families to record the types of fungi and wildlife they see in parks and gardens near their home.

Participants then enter their results on the RSPB website where they will be collated to provide the charity with an insight into how wildlife responds to the change in season.

RSPB south-east spokeswoman Samantha Stokes said: “Getting children inspired by nature at an early age is really important if we want them to care about the environment and conservation in the future.

“The more children and families that take part in Wildsquare, the clearer the picture we can get of our autumn wildlife.” Visit rspb.org.uk/wildsquare before October 31.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9956538.Dartford_and_Gravesend_families_encouraged_to_get_involved_in_autumn_survey/

Children shocked as 12-year-old classmate kills rare bird on school trip

School children were left horrified and sickened when one of their 12-year-old classmates stoned a rare bird to death on a school trip.

The boy picked up a rock and threw it at the Kea - an endangered mountain parrot - killing it instantly.

The incident happened when around 200 children from a school in Christchurch, New Zealand were on a school outing.

Killing a Kea is a criminal offence that carries a maximum fine of £50,000 or six months in prison as they are protected by law under the Wildlife Act killing one.

There are thought to be fewer than 5000 of the birds left in the world.

Staff at Porter Heights Ski Area said they had been left 'upset' and 'disgusted' by the boy's actions.

The headteacher at the boy's school said he did not think there was any 'malice' in the student's attack.

Richard Paton said he thought the boys was 'as shocked as anybody' that the rock he threw 'actually hit the kea'.

"The boy involved is very remorseful, but there will be some consequences for his actions.

"The other students on the trip were as upset as anybody and they also feel let down by the mindless actions of one person.

"It's unfortunate that the actions of one person can reflect badly on the school," he added.

A silly and mindless moment of madness, or an inexcusable act of wickedness that should be severely punished?


http://www.parentdish.co.uk/2012/07/23/children-shocked-as-12-year-old-classmate-kills-rare-bird-kea-parrot-on-school-trip/

Mysterious Cambodia Illness Explained

According to a CNN report, the cause of a mysterious illness that claimed the lives of over 60 Cambodian children has been found.

Medical doctors with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Cambodian Ministry of Health found that a combination of pathogens is to blame for the illness.

The pathogens found include entrovirus 71, according to the CNN report, which is known to cause streptococcus suis, a neurological disease.

CNN said the WHO is expected to advise health care workers to refrain from using steroids in patients with symptoms, because the inappropriate use of steroids can suppress the immune system and worsen the condition of the patients.

The report said the WHO sources did not want to be identified yet because the results of the health organization’s investigation have not been made public.

“I’m very confident for the reason of the epidemic,” Dr. Phillipe Buchy, chief of virology at the Institute Pasteur in Cambodia and one of the doctors who cracked the case, told CNN.

Doctors at Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospitals in Phnom Penh have been facing the mysterious syndrome for the past four months. It has killed children so fast that nearly all of those infected die within a day or two of being admitted into the hospital.

Dr. Beat Richner, head of the children’s hospitals, told CNN that no new cases of the illness had been confirmed since Saturday.

He said that in the last hours of their life, the children experienced a total destruction of the alveola in the lungs, which are air sacs where oxygen enters the bloodstream.

Lab tests linked enterovirus 71 (EV71) to some of the cases, but the tests did not solve the whole puzzle, according to CNN.

It said that the link to the pathogen does not particularly help in the treatment of the illness, and there is no effective antiviral treatment for severe EV71 infections.

“It looks like (EV71) has emerged strongly, probably because it hadn’t circulated with the same intensity in the past years,” Tarantola told CNN.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1hAxQ)

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112654580/mysterious-cambodia-illness-explained/

Mysterious ‘Zombie’ Disease Is Afflicting Thousands Of Ugandan Children

Agnes Apio has to tie up her son Francis before she can leave the house. In his state, he is a danger to himself. Where once he walked and talked like a normal child, now he is only able to drag himself along in the dirt. Francis is suffering from “Nodding Disease,” a brain disorder that, according to CNN, afflicts at least 3,000 children in northern Uganda, leaving them physically stunted and severely mentally disabled.

“I feel dark in my heart,” Apio says as she waves flies away from her son’s face and mops up his urine after a seizure, “This boy has become nothing.”

“Reportedly the children gnaw at their fabric restraints, like rabid animals,” says The Daily Tech.  The article calls them “zombie children,” having “no cure” and “no future.”

First the victims become restless and can’t concentrate. They say they have trouble thinking. Then comes the nodding, an uncontrollable dipping of the head that presages the disease’s debilitating epilepsy-like seizures. It is this nodding motion that gives the illness its name.

Nodding Disease first attacks the nervous system, then the brain. As the seizures progress and worsen, the children become less and less like themselves, and more and more distant and blank. Eventually the brain stops developing and the victims’ bodies stop growing. So far, no patients have recovered.

Grace Lagat also has to tie up her children in order to leave the house. Daughter Pauline, 13, and son Thomas are bound hand and foot to keep them from shuffling away and getting lost. Pauline recently disappeared for five days.

Experts are baffled as to what causes the disease, which only occurs in children. Early findings suggest a confluence of the presence of the black fly-borne parasitic worm Onchocerca Volvulus, which causes river blindness, and acute vitamin B6 deficiency.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, onset usually takes place at the age of five or six and progresses rapidly, leaving the victims severely mentally and physically handicapped within a couple of years.

Victims can wander off and disappear. Some 200 “secondary deaths” have occurred due to fires and accidents caused by children with the disease.

Physicians and workers with the Ugandan Red Cross are frustrated by what they see as a lack of urgency in the government’s handling of the disease. After months of lagging, officials have only begun an official tally of cases within the last two weeks.

The situation was already dire when a team from the World Health Organization visited northern Uganda in 2009. CNN quotes one doctor from the team, Dr. Joaquin Saweka, as saying, “It was quite desperate, I can tell you. Imagine being surrounded by 26 children and 12 of them showing signs of this. The attitude was to quickly find a solution to the problem.”

Solutions, however, have been slow in coming.

Doctors have been treating the seizures caused by the disease with epilepsy drugs, but their efficacy is limited. The drugs only slow the progression of the disease, but fail to stop it.

Currently, Ugandan government officials say that they are doing everything they can to fight the epidemic. They say that new epilepsy drugs are being tried and special training has been instituted for local health officials. This, they say, is as much as can be done for a disease whose cause and cure are largely unknown.

Saweka said, “When you know the root cause, you address the cure. Now you are just relieving the symptoms. We don’t expect to cure anybody.”

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-21/home/31218548_1_seizures-brain-disorder-rabid-animals#ixzz1q3GUutGu 

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-21/home/31218548_1_seizures-brain-disorder-rabid-animals#ixzz1q3GJgAES 

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-03-21/home/31218548_1_seizures-brain-disorder-rabid-animals#ixzz1q3GDacBt 

American parents caught selling chickenpox-infected lollipops

American parents have been caught selling chickenpox-infected lollipops to other families who want their children to catch the virus while they are young.

Prosecutors in Tennessee have been forced to issue a warning that sending viruses or diseases by post is illegal, after parcels of the infectious sweets were discovered on sale over the internet.

Wendy Werkit, of Nashville, offered to send other parents a "fresh batch of pox" on lollipops or cotton-buds in return for $50 (£31) via PayPal.

Mrs Werkit told a local television station that she had been inspired to sell the products because parents were frustrated that "they can't get it the normal way any more".

Her advertisement was placed on a Facebook page intended to help parents find a "pox party" in their local area, where children can mix and pick up the virus, which can be more dangerous if suffered later.

Advice for the best way to send chickenpox emerged in a thread of postings on the site. "Tuck it inside a ziplock baggie then put it in the envelope," it said. "Don't put anything identifying it as pox."

Jerry Martin, the US attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, condemned the practice and said that it was a federal crime to send diseases or viruses across state lines.

"If you are engaged in this type of behaviour, you're not only potentially exposing innocent people to dangerous viruses and illnesses and diseases, you're also exposing yourself potentially to federal criminal prosecution," he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8875158/American-parents-caught-selling-chickenpox-infected-lollipops.html