Death toll from Legionnaires’ disease up to 12, NYC Mayor says

The reported number of deaths from the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City has increased from 10 to 12, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference Monday. The total number of Legionnaires’ cases is now 113, up from 101 on Friday. Of those patients who have been hospitalized, 76 had been discharged as of Monday afternoon, de Blasio said.

De Blasio confirmed that the bacteria had also been found in an additional two cooling towers in the neighborhood, and officials said a total of 12 of 39 cooling towers in the South Bronx had been impacted. Those cooling towers, which are used to cool down large air conditioning units, have been disinfected or would be by the end of the day Monday, the mayor said. 

City officials confirmed Friday that five Bronx buildings tested positive for the bacteria, and on Saturday that an additional five also tested positive, including two courthouses, a post office and a high school. Those buildings have already had their cooling towers cleaned and do not appear to pose any danger to locals, health officials said.

“We are still several days away from getting final results of those tests that will allow us to make firmer conclusions, but everything that we know today points to one or more of those five original sites as the problem location,” de Blasio said Monday.

Following an order Thursday from the NYC Health Commissioner that building owners with cooling towers disinfect their towers, the city began collaborating with the state and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to deploy teams for testing.

De Blasio said there is no evidence that there have been new Legionnaires’ cases since Aug. 3 and that the new cases could be attributed to a lag time in reporting. The number of new daily cases peaked July 30.

“We have encouraging news that this outbreak has slowed,” city health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said during the press conference.

Legionnaires’ disease is a respiratory disease that causes pneumonia-like symptoms, and isn’t transmitted from person to person but rather by contact with the bacterium Legionella. The bacteria can thrive in warm water and become especially dangerous when the water is turned into a mist that can be inhaled. Medical investigators have linked past outbreaks to public fountains, air conditioning systems, spas, showers and even the misters than keep fruit moist in supermarkets.

The elderly, the young and individuals with underlying health issues are most at risk. Officials aren’t sure what started the current outbreak, which began last month.

The CDC estimates that between 8,000 and 18,000 people in the United States are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease every year, but the actual number may be higher due to underreporting. More illnesses usually occur in the summer and early fall.

“It is vital to remember that because this is not a contagious disease and because it is a disease that can be treated with antibiotics, it is still crucially important to inform anyone in the affected area who believes they have the symptoms that they must get care immediately,” de Blasio said.

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‘Pac-Man’ bacteria eats nicotine before it reaches the brain, study finds

Between 80 and 90 of smokers try smoking cessation aids without success, but now researchers have discovered a promising solution: a bacterial enzyme that destroys nicotine in the body before it reaches the brain.

"The bacterium is like a little Pac-Man," researcher Kim Janda, a professor of chemistry and member of the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology at The Scripps Research Institute, said in a news release. "It goes along and eats nicotine."

By seeking out and stopping nicotine from reaching the brain, the bacterium, which would be used in a drug and prescribed as a stop-smoking tool, deprives the person the “reward” of nicotine.

The Scripps Research Institute’s research is in the early phase of the drug development process, but the team believes the bacterial enzyme can be a successful therapeutic that would help prevent relapse.

For their study, scientists combined serum, a component of blood, from mice with a one-cigarette dose of nicotine. When they added the enzyme, the amount of nicotine in the serum dropped by half in nine to 15 minutes. The typical nicotine half-life is two to three hours.

Researchers also found that the enzyme stays stable in lab conditions and does not create toxic metabolites when it degrades nicotine, making it a good candidate as a drug, according to the news release.

The team is now working on altering the enzyme’s bacterial makeup to help mitigate potential immune liabilities and maximize its therapeutic potential.

"Hopefully we can improve its serum stability with our future studies so that a single injection may last up to a month," first study author Song Xue said in the news release.

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The surprising way taking a vacation improved my health

I just returned from a week away with my sister Laura. As I’ve said before, there is nothing like a sister.  

Crazy things happen when we're together. Sometimes I feel we are in an episode of “I Love Lucy” because we laugh until we cry.

I don't know how many times I have said laughter is healing. I have a bit of proof from my sister-vacation. The day after I got home, I had an appointment for my CT SCAN. As I have shared with you before, I have had high blood pressure since about the age of 42, which is the same age both of my parents began taking medication for high blood pressure. (What a lovely thing to inherit.)

With medication, I can only get my blood pressure down to 135/93, which is still considered high. When the doctor took my blood pressure this time, it was 120/60. This is considered the very best number! We thought the machine had malfunctioned, so we took it again. The doctor and I looked at each other in silence, astounded.

"The vacation?" he said.

"Whoa," I said, "looks like I'd better get back on the road again. Willie Nelson, where are you, buddy?"

Just goes to show you what a little time away with someone you love can do for your health.

Accolades seem few and far between these days. But I recently received a letter from the Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation (JCCF) at the University of California, Los Angeles thanking me for my help funding research at the center. The kind folks at the JCCF credited my support with helping them earn their highest rating in top U.S. cancer centers named by the U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings.

It feels good to be making a difference in the lives of women living with breast cancer, like myself, alone. But receiving a generous pat on the back for it makes those efforts all the more rewarding.

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Easy to swallow: The simple remedy that has replaced my blood pressure pills

It hasn't been easy, but I have stepped up my exercise and gone back to meditation and yoga: techniques I had done regularly in the past. 

I am a believer in the importance of sleep, yoga and meditation, but I can't remember how or when I got off track.

It's weird how these things happen to us yet we can't recall what triggered it. Forget the guilt, and slowly get yourself moving in the right direction.

I don't know the demographic of those who read this blog, but if you're over 60, you may think these techniques are a leftover from the 1960s, hippies and flower power. Not true!

Yoga, sleep, and meditation can have an impact on cancer. Did you know that yoga poses actually massage organs? I am concentrating on yoga poses that work on the liver.

I have hereditary high blood pressure. In May, they stopped making the medication I was taking. It was a drug that treated both high blood pressure and high cholesterol in one pill. Surprise, surprise: They decided to double their profits and sell each pill individually, and one of those was just dropped by my insurance plan! I had been wanting to get off this medication after reading articles indicating high blood pressure can be controlled with diet change. I decided not to take either of these drugs for a month and see what happened.

With medication, my blood pressure had been running about 135 over 93. The optimum number should be less than 120 over less than 80, according to the American Heart Association. If you hit 140 over 90, you have high blood pressure, or hypertension.

I took a meditation class, which just happened to be on a day when I had an appointment with my doctor. The nurse took my blood pressure, and it was 125 over 65. I asked her to retake it because I could not believe it was so close to normal. I had stopped the meds for about two weeks and had added one day of meditation. It still read 125 over 65! That blew my mind.

Meditation is now on my schedule full time, and we will see what happens at my next doctor's appointment. 

I read an interview with Pete Carroll, who is coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He has his team doing yoga and meditation, and monitors the amount of sleep his athletes get at night. He finds these therapies to be as important as their practice routines.

Apparently, several well-known athletes also do yoga, including Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets, Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays, and Tom Brady, of the New England Patriots.

I am feeling so much more energetic by adding these practices. I was spending too much time sitting and could feel my body losing muscle tone. It had become more difficult to pick up something from the floor, or to get up from the floor after stretching. I do believe this has had a positive effect on my general attitude. When you are tired and weak, you are not yourself. We should all force ourselves to walk to the corner every day. Even something this small can make a difference.

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9 Poisons That can Shorten Your life

I often told my students, "It's pretty good dying nevertheless getting sick would be the pits. " To hold yourself balanced, there tend to be some stuffs that you genuinely wish to avoid.

1. Strain

It can certainly kill a person. Stress is going to take its toll on you and may actually shorten your health unless you know how you can use the idea. Stress will probably be your ally as well as nemesis.

a couple of. Smoking

Tobacco employ remains one of the most preventable reason for death in america. Smoking can certainly rob a person of many years of lifetime. If you have cancer as well as lung condition, such since emphysema as well as cystic fibrosis, you will discover out how important your current lungs really are. In Oriental Medicine, the inner thoughts that go along with the voice are sadness and grief. By cigarettes tobacco or experience of smoke, generally speaking, it may cause irreparable harm to your real body in addition to emotional state likewise. Quit smoking plus your body can certainly bounce back earlier than you would imagine. Actually, blood stress and circulation enhance the quickest following quitting, and you can significantly slow up the risk involving cancers.

3. Give up eating processed foods

When When i was a kid, my nanny seemed to generally be in the kitchen and therefore was my mother. They canned fresh fruit, made jelly, put in place tomatoes, pickles, peppers in addition to relishes. Over the last 30 as well as 40 many years, there is a huge shift in order to consuming much more processed foods by substantial multinational organizations. Along together with processing come an increase in additional sodium, much more saturated excess fat, more glucose, and fewer fiber. The results are more cardiovascular disease, cancer, in addition to diabetes.

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9 Poisons That will Shorten Your life

I always told my personal students, "It's so good dying but getting sick is the pits. " To maintain yourself healthy, there tend to be some stuff you genuinely wish to avoid.

1. Anxiety

It can easily kill you. Stress will take its toll giving you and may possibly shorten your life if you don't know how to use the idea. Stress will be your ally or even nemesis.

a couple of. Smoking

Tobacco work with remains probably the most preventable reason for death in the states. Smoking can easily rob you of a long time of lifestyle. If you will get cancer or even lung condition, such as emphysema or even cystic fibrosis, you can find out exactly how important your current lungs are really. In China Medicine, the emotions that go with the bronchi are unhappiness and despair. By using tobacco tobacco or exposure to smoke, on the whole, it might cause irreparable damage to your bodily body in addition to emotional state also. Quit smoking and your body can easily bounce back ahead of you could imagine. In truth, blood demand and circulation improve quickest immediately after quitting, and you'll significantly reduce the risk of cancers.

3. Cease eating processed food items

When When i was a child, my grandmother seemed to be in your kitchen and therefore was my personal mother. They canned berry, made jelly, put upward tomatoes, pickles, peppers in addition to relishes. Throughout the last 30 or even 40 a long time, there has become a shift to be able to consuming far more processed food items by huge multinational corporations. Along along with processing come a growth in added in sodium, far more saturated body fat, more glucose, and fewer fiber. The outcomes are more heart problems, cancer, in addition to diabetes.

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4 Things to seem at With a Necklift

A necklift may be a cosmetic procedure that several folks around America have taken advantage of. It's on the market to men and ladies alike. could|you'll|you will} have well-known somebody United Nations agency got the procedure otherwise you may have examine it. Either way, you owe it to yourself to speak to a plastic surgeon regarding it and ascertain if it is the right move for you and your aesthetic goals.

What area unit the Costs?

The costs of a necklift area unit planning to vary. the primary issue to remember of is it's associate elective surgery, therefore medical insurance isn't planning to cowl it. the prices are going to be fully on you, tho' some doctors can work with you on the prices and assist you to unfold the prices over many months.

Learn what is enclosed with the prices - physiological condition, hospital time, pain medication, and varied alternative things. you do not wish surprises in what it'll price you, therefore get a comprehensive price.

What area unit the Promises?

Every operating surgeon goes to create guarantees. this is often what you will seem like. this is often what you'll expect. ascertain what the guarantees area unit and the way they're planning to guarantee these happen. can they are going back and proper something you are sad with?

Get the maximum amount as you'll in writing. as a result of it's surgery, there area unit lots of forms that you just can got to sign. a number of these can embody risks whereas others area unit planning to embody the surgeon's guarantee to you. browse through all of those rigorously before you sign one issue.

What is the Recovery Time?

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