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Source: http://www.livescience.com/home/feed/site.xml

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<title><![CDATA[ A new theory of quantum gravity could explain the biggest puzzle in cosmology, study suggests ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A variation on the theory of quantum gravity — the unification of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/33816-quantum-mechanics-explanation.html"><u>quantum mechanics</u></a> and Einstein's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/32216-what-is-relativity.html"><u>general relativity</u></a> — could help solve one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology, new research suggests.</p><p>For nearly a century, scientists have known that the universe is expanding. But in recent decades, physicists have found that different types of measurements of the expansion rate — called the Hubble parameter — produce puzzling inconsistencies.</p><p>To resolve this paradox, a new study suggests incorporating quantum effects into one prominent theory used to determine the expansion rate.</p>
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<p>"We tried to resolve and explain the mismatch between the values of the Hubble parameter from two different prominent types of observations," study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://uohyd.irins.org/profile/96544" target="_blank"><u>P.K. Suresh</u></a>, a professor of physics at the University of Hyderabad in India, told Live Science via email.</p>
<h2 id="an-expanding-problem-2">An expanding problem</h2>
<p>The universe's expansion was first identified by Edwin Hubble in 1929. His observations with the largest telescope of that time revealed that galaxies farther from us appear to move away at faster speeds. Although Hubble initially overestimated the expansion rate, subsequent measurements have refined our understanding, establishing the current Hubble parameter as highly reliable.</p><p>Later in the 20th century, astrophysicists introduced a novel technique to gauge the expansion rate by examining the cosmic microwave background, the pervasive "afterglow" of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65700-big-bang-theory.html"><u>Big Bang</u></a>.</p><p>However, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/after-2-years-in-space-the-james-webb-telescope-has-broken-cosmology-can-it-be-fixed"><u>a serious problem arose</u></a> with these two types of measurements. Specifically, the newer method produced a Hubble parameter value almost 10% lower than the one deduced from the astronomical observations of distant cosmic objects. Such discrepancies between different measurements, called the Hubble tension, signal potential flaws in our understanding of the universe's evolution.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/newfound-glitch-in-einsteins-relativity-could-rewrite-the-rules-of-the-universe-study-suggests"><strong>Newfound 'glitch' in Einstein's relativity could rewrite the rules of the universe, study suggests</strong></a></p><p>In a study published in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6382/ad1a51" target="_blank"><u>Classical and Quantum Gravity</u></a>, Suresh and his colleague from the University of Hyderabad, B. Anupama, proposed a solution to align these disparate results. They underscored that physicists infer the Hubble parameter indirectly, employing our universe's evolutionary model based on Einstein's theory of general relativity.</p>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3993px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="HUSDvnfgJsiWeCDPKeP8yD" name="quantum-gravity-space-7709489.jpg" alt="A representation of galaxies twisted by gravity" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HUSDvnfgJsiWeCDPKeP8yD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="3993" height="2246" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A representation of galaxies twisted by gravity </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Image by Peace,love,happiness from Pixabay)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The team argued for revising this theory to incorporate quantum effects. These effects, intrinsic to fundamental interactions, encompass random field fluctuations and the spontaneous creation of particles from the vacuum of space.</p><p>Despite scientists' ability to integrate quantum effects into theories of other fields, quantum gravity remains elusive, making detailed calculations extremely difficult or even impossible. To make matters worse, experimental studies of these effects require reaching temperatures or energies many orders of magnitude higher than those achievable in a lab.</p><p>Acknowledging these challenges, Suresh and Anupama focused on broad quantum-gravity effects common to many proposed theories.</p><p>"Our equation doesn't need to account for everything, but that does not prevent us from testing quantum gravity or its effects experimentally," Suresh said.</p><p>Their theoretical exploration revealed that accounting for quantum effects when describing the gravitational interactions in the earliest stage of the universe's expansion, called cosmic inflation, could indeed alter the theory's predictions regarding the properties of the microwave background at present, making the two types of Hubble parameter measurements consistent.</p><p>Of course, final conclusions can be drawn only when a full-fledged theory of quantum gravity is known, but even the preliminary findings are encouraging. Moreover, the link between the cosmic microwave background and quantum gravitational effects opens the way to experimentally studying these effects in the near future, the team said.</p><p>"Quantum gravity is supposed to play a role in the dynamics of the early universe; thus its effect can be observed through measurements of the properties of the cosmic microwave background," Suresh said.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/particle-physics/mysterious-unparticles-may-be-pushing-the-universe-apart-new-theoretical-study-suggests">Mysterious 'unparticles' may be pushing the universe apart, new theoretical study suggests</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/it-could-be-profound-how-astronomer-wendy-freedman-is-trying-to-fix-the-universe">'It could be profound': How astronomer Wendy Freedman is trying to fix the universe</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/james-webb-telescope-discovers-the-oldest-most-distant-black-hole-in-the-universe">James Webb telescope discovers oldest black hole in the universe</a> </p></div></div>
<p>"Some of the future missions devoted to studying this <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/38169-electromagnetism.html">electromagnetic</a> background are highly probable and promising to test quantum gravity. … It provides a promising suggestion to resolve and validate the inflationary models of cosmology in conjunction with quantum gravity."</p><p>Additionally, the authors posit that quantum gravitational phenomena in the early universe might have shaped the properties of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/the-universe-is-rippling-with-a-faint-gravitational-wave-background-created-by-colliding-black-holes-huge-international-study-suggests">gravitational waves</a> emitted during that period. Detecting these waves with future gravitational-wave observatories could further illuminate quantum gravitational characteristics.</p><p>"Gravitational waves from various astrophysical sources have only been observed so far, but gravitational waves from the early universe have not yet been detected," Suresh said. "Hopefully, our work will help in identifying the correct inflationary model and detecting the primordial gravitational waves with quantum gravity features."</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/a-new-theory-of-quantum-gravity-could-explain-the-biggest-puzzle-in-cosmology-study-suggests</link>
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<![CDATA[ A new theory of quantum gravity, which attempts to unite quantum physics with Einstein's relativity, could help solve the puzzle of the universe's expansion, a theoretical paper suggests. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Physics & Mathematics]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ andrew.l.feldman@gmail.com (Andrey Feldman) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2mam5h3ey9Jeap2433wAvh.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[The nearby Andromeda galaxy with older stars highlighted in blue. A new theory of quantum gravity could help explain why more distant galaxies seem to be retreating faster than nearer ones.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[The nearby Andromeda galaxy with older stars highlighted in blue. A new theory of quantum gravity could help explain why more distant galaxies seem to be retreating faster than nearer ones.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Space photo of the week: Hubble spots a twisted 'train-wreck' galaxy that may hide a cosmic illusion ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><strong>What it is:</strong> NGC 4753, a lenticular galaxy</p><p><strong>Where it is:</strong> 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo</p><p><strong>When it was shared:</strong> May 13, 2024</p><p><strong>Why it's so special:</strong> This is the best-ever image of NGC 4753, a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/galaxy"><u>galaxy</u></a> with uniquely distorted dust lanes that have led some people to nickname it the "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/scientists-imaged-the-oddball-train-wreck-galaxy-known-as-ngc-4753/" target="_blank"><u>train-wreck galaxy</u></a>." </p><p>This new image from the Hubble Space Telescope, published hot on the heels of a similar image <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2403/" target="_blank"><u>taken using the Gemini South telescope</u></a> in January, shows NGC 4753 in more detail than ever before. A bright white core sits at the center of the image, with dark-brown dust lanes creating an almost web-like tunnel or tent around its nucleus. </p>
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<p>NGC 4753 is a lenticular galaxy — a cross between a spiral galaxy like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/milky-way"><u>Milky Way</u></a> and an elliptical galaxy, according to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/galaxies/types/" target="_blank"><u>NASA</u></a>. Lenticular galaxies have a central bulge and disk — just like a spiral galaxy — but they appear to lack spiral arms teeming with stars. Instead, like elliptical galaxies, they have stars orbiting in a featureless pattern. Those scattered stars are often older, with few new stars being born. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/some-of-the-oldest-stars-in-the-universe-found-hiding-near-the-milky-ways-edge-and-they-may-not-be-alone"><u><strong>Some of the oldest stars in the universe found hiding near the Milky Way's edge — and they may not be alone</strong></u></a></p><p>Scientists have suggested that NGC 4753's unique look could simply be thanks to our view of it; if viewed directly from above, it may look identical to a spiral galaxy, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://noirlab.edu/public/images/noirlab2403b/" target="_blank"><u>National Science Foundation</u></a>.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/space-photo-of-the-week-gods-hand-leaves-astronomers-scratching-their-heads">Space photo of the week: 'God's Hand' leaves astronomers scratching their heads</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/space-photo-of-the-week-warped-hummingbird-galaxy-guards-a-cosmic-egg">Space photo of the week: Warped 'hummingbird galaxy' guards a cosmic egg</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/cosmology/space-photo-of-the-week-hubble-catches-a-baseball-galaxy-with-a-black-hole-heart">Space photo of the week: Hubble catches a 'baseball galaxy' with a black hole heart</a></p></div></div>
<p>It's thought that NGC 4753 merged with a dwarf galaxy about 1.3 billion years ago, which could explain where the dust lanes around its nucleus came from. </p><p>NGC 4753 was first discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1784, and it has since been the location of two known supernova explosions. Both of those explosions were very rare Type Ia supernovas, which are when binary star systems consisting of a white dwarf star (the compact remnant of a sun-like star) and a larger companion star explode. Because these kinds of supernovas shine at exactly the same intrinsic brightness, astronomers use them to measure distance in the universe. They can even be used to measure <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/after-2-years-in-space-the-james-webb-telescope-has-broken-cosmology-can-it-be-fixed"><u>how fast the universe is expanding</u></a>.</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/space-photo-of-the-week-hubble-spots-a-twisted-train-wreck-galaxy-that-may-hide-a-cosmic-illusion</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ The Hubble Space Telescope's stunning image of the dusty 'train-wreck' galaxy NGC 4753 reveals what may be one of the greatest optical illusions in the nearby universe. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
<media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ttKn4CoWDKNMZVd2pxb8v3.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Kelsey]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A photo of NGC 4753, a lenticular galaxy with a cobweb like appearance]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photo of NGC 4753, a lenticular galaxy with a cobweb like appearance]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Why is there sometimes a green flash at sunset and sunrise? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>As the sun dips below the horizon and the light starts to dim, lucky observers may spot a rare, brief flash of emerald. This is the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/26376-green-flash.html"><u>"green flash</u></a>," which can sometimes be seen right after sunset or before sunrise. </p><p>So what causes the green flash?</p>
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<p>Like many colorful spectacles in the sky, such as rainbows, the green flash is the result of sunlight being separated into different colors. Normally, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-color-sun.html">sunlight is white</a> because it is made up of all of the wavelengths of visible light, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/physics/staff/johannescourtial/#" target="_blank">Johannes Courtial</a>, an optics researcher at the University of Glasgow, told Live Science. But when white light passes through a medium that is higher-density, like glass or water, at an angle, wavelengths of different colors start to bend and separate. This separation is called refraction.</p><p>Earth's atmosphere, with its varying density of gases, can refract light, too. It's why we sometimes see <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/ethereal-halo-and-light-arcs-around-the-sun-captured-in-photos-of-ultra-rare-phenomena"><u>rainbow halos around the sun</u></a>, or mirages in the distance, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ggweather.com/resume.html" target="_blank"><u>Jan Null</u></a>, a meteorologist based in California. Refraction is especially apparent when the sun gets closer to the horizon, because sunlight is entering the thickest part of the atmosphere at a particularly sharp angle. This is when the green flash may be visible, Null said.</p>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:734px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:59.95%;"><img id="pvneM5Pb72zP6M3j8KNsDK" name="Green-flash-diagram.jpg" alt="A diagram showing how different wavelengths of light are bent by the atmosphere at slightly different angles as the sun sets, briefly leaving only the green wavelength visible to an observer on Earth" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pvneM5Pb72zP6M3j8KNsDK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="734" height="440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Light rays from the sun pass through the atmosphere, which acts like a prism. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Reproduced from "Johannes Courtial; A simple experiment that demonstrates the “green flash”. Am. J. Phys. 1 November 2012; 80 (11): 955–961. https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4746384; Figure 1," with the permission of the American Association of Physics Teachers.)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Most green flashes fall into two categories. One type occurs just before the sun disappears. This is the one referenced in Jules Verne's novel "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Green-Ray-Jules-Verne/dp/1905222122" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><u>The Green Ray</u></a>," Null said. But the type Null sees more often is when the sun is still above the water. "You get this light off the top of the disk," he said.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/when-will-sun-explode"><u><strong>When will the sun explode?</strong></u></a></p>
<h2 id="how-to-see-the-green-flash-2">How to see the green flash</h2>
<p>For the best chances of seeing this verdant flash, the right conditions need to align. First, you have to be able to see the sun while it's close to the horizon, like on the coast or high up in the mountains, Courtial said. In coastal areas like San Francisco, you're also most likely to spot the green flash on warmer days, when there's a layer of warm air on top of colder water, Null said. These layers of air help to refract sunlight.</p><p>Whether green is visible also "depends on what stuff there is in the atmosphere," Courtial said. Particles can scatter blue and purple light, making green light more apparent. Courtial demonstrated this in <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doi.org/10.1119/1.4746384" target="_blank"><u>a simple experiment</u></a>: by adding milk powder to a tank full of water and then shining a white bike light into it. When he added just the right concentration of those particles, "you see a vibrant green," he said.</p><p>Of course, you also need to be able to have a direct line of sight of the sun on a clear day to see the green flash, which is easier said than done. (Never look directly at the sun without <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/where-to-get-solar-eclipse-glasses-last-minute"><u>special eye protection</u></a>, as it can <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/eyes-hurt-after-the-eclipse-signs-of-retinal-damage-explained"><u>damage your eyes</u></a>.) So Null recommended using <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ggweather.com/flash/#:~:text=The%20Green%20Flash%20is%20an,mirages%20in%20the%20lower%20atmosphere." target="_blank"><u>a camera with a zoom lens</u></a> to capture the green flash (again, make sure to exercise caution and protect your eyes). Zooming in on the sun also makes tiny flashes more visible, Null noted.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED MYSTERIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/maximum-number-of-planets-orbit-sun">What's the maximum number of planets that could orbit the sun?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/is-earth-moving-closer-farther-sun">Is Earth getting closer to the sun, or farther away?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/do-gaseous-moons-exist">Are there any moons that are made of gas?</a></p></div></div>
<p>Green flashes usually happen in less than a second. But if you're lucky, a green flash could shine for a minute or two. Null has observed this only rarely, even after over 45 years of documenting this phenomenon. Green flashes can be sustained if the conditions in the atmosphere stay stable enough, he said.</p><p>"It's really weird when you see green in the sky," Courtial said, which is likely why the green flash is so intriguing. So, the next time you're watching a sunset, indulge in that fascination. Now, you know more on how it happens.</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/why-is-there-sometimes-a-green-flash-at-sunset-and-sunrise</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ On a clear day, sometimes a green flash appears with the sun on the horizon just after sunset or before sunrise. But why does this happen? ]]>
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<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Planet Earth]]></category>
<media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YmLU4pBWRQxRRX29SnwUsn.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[David McManus via Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A photograph of a sunset over the ocean with a green flash around the sun.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photograph of a sunset over the ocean with a green flash around the sun.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Newfound autoimmune syndrome tied to COVID-19 can trigger deadly lung scarring ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Researchers have discovered a new <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/autoimmune-disease"><u>autoimmune</u></a> syndrome associated with COVID-19 that can cause life-threatening lung disease. </p><p>The syndrome — which scientists have dubbed "MDA5-autoimmunity and interstitial pneumonitis contemporaneous with the COVID-19 pandemic," or MIP-C for short — is a rare, serious condition in which the immune system inadvertently attacks the body. In the worst cases, the lungs end up so scarred and stiff that the only way to save the patient is a full lung transplant. </p><p>However, only a portion of cases involve the lungs. "Two-thirds of our cases did not have lung disease," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://medicinehealth.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/staff/2524/professor-dennis-mcgonagle" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Dennis McGonagle</u></a>, a rheumatologist at the University of Leeds in the U.K. who first started piecing together the patterns of the new disease. "But we did see that eight cases rapidly progressed and died despite all the high-tech therapies we could throw at them." </p>
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<p>In all, McGonagle and his colleagues have identified 60 cases of the syndrome so far. They published a study of the cases May 8 in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(24)00171-3/fulltext#secsectitle0010" target="_blank"><u>eBioMedicine</u></a>.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/covid-19-linked-to-40-increase-in-autoimmune-disease-risk-in-huge-study"><u><strong>COVID-19 linked to 40% increase in autoimmune disease risk in huge study</strong></u></a></p><p>The disease looks similar to the known condition MDA5 dermatomyositis, which is seen almost entirely in women of Asian descent, McGonagle told Live Science.</p><p>In it, patients experience joint aches, muscle inflammation and skin rashes, and in two-thirds of cases, they develop life-threatening lung scarring. MDA5 dermatomyositis happens when the immune system attacks one of its own: a protein called MDA5 that normally helps detect <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-is-RNA.html"><u>RNA</u></a> viruses. Such viruses include those that cause influenza, Ebola and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/coronavirus"><u>COVID-19</u></a>. </p><p>To better understand autoimmunity against MDA5, hospitals associated with the University of Leeds in Yorkshire began screening people with autoimmune symptoms for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/antibodies.html"><u>antibodies</u></a> against the protein. Back in 2018, they found three patients who fit the bill. They saw another three cases the following year and eight more in 2020 — but then, in 2021, there were suddenly 35. </p><p>The patients carried anti-MDA5 antibodies, but their disease was different from the previously known dermatomyositis. Most cases didn't involve the lungs; new patients were mostly white rather than of Asian descent; and affected women only slightly outnumbered men. </p><p>McGonagle reached out to <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://cmm.ucsd.edu/research/labs/ghosh/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Pradipta Ghosh</u></a> at the University of California, San Diego to investigate further. Ghosh had been using a computational framework to take medical testing data and find common threads between conditions. Her team previously published work about <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00366-8/fulltext" target="_blank"><u>lung scarring in COVID-19</u></a>, as well as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30357-w" target="_blank"><u>MIS-C</u></a>, an inflammatory syndrome that arises in some children after they have COVID-19. </p><p>The team compared medical records from patients with the mystery condition, patients with COVID-induced pneumonia and patients with lung scarring unrelated to viruses. Patients with pneumonia and the autoimmune condition both showed increased activity in the gene IFIH1, which provides the blueprint for MDA5. </p><p>Most patients with the mystery syndrome did not have a recently confirmed case of COVID-19 in their records, but it's probable many were exposed to the coronavirus and had either mild or asymptomatic disease, McGonagle said, given the timing of their cases. More than half of the patients were confirmed vaccinated for COVID-19, although which specific vaccine each person got is unknown. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/immune-system/master-regulator-of-inflammation-found-and-its-in-the-brain-stem"><u><strong>Master regulator of inflammation found — and it's in the brain stem</strong></u></a></p><p>The new study suggests that exposure to the coronavirus's RNA, COVID-19 vaccines or both may sometimes trigger the production of anti-MDA5 antibodies, McGonagle said.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/immune-system/women-have-4-times-mens-rate-of-autoimmune-disease-the-x-chromosome-may-be-to-blame">Women have 4 times men's rate of autoimmune disease. The X chromosome may be to blame.</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/medicine-drugs/new-inverse-vaccine-could-wipe-out-autoimmune-diseases-but-more-research-is-needed">New 'inverse vaccine' could wipe out autoimmune diseases, but more research is needed</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/immune-system/master-regulator-of-inflammation-found-and-its-in-the-brain-stem">Master regulator of inflammation found — and it's in the brain stem</a></p></div></div>
<p>Normally, MDA5 activates when it senses viral RNA in a cell and prompts the body to make antibodies against the virus. But in people with MIP-C, this immune response goes wrong. Either the body mistakes the MDA5 protein as foreign and attacks it, or the RNA kicks off such a strong immune response that the body's own proteins, including MDA5, become targeted for immune attack, McGonagle suggested.</p><p>The activation of IFIH1 came with a flood of an inflammatory protein called interleukin-15 (IL-15), the researchers found. IL-15 activates a class of immune cells that normally kill infected cells but can sometimes go rogue and attack the body's own cells.</p><p>"Our work should alert doctors to start thinking that if you see there was some exposure to virus or the vaccine or just a contact to somebody who had COVID and they come in with joint pains, rashes, aches … let's look at the lungs," Ghosh told Live Science. </p><p>The researchers are still collecting data, but new cases of MIP-C now appear to be slowing. In 2022, Yorkshire saw 17 cases — about half of 2021's rate. The intense RNA exposure of the widespread COVID waves of 2021 plus mass vaccination may have driven that year's spike, McGonagle theorized. The researchers said they have received reports of possible MIP-C from other regions, as well.</p><p>The study also uncovered a particular genetic sequence within the IFIH1 gene that, in people who had that sequence, seemed to prevent the runaway IL-15 inflammatory response. The next step is to understand why others are vulnerable to it, Ghosh said.</p><p><em>This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.</em></p><p><em>Ever wonder why </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/why-is-it-harder-for-some-people-to-build-muscle-than-others"><u><em>some people build muscle more easily than others</em></u></a><em> or </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/why-do-freckles-come-out-in-the-sun"><u><em>why freckles come out in the sun</em></u></a><em>? Send us your questions about how the human body works to </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="mailto:community@livescience.com?subject=%20Health%20Desk%20Q" target="_blank"><u><em>community@livescience.com</em></u></a><em> with the subject line "Health Desk Q," and you may see your question answered on the website!</em></p>
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<link>https://www.livescience.com/health/coronavirus/newfound-autoimmune-syndrome-tied-to-covid-19-can-trigger-deadly-lung-scarring</link>
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<![CDATA[ A surge in cases of a rare autoimmune disease during COVID-19 waves in England led to the discovery of a new syndrome. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 16:00:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Coronavirus]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections & Disease]]></category>
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<title><![CDATA[ 32 diseases you can catch from animals ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Animals, as cute as some of them may be, can be a source of illness for humans. These so-called <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/zoonotic-disease.html"><u>zoonotic diseases</u></a> can originate from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/51641-bacteria.html"><u>bacteria</u></a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/53272-what-is-a-virus.html"><u>viruses</u></a>, parasites or fungi. In fact, most infectious diseases that plague people can be spread by animals. More than six in every 10 known infectious diseases in people can come from animals, while three out of every four new diseases in people originally come from animals, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rural-health/php/public-health-strategy/public-health-strategies-for-zoonotic-diseases-in-rural-america.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/zoonotic_diseases.html" target="_blank"><u>according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</u></a>(CDC). </p><p>From rabies to fish tank granuloma, here are 32 diseases that you can catch from animals… but hopefully won't.</p>
<h2 id="1-rabies-2">1. Rabies</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="hBY34cmDb5fBXV7ZnLAFGR" name="rabies-cdc-23883.jpg" alt="A photo of a dog on the street eating what appears to be roadkill near the curb" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hBY34cmDb5fBXV7ZnLAFGR.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Nicholas S. Tenorio, Health Communication Specialist)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>When an infected animal bites another animal, or a person, they can transmit this nervous system ailment. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Rabies takes time to pass to the brain</u></a>, which is when people show symptoms like fever or headache, which progress to delirium, hallucinations and abnormal behavior. The disease is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/rabies/index.html" target="_blank"><u>almost always fatal</u></a> once symptoms appear, though it can be prevented if animals are vaccinated. In the U.S., rabies is most common in wild animals — think bats, skunks and foxes. But dogs still carry it in other countries, and they're behind most human deaths from the disease, according to the CDC. </p>
<h2 id="2-trichinosis-2">2. Trichinosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UyGABpbiywEvRhqGaZZUWe" name="Trichinosis-cdc-10180.jpg" alt="a photomicrograph depicting a Trichinella spiralis cyst, that was embedded in a muscle tissue specimen" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UyGABpbiywEvRhqGaZZUWe.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Irving G. Kagan)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Trichinosis, also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html" target="_blank"><u>known as trichinellosis</u></a>, passes to humans when they eat undercooked or raw meat that carry the larvae of the roundworm <em>Trichinella spiralis</em>. It particularly affects bears, cougars, wild boars and pigs, according to the CDC. Though death from trichinosis is rare, it's possible. Usually, initial symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fever and fatigue; they can progress to aching joints, itchy skin, constipation and cough. In fact, most people may pass it off as a flu. Trichinosis is diagnosed with a blood test or muscle biopsy, and prescription medications can treat it. About 20 cases a year pop up in the U.S., so it's not common but worth noting, according to the CDC.</p>
<h2 id="3-cat-scratch-disease-2">3. Cat Scratch Disease</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="CWKEkrqRCdtckfqYRDPDi5" name="catscratchdisease-cdc-22328.jpg" alt="A photograph of a patient's hand with a lesion caused by a cat scratch" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CWKEkrqRCdtckfqYRDPDi5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Sellers, Grady Hospital)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Your favorite feline is cute and fuzzy until they bite or scratch you — that's when you can potentially develop cat scratch disease, which is caused by the bacterium <em>Bartonella henselae. </em>Most people don't show any symptoms after being infected and get better without treatment. Fleas are the culprit here, as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/bartonella/index.html" target="_blank"><u>they spread the bacteria between cats</u></a>. Kittens are more likely to have it than grown adult cats, and they're more likely to pass it to humans. A blood test can diagnose if you have it, and symptoms range from swollen lymph nodes to fever, headache, appetite loss and pustules near the wound. Antibiotics can help, but it usually resolves on its own — maybe unlike your relationship with the cat.</p>
<h2 id="4-ancylostoma-caninum-2">4. Ancylostoma caninum</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="qsLm8bBAVdE8rXNoPiWNmD" name="Ancylostoma-cdc-5205.jpg" alt="This photograph depicts a close view of the small intestinal mucosa of a canine, revealing the presence of Ancylostoma caninum hookworms, atop the intestinal villi." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qsLm8bBAVdE8rXNoPiWNmD.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>A variety of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/" target="_blank"><u>hookworm infections</u></a> can pass from dogs and cats to humans — <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/" target="_blank"><em>Ancylostoma caninum</em> </a>is just one type. The parasite's eggs are released into the environment when an animal defecates. Animals and humans can then become infected either by inadvertently eating them or touching them with unprotected, broken skin, according to the CDC. Most hookworm infestations lead to a skin condition known as "cutaneous larva migrans," which causes redness and itching. Over time, red tracks can appear that track the larvae's movement under the skin. Itching and pain can go on for several weeks until the larvae die and the reaction clears up. Regular deworming can help eliminate the worms from pets and thus lower the chances of the parasite getting into soil nearby, hopefully ensuring you never get this parasite.</p>
<h2 id="5-bird-flu-2">5. Bird flu</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="mAR9jm2eS48Jm6r69NvSvK" name="birdflu-cdc-8038.jpg" alt="Black and white microscopic image of bird flu virus particles" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mAR9jm2eS48Jm6r69NvSvK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC/ Cynthia Goldsmith; Jackie Katz)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Bird flu occurs if you're infected with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/prevention.htm" target="_blank"><u>avian influenza type A viruses</u></a>. These viruses regularly circulate in birds and other animals, but they normally don't affect humans. Infected birds can distribute the virus via their saliva, mucus and feces. In other animals, the virus may appear in organs, blood or bodily fluids, including milk. People can acquire bird flu by getting the virus in their eyes, nose or mouth, or by inhaling it. Touching something with the virus on it and then rubbing your eyes, for example, can also put it into your body. Doctors diagnose bird flu with a nasal swab, and medications are available that can treat it, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/prevention.htm" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>. Symptoms can be mild, like a flu or cold, and include fever, body aches, nausea and diarrhea. However, some cases can be severe — between January 2003 and March 2024, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON512" target="_blank"><u>nearly 890 cases of human infection</u></a> with a bird flu subtype called H5N1 were reported in 23 countries, and 463 were fatal.</p>
<h2 id="6-herpes-b-2">6. Herpes B</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="9PCZgYJgzXhiPVXKKb28qW" name="herpesb-cdc-14632.jpg" alt="A photograph of a rhesus monkey perched atop a wall in India." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9PCZgYJgzXhiPVXKKb28qW.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC/ Dr. Roger Broderson)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>This one's super rare, but could happen if you regularly interact with macaque monkeys. The herpes B virus can be transmitted when an infected monkey bites or scratches a person. The virus is common in these monkeys, and it can be found in their saliva, urine, feces and brain or spinal cord tissue, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/herpes-b-virus/causes/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/herpesbvirus/transmission.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>. The virus can survive for hours on surfaces, which gives it more time to spread. In humans, symptoms can start out as flu-like and then progress to muscle coordination issues and difficulty breathing. The rare infection leads to death in an estimated <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/epidemiology-fact-sheets/b-virus/" target="_blank"><u>70% of untreated cases</u></a>. If you do come down with herpes B, antivirals are available. Just one case has been reported where someone got this and gave it to another human, so at least if it happens it's just between you and the monkey.</p>
<h2 id="7-fish-tank-granuloma-2">7. Fish tank granuloma</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="7fhmm4Ky4TZ6Qo8BWjARgi" name="fishtankgranuloma-cdc-23055.jpg" alt="a top-down view of a Petri dish culture plate containing three mycobacterium marinum bacterial colonies" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7fhmm4Ky4TZ6Qo8BWjARgi.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Charles C. Shepard)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Fish handlers, beware. Fish tank granuloma is a rare skin infection caused by <em>Mycobacterium marinum, </em>an organism found in stagnant saltwater and freshwater such as ponds and aquariums, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.aocd.org/page/FishTankGranuloma#:~:text=Fish%20tank%20granuloma%20is%20a,chlorinated%20swimming%20pools%2C%20and%20aquariums" target="_blank"><u>American College of Osteopathic Dermatology</u></a>. Handling a fish tank or shucking oysters can put you at risk for this infection. The bacteria enters through the skin, but is not spread from person to person. Your doctor may suggest a skin biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. There are antibiotics that can help, though it can take up to two years to fully clear the infection.</p>
<h2 id="8-bubonic-plague-2">8. Bubonic plague</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ZUF7fZCJqZL29iTaFA5VS6" name="blackdeath-cdc-21591.jpg" alt="a photomicrograph of a lung tissue sample from a patient with secondary plague pneumonia" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZUF7fZCJqZL29iTaFA5VS6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. H.E. Stark)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>It may sound like a thing of the past, but the bubonic plague that sparked the famous Black Death epidemic still happens today. It's caused by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/plague/index.html" target="_blank"><u>bacteria </u><u><em>Yersinia pestis</em></u></a>. Dogs, cats and rodents, such as rats and squirrels, can acquire the bacteria and spread it to humans that come in contact with their contaminated fluids or tissues. Most often, though, the microbe is transmitted to humans when they're bitten by a flea that's carrying it. Rarely, people can also get it from <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/plague/causes/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/plague/transmission/index.html" target="_blank"><u>airborne droplets coughed out by an infected person</u></a>, or by coming into contact with that person's bodily fluids. Fever, chills, weakness and swollen, painful lymph nodes are the main symptoms. Bubonic plague <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/12951-10-infectious-diseases-ebola-plague-influenza.html"><u>can still kill you</u></a> if left untreated, but antibiotics can successfully cure the infection.</p>
<h2 id="9-cysticercosis-2">9. Cysticercosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="XokZMGdGtDvBYqsRxLVhnL" name="Cysticercosis-wiki.jpg" alt="a microscopic image of a tissue sample infected with the parasite Taenia solium" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XokZMGdGtDvBYqsRxLVhnL.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Jensflorian)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Cysts from the tapeworm <em>Taenia solium</em> can cause a parasitic infection known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/cysticercosis/" target="_blank"><u>cysticercosis</u></a>. People get this by inadvertently swallowing eggs found in the feces of a person who has the tapeworm. Hand washing can help prevent its spread. Sometimes, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/parasitic-worms-found-in-mans-brain-after-he-likely-ate-undercooked-bacon"><u>noshing on raw or undercooked pork</u></a> containing these cysts can also transmit the parasite. Blood tests can diagnose mild infections, while a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan can be used to identify worms that have burrowed into the brain. Some people don't require treatment for cysticercosis, but it can cause <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/dead-brain-tapeworm-twenty-year-infection"><u>symptoms such as seizures</u></a> and other side effects in others, in which case medication can treat the infection. </p>
<h2 id="10-ebola-2">10. Ebola</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="tM9ZvNgYZFKs87fGnws7YY" name="ebola-cdc-23185.jpg" alt="an electron microscopic image of an isolate of Ebola virus. The internal structures of the filamentous particle are visible, including the nucleocapsid and other structural viral proteins, and the outer viral envelope is covered with surface projections." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tM9ZvNgYZFKs87fGnws7YY.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Frederick Murphy)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>It's thought that the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/48311-ebola-causes-symptoms-treatment.html"><u>Ebola virus</u></a> spreads to humans through close contact with the blood, bodily fluids or organs of these primates, as well as infected monkeys, fruit bats, forest antelope and porcupines, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ebola-virus-disease" target="_blank"><u>World Health Organization</u></a>. Sudden fever, weakness, sore throat, headache and vomiting are initial symptoms of infection in people; impaired kidney and liver function can follow, along with both internal and external bleeding. About half of all people who contract Ebola die from it, but early care can reduce the risk of death. The good news is that we have a vaccine that works against one strain of Ebola virus, and scientists are working to develop shots for the other strains.</p>
<h2 id="11-lyme-disease-2">11. Lyme Disease</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="q9Qjmp733zUiANTKDp9dKk" name="lyme-wiki.jpg" alt="A close-up photo of a black-legged tick" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q9Qjmp733zUiANTKDp9dKk.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Dwstultz)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/tick-bites-symptoms-treatment-and-tick-borne-diseases"><u>Tick bites</u></a> can transmit the bacteria that causes <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/lyme-disease-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment"><u>Lyme disease</u></a>. In the U.S., the bacterial culprit is typically <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, but <em>B. mayonii </em>is sometimes to blame. Fever, fatigue, headache and a ring-like rash may accompany a bite. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect your heart, joints and nervous system, and pain, fatigue or difficulty thinking can persist in Lyme patients for years. Doctors use a blood test to diagnose Lyme disease and, if you catch it early enough, antibiotics may be able to help treat the infection. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/data-research/facts-stats/index.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC estimates that about 476,000</u></a> people in the U.S. may be diagnosed with and treated for the disease each year.</p>
<h2 id="12-brucellosis-2">12. Brucellosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Mmvxo6DLi2RFn9EtTmY9q3" name="Brucellosis-wiki.jpg" alt="a close-up photo of the swollen knees of a cow that's standing in a barn" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mmvxo6DLi2RFn9EtTmY9q3.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: RianHS)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>If you eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products or have an open wound, you can be at risk of <em>Brucella </em>infection, or brucellosis. The bacteria infect goats, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs and camels, getting into their bodies and milk. People working with the bacteria in labs are especially prone to this infection, as they can breathe in the microbe, and people who work in meat-packing plants and slaughterhouses are also vulnerable. The infection can't spread from person to person. Symptoms include malaise, anorexia, headache, depression, arthritis and fever, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/index.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>. Some symptoms can go away but others can recur. If you suspect that you have brucellosis, your doctor will conduct tests on blood, bone marrow or other body fluids. Antibiotics are available, but recovery can take a few weeks or months. The good news: death from the bacteria is rare. </p>
<h2 id="13-mad-cow-disease-2">13. Mad cow disease</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="qHLDkKdkV7YNsfc9vtEow8" name="madcowdisease-wiki-2893441048.jpg" alt="a photograph of a brown and white cow with horns sitting in grass" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qHLDkKdkV7YNsfc9vtEow8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: kevincure)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Also known as <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mad-cow/php/animal-health/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/prions/bse/index.html" target="_blank"><u>bovine spongiform encephalopathy</u></a> (BSE), mad cow disease affects cattle and causes progressive neurological problems in the animals. BSE is caused by prions, or abnormal, pathogenic forms of proteins that can cause normal proteins near them to misfold and malfunction. Cows can develop the disease if fed meal containing tissues from affected cows, or less commonly, they can develop it spontaneously. The human form of the disease is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and people can get it by eating food products made from infected cattle. The human disease leads to rapid dementia and neuromuscular disturbances that quickly get worse. It's super rare for people to get it, but worth a mention on this list because, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/all-about-bse-mad-cow-disease" target="_blank"><u>as of a 2020 report</u></a>, no person who has contracted CJD has survived. </p>
<h2 id="14-toxocariasis-2">14. Toxocariasis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="tggU6dhgVRJ2EGXEhGYFJF" name="Toxocariasis-wiki.jpg" alt="a photo of Toxocara canis adult nematode worms from a dog" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tggU6dhgVRJ2EGXEhGYFJF.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: lan R. Walker)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The roundworm that causes toxocariasis can go from dogs and cats to humans, but not from human to human. Larvae from two species of <em>Toxocara</em> roundworms — <em>T. canis</em> from dogs and <em>T. cati</em> from cats — are shed in the animals' feces, and those eggs can be accidently swallowed by people if they touch their mouths with contaminated hands. You may not have symptoms if you pick up this parasite. That said, the infection can become systemic, in which case medications are available, while a form of the infection that affects the eyes is harder to treat, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/toxocariasis/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/index.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>.</p>
<h2 id="15-echinococcosis-2">15. Echinococcosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="NE7Q6srcJBu5WmZrsGCeHN" name="Echinococcus-wiki-01.jpg" alt="A laboratory image of an adult tapeworm" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NE7Q6srcJBu5WmZrsGCeHN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Alan R Walker)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/index.html" target="_blank">Echinococcosis</a> is a parasitic disease caused by a tapeworm in the genus <em>Echinococcus</em>. The infection is classified either as cystic echinococcosis (CE) or alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The <em>E. granulosus </em>tapeworm that causes CE is found in dogs, sheep, goats and pigs. Most people that contract CE don't have symptoms but it can sometimes lead to enlarged cysts in the liver, lungs and other organs. Foxes, dogs and coyotes carry <em>E. multilocularis, </em>which causes AE. It's rare in humans but more serious than CE, and it can cause tumors and be fatal, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/echinococcosis/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/echinococcosis/index.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>.</p>
<h2 id="16-giardiasis-2">16. Giardiasis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="aqzuN7FpoJLZCDB9PQRAcW" name="Giardia-wiki-01.jpg" alt="A microscopic image of giardia intestinalis. The nucleus, flagella, parabasal body, and axonemes are visible." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aqzuN7FpoJLZCDB9PQRAcW.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Stefan Walkowski)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><em>Giardia</em> is a tiny parasite that causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. You can pick it up from contaminated surfaces as well as from soil, food and water containing the feces of infected people or animals. The infection occurs worldwide. Some people have no symptoms while others have diarrhea, gas, greasy stools, stomach cramps, vomiting and dehydration within one to two weeks of infection, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/giardia/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/general-info.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>. Similar <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/giardia/about/about-giardia-and-pets.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/prevention-control-pets.html" target="_blank"><u>symptoms can emerge in pets</u></a> and humans. There's a low risk of getting this parasite from your pet, but dog and cat stool can sometimes contain it. </p>
<h2 id="17-gnathostomiasis-xa0-2">17. Gnathostomiasis </h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="E6GSK3extbPzcwCAtigt6e" name="Gnathostomiasis-shutterstock_2272533993.jpg" alt="A microscopic photo of a worm in the genus Gnathostoma" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/E6GSK3extbPzcwCAtigt6e.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shutterstock / medicalNN)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Parasitic worms in the genus <em>Gnathostoma</em> are the culprit behind gnathostomiasis. You can get it from eating raw or undercooked fish, birds, eels, frogs and reptiles, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/gnathostoma/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/gnathostoma/faqs.html" target="_blank"><u>CDC</u></a>. The parasite reproduces in many mammals, including dogs, cats, opossums, raccoons, pigs, tigers, leopards, wild boars and weasels. The human infection causes swelling in the skin and increases the number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. In rare cases, it can cause blindness. Symptoms may be non-existent at first but can progress to fatigue, fever, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea. Doctors diagnose it with a blood test, and there are medications to treat it. The infection is most common in Southeast Asia, but it has also affected people in South and Central America, Asia and Africa. </p>
<h2 id="18-toxoplasmosis-2">18. Toxoplasmosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YQjTzFLQikGnttrUBsTmej" name="Toxoplasmosi-cdc-21122.jpg" alt="Photomicrograph of a tissue sample, revealed a close view of a darkly stained, Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst filled with dark purple circles" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YQjTzFLQikGnttrUBsTmej.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Green)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Toxoplasmosis</u></a> is a result of the parasite <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, also known as the cat-poop parasite. The infection can be especially serious in people who get it before or during pregnancy, and in people who are immunocompromised. Some people infected by toxoplasma don't have symptoms; others feel like they have the flu, or experience swollen lymph nodes or muscle aches lasting for a month or more. Serious cases can impact the brain, eyes and other organs. Doctors use blood tests to diagnose it; some people don't need treatment but medications are available. </p>
<h2 id="19-swimmer-apos-s-itch-2">19. Swimmer's itch</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="jYfBjSaw4DezsnEUYDbRp5" name="swimmersitch-wiki.jpg" alt="A photograph of a white man's hand with a dark red rash" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jYfBjSaw4DezsnEUYDbRp5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: vlastní foto)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The technical name for swimmer's itch is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/cercarialdermatitis/index.html" target="_blank"><u>cercarial dermatitis</u></a>, though some also refer to it as duck itch or clam digger's itch. It happens when people are infected by parasites in the water near ponds and lakes, and many of the parasites are found in geese, ducks and muskrats. When the animals defecate, the eggs can enter water systems and then infect shallow-water snails. The snails then release the mature parasite into the water, which puts humans at risk. If you get it, you'll see a pimple-like rash where you touched the water. The rash can start within minutes or take up to two days to appear. Swimmer's itch does typically go away on its own, but there are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21783-swimmers-itch-cercarial-dermatitis" target="_blank"><u>treatments to relieve the discomfort</u></a>.</p>
<h2 id="20-crypto-2">20. Crypto</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="dquyiESia5fodTfn6fK9jA" name="crypto-cdc-14383.jpg" alt="This photomicrograph show small intestine tissues samples in a case of the parasitic disease cryptosporidiosis" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dquyiESia5fodTfn6fK9jA.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Jonathan W.M. Gold. M.D.)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Many species of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> can infect animals, and some can be passed on to humans. These parasites are the culprit behind the diarrheal disease <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/cryptosporidium/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/general.html" target="_blank"><u>cryptosporidiosis</u></a>, or "Crypto." It's caused by one tough parasite whose outer shell shields it from the effects of chlorine. The parasite can spread to people in a variety of ways, but drinking contaminated water is the most common. <em>C. parvum </em>and <em>C. hominis </em>are the most common species. Immunocompromised people can be more vulnerable to the infection and have more severe symptoms, which include stomach cramps, watery diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, sometimes for several weeks. Doctors diagnose Crypto with a stool sample and typically won't need to treat it, though medication is available.</p>
<h2 id="21-leptospirosis-2">21. Leptospirosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="4gYUUC3VEBaENGFnquYpQG" name="Leptospirosis-cdc-22465.jpg" alt="A liver tissue sample shows evidence of bacteria in the genus Leptospira" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4gYUUC3VEBaENGFnquYpQG.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Martin Hicklin)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Dogs, rodents, cattle and other wild animals can carry bacteria from the genus <em>Leptospira, </em>which can cause <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/infection/index.html" target="_blank"><u>leptospirosis</u></a> in animals and humans. When animals urinate, the bacteria can get into the soil or water, where they can survive for several months. If you're exposed to contaminated water, the bacteria can then get into your eyes, nose or mouth, or enter your body through broken skin. The risk of infection often increases after a hurricane or flood, which can expose people to contaminated water. Animals may not have symptoms, but humans can experience fever, muscle aches, jaundice, stomach pain and rash. Leptospirosis can cause kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory ailments, and it can be fatal. Antibiotics can treat the infection effectively.</p>
<h2 id="22-listeriosis-2">22. Listeriosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="STxDptKjHksPkDDmqsZABM" name="Listeriosis-wiki.jpg" alt="A gloved hand holds a circular petri dish with visible bacterial colonies" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/STxDptKjHksPkDDmqsZABM.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/" target="_blank"><u>Listeriosis</u></a> occurs when you eat food contaminated with the bacteria <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em>. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/listeria-monocytogenes-outbreak-unknown-source"><u>Listeria outbreaks</u></a> are fairly common, but don't necessarily affect huge numbers of people — about 1,600 people in the U.S. get the infection each year, 260 of whom die. People who are pregnant, newborns, people with weakened immune system and older people are most likely to get it. Flu-like symptoms are common, but more-serious symptoms can include confusion, vomiting, stiff neck and seizures. An intestinal form of the illness usually doesn't need antibiotics to clear up, but an invasive illness — when the bacteria passes outside of the gut — often requires medication to cure. Pay attention to the news; if there's an outbreak, it's often widely reported in the media so people know to watch out for it.</p>
<h2 id="23-rocky-mountain-spotted-fever-2">23. Rocky Mountain spotted fever</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="nc83yU2NhsQwHCFwYUEgde" name="RMTick_Getty_976046090.jpg" alt="close up photo of a rocky mountain wood tick questing on a blade of grass" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nc83yU2NhsQwHCFwYUEgde.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor viaGetty Images)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>There's a reason experts caution us to pay attention if we're in an area with ticks, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Rocky mountain spotted fever</u></a> is just one of them. Get bitten by a tick carrying <em>Rickettsia rickettsii </em>bacteria and you could be looking at a rash, fever and headache — and if you don't get the right antibiotic in your system, the infection can be deadly. The American dog tick (<em>Dermacentor variabilis</em>), Rocky Mountain wood tick (<em>Dermacentor andersoni</em>) and brown dog tick (<em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em>) can all spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the illness is <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/data-research/facts-stats/index.html" target="_blank"><u>most commonly reported</u></a> in North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Alabama. Your doctor will do a blood test to make an official diagnosis; if you're positive, the illness can be treated with antibiotics.</p>
<h2 id="24-anthrax-2">24. Anthrax</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="65GTPgA7D5hVDvkbqhDANh" name="anthrax-cdc-20496.jpg" alt="Under a magnification of 1150X, this Gram-stained photomicrograph depicted numerous, Gram-positive, rod-shaped, Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which were arranged in long filamentous strands." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/65GTPgA7D5hVDvkbqhDANh.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Brodsky)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>You might first think of shady envelopes filled with mysterious white powders, but <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/" target="_blank"><u>anthrax</u></a> is actually caused by the bacteria <em>Bacillus anthracis</em> that can infect animals. However, it's rare to find infected animals in the U.S. People can get it by handling or consuming products from infected animals, or by breathing in spores found in animal hides, hair, wool or leather. Gastrointestinal infections can happen if you eat undercooked meat from infected animals. It doesn't spread between people. If you were to get anthrax, you'd be hospitalized and given antibiotics and antitoxin medications, as well as aggressive treatments like fluid drainage and ventilation if needed. The fatality rates differ depending on the route of exposure, but without treatment, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/anthrax" target="_blank"><u>the most fatal form</u></a> — inhalation anthrax — is almost always fatal.</p>
<h2 id="25-zika-virus-2">25. Zika virus</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="5AWUbZZD8jKxz3YfBrn5BH" name="zika-cdc-26102-01.jpg" alt="This is an electron microscopic image of Zika virus found in the cytoplasm of a neuron in a fetal brain." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5AWUbZZD8jKxz3YfBrn5BH.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Cynthia Goldsmith, Roosecelis Brasil Martines)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/about/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Zika virus</u></a> became a household name when it was spreading in the U.S. in 2015 and 2016. Mosquitoes of the genus <em>Aedes</em>can spread it, though it's not currently common in the U.S. The virus can pass into the womb during pregnancy, resulting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/czs/index.html" target="_blank"><u>in birth defects</u></a>, such as microcephaly, in affected children. People can also spread Zika to one another through sexual contact. Typical symptoms include red eyes, rash, headaches, muscle pain and joint pain, although rarely, infections can affect the brain. Doctors use blood and urine tests to detect Zika virus. There aren't medications or vaccines for it, but people can treat the symptoms. </p>
<h2 id="26-e-coli-2">26. E. coli</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="FyqiMsZrRdh3kWsxxnXieN" name="ecoli-cdc-11379.jpg" alt="A rod-shaped E coli bacterial cell shown in orange against a green background" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FyqiMsZrRdh3kWsxxnXieN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Janice Haney Carr)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><em>Escherichia coli</em>, better known as <em>E. coli</em>, is a bacterium that normally lives in animals' and humans' intestines. It sheds when they defecate. Most <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/animal-transmitted-diseases" target="_blank"><u>strains of the bacteria won't hurt you</u></a>, some can cause illness by making what's known as Shiga toxin. You can get <em>E. coli</em> by eating contaminated food or having direct contact with an animal or an item it's contaminated. Stomach cramping, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea can indicate that you've got the infection, which is contagious. Most people recover from the infection in about a week, although some cases can be deadly. Looking to prevent it? Cook your meats well, steer clear of unpasteurized dairy products or juice, wash raw produce and wash your hands regularly.</p>
<h2 id="27-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-2">27. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="YUVrKLXcgEZwhGJsyGqMGc" name="hantavirus-cdc-14339.jpg" alt="A laboratory image of lymph node sampled from a person with a hantavirus infection" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YUVrKLXcgEZwhGJsyGqMGc.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Rats and mice are the main animal reservoirs for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/index.html" target="_blank"><u>hantaviruses</u></a>, which can cause hantavirus respiratory syndrome. It most commonly occurs if you inhale dust that has been exposed to deer mice droppings, urine or saliva. Symptoms start similar to a mild flu, but your lungs can later fill with fluid and you'll have a hard time breathing as it gets worse. Most people recover, but there's no set treatment or vaccine for the virus. About <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-2015/" target="_blank"><u>one-third of all cases</u></a> are fatal. Early diagnosis is key, as is access to an intensive care unit. Some people get oxygen to help them as they fight the infection. To avoid catching hantavirus, don't stir up rodent nests or other materials that have touched them, and keep rodents away from living areas. About 20 to 40 cases occur each year in the U.S., the CDC reports.</p>
<h2 id="28-psittacosis-2">28. Psittacosis</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="LqMYkMd2UzZCtwvJudpGch" name="Psittacosis-cdc-15732.jpg" alt="A pictograph of Chlamydophila psittaci bacterial cells, stained blueittacosis." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LqMYkMd2UzZCtwvJudpGch.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dorothy Reese)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Birds are the primary vectors for <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/psittacosis/about/index.html" target="_blank"><u>psittacosis</u></a>, also known as parrot fever, and most people get sick after direct contact with a bird or inhaling dust that's contaminated with birds' feathers or feces. The disease is caused by the bacterium <em>Chlamydophila psittaci</em>. Cockatiels, parrots and parakeets often carry the bacteria, which can also affect other types of birds. You may not see any symptoms in the animals, though they can include poor appetite and difficulty breathing. Human symptoms of the infection include dry cough, fever, headache and muscle aches. Your doctor may do a nasal swab or test your spit or blood to confirm if you have it. Once you've got antibiotics, you should be good to go.</p>
<h2 id="29-q-fever-2">29. Q fever</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="cAYzK2qcCaYvMzvsPWEnd9" name="qfever-cdc-18158.jpg" alt="Black and white image of Coxiella burnetii bacteria; the cells appear round or oval-shaped with a dark membrane and lighter insides" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cAYzK2qcCaYvMzvsPWEnd9.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIH)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/qfever/index.html" target="_blank"><u>Q fever</u></a> is a bacterial disease caused by the microbe <em>Coxiella burnetii</em>, which infects cattle, sheep, goats and other animals<em>. </em>The animals may not have symptoms but can shed the bacteria in feces, urine, milk and tissues related to birth. People can get the bacteria through direct contact with an animal or its waste, and also by inhaling dust that's contaminated. Unpasteurized dairy products made from the milk of infected animals can also transmit the bacteria to humans. Symptoms of infection include cough, chills, chest pain, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It can lead to pneumonia or hepatitis, and, if not treated, it can be fatal. The illness can require months of treatment with antibiotics. </p>
<h2 id="30-rat-bite-fever-2">30. Rat bite fever</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Ry2UHLYfNsiaNW9jeuGshE" name="ratbitefever-cdc-20148.jpg" alt="Photomicrograph of the rod-shaped bacterium Streptobacillus moniliformis, stained pink and magnified" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ry2UHLYfNsiaNW9jeuGshE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / R. E. Weaver, MD, PhD)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>As you can probably infer, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/rat-bite-fever/index.html" target="_blank"><u>rat-bite fever</u></a> is a bacterial disease that you can get if a rat bites or scratches you. The bacterial culprits are <em>Streptobacillus moniliformis</em> and <em>Spirillum minus. </em>Expect a fever to start suddenly, followed by vomiting and headache, as well as muscle, back and joint pain. Next up, a rash develops on your hands and feet, and your joints start to swell. Mice, squirrels, dogs and cats are just a few animals that can also get the bacteria but they typically don't show symptoms. In the U.S. rat-bite fever is somewhat rare, but some people can be more prone to it than others. Left untreated, it can be fatal. That's why getting an accurate diagnosis and starting antibiotics if you do have it can be so crucial.</p>
<h2 id="31-ringworm-2">31. Ringworm</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="3f3tpdF8irsmjevD8HCpaK" name="ringworm-cdc-22060.jpg" alt="Close up of a ring-shaped sore on human skin" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3f3tpdF8irsmjevD8HCpaK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: CDC / Dr. Lucille K. Georg)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>If your precious pet has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/ringworm/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/ringworm/definition.html" target="_blank"><u>ringworm</u></a>, or dermatophytosis, you could get it too. The fungus isn't actually a worm at all. It grows on the skin of dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, birds, cattle and other animals. You can develop an infection through direct contact with the fungus, and infections can then spread between people. Symptoms include a ring-shaped rash that may be itchy. Your doctor may diagnose an infection just by looking, or by take a scraping of your skin. Ringworm on the foot is known as athlete's foot, and it can be treated with over-the-counter medications. Non-prescription creams can typically treat the infection fairly easily, wherever it may be on the body.</p>
<h2 id="32-mers-2">32. MERS</h2>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="x6EWJzrEPk7RHUan9xt7u6" name="MERS-wiki.jpeg" alt="A black and white micrograph of coronavirus particles" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x6EWJzrEPk7RHUan9xt7u6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NIAID)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/index.html" target="_blank"><u>MERS</u></a>) is a viral respiratory illness that’s relatively new to humans, as it was first reported in 2012. People infected with it typically develop severe respiratory illnesses that involve fever, cough, and shortness of breath. An estimated 30% to 40% of those affected die. The virus can spread to humans from infected dromedary camels (<em>Camelus dromedarius</em>), who <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/what-are-coronaviruses.html#section-mers-cov"><u>likely first caught the virus from bats</u></a>. People can also spread the virus to each other through close contact and respiratory droplets, if they cough. That’s why you can prevent it using normal methods you would to prevent colds. The viral infection <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/middle-east-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus-(mers-cov)" target="_blank"><u>doesn’t have a specific treatment</u></a>. </p>
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<link>https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/32-diseases-you-can-catch-from-animals</link>
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<![CDATA[ Humans can catch a huge number of diseases from animals, and these can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 13:00:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Viruses, Infections & Disease]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
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<media:credit><![CDATA[Wayne HUTCHINSON / Alamy Stock Photo]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[A large red sign on the road that says "animal disease control zone ends"]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A large red sign on the road that says "animal disease control zone ends"]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Mesmerizing photo shows weird, scowling parasitic plant that looks like a owl ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>A bizarre, parasitic plant that looks like a scowling owl has won a global photography contest for the best snapshot of a plant or fungus. Nestled in dark soil, the "owl" glows an eerie emerald, according to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.worldnaturephotographyawards.com/" target="_blank"><u>World Nature Photography Awards</u></a>.</p><p>Photographer <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/pockypooky/" target="_blank"><u>Chatree Lertsintanakorn</u></a> snapped the mesmerizing image in a secluded wildlife sanctuary in Thailand, where the miniscule plants' blooming bodies pop out of the ground at the base of trees. </p><p>The plant, <em>Thismia thaithongiana</em>, is a myco-heterotrophic species, meaning it doesn't <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/51720-photosynthesis.html"><u>photosynthesize</u></a> but <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2778383/" target="_blank"><u>obtains its energy and nutrients from fungi</u></a> — more specifically the fungus associated with the roots of trees. In 2018, scientists discovered it in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://mhp.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/1141/descriptions" target="_blank"><u>Doi Hua Mot Mountains in Thailand</u></a>.</p><p>Little is known about this plant, but its peculiar shaped body has led to its name,"Phisawong Ta Nok Hook," which translates to "mysterious owl's eye," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30379370" target="_blank"><u>according to Nation Thailand</u></a>.</p><p><em>T. thaithongiana</em> spends most of its life underground until it bursts up, revealing its peculiar fruiting body. </p>
<div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_oJeXkFCg_pBYGc5Ws_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_oJeXkFCg_pBYGc5Ws_div'></div></div></div></div>
<p>Lertsintanakorn learned about the rare species while meeting with photographer Suchat Chanhomhuan, one of its discoverers.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/crustaceans/hauntingly-beautiful-image-of-a-golden-horseshoe-crab-wins-wildlife-photography-competition"><u><strong>'Hauntingly beautiful' image of a golden horseshoe crab wins wildlife photography competition</strong></u></a></p><p>With the help of Chanhomhuan, Lertsintanakorn located the plant in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand's Tak Province. "I noticed it grew primarily near the base of trees, making it easy to overlook," Lertsintanakorn told Live Science in an email. </p>
<p>Its location is prime real estate for the tiny parasite. In general, some species of fungus live around and inside the roots of enormous trees. They produce an underground network in search of minerals that they pass on to the trees. In return, trees give them nutritious sugars — in an alliance known as a symbiotic relationship.</p><p><em>T. thaithongiana</em> interrupts this relationship by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://bioone.org/journals/willdenowia/volume-54/issue-1/wi.54.54102/Phylogenetic-and-biogeographical-analyses-of-Thismia-Thismiaceae-support-T-malipoensis/10.3372/wi.54.54102.short" target="_blank">stealing the nutrients produced by the fungi</a>.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/psychedelic-look-into-a-rats-eye-wins-microphotography-competition">Psychedelic look into a rat's eye wins microphotography competition</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/a-creepy-crocodile-and-glacial-guts-among-stunning-winners-from-nature-photography-competition">A creepy crocodile and glacial 'guts' among stunning winners from nature photography competition</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/fossils/earliest-known-parasitic-fungus-discovered-in-fossilized-plant-frozen-in-time-400-million-years-ago">Earliest known parasitic fungus discovered in fossilized plant frozen in time 400 million years ago</a> </p></div></div>
<p><em>T. thaithongiana</em> is only visible when its fruiting body grows out of the ground, and even then, it is incredibly tiny. "I was surprised by its diminutive size, measuring a mere 2 to 8 millimeters [0.08 to 0.3 inch] in length," he said. Lertsintanakorn's image was awarded Gold in the Plants and Fungi category in the World Nature Photography Awards. Founded in 2020, the competition is now in its fifth year with over 3,000 image entries this year. </p><p>"Our winners never fail to take our breath away with their stunning images. As always, it's such a joy to see the amazing caliber of entries into the awards," said Adrian Dinsdale, cofounder of the World Nature Photography Awards in a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.worldnaturephotographyawards.com/winners-2024" target="_blank"><u>statement</u></a>.</p><p>Other notable images from the competition include a haunting collection of olive baboon (<em>Papio anubis</em>) heads and skulls at the Abomey voodoo market in Benin, an orca (<em>Orcinus orca</em>) splitting a herring ball underwater, and a group of crabs grabbing onto the lava rock-encrusted shoreline under a wave of water.</p>
<div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2631px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:65.45%;"><img id="E89N3uctak5iyhjS6ebqDk" name="SILVER©Enrique Lopez Tapia_Voodoo sacrifices (1).jpg" alt="A basket of baboon skulls at a market." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/E89N3uctak5iyhjS6ebqDk.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="2631" height="1722" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Enrique Lopez Tapia: "Olive baboon (Papio anubis) and hornbill heads at the Abomey voodoo market. Any wild animal that runs, flies, jumps or crawls is hunted to supply these markets for voodoo ceremonies. Travelling the roads and fields of Benin, and seeing the markets, one realises why there is an absence of wild animals - it is very difficult to see or hear any wild birds, and almost impossible to spot a monkey or any other mammal." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Enrique Lopez Tapia/World Nature Photography Awards)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3410px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:63.64%;"><img id="i8PLaNuQQLRpPGPvR4z6sm" name="GOLD©Andy Schmid_Crowd control (1).jpg" alt="An orca dives underwater splitting a herring ball in two." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/i8PLaNuQQLRpPGPvR4z6sm.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="3410" height="2170" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Andy Schmidt, Switzerland: "A female orca splitting a herring bait ball while diving through it to get one, shot from underneath while freediving. Every winter, enormous schools of herring migrate from the open ocean into the fjords of Northern Norway and attract large numbers of big predators such as orcas and humpback whales. Witnessing orcas feeding on herring using the so-called carousel feeding technique is very exciting but not easy to capture due to various factors: limited light and visibility, fast-paced action plus cold surface and water temperature. Being able to freedive and capture the action on an ongoing feeding frenzy in these conditions is difficult but I managed to create a series of photos I had never dreamt of capturing." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Andy Schmid /World Nature Photography Awards)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.57%;"><img id="BwQPpSsZqWkTgPFd73dRuk" name="GOLD©Bill Klipp_Sally_Lightfoot_Crabs_Puerto_Egas_Galapagos_ (1).jpg" alt="Almost like smoke, a wave passes over crabs that cling onto the rocks underneath." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BwQPpSsZqWkTgPFd73dRuk.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="3000" height="1997" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">Bill Klipp USA : "It was late afternoon in Puerto Egas, Santiago Island, Galapagos and the colorful Sally Light Foot Crabs were returning to the lava-rock-encrusted shoreline. I knew that when a wave came in, the crabs would lock down, holding on tight so they did not get washed away, so I set up my tripod and pre-focused on the rocks setting a very slow shutter speed to blur the moving water while keeping the stationary crab sharp." </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Bill Klipp /World Nature Photography Awards)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/animals/mesmerizing-photo-shows-weird-scowling-parasitic-plant-that-looks-like-a-owl</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ A stunning photo of the peculiar parasitic plant species, Thismia thaithongiana, wins gold in the Plants and Fungus category of the World Nature Photography Awards. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ elise.poore@futurenet.com (Elise Poore) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xRaX3Dq8KcupgkRwLXnT5G.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Chatree Lertsintanakorn/WNPA]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An owl-shaped bloom of a parasitic plant, glowing green against a black background.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An owl-shaped bloom of a parasitic plant, glowing green against a black background.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Black hole singularities defy physics. New research could finally do away with them. ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/black-holes"><u>Black holes</u></a> are some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe, capable of deforming the fabric of space around them so violently that not even light can escape their gravitational grip. But it turns out, much of what scientists know about these mysterious objects could be wrong.</p><p>According to new research, published in April in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.084002" target="_blank"><u>Physical Review D</u></a>, black holes could actually be entirely different celestial entities known as gravastars.</p><p>"Gravastars are hypothetical astronomical objects that were introduced [in 2001] as alternatives to black holes," study co-author <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://repozytorium.bg.ug.edu.pl/info/author/UOG182905ff9fdb45eab9feae66f2c8fa35?aq=%40status%3APRACOWNIK*%2Cauthorprofile%2Fposition%2F%40namePL%3Aadiunkt%3Bauthorprofile%2F%40possitionPL%3Aadiunkt%2C%40active%3D%27true%27%2C%40virt_affiliation%3AUOGbf21f379a0c34611ac49922bf59f99d5&r=author&ps=20&tab=&sort=5&title=Person%2Bprofile%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BJo%25C3%25A3o%2BLu%25C3%25ADs%2B%2BDe%2BFigueiredo%2BRosa%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BUniversity%2Bof%2BGda%25C5%2584sk&lang=en" target="_blank"><u>João Luís Rosa</u></a>, a professor of physics at the University of Gdańsk in Poland, told Live Science in an email. "They can be interpreted as stars made of vacuum energy or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/dark-energy"><u>dark energy</u></a>: the same type of energy that propels the accelerated expansion of the universe."</p>
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<h2 id="resolving-black-hole-paradoxes-with-gravastars-2">Resolving black hole paradoxes with gravastars</h2>
<p>Karl Schwarzschild, a German physicist and astronomer, first predicted black holes in 1915, based on calculations using Albert Einstein's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/32216-what-is-relativity.html"><u>general theory of relativity</u></a>.</p><p>Over the years, astronomical observations have seemingly confirmed the existence of objects resembling black holes. However, Schwarzschild's description of these space bodies has some shortcomings.</p><p>In particular, the center of a black hole is predicted to be a point of infinitely high density, called a singularity, where all the mass of the black hole is concentrated, but fundamental <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics"><u>physics</u></a> teaches us that infinities do not exist, and their appearance in any theory signals its inaccuracy or incompleteness.</p><p>"These problems indicate that something is either wrong or incomplete in the black hole model, and that the development of alternative models is necessary," Rosa said. "The gravastar is one of many alternative models proposed. The main advantage of gravastars is that they do not have singularities."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/newfound-glitch-in-einsteins-relativity-could-rewrite-the-rules-of-the-universe-study-suggests"><u><strong>Newfound 'glitch' in Einstein's relativity could rewrite the rules of the universe, study suggests</strong></u></a></p>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="nyTrFR6UN3RkgsydP6NHTo" name="blackhole-nasaGSFC_20171208.jpg" alt="Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), this scene shows PGC 83677, a lenticular galaxy — a galaxy type that sits between the more familiar elliptical and spiral varieties." src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nyTrFR6UN3RkgsydP6NHTo.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Dark energy is a strange phenomenon thought to be responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. But could it also be holding black holes together, as gravatar theory suggests? </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: NASA/ESA/Hubble; acknowledgements: Judy Schmidt (Geckzilla))</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Like ordinary black holes, gravastars should arise at the final stage of the evolution of massive stars, when the energy released during thermonuclear combustion of the matter inside them is no longer enough to overcome the force of gravity, and the star collapses into a much denser object. But in contrast to black holes, gravastars are not expected to have any singularities and are thought to be thin spheres of matter whose stability is maintained by the dark energy contained within them. </p><p>To find out if gravastars are viable alternatives to singular black holes, Rosa and his colleagues examined the interaction of particles and radiation with these hypothetical objects.</p><p>Using <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/albert-einstein.html"><u>Einstein</u></a>'s theory, the authors examined how the huge masses of hot matter that surround supermassive black holes would appear if these black holes were actually gravastars. They also scrutinized the properties of "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/superfast-hot-blob-gas-sagittarius-a"><u>hot spots</u></a>" — gigantic gas bubbles orbiting black holes at near-light speeds.</p><p>Their findings revealed striking similarities between the matter emissions of gravastars and black holes, suggesting that gravastars don't contradict scientists' experimental observations of the universe. Moreover, the team discovered that a gravastar itself should appear almost like a singular black hole, creating a visible shadow.</p><p>"This shadow is not caused by the trapping of light in the event horizon, but by a slightly different phenomenon called the 'gravitational redshift,' causing light to lose energy when it moves through a region with a strong gravitational field," Rosa said. "Indeed, when the light emitted from regions close to these alternative objects reach[es] our telescopes, most of its energy would have been lost to the gravitational field, causing the appearance of this shadow."</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-discover-bizarre-region-around-black-holes-that-proves-einstein-right-yet-again">Scientists discover bizarre region around black holes that proves Einstein right yet again</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/james-webb-telescope-spots-2-monster-black-holes-merging-at-the-dawn-of-time-challenging-our-understanding-of-the-universe">James Webb telescope spots 2 monster black holes merging at the dawn of time, challenging our understanding of the universe</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/after-2-years-in-space-the-james-webb-telescope-has-broken-cosmology-can-it-be-fixed">After 2 years in space, the James Webb telescope has broken cosmology. Can it be fixed?</a></p></div></div>
<p>The striking resemblances between Schwarzschild's black hole model and gravastars highlight the latter's potential as a realistic alternative, free from the theoretical pitfalls of singularities.</p><p>However, this theory needs to be backed up with experiments and observations, which the study authors believe may soon be carried out. While gravastars and singular black holes might behave similarly in many respects, subtle differences in emitted light could potentially distinguish them.</p><p>"To test our results experimentally, we are counting on the next generation of observational experiments in gravitational physics," Rosa said, referring to the black hole-hunting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/event-horizon-telescope-spies-gargantuan-energy-jets-erupting-from-nearby-supermassive-black-hole"><u>Event Horizon Telescope</u></a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/vlt-instr/gravity+/" target="_blank"><u>GRAVITY+</u></a> instrument being added to the Very Large Telescope in Chile. "These two experiments aim to observe closely what happens near the center of galaxies, in particular, our own <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/milky-way"><u>Milky Way</u></a>."</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/black-hole-singularities-defy-physics-new-research-could-finally-do-away-with-them</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Black hole singularities defy the laws of physics. New research presents a bold solution to this puzzle: Black holes may actually be a theoretical type of star called a 'gravastar,' filled with universe-expanding dark energy. ]]>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Dark Energy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Physics & Mathematics]]></category>
<author><![CDATA[ andrew.l.feldman@gmail.com (Andrey Feldman) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w7es6o9nxMdF8Uez689EnW.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An artist's rendering of a black hole]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist's rendering of a black hole]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Does the Milky Way orbit anything? ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>It seems like everything orbits something in space. Moons orbit planets. Planets orbit stars. Stars orbit the centers of galaxies. But beyond that, things get a little harder to visualize. Do galaxies — and, specifically, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/tag/milky-way"><u>Milky Way</u></a> — orbit anything?</p><p>To answer that, we first need to know how orbits work. Consider two objects orbiting each other. Those two bodies exert a gravitational pull on each other, keeping them bound together. The objects orbit their common center of mass — if you could shrink the system, the center of mass would be the point where you could balance it on your finger. But in the case of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/our-solar-system.html"><u>solar system</u></a>, or Earth and the moon, one of the objects is much larger than the other. The center of mass ends up lying inside the larger body, so the larger object doesn't move much and the smaller object moves on a roughly circular path around the bigger one.</p><p>At larger scales, things get a little more complicated. Our galaxy is part of a collection of galaxies called the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/features/cosmic/local_group_info.html" target="_blank"><u>Local Group</u></a>, which includes the Milky Way; the Andromeda galaxy; a smaller spiral galaxy called Triangulum; and several dwarf galaxies, including the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The Milky Way and Andromeda are the two largest objects in the Local Group. Because their masses are comparable, the center of mass lies between the two galaxies, said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.stsci.edu/stsci-research/research-directory/sangmo-tony-sohn" target="_blank"><u>Sangmo Tony Sohn</u></a>, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland. There's nothing significantly larger than either galaxy nearby, so the two end up orbiting each other.</p>
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<p>But the Milky Way's orbit isn't circular or elliptical like the orbits of planets around the sun. "It's going to be weird to say if the Milky Way is orbiting around something, because that kind of implies that there's a bigger object," Sohn told Live Science. "But that's not the concept here."</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/why-arent-all-orbits-circular"><u><strong>Why aren't all orbits circular?</strong></u></a> </p><p>Instead, both the Milky Way and Andromeda are on mostly radial orbits. "Imagine the gravity of two things pulling on each other, and they're not moving in any way other than the gravitational pull. They will just move directly on the line towards each other. That's a purely radial orbit," said <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://astronomy.case.edu/faculty/chris-mihos/" target="_blank"><u>Chris Mihos</u></a>, an astronomer at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. The Milky Way's orbit isn't perfectly radial because there's a bit of sideways motion between the two galaxies, Mihos told Live Science.</p>
<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:66.67%;"><img id="7iBnz6KKkvHiSTiUVvcbc6" name="Milkyway2.jpeg" alt="The Milky Way and some trees in the mountains of San Diego County" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7iBnz6KKkvHiSTiUVvcbc6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1280" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">The Milky Way (seen here) will collide with the Andromeda galaxy in about 4.5 billion years. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Kevin Key/Shutterstock)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Their mostly radial orbits toward each other mean that the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/64736-milky-way-andromeda-collision-timing.html"><u>Milky Way and Andromeda will eventually collide</u></a>, some 4.5 billion years from now. Individual stars likely won't crash into each other because of the huge distances between them, so the galaxies will pass through each other and separate again — but not for long. </p><p>"The galaxies [will] then turn around and come back together. And, over the course of hundreds of millions or billions of years, they'll actually merge together into one big galaxy," Mihos said.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED MYSTERIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/cosmology/how-many-times-has-the-sun-traveled-around-the-milky-way">How many times has the sun traveled around the Milky Way?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/63410-llm-how-much-milky-way-weighs.html">How massive is the Milky Way?</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/65978-what-happens-in-intergalactic-space.html">What happens in intergalactic space?</a></p></div></div>
<p>The gravitational interactions will likely jostle the stars in both galaxies enough to make the combined galaxy an elliptical galaxy rather than a spiral one like the Milky Way and Andromeda. The merger could also heat the gas along each galaxy's spiral arms enough to form new stars, Sohn said.</p><p>Orbits on scales larger than galaxy groups are even less defined, but "we certainly know the Local Group is moving," Mihos said. The Local Group is being pulled toward the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ESSAYS/Binggeli/binggeli.html" target="_blank"><u>Virgo Cluster</u></a>, which contains several hundred galaxies and lies about 65 million <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/56115-what-is-a-light-year.html"><u>light-years</u></a> away. But the Local Group will never make it there, Mihos said, because the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/space/cosmology/james-webb-telescope-confirms-there-is-something-seriously-wrong-with-our-understanding-of-the-universe"><u>expansion of the universe</u></a> is pulling the Milky Way away faster than the gravitational pull of the Virgo Cluster is drawing it in.</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/does-the-milky-way-orbit-anything</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Do galaxies, including our own Milky Way, orbit anything in the universe? ]]>
</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2024 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Astronomy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
<media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D7AzRK9mDsZnBecvdMhr5Y.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[NASA/JPL-Caltech]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[This illustration shows the Milky Way, our home galaxy.]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[This illustration shows the Milky Way, our home galaxy.]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ New 3D map charted with Google AI reveals 'mysterious but beautiful' slice of human brain ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Researchers have mapped a tiny sliver of the human brain on an unprecedented scale, vividly detailing each brain cell, or neuron, and the intricate networks they form with other cells.</p><p>The groundbreaking brain map, which was constructed by Harvard and Google researchers, reveals roughly 57,000 neurons, 9 inches (230 millimeters) of blood vessels and 150 million synapses, or the connection points between neurons.</p><p><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://lichtmanlab.fas.harvard.edu/people/jeff-lichtman" target="_blank"><u>Dr. Jeff Lichtman</u></a>, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at Harvard University who co-led the 10-year-long project, said he couldn't believe the detailed map when he first saw it. "I had never seen anything like this before," he told Live Science. </p>
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<p>The human brain is a vastly complex organ with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.21974" target="_blank"><u>about 170 billion cells, including 86 billion neurons</u></a>. Researchers have previously peeked into the brain at the scale of millimeters using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). And more recently, advanced microscopy techniques have revealed details at a much smaller scale, improving our understanding of the brain's inner workings. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/most-detailed-human-brain-map-ever-contains-3300-cell-types"><u><strong>Most detailed human brain map ever contains 3,300 cell types</strong></u></a></p><p>Now, using these microscopy methods and an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/what-is-artificial-intelligence-ai"><u>artificial intelligence</u></a> (AI) system called machine learning, Lichtman and his colleagues have created a 3D map from a piece of brain at the scale of a nanometer, or 1-millionth of a millimeter. This presents a picture of the organ at the highest resolution scientists have ever achieved. </p><p>The resulting cell atlas, described in the journal <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4858" target="_blank"><u>Science</u></a> on May 9, is also <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://h01-release.storage.googleapis.com/landing.html" target="_blank"><u>available for scientists to peruse online</u></a>.</p><p>This map charts a tiny piece of brain with a volume of about 1 cubic millimeter — smaller than a grain of rice. A whole adult brain is a million times larger.</p><p>The brain fragment was sampled from a 45-year-old woman who had undergone brain surgery to treat epilepsy. Doctors removed the piece from the cerebral cortex, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537247/" target="_blank"><u>outermost portion</u></a> of her brain. After fixing the sample in preservatives, the researchers stained it with heavy metals to help them see the cells. They then embedded the tissue in resin and cut it into more than 5,000 slices, each measuring about 30 nanometers in thickness. </p>
<div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="MLThDcYHmuP4NwLPUszRVS" name="NeuronMap2_Press.jpg" alt="Digital image of a neuron shown in white connected to many greena and blue synapses surrounding it" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MLThDcYHmuP4NwLPUszRVS.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">A single neuron (white) depicted with all of the axons from other neurons that connect to it. The green axons are excitatory, meaning they send signals that encourage the next neuron to fire; the blue axons are inhibitory and do the opposite. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google Research & Lichtman Lab (Harvard University). Renderings by D. Berger (Harvard University))</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="7BUtshvEyHHPtuubQTydYC" name="NeuronMap_Press.jpg" alt="Colorful digital image of neurons connecting in a dense network" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7BUtshvEyHHPtuubQTydYC.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">This rendering drawn from the new brain map shows all of the excitatory neurons in part of the analyzed brain sample. They are colored by size. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Google Research & Lichtman Lab (Harvard University). Renderings by D. Berger (Harvard University))</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div>
<p>"That's about a thousandth the thickness of a hair strand," Lichtman said.The team scanned each of the slices with a high-speed electron microscope, which uses multiple beams of electrons to illuminate cells in the sample. They then sent the microscopy data to Google for further analysis using AI.</p><p>Google's researchers used machine-learning models to identify the same object in different microscopic images and then create a 3D rendering of every object in all the images. They then electronically stitched the renderings together to reconstruct the whole sample in three dimensions. The final 3D map contains a mammoth 1.4 petabytes, or 1 million gigabytes, of data.</p><p>"The amount and complexity of the data generated in this project required Google's ability to develop state of the art machine learning and AI algorithms to reconstruct the 3D connectome," <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://virenjain.org/" target="_blank"><u>Viren Jain</u></a>, a senior staff scientist at Google who co-led the project, told Live Science in an email.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/new-atlas-of-a-monkey-brain-maps-42-million-cells">New 'atlas' of a monkey brain maps 4.2 million cells</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/3d-map-plots-human-brain-cell-antennae-in-exquisite-detail">3D map plots human brain-cell 'antennae' in exquisite detail</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/universal-brain-wave-pattern-discovered-across-primate-species-including-humans">'Universal' brain wave pattern discovered across primate species — including humans</a></p></div></div>
<p>The scientists' detailed map contains several surprises. For instance, they found that some of the neurons' outgoing wires, or axons, wrapped themselves into knots, forming whorls that Jain described as "mysterious but beautiful." The team also found rare connections between neurons, in which singular axons were linked to up to 50 synapses. </p><p>"We're still investigating the function of these connections, but they could explain how very fast responses, or very important memories are encoded," Jain told Live Science. </p><p>It remains to be seen whether the whorls and super-strong synapses have anything to do with the tissue donor’s epilepsy, or if they'd be seen in brains of people without the condition, Lichtman noted. He added that the team is now examining brain tissue from a person with Parkinson's, so that may start to address the question.</p><p>He added it's unlikely that brain tissue samples from any two people will look exactly the same, in part because the way the brain wires itself depends on an individual's experiences.</p><p>The team next aims to map the entire brain of a mouse, which would be 500 times the size of this human brain sample. They're starting with the hippocampus, a key region for learning and memory. </p><p>"We have already begun the ambitious task," Lichtman said.</p><p><em>Ever wonder why </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/exercise/why-is-it-harder-for-some-people-to-build-muscle-than-others"><u><em>some people build muscle more easily than others</em></u></a><em> or </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/health/why-do-freckles-come-out-in-the-sun"><u><em>why freckles come out in the sun</em></u></a><em>? Send us your questions about how the human body works to </em><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="mailto:community@livescience.com?subject=%20Health%20Desk%20Q" target="_blank"><u><em>community@livescience.com</em></u></a><em> with the subject line "Health Desk Q," and you may see your question answered on the website!</em> </p>
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<link>https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/new-3d-map-charted-with-google-ai-reveals-mysterious-but-beautiful-slice-of-human-brain</link>
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<![CDATA[ Harvard and Google researchers have collaborated to map a tiny fragment of an adult human brain in unprecedented detail. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2024 21:23:17 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Neuroscience]]></category>
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<author><![CDATA[ snehakhedkar30@gmail.com (Sneha Khedkar) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nuudduwUTdHGpwEXjry3S7.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[Google Research & Lichtman Lab (Harvard University). Renderings by D. Berger (Harvard University)]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[Colorful, rainbow colored rendering of thousands of neurons from a brain sample that have been assembled in a map]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Colorful, rainbow colored rendering of thousands of neurons from a brain sample that have been assembled in a map]]></media:title>
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<title><![CDATA[ Revolutionary War barracks burned by the British discovered in Colonial Williamsburg ]]></title>
<dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Archaeologists in Colonial Williamsburg have discovered the remains of barracks along with artifacts, including chewed on lead bullets, dating back to the Revolutionary War.</p><p>Eighteenth-century maps of the site, which is located in eastern Virginia, and other historical documents give evidence that military housing existed near what is now a visitor center. However, it wasn't until excavations began last year that researchers unearthed bricks, which would have been used to build the structures between 1776 and 1777, according to a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/research-and-education/archaeology/ongoing-archaeology-projects/" target="_blank"><u>Colonial Williamsburg statement</u></a>.</p><p>The construction work would have coincided with the Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783. The site itself is roughly 3 to 4 acres (1.2 to 1.6 hectares) in size.</p>
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<figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="DseFy479KfbayEUC6NS3JK" name="D2024-BES-0509-0003.jpg" alt="A military belt buckle found at the excavation site" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DseFy479KfbayEUC6NS3JK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1000" height="563" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">A military belt buckle was one of several artifacts found at the barracks site. </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Brendan Sostak, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundtion)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Related: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/remains-of-4-confederate-soldiers-amputated-legs-and-gold-coins-found-at-a-civil-war-battlefield-in-virginia"><u><strong>Remains of 4 Confederate War soldiers, amputated legs and gold coins found at a Civil War battlefield in Virginia</strong></u></a></p><p>The barracks were large enough to house up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses. But the building was short-lived. In 1781, Charles Cornwallis, a general in the British army, and his troops are said to have set fire to the barracks as they traveled east to the Battle of Yorktown.</p>
<div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">RELATED STORIES</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/george-washingtons-stash-of-centuries-old-cherries-found-hidden-under-mount-vernon-floor">George Washington's stash of centuries-old cherries found hidden under Mount Vernon floor</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/hessian-mass-grave-revolutionary-war">Mass grave of Revolutionary War mercenaries and rare gold coin unearthed in New Jersey</a></p><p class="fancy-box__body-text">—<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/a-war-of-the-rats-was-raging-in-north-america-decades-before-the-declaration-of-independence">A war of the rats was raging in North America decades before the Declaration of Independence</a></p></div></div>
<p>During excavations, researchers also unearthed a variety of artifacts, including gun hardware, ceramics and soldiers' personal adornments, such as a metal belt buckle and a glass button. They also found lead shot riddled with teeth marks. (Often soldiers would chew on the lead, since it tasted sweet.)</p><p>The excavation site is currently covered up to help preserve the artifacts during the construction of a sports complex nearby.</p>
]]></dc:content>
<link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/revolutionary-war-barracks-burned-by-the-british-discovered-in-colonial-williamsburg</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[ Ongoing excavations at the historical site in Virginia have revealed the remnants of military barracks dating to the Revolutionary War. ]]>
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<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2024 18:06:47 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
<media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BcRLrvGvJzy3Hoc9KVCCj7.jpg">
<media:credit><![CDATA[The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation]]></media:credit>
<media:text><![CDATA[An aerial view of a dirt archaeological excavation site. ]]></media:text>
<media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An aerial view of a dirt archaeological excavation site. ]]></media:title>
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