A new study has found that a combination of two drugs could enhance the immune system to treat one of the most common types of cancer in the world, bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, despite its widespread presence, the treatment options for this condition are limited. What the study specifically found was that this procedure could shrink the tumours caused by this condition by around 60%.

What Are The Drugs Involved

The trial involved the use of two immunotherapy drugs, botancilimab and balstilumab. It is a monoclonal antibody that works to stimulate the body's immune system to attack cancer. The study is a rather significant find, as it’s the first time that a consistent and durable response to immunotherapy has been reported in patients with solid MSS mCRC tumours.

The study was divided into several phases for more than 6 months. In the US trial, around around 101 patients with microsatile stable metastatic colorectal (MSS-mCRC) tumours showed a decrease . Around 61% of the patients experienced tumour shrinkage or stabilization after combined treatment with votancilumab and balstilumab. When it comes to downsides, diarrhea and fatigue were found to be the most common side effects or side effects of this drug.

These results are interesting and open to exploration. To date, immunotherapy has not been effective in patients with CNS-mCRC tumors. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of botenlimab and balstilimab in the treatment of CNS mCRC, providing new hope for people diagnosed with colon cancer.

What Could This Mean For Bowel Cancer Treatment In The Future

The study is currently in the final stages of clinical trials, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to quickly gain approval for its use because of the importance of this area that affects many people. The efficiency shown demonstrates the potential of botansilimab to contribute to broad antitumor immunity.

All in all, the combination of botensilimab and balstilimab represents a promising new direction in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This breakthrough could improve conditions for many patients worldwide and lights a new hope in the fight against this common disease. The results of this study show the effectiveness of immunotherapy in this field and how its potential to transform cancer treatment can only grow in the years to come.

The Cyclospora outbreak that has spread across the US for more than three months has turned deadly, with Michigan—the hardest-hit state—reporting the country's first two deaths linked to the diarrhea-causing parasite.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.

"Two deaths have been identified as part of the cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Michigan. According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," the department said.

Health officials stressed that deaths from cyclosporiasis are rare, as the infection is generally not life-threatening. Michigan has reported 11,234 cases, including 193 hospitalizations.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed the two outbreak-related deaths in Michigan. As of its July 28 update, the agency has recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases across 45 states since May 1, along with more than 11,500 suspected cases—primarily in Michigan and Ohio—that are yet to be laboratory confirmed. The outbreak has resulted in 423 hospitalizations.

FDA Links Outbreak to Recalled Iceberg Lettuce

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked part of the outbreak to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company voluntarily recalled affected products on July 17 and said it will no longer source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for the rest of the growing season.

The recalled lettuce has been linked to illnesses in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Separately, the CDC, FDA, and state health officials are investigating another Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce in nine states, which has sickened at least 1,947 people and hospitalized 98.

Officials are also investigating whether parsley and cilantro may be linked to the outbreak.

What Is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the intestines and is usually spread through contaminated food or water.

Symptoms include:

• Frequent watery diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Excessive gas
• Low-grade fever
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

What Should You Do If You Think You Have Cyclosporiasis?

Most infections are mild and resolve without treatment. However, the illness can be prolonged or severe in people with weakened immune systems, who may require antibiotic treatment.

If you develop symptoms:

• See a healthcare provider and request a stool test to confirm a Cyclospora infection.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration caused by diarrhea.
• Because diarrhea can have many causes, getting the right diagnosis is important, as cyclosporiasis is treatable with a specific antibiotic.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you have severe diarrhea, feel dizzy when standing, or have a rapid heartbeat, as these may be signs of serious dehydration.

How Is It Diagnosed and Treated?

Doctors diagnose cyclosporiasis with a stool test that detects the Cyclospora parasite shed in stool.

Although some mild infections may resolve on their own, confirmed cases should be treated with antibiotics. The recommended treatment is the antibiotic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX).

Your doctor may also recommend:

• Medicines to relieve diarrhea, if appropriate.
• Oral or intravenous fluids to prevent or treat dehydration.

How To Reduce Your Risk

• Check whether recently purchased iceberg lettuce was sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico, Guanajuato.

• The recall includes:

1. 12-ounce and 24-ounce Iceberg Salad with best-by dates July 18–August 3
2. 8-ounce and 16-ounce Shredded Lettuce with best-by dates July 18–August 3

• Discard or return any recalled products. An additional 33 recalled products were supplied to restaurants and are unlikely to be in home refrigerators.
• No other lettuce varieties, including romaine and butter lettuce, have been linked to the outbreak.
• Avoid eating recalled shredded iceberg lettuce.
• Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, even if labeled pre-washed.
• Choose whole heads of lettuce over bagged greens when possible. Remove the outer leaves and wash the inner leaves thoroughly.
• Cook produce whenever possible, as heat is the most effective way to kill Cyclospora.
• Follow safe food-handling practices and stay updated on food recalls.

An 86-year-old sheep farmer from Wales recently shared how he unknowingly lived with a rare parasitic disease for years before experiencing what he described as "the worst pain" of his life.

The rare case has highlighted a little-known infection that experts say can remain hidden inside the body for decades.

Meredydd Jones, from Trecastle in Powys, was diagnosed with hydatid disease, a parasitic infection caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus.

He said that slow-growing cysts had been developing in his lungs for years before he was rushed to the hospital after he complained of severe pain in 2016.

"I hadn't been able to control the pain, and it was more intense than anything I had before," Jones recalled. He later underwent two surgeries in 2018 and 2019 to remove cysts from both lungs, while another cyst in his liver continues to be monitored.

The case comes as Public Health Wales raise concerns that the disease, though uncommon, remains a significant public health issue in sheep-farming regions.

What Is Hydatid Disease?

Hydatid disease, also known as cystic echinococcosis, is caused by the larval stage of the Echinococcus tapeworm.

The parasite typically circulates between dogs and livestock such as sheep and cattle. Humans become accidental hosts after ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs, usually through contact with infected dogs or contaminated food, water, or soil.

Unlike many infections, hydatid disease develops very slowly and gradually. The parasite forms fluid-filled cysts that most commonly affect the liver and lungs, although they can also develop in the brain, bones, or other organs.

Also read: Milestone In Kala-Azar Treatment: WHO Updates Treatment Guidelines, Recommends Shorter & Safer Regimens

Why Symptoms Take Years To Appear?

According to Dr Chris Williams, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health Wales, the disease can remain hidden for an unusually long time.

"What happens is normally the tapeworm transmits between farm animals like sheep and cows to dogs, and the dogs excrete eggs," he explained. "Unfortunately, if humans ingest the eggs, they can then form cysts within humans."

He added that symptoms may not appear for 10 to 20 years, which is why infections are often discovered only after cysts become large enough to cause complications. Depending on where the cysts develop, people may experience:

• Persistent abdominal pain or swelling
• Chest pain, chronic cough or shortness of breath
• Unexplained lumps
• Fever if cysts become infected
• Severe allergic reactions if a cyst ruptures

Public Health Wales says hydatid disease is uncommon but can have serious health consequences if left untreated.

Researchers at Aberystwyth University are now studying dogs, livestock and farming practices to better understand whether the parasite is emerging again in parts of Wales.

The project includes analysing dog faecal samples and tracking farm dogs to understand how the parasite may spread between farms. Experts say prevention remains the most effective strategy.

Regular deworming of dogs, proper disposal of livestock carcasses, avoiding feeding dogs raw offal, and practising good hand hygiene after handling animals can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

The deadly and highly contagious disease smallpox, eradicated worldwide in 1980 through vaccination, was introduced to the Americas by Europeans, according to a new study that analyzed DNA from 500-year-old Inca mummies.

Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, played a major role in the devastating population decline among Indigenous people in the Americas following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Historians have long believed that smallpox reshaped societies and killed millions worldwide. However, direct genetic evidence linking European strains to outbreaks in the Americas had been lacking.

Dr. Shigeki Nakagome from Trinity College Dublin's School of Medicine said the findings provide "the first molecular confirmation that smallpox was carried to the Americas during the colonial period."

The researchers added that the findings could also help improve understanding of how pathogens evolve, with potential relevance for diseases such as influenza, COVID-19 and mpox.

What Did the Study Find?

Published in the journal Science, the researchers sequenced ancient smallpox DNA from two individuals buried in northern Chile between 1492 and 1631 CE, during the transition from the Inca to the colonial period.

The analysis showed that the viruses belonged to a now-extinct lineage of the variola virus, closely related to ancient European strains that disappeared before the 20th century. These are the earliest smallpox genomes recovered from the Americas, providing a clearer timeline of the virus's evolution.

Researchers also noted that skin lesions previously thought to result from arsenic exposure are consistent with smallpox infection.

The team identified the same viral strain in multiple individuals of Native American ancestry, suggesting local transmission within Indigenous communities during the colonial era.

The study also provides new insights into how the virus evolved over time.

"We found that the virus underwent a long period of genetic change up to the 16th century, but its evolution slowed markedly during the height of colonial expansion and major smallpox epidemics in the 17th and 18th centuries," said Dr. Lara Cassidy from Trinity College Dublin's School of Genetics and Microbiology.

She said the virus may have reached an evolutionary optimum, allowing it to spread efficiently with little further adaptation, likely aided by the lack of immunity in newly exposed populations.

The researchers also found evidence that this period of evolutionary stability may have ended in the 19th century as vaccination became widespread. As immunity increased, the pace of viral evolution appears to have accelerated again.

Bruno Romero González, a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin's School of Medicine, said the findings show how colonization, population change and vaccination likely shaped the evolution of one of humanity's most devastating infectious diseases.

The study also demonstrates the power of ancient pathogen genomics, showing how ancient DNA can uncover aspects of disease history that are not preserved in historical records.

Timeline: How Smallpox Reached the Americas

• Historians believe smallpox spread through three major transmission routes: the Caribbean, southern and northern routes.

• The first documented outbreak in the Americas occurred in 1518 during the Spanish conquest of the Caribbean.

• The virus reached Mexico by 1520, spread through Panama and the northern Inca Empire by 1525, and likely reached Chile by the mid-16th century.

• Although epidemics were reported in Chile between 1554 and 1556, the first confirmed smallpox outbreak there occurred in 1561 in northern Chile.

• Smallpox returned in repeated waves, causing an estimated 3–4 million deaths, and possibly more, across the Americas.

• Indigenous populations with no prior immunity were among the hardest hit.

What Is Smallpox?

Smallpox spread mainly through respiratory droplets released during coughing, sneezing or close contact. The disease caused fever followed by a characteristic rash that developed into fluid-filled blisters and scabs.

About 3 in 10 infected people died, while many survivors were left with permanent scars, particularly on the face. Some also lost their vision. Following a global vaccination campaign, smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, with the last naturally occurring case reported in 1977.