If you enjoy eating raw cheese, then there is a bad news for you. A new study titled Thermal Inactivation Spectrum of Influenza A H5N1 Virus in Raw Milk, found that raw cheese can in fact harbor the infectious bird flu virus for months. The lead author of the study Dr Diego Diel, an associate professor at Cornell University told the CNN, "There is a risk of infection. It obviously depends on the dose, how much of that contaminated product is ingested."

While it is illegal to sell raw milk across state lines, since 1949, it has been made legal to sell raw milk cheese provided that it has to be aged for at least 60 days. This is important as this period allows for development of natural acids and enzymes that have been thought to destroy pathogens.

the latest research is funded by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that demonstrated that this aging may not inactivate the H5N1 bird flu virus. The team which led this research was the same team that showed that the H5N1 virus stayed infectious for up to 8 weeks in refrigerated raw milk.

"The protein and fat content in the cheese and milk provide a good environment for the virus to survive at refrigeration temperature," Diel said.

How Was The Study Conducted?

For this study, Diel's team made mini cheeses that they laced with the H5N1 virus. The cheeses were produced at 3 pH levels, from least acidic, which was 6.6 to most acidic at 5.0.

The cheese samples were then injected into fertilized chicken eggs to see how long any virus would take to cause the infection and if it at all remained. For the first 7 days, the levels of virus remained high, then it fell in the two least acidic cheeses. The levels of infection remained for two months aging period.

"Our study demonstrates that HPA1 H5N1 virus exhibits remarkable stability throughout the cheese making process," the authors wrote, suggesting that making raw milk cheese more acidic may make it safer to eat.

It is important to note that no live virus was detected in the most acidic cheese, at 5.0 pH level. However, other research has shown that pasteurization inactivates virus.

Experts, especially those who study microbiology or immunology have observed that milk can change the pH needed to inactivate the virus. A much lower pH than normal is needed to inactivate the virus.

What Does The Administration Say?

Ever since the Trump administration took over, things have changed in the health sector, with Robert F Kennedy Jr being the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Despite these findings, RFK Jr. said, "the disease is not passed through food so you cannot get it, as far as we know, you cannot get it from an egg or milk or meat from an infected animal."

What Do Case Studies Say?

Not just this research, but there have been cases where dairy workers have been infected, though not through consumption of milk, but having raw milk splash on their face and eyes.

On being asked, Diel told the CNN that his study does not answer that question. The findings are published in bioRxiv and has been posted by the FDA too.

A long Island man became the first in New York history to be cured of sickle cell anemia. This man is Sebastien Beauzile, who, for the last 21 years of his life lived with the chronic pain of sickle cell anemia. However, he owes it to the groundbreaking genetic treatment for curing his condition.

The hospital where he was getting his treatment used an advanced therapy called Lyfgenia.

What Is Lyfgenia?

It is an FDA approved genetic therapy that treats sickle cell disease in patients 12 years of age or older and a history of vaso-occlusive events. It is made specifically for each patient, using the patient's own blood stem cells, from which the red blood cells are produced. It adds functional copies of the beta-globin gene to your cells leading to production of anti-sickling hemoglobin that may decrease or stop vaso-oclusive events.

The process of preparing it from your own blood stem cells takes about a week and it may be needed to repeat to obtain sufficient number of cells.

For this process, even "back up" stem cells or "rescue cells" are also collected and stored at the treatment center as a precaution in case there is a problem in the treatment process. If any issue occurs, your back up stem cells will be given back to you. In case you receive the back up stem cells, you will have no benefit from Lyfgenia.

Before you receive Lyfgenia, your healthcare provider will give you chemotherapy for a few days to make room in the bone marrow. You will be admitted to the treatment center for this step and remain there until after Lyfgenia infusion. It is given by an intravenous infusion and you may need more than one bag of it.

What Is Sickle Cell Disease?

As per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sickle cell disease or sickle cell anemia is a group of inherited disorder that affect hemoglobin, the major protein that carriers oxygen to red blood cells. In this disease, the red blood cells are misshaped, in the shape of 'sickle' and they do not move or bend easily and can in fact it can block the blood flow to the rest of the body.

Sickle cell disease was first described in 1910 that affected people for African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent.

It can lead to serious problems like onset of strong episodes of pain, also called pain crises that occur due to blocked blood flow and may require medical attention. People with sickle cell disease could also experience chronic pain, stroke, lung problems, eye problems, infections, and kidney diseases.

Back On The Case

Beauzile is now cured and he told the CBS News, "Sickle cell was like a blockade for me, but now it is just like a wall that I just jumped over."

His mother informed that he had been coming to the hospital since he had been 2 months old. Seeing things get better and him recover has been a dream come true and "there is not enough words" for her to show how grateful she is, she said.

Being free from the disease, Beauzile now looks forward to travelling, exercising, and pursuing his education. Being inspired by the doctors who cured him, he too wants to work in the medical field. "I cannot wait to get back to my day-to-day life because now I feel unstoppable," he said.

For most, a birthday wish could mean extravagant gifts, grand parties, or far-off trips with exotic destinations. Yet to Paquita Rodriguez, who celebrated her 107th birthday, the only gifts she is after are three humble food items: chickpeas, oil, and rice. They sound like a typical shopping list, but to Paquita, they represent something much more profound—a life defined by adversity, strength, and an enduring love for the fundamentals.

Having lived through some of the most tumultuous events in modern history—including two world wars, two dictatorships, and the Spanish Civil War—Paquita's perspective on life and sustenance is shaped by survival rather than luxury. Her request is not merely about nutrition; it is about security, memory, and the enduring weight of history.

Paquita's humble but profound birthday wish is deeply rooted in her history. Having experienced famine, war, and political unrest, she knows the true value of food. Her daughter, Lali Garcia, revealed in an interview with a prominent Spanish news channel that her mother's insistence on chickpeas, oil, and rice is a deep-rooted fear of scarcity.

"When she gets news of everything that is going on nowadays, all she asks for us to purchase chickpeas, oil, and plenty of rice because she is scared of what she has endured," Lali explained to the Spanish radio channel. To Paquita, these foods are not ingredients; they are lifelines—symbolizing food, safety, and a time when having access to staple foods could be the difference between life and death.

Does Dietary Simplicity Have a Part to Play in Longevity and Well-being?

Despite the tribulations she has suffered, Paquita is in incredibly good health. Nicknamed "the grandmother of Jerez," she has survived many of her contemporaries, including one of her two nonagenarian siblings, and attributes her long life to a lifetime of hard work, discipline, and an active life.

Her morning gymnastics are part of her daily routine, a practice that has kept her physically agile even in her late years. Her diet of plain, whole foods such as chickpeas, rice, and olive oil is also consistent with what nutritionists usually recommend for maximum health and longevity.

Studies have all shown that Mediterranean-style diets, full of legumes, healthy fats, and whole grains, lead to a longer and healthier life. Chickpeas, for example, contain a lot of plant-based protein and fiber to keep your heart and digestion in top shape. Olive oil contains antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats that fight inflammation and decrease the risk of chronic diseases. Rice, which is a staple in many cultures, supplies necessary carbohydrates for energy.

What's Behind the Increasing Number of Centenarians?

Paquita's astonishing age makes her part of a select and expanding group of centenarians around the globe. Spain currently hosts 19,573 centenarians, whereas England and Wales had 15,120 persons aged 100 and older—a 3.7% boost from last year, based on the Office for National Statistics.

These years are added through a mix of better healthcare, improved diet, active living, and advances in medical science. Yet, the majority of centenarians, such as Paquita, also point to mental toughness, close family bonds, and good attitudes toward life as important factors in their lengthy lifespan.

When asked to recount a life that extends over a century, Paquita's answer is both concise and revealing: "Work, work, and more work."

Having worked around the clock as a dressmaker and bringing up five children, Paquita is a living embodiment of determination. Even in retirement, she has continued to have an independent outlook, although she now lives in San Juan Grande care home in Jerez de la Frontera.

Her birthday party at the center was visited by family and friends, but even with the spotlight, Paquita appeared to be entertained by the commotion. In a local TV interview, she jokingly brushed aside the notion of a big bash, saying that all the hype was just about "becoming another year older."

Paquita Rodriguez's tale serves as a reminder that at times, the most valuable things are the simplest. Her birthday wish is not one of extravagance, but one of security, nourishment, and the lessons of history. In a world where food plenty is often taken for granted, her wish reminds us of the privilege of access to necessities—something past suffering has taught her deeply.

As we honor folks like Paquita, who have endured unbelievable hardships and remained strong and sharp-witted enough to laugh despite it all, there is so much to take away from such resilience. It is not simply a result of a healthy eating regimen and fitness routine, either, but it is also about the strength found in perseverance, the value in family, and the sense enjoyed by embracing even life's lesser blessings.

Inside all your blood vessels is a layer of specialized cells called the endothelium. But inside your brain, this layer is different. While this layer allows the exchange of fluids, nutrients, and gases between the blood and surrounding tissues in the rest of the body, it is tightly packed in the inside of your brain's blood vessels and forms the blood-brain barrier.

They're so tightly packed that there's almost no space for anything to slip through without help. These cells have a lipid-based outer membrane. It is because of this tightly packed structure that it is able to defend the brain from harmful substances, germs and other dangerous things. Besides, this layer also protects the delicate chemical balance inside the brain.

Now, a new research study, led by Jonathan D Santoro, MD, Director of the Neuroimmunology Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, linked the dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier and inflammation in the central nervous system with Down syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD). The study was published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology in February 2025. The researchers analyzed cerebrospinal fluid from three groups-individuals with DSRD, those with neuroinflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis, and healthy controls. Using advanced proteomic, metabolomic, and immune marker profiling, they found that DSRD patients showed signs of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier dysfunction—similar to patterns seen in other immune-related neurological disorders. The study, led by Dr. Santoro, found elevated immune proteins and metabolites indicating a disrupted immune system and poor barrier integrity in the brain. These findings support the idea that DSRD may be driven by immune-related processes.

What Is Down Syndrome?

When a baby is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21, the condition is referred to as Down syndrome. This condition affects how an individual's brain and body develop, impacting their usual growth timeline. Down syndrome occurs due to genetic defects, and not because of any mistake during pregnancy. People with the condition cannot be generalised into a single group showcasing the same types of symptoms, as they may vary from person to person. However, there are certain common cognitive, behavioural and physical patterns traced in people with Down syndrome.

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How To Identify Down Syndrome?

People with Down syndrome may showcase various degrees of symptoms, depending on the severity of their condition. From behavioural to cognitive differences being traced with the average person as context - there are certain recognisable tell-tale signs of Down syndrome.

Some behavioural symptoms of this condition may include impulsiveness, stubbornness, obsessive disorders and compulsive movements. They may often throw tantrums and fail to pay attention for long spans of time.

Besides, there are physical symptoms too, which may also manifest in the child, and become more prominent as they grow up. For example, upward pointed slanting eyes, a flatter nose bridge region, shorter neck, smaller hands, ears and feet, palmar crease, small-pinky finger inclining towards the thumb, overall shorter stature and non-prominent muscle tone are some physical signs of the condition.

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