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With the first West Nile virus outbreak of the year recently emerging in New York City, the New York City Department of Sanitation is expanding mosquito quarantine efforts.

The New York City Department of Public Health will screen in the Upper Manhattan area (north of 59th Street in Manhattan) from 8:30 pm on the 26th to 6:00 am on the 27th, and in South Brooklyn (before). post) from 8:30pm on the 28th to 6:00am on the 29th. .

According to the City Health Bureau, there is still no cure for the West Nile virus, which is common between August and September, so the best response for the elderly and the elderly is to reduce skin transparency and spraying poisons when they go out so that they are not bitten by mosquitoes.

In this regard, in New York City, an average of 18 people are infected with West Nile virus each year, and 15% of them have fatal symptoms. Symptoms of infection include fever, headache, and neurological disorders, and in severe cases, brain damage can occur, leading to death.

At the same time, in Queens, quarantine work was carried out in the main mosquito breeding areas such as Alipond Park, Kissena Park, and College Point, following the southern area of ​​Queens on the 7th to the 9th.

Jihoon Lee Reporter >

Mosquitoes are known to locate attack targets by detecting carbon dioxide in their breath, body odor, and heat. In addition, research results have shown that mosquitoes use infrared (IR) rays emitted from body heat to locate attack targets.

Professor Craig Montel’s team at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) published an experiment in the scientific journal Nature on the 23rd, showing that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can absorb infrared rays emitted from human skin temperature (34 °C) found that they had identified a protein that detects infrared rays in the body of the mosquito.

“Mosquitoes may be small, but they cause more human deaths than any other animal,” said Dr. Nicolas DeBeaubien, co-first author of the study “It provides a new opportunity to control it,” he said.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits viruses that cause dengue fever, yellow fever, and Zika to more than 100 million people each year, and the Gambian mosquito (Anopheles gambiae) transmits the malaria parasite, which killing more than 40,000 people every year.

Male mosquitoes are harmless, but female mosquitoes need animal blood to lay eggs. In more than 100 years of research, it has been revealed that mosquitoes find targets for attack by detecting carbon dioxide, body odor, and body temperature emitted by animals, including humans.

In this study, the research team placed female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in a cage, divided the area into an area with infrared rays equal to human skin temperature (°C) on one side, and an area without infrared rays on the other side, and it was seen. which direction did the mosquitoes search Other conditions, including human body odor and carbon dioxide, were the same.

As a result, it was found that the number of mosquitoes that came to areas with infrared rays 34 ° C to study was twice as much as those in areas without infrared rays.

In addition, it was found that mosquitoes were able to detect infrared rays from a distance of up to 70 cm. This means that in the case of heat, mosquitoes can detect infrared rays much further away, compared to within 10cm of the skin.

The research team also found that the heat-sensing nerve cells at the tip of the mosquito’s antennae contain a protein that detects infrared rays. Mosquitoes with the tips of their antennae removed could not sense infrared light, and mosquitoes with the gene for a temperature-sensitive protein (TRPA1) turned on could not. also go to sense infrared light.

The research team revealed that infrared rays with a wavelength of 9,300 nm generated from body temperature cannot activate the visible light protein (rhodopsin) which responds to wavelengths below 700 nm, but can activate the protein TRPA1 which located up to 70 cm away to activate. .

The research team hopes that this discovery could contribute to developing ways to control mosquito populations. Effectiveness can be increased by adding a device that emits infrared rays similar to those emitted by the skin to a mosquito trap.

The research team also explains why loose clothing is particularly good at preventing mosquito bites Not only does loose clothing prevent mosquitoes from biting the skin, but the space between the skin and clothing reduces infrared emissions, making it easier for mosquitoes to bite the skin. he found them.

Skin cancer is a formative cancer that is increasing rapidly as the elderly population increases. As life expectancy increases, the amount of ultraviolet rays accumulated throughout your life increases, and the ozone layer in the atmosphere becomes thinner. The number of skin cancer patients increased by 34% in five years from 23,605 in 2018 to 31,661 in 2022.

– What type of skin cancer is it?

It is mainly divided into malignant melanoma and non-malignant melanoma. Non-melanoma skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which account for 70% of all skin cancers. Malignant melanoma is a skin cancer that occurs when melanocytes become malignant. Skin cancer is a fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 60%.

– What is the cause of the disease?

Exposure to ultraviolet rays is the biggest cause. Ultraviolet B rays directly damage skin DNA and cause mutations in cells, causing skin cancer. In addition, as age progresses, melanocytes, which protect the skin from ultraviolet rays, and Langerhans cells, which are responsible for immune function, decrease, increasing the risk of the disease a development. Since it occurs on the soles of the feet and nails that are not related to UV exposure, it is assumed that there are other causes besides UV rays, such as strong stimulation or constant stress.

– Symptoms that make you suspect skin cancer.

Skin cancer can also feel pain if it is inflamed, but it rarely complains of pain or itchiness. Skin cancer lesions grow larger or change shape over time. As cancer cells multiply, ulcers form in the lesion and may not heal.

– The mole and the skin cancer products are similar.

Asymmetric moles and tumors are usually symmetrical in shape and have smooth edges. The colors are uniform and vibrant in one or two colors. There is no change in size, shape or color, and most of them are small, less than 6 mm.

On the other hand, malignant tumors are asymmetrical in shape and have irregular borders. They are often larger than 6 mm in size and come in a variety of colors. Size, shape and color may change over time.

– What is the treatment?

The main treatment for malignant tumors is surgical removal. Wide area resection and microscopic Mohs surgery. A wide resection is a surgical procedure that largely removes normal tissue around the tumor. As it is not known how far the cancer has spread, 0.5 to 5 cm of surrounding normal tissue is removed.

Microscopic Mohs surgery is a surgical procedure that removes the cancer completely while preserving as much of the surrounding normal skin as possible. First, the visible lesion is excised, and the presence of cancer cells is determined on the cut surface through a frozen section, and only the remaining cancer cells are removed.

Daeik Kwon, medical expert Reporter >

A Whitby Island resident is receiving treatment after being bitten by a rabid bat. This is the fourth case of a Washington state resident bitten by a rabid bat this year, authorities said.
Island County authorities said a Whitby resident was being treated and recovering after being bitten by a rabid bat on the 1st. Another resident also reported seeing a large bat outside his house that day.
The state Department of Health (DOH) warns that bats are the only mammals in Washington that transmit rabies to other animals and people, and that a bite from one of these bats can be a life threatening.
DOH emphasized that any area bitten or touched by a bat should be washed with soap and get medical attention immediately, and urged people not to touch or approach wild animals, including bats. In particular, he emphasized to children that if they see a bat, they must tell an adult and be careful not to touch the carcass. In addition, authorities said that pets such as dogs, cats and pheasants should not be vaccinated against rabies.
Anyone who sees a wild animal or its carcass can report it to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Women who have been treated for colon cancer or who have a first-degree relative have a high risk of developing gynecological cancers such as endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.

Some colon cancer patients have ‘Lynch Syndrome’, and women with this syndrome are at increased risk of developing gynecological cancers such as endometrial and ovarian cancer.

Lynch syndrome is an inherited cancer syndrome that occurs when parents inherit mutations in genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS1, PMS2) that repair damage that occurs during replication DNA in it. Because it is an autosomal recessive inheritance, if one parent has a genetic mutation, there is a 50% chance of it being passed on to the child, and the risk of developing cancer increases compared to people with not Lynch syndrome.

Men with a genetic mutation associated with Lynch syndrome have a 60-80% risk of developing colon cancer, while women have a 40-60% risk. Women have a particularly high risk of developing endometrial cancer at 40-60% and ovarian cancer at 5-20%.

Park Byeong-kwan, professor of colorectal surgery at Chung-Ang University Hospital, said, “When a germline gene transfer test or immunohistochemistry (IHC) is performed on patients with colon cancer, it is found that 2 to 4% of them with Lynch syndrome. ” He said, “If there is a patient in the family with colon cancer, “If cancers associated with Lynch syndrome are found such as endometrial cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, ureteral cancer, bile duct cancer, and brain tumor. , Lynch syndrome needs to be diagnosed,” he said.

Professor Park said, “Among people who have not been diagnosed with cancer, it is recommended that patients with Lynch syndrome receive a colonoscopy every 1 to 2 years because colon polyps are known to progress quickly to cancer.”

When cancer is diagnosed, genetic mutations can be screened using tissue immunoassays or next generation using cancer tissue or blood.

High-risk groups for suspected Lynch syndrome are those diagnosed with colon cancer under the age of 50, who have three or more colon cancer patients in the same household, or diagnosed with co- associated with Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome can be diagnosed through an immunohistochemical test using a cancer tissue and a microsatellite instability test (MSI), a detailed genetic test.

There are still no accurate research reports on how many genetic mutations associated with Lynch syndrome exist in Korean women.

According to a research paper published in an international academic journal in 2021 by a research team led by Professor Eunjoo Lee from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Chung-Ang University Hospital Cancer Center, 20 types of mutations were found in the genes associated with Lynch syndrome in 25 women with endometrial cancer.

In addition, according to a domestic case in which endometrial cancer was diagnosed 6 years after colon cancer in Lynch syndrome published by the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a 36-year-old woman was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and underwent underwent surgery 6 years later. undergoing surgery for colon cancer. As a result of genetic testing after developing colon cancer, this woman was found to have a genetic sequence mutation (MSH2) consistent with Lynch syndrome.

Daeik Kwon, medical expert Reporter >

Is olive oil really good for your health? Or is it just a sign of healthy eating habits? A study recently published in JAMA Network Open has started this debate. An observational study led by researchers at the Harvard TH School of Public Health examined two groups of US health professionals and found that daily consumption of olive oil was associated with a lower risk of death from dementia.

■ Truth

– This study found that people who ate more than half a spoonful of olive oil per day had a 28% lower risk of death from dementia compared to people who ate very little olive oil.

– Participants who consumed more olive oil had a lower risk of death from dementia, regardless of diet level or whether they adhered to a Mediterranean diet (including fruit fresh, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and moderate amounts of fish and poultry).

– Researchers found that replacing 1 teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with an equal amount of olive oil reduced the risk of death from dementia by 8 to 14 percent.

– The study followed two groups of more than 92,000 American male and female medical professionals over 28 years. About 65% of the participants were women, and 4,751 people died of dementia during the study period.

■ Background information

Olive oil consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Olive oil is a major part of the Mediterranean diet. A study published in 2014 found that extra virgin olive oil, in particular, was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults.

The recently published study found that from 2022 on the same two groups, compared to people who ate very little olive oil, more olive oil was associated with about a 19% lower risk die of cardiovascular disease lost.

Olive oil also “appears to have a beneficial effect on cognitive decline” when used in the Mediterranean diet, said Marta Guasch-Perre, professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author two studies of the two populations Ferre said.

A randomized clinical trial conducted in Barcelona in 2015 also found that a Mediterranean diet containing olive oil could “prevent age-related cognitive decline” in older adults. “Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and contains antioxidant compounds that protect the brain,” says Guache-Perret.

Anne-Julie Tessier, a nutrition researcher at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health and senior author of the study, said olive oil “can cross the blood-brain barrier and benefit the brain directly . ” on heart health and indirectly supports the brain.

■ How to research

More than 92,000 participants in two groups answered questions about how often they ate different foods every four years over a 28-year period starting in 1990. Respondents recorded how often they using olive oil at home when making food such as salad dressing, bread, baking or frying.

Researchers reviewed the death certificates of participants who died during the study period to determine whether depression was the cause of death, and found that 4,751 participants died of depression, said Tessier.

What we don’t know

Although observational studies have found an association between olive oil consumption and a relatively lower risk of death from dementia, researchers have not found a causal relationship.

“Interventional studies are needed to determine causal relationships and optimal olive oil intake,” explained Guache-Perret, adding that future studies could try to examine the mechanisms by which olive oil consumption reducing the risk of death from dementia. The study also looked at the diet of health professionals, so the results may not generalize to a wider and more diverse population.

In addition, the researchers were not able to distinguish between different types of olive oil, such as virgin or extra virgin, which contained more antioxidants, said Guache-Perret.

■ Other expert opinions

David Knobman, professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said this was a very good observational study, but noted that people who eat more olive oil may be more health conscious.

“This limitation is one of the real problems in interpreting dietary data,” said Knobman, who added that the results are “consistent with our preconceived notions of what should be in healthy diet.” There are many lifestyle factors that affect cardiovascular health and mental health, including exercise, diet, sleep, and smoking, and these factors are interrelated.

“The only way to prove the cause of a therapeutic intervention is through a randomized clinical trial,” said Knobman, who said he was “highly skeptical” that a single nutrient is the key to better health.

Vasilis Vasiliou, professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health, said the Harvard study was “carefully done” and did not explain why the oil might have cardiovascular or cognitive health benefits. olive or other parts of the plant. He said major efforts were underway to “find the mechanism.”

“We don’t think it’s one or two compounds. “Olive oil contains phenolic antioxidants, which are very important in protecting against oxidative stress,” explained Vasiliou, “but there are many others,” he admits.

■ What we can do

Guache-Perret said choosing olive oil over processed fats such as margarine or mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia. Tessie also said that if you can afford it, it’s a good idea to choose vegetable oil, especially olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.

“Extra virgin olive oil is actually higher in polyphenols,” she says, “components that are beneficial for brain health than processed fats.”

Vasiliou said he drinks two tablespoons of olive oil, which is high in polyphenols, every morning and cooks with olive oil every day “You can laugh, but sometimes I even sprinkling olive oil on top of ice cream. ”

By Teddy Amenabar>