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Low-dose CT chest scans could help detect pneumonia in at-risk patients while exposing them to only small amounts of radiation, a new study has found. The research, published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, shows that ultra-low-dose scans can effectively detect pneumonia in patients with compromised immune systems, enabling doctors to treat the infection before it becomes life-threatening. According to the researchers, these scans expose patients to just 2% of the radiation dose used in a standard CT scan.
"This study paves the way for safer, AI-driven imaging that reduces radiation exposure while preserving diagnostic accuracy,” lead researcher Dr Maximiliano Klug, a radiologist with the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, said in a news release. He added that CT scans are the gold standard for detecting pneumonia but there are concerns regarding the risk posed by repeated exposure to radiation. There is a solution- ultra-low-dose CT scan. However, the problem is that these scans can be grainy and hard to read, researchers said.
Study Gives Solution To This
To overcome that, Klug's team developed an AI program that could help "de-noise" low-dose scans, making them sharper and easier to read. Between September 2020 and December 2022, 54 patients with compromised immune systems who had fevers underwent a pair of chest CT scans -- a normal dose scan and an ultra-low-dose scan. The AI program cleaned up the low-dose scan, and then both sets of images were given to a pair of radiologists for assessment. Radiologists had 100% accuracy in detecting pneumonia and other lung problems with the AI-cleaned low-dose scans, but 91% to 98% accuracy in examining the scans that hadn’t been improved through AI, results show.
"This pilot study identified infection with a fraction of the radiation dose," Klug said. "This approach could drive larger studies and ultimately reshape clinical guidelines, making denoised ultra-low dose CT the new standard for young immunocompromised patients.
How Can You Detect Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes the air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The symptoms can range from milk to severe, which includes:
Coughing with or without cough
Fever
Chills
Trouble breathing
Chest pain, especially when breathing deeply or coughing
Sweating or chills
Rapid heart rate
Loss of appetite
Bluish skin, lips, and nails
Confusion.
How to detect Pneumonia in coughing newborns and toddlers?
Pneumonia can severely affect newborns and young children as their lungs are comparatively more sensitive. As per Dr Goyal, young children can cough for various reasons including seasonal infections and tonsillitis, which is very common in this age group. But if they look visibly irritable and have poor sleep patterns, then parents must reach out to an expert. "I am not saying that parents must visit a hospital but any local paediatrician would be able to detect pneumonia in your kid.
Credit: CDC
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.
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.
Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the intestines and is usually spread through contaminated food or water.
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:
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:
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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.
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.
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:
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.
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Tiny plastic particles may be making their way into one of the body's most protected organs, the brain, according to new research. This has raised concerns about the long-term health effects of microplastic exposure, particularly on brain health.
In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers found that microplastics and nanoplastics were present in brain tissue, with significantly higher concentrations than in liver and kidneys.
One of the most important findings is that these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier, a protective shield that normally blocks harmful substances from entering the brain.
The researchers analysed brain tissue samples collected over several years and observed that they contained seven to 30 times more plastic particles than other organs.
They also found an increase in brain plastic concentrations in more recent samples, reflecting the growing burden of plastic pollution worldwide in the last few years.
"Our data suggest a trend of increasing concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics in the brain," the study authors wrote. They stressed that the findings do not prove these particles cause disease.
The researchers also reported higher concentrations of plastic particles in brain tissue from people diagnosed with dementia.
However, they cautioned that the study only identified an association and cannot determine whether microplastics contribute to dementia or whether brains diseased with dementia simply accumulate more particles.
Scientists are still trying to understand how these particles do harm once they reach the brain. Proposed theories include triggering inflammation, disrupting communication between nerve cells, or affecting blood flow, but none have yet been confirmed in humans.
Since nanoplastics are extremely small, researchers believe some may pass through the blood-brain barrier and become trapped in brain tissue.
The study found polyethylene, commonly used in food packaging and plastic bottles, was the most abundant type detected in the brain tissue.
Scientists emphasise that it is too early to conclude that microplastics directly damage the human brain.
"The findings are concerning, but they should not be interpreted as proof that microplastics cause neurological disease," the researchers emphasised. More studies are needed to determine whether the particles themselves are harmful or simply markers of environmental exposure.
Also read: Dementia Progression Observed To Slow Down When You Do This Exercise 3 Times A Week
While eliminating exposure entirely is nearly impossible, experts recommend practical steps that may lower intake:
The study adds to mounting evidence that microplastics are no longer just an environmental issue. They are increasingly being detected throughout the human body, including the blood, lungs, placenta and now the brain.
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