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.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer causes about 60,000 deaths every year globally. The current estimates also show that about one in five Americans is at risk of having the deadly disease in their lifetime. Though the technology of curing skin cancer is very advanced, the early detection of the disease is still a very crucial aspect in the path to getting a full cure.

And now, the researchers have come up with the smart tattoo technology, which can be a game-changer in this aspect.

A recent research study led by Professor Jinyang Liang from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), an expert in ultrafast imaging and biophotonics, has shed light on promising smart tattoo technology that can aid in detecting skin cancer. The study was conducted in collaboration between the INRS in Québec and Université de Montréal.

The process that Professor Liang and his team have researched is Single-shot Microneedle-Encoded Upconversion Lifetime Mapping (SMEAR-ULM), which is a great leap forward in skin cancer detection.SMEAR-ULM monitors microscopic temperature changes on the skin surface that signal the pernicious transformations with unprecedented sensitivity.

Skin cancer is, without a doubt, one of the most deadly ailments known to man, and among its three types, melanoma is the most notorious one. Early detection in case of melanoma is very important for its cure. The current state of the treatment process depends heavily on visual examinations and invasive biopsies, which are known to cause discomfort for patients as well as occasional unnecessary interventions due to false positives, and SMEAR-ULM is a possible answer to these problems.

Read Also: Melanoma Is Being Overdiagnosed. Here's Everything You Should Know

Melanoma: The Deadliest Kind Of Skin Cancer

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that develops in melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. It can occur anywhere on the skin but often develops on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, arms, back, and legs. Melanoma can also appear in less-exposed areas, like the soles of the feet, palms, or under the nails, particularly in individuals with darker skin tones. Although rare, melanoma may develop in the eyes, mouth, or internal organs.

Symptoms Of Melanoma

The primary sign of melanoma is a new or changing mole, freckle, or skin lesion. The "ABCDE rule" helps identify suspicious moles:

• Asymmetry: One half does not match the other.

• Border: Irregular or scalloped edges.

• Colour: Multiple shades or unusual colours like red, white, or blue.

• Diameter: Larger than 6 mm (about the size of a pencil eraser).

• Evolving: Changes in size, shape, or colour.

Additional symptoms may include itching, bleeding, or a sore that doesn’t heal. Prompt medical attention is essential for suspicious skin changes.

The suspected case of Ebola infection in a young woman in Bengaluru who had returned from Ebola-affected Uganda has tested negative, India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has confirmed.

The woman who arrived in Bengaluru from Kampala, Uganda, on May 23, was suspected of infection after developing mild symptoms, including body aches. She was shifted from a hotel to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital on May 26, and her samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

"The test result has returned negative for Ebola Virus Disease," the Ministry said, adding that there is "no confirmed case of Ebola in India".

The Ministry said that although the woman remained healthy apart from a mild body ache, she was isolated and tested as part of the precaution measures instated in the country against the Ebola outbreak, which has so far affected over 900 people and led to more than 200 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. As per African health officials, 10 nations on the continent are at high risk.

WHO Says Ebola Spreading Rapidly

Also read: Russia's New Ebola Vaccine To Protect Against Rare Bundibugyo Strain, Says Health Minister

Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Co-Chairman of the National IMA COVID Task Force and Past President of the Indian Medical Association, Cochin, told HealthandMe, that the spread of the outbreak to other countries may not be surprising.

“With air travel being common and the outbreak already having spread to multiple countries in Africa, it is entirely possible for someone who had contact with a person with Ebola virus disease to get on a flight to another country,” Dr. Rajeev said.

“All patients with Ebola disease may not know they have it — as the initial symptoms are nonspecific, such as fever and body ache. In addition, scarcity of the exact PCR test to diagnose the latest Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Africa makes it possible to miss it entirely,” he added.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier stated he was “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic”.

He added that the ongoing outbreak "is spreading rapidly" and "outpacing us".

The global health agency has also determined that the deadly outbreak is a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)”.

India Boosts Surveillance

Read More: Why Ebola Outbreaks Keep Returning In Africa? | Explained

In view of the outbreak, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the concerned State authorities, is maintaining close surveillance, and all necessary public health protocols are being followed in accordance with WHO guidelines.

The government said it "remains vigilant and prepared, with screening and surveillance measures continuing at all designated Points of Entry and across the public health system".

Citizens are advised not to panic, avoid spreading misinformation, and rely only on official sources for information.

The government also issued guidelines for passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries. As part of the precautionary measures, travelers entering the country from such nations are required to undergo a 21-day quarantine period.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola disease is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate.

Ebola spreads through:

• Direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids

• Contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment

• Unsafe caregiving exposure

• Traditional burial practices involving direct contact

• Certain zoonotic animal exposures.

Symptoms to watch for include:

• fever,

• weakness,

• headache,

• muscle pain,

• vomiting,

• diarrhea,

• sore throat,

• unexplained bleeding.

Russia today claimed that its scientists have developed a novel vaccine against a new Ebola strain.

According to Russian Health Minister Murashko, "the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the current outbreak in the DR Congo".

It is because the "genetic similarity between this virus variant and the vaccine strain is about 60-70%," Alexander Gintsburg, scientific director of the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, was quoted as saying GxP News.

The vaccine, for which "clinical trials would take place, as per Anne Ancia, the WHO’s representative in the DRC, comes as a hope against the Bundibugyo strain, with no vaccine or antiviral available.

The strain has so far caused over 900 cases and more than 200 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

Earlier this week, Russia’s consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor announced it would send specialists to Africa to help fight the Ebola outbreak, GxP News reported.

The country noted that it will also supply Russian-developed diagnostic tests.

Health Minister Murashko said he and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had discussed the supply of Russian vaccines to the DRC and Uganda in the context of the Ebola outbreak.

“Specialists are already deploying to provide assistance. We discussed this with Dr Tedros, the head of the World Health Organisation,” Murashko said.

Gintsburg believes that "medical workers in outbreak zones should be vaccinated with the existing vaccine, even though no targeted efficacy tests against this strain have been conducted".

He also stressed the need to develop a separate vaccine against Bundibugyo. However, the institute does not yet have a sample of this pathogen.

“I believe the existing vaccine may confer immunity against this pathogen, though we have not tested it. In the absence of other means, it should be used,” he told Izvestia, a Russian Newspaper.

Ebola Vaccine From Developers Of COVID Shot

Scientists at Oxford University are also developing a new vaccine that could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months to help tackle the Ebola emergency.

The vaccine uses the same technology the team developed during the COVID pandemic. It is a highly adjustable technology - known as ChAdOx1 - that can be quickly tweaked so it works against different infections.

Another separate experimental Bundibugyo vaccine is also in development, but it is expected to take six to nine months for any dose of that to be ready for testing, BBC reported.

Ebola: An Antiviral On The Anvil

The WHO has also recommended prioritizing two monoclonal antibodies for clinical trials.

"We are also recommending the evaluation of the antiviral obeldesivir in a clinical trial as post-exposure prophylaxis for people who are high-risk contacts," the WHO chief said.

This clinical trial is now being developed jointly with Africa CDC and the Collaborative Open Research Consortium on filoviruses, he noted.

How Ebola Spreads

Ebola disease is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate.

Ebola spreads through:

• Direct contact with infected blood or bodily fluids

• Contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment

• Unsafe caregiving exposure

• Traditional burial practices involving direct contact

• Certain zoonotic animal exposures.

Symptoms to watch for includes:

• fever,

• weakness,

• headache,

• muscle pain,

• vomiting,

• diarrhea,

• sore throat,

• unexplained bleeding.