Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified the recall of a jalapeño avocado salad dressing as Class I, its highest-risk recall category. This comes amid a multistate Salmonella outbreak that has left 488 people sick and hospitalised 65.

The recalled dressing, made by Salata Dressings, contains diced jalapeños that may have been contaminated with Salmonella. The FDA initially announced the recall in August, but elevated it to a Class I recall on September 29.

The bigger outbreak, linked to jalapeño peppers imported from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, was declared over by the CDC on October 2. No deaths were reported as of now.

Why Was The Salad Dressing Recalled?

Salata Dressings recalled its Jalapeño Avocado Dressing after being informed that diced jalapeños used in the product may have been contaminated with Salmonella.

The FDA says the affected dressing was distributed in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas. About 1,724 cases of the product were affected, including 12.5-ounce bottles and one-gallon jugs.

The bottles that were recalled have a black cap and specific best-by dates of November 5, 13, 18 or 25, 2026. Consumers should check the FDA recall notice for the affected lot numbers before consuming the product.

Also read: Drinking Raw Milk Hospitalizes 2 Young Girls in US With Nearly Fatal E. Coli Infection: Health Risks Explained

What Does An FDA Class I Recall Mean?

A Class I recall is the FDA's most serious recall category. It is used when there is a probability that consuming a recalled product may cause serious health consequences or death.

The classification does not mean that every product is contaminated or that everyone who consumes it will become seriously ill. It reflects the potential severity of the health risk.

Is The Dressing Linked To The Bigger Salmonella Outbreak?

Also read: Biggest Cyclospora Outbreak In US Ends: After 13,000 Sick & 2 Dead, Lettuce Contamination Mystery Remains

The salad dressing recall is part of a much larger Salmonella Javiana investigation. The FDA and CDC traced the outbreak to jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. As of October 2, 488 people in 34 states had been infected, with 65 hospitalisations.

Of 308 people interviewed during the investigation, 281, or 91%, said they had eaten at a Mexican-style restaurant before becoming sick. The investigation identified a common grower in Sinaloa as the likely source of the contaminated jalapeños.

However, FDA investigators could not determine exactly how the peppers became contaminated. By the time investigators inspected a distributor, no jalapeños were available for testing. Environmental samples collected during the inspection tested negative for Salmonella.

Symptoms Of Salmonella

Salmonella infection can cause diarrhoea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and headache. Symptoms generally begin within several hours to several days after exposure.

Most people recover without specific treatment, but infection can become serious, particularly in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. The bacteria can occasionally enter the bloodstream and cause more severe infections.

Anyone who has the recalled Jalapeño Avocado Dressing should not eat it. The FDA and manufacturer advise consumers to return the product for a refund or dispose of it.

People who have consumed the recalled dressing should watch for symptoms of Salmonella infection and seek medical advice if they develop severe or persistent illness.

A suspected plague case in Russia has triggered quarantine measures after a 28-year-old woman working at an anti-plague research facility died of severe pneumonia.

The incident occurred in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, where the woman, identified in reports as Daria Shipilova, worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute. Reports said she may have accidentally broken a test tube containing the bacterium that causes pneumonic plague while collecting samples on September 25. However, Russian health authorities have not confirmed that she contracted plague.

Nearly 200 people who may have had contact with her have been placed under observation, while quarantine measures have been introduced at healthcare facilities in the area.

The development has also caught the attention of the US government. A Trump administration official told Axios that the White House “is aware, monitoring the outbreak, and assessing options.”

What Happened At The Siberian Lab?

Also read: COVID-19 Disrupted Stroke Treatment, Care & Worsened Outcomes: Global Review Of 107 Studies

Shipilova reportedly became very ill after the laboratory incident and developed severe pneumonia. She was hospitalised and later died despite being placed on ventilator support.

Reports about the suspected exposure have come from Russian media and other outlets, but the exact cause of her death remains officially unresolved. So it cannot be concluded if she died due to the plague.

The head of the neighbouring republic of Buryatia, Alexei Tsydenov, said earlier that the 28-year-old woman died “possibly from the plague.” He also noted that “there are no plague outbreaks” in Buryatia.

On Friday, the governor of Irkutsk, Igor Kobzev, urged citizens to remain calm, saying that an extraordinary meeting of the regional anti-epidemic commission was held with Russia’s chief state doctor. The meeting was in connection with a “suspected case of a particularly dangerous infection affecting a resident of the region,” Kobzev said on Telegram, according to KCRA.

Russia's federal health authorities have described the illness as pneumonia of unknown cause, rather than confirming plague. An official, however, has already referred to the case as plague. That is alarming even though, at present, there is no confirmed evidence of widespread plague transmission.

“The sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Irkutsk region, the cities of Irkutsk and Shelekhov is stable,” Rospotrebnadzor, the national public health and consumer protection agency of the Russian Federation, said.

What Is Pneumonic Plague?

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Plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It has historically caused devastating outbreaks. The deadly infection still occurs in parts of the world.

There are various forms of plague. Pneumonic plague affects the lungs and is the form that can spread directly from person to person through respiratory droplets.

It can cause fever, weakness, headache and rapidly developing pneumonia. Without prompt treatment, it can become life-threatening.

The good news is that plague is treatable with antibiotics, especially when treatment begins quickly.

Nearly 200 People Being Monitored After Lab Worker's Death

The medical observation measures are a precaution following the suspected exposure and death of the lab worker.

Monitoring people who may have had close contact with a suspected pneumonic plague patient allows health authorities to identify symptoms quickly and provide treatment if necessary.

Till now, the reports do not establish that these contacts have developed plague. The absence of secondary cases is enough to not describe the situation as a confirmed large-scale outbreak. Currently, there is also no evidence of international transmission from this incident as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic did more than overwhelm global healthcare systems. It also disrupted timely care for people experiencing strokes.

Published in European Medical Journal, a global review of 107 studies has found that patients delayed hospital visits, stroke-related hospital admissions fell and treatment became harder to access during the pandemic.

The review, which examined research published between December 2019 and September 2024, looked at how the pandemic affected stroke care from the moment symptoms began through hospital treatment and recovery. Researchers initially screened 1,405 studies before including 107 in their analysis.

Stroke Patients Delayed Going To Hospital

One of the alarming patterns among stroke victims was a delay in seeking medical help. People experiencing stroke symptoms were reluctant to go to hospitals because they feared catching COVID-19 or believed healthcare facilities were already overwhelmed.

The delay was particularly noticeable among people with milder stroke symptoms; some of whom reached hospitals after critical treatment windows had passed.

The findings are a cause of concern as stroke treatment is extremely time-sensitive. Delays can prevent patients from seeking timely treatments to restore blood flow to the brain.

Also read: Surgeon In Gurugram, Patient In Hyderabad: Could Robotic Telesurgery Bring Specialists To Smaller Cities?

Stroke Admissions Declined

Several studies included in the review reported a decline in stroke admissions during the pandemic. One study found a 31% decrease in monthly admissions for ischaemic stroke, while another reported a 44% reduction.

The drop did not mean fewer people were having strokes. Instead, researchers found evidence that some patients may simply have avoided or delayed seeking emergency care.

When patients did reach hospitals, several studies found they were more likely to have more severe strokes than patients treated before the pandemic.

Also read: Innovations in Structural Heart Care: The Shift Towards Minimally Invasive Therapies

Stroke Treatment Was Delayed Inside Hospitals

The disruption was not limited to patients' decisions about when to seek help. Hospitals had to reorganise resources and reassign staff towards COVID-19 response. These changes affected stroke services and contributed to delays in treatment.

The review also identified increases in both symptom-to-door time, the period between stroke symptoms beginning and reaching hospital, and door-to-treatment time, the period between arriving at hospital and receiving treatment to restore blood flow. Ambulance services also faced additional pressure during the pandemic.

Also read: 'Heart Attack Of The Leg': Women May Overlook This Leg Symptom That Signals Blocked Arteries & Heart Risk

Delays Affected Stroke Recovery

The review found evidence that the disruption was associated with poorer outcomes for some stroke patients. One study reported significantly greater disability at discharge during the pandemic, with a median modified Rankin Scale score of 4 compared with 2 before the pandemic. The difference remained at three months after the stroke.

Another analysis reported higher mortality at discharge among patients treated during the pandemic, at 7.7% compared with 2.5% in a pre-pandemic group.

Role Of Telemedicine In Stroke Care During Pandemic

Telemedicine refers to seeking healthcare remotely using technology, without the doctor and patient needing to be in the same physical location.

Telemedicine helped maintain some continuity of stroke care during the pandemic, but access was not even everywhere.

The review found that younger patients were more likely to use remote healthcare services, while older adults didn't.

This raises concerns about whether telemedicine can adequately support people who may have greater healthcare needs but face barriers to digital access.

The researchers added that said future preparedness should focus on keeping stroke services accessible, ensuring equitable access to telemedicine and educating patients about the need to seek emergency care promptly.