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US Rise in Deadly Fungal Infections Linked to Food Supply: ‘Alarming’
Life-threatening fungal infections are on the rise in the U.S.
Their growth has been described as “alarming” by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with one emerging species in particular considered an “urgent threat” to human health.
Between 2020 and 2021, the U.S. saw a 95% rise in clinical cases of infections with the yeast Candida auris, roughly a third of which were fatal.
Equally concerning was the tripling in the number of Candida cases that were resistant to common antifungal treatments.
“Some of the very prominent scientists in my field have linked this to climate change,” Money said. “Now, of course, I’m not denying climate change, but if you look at global temperatures, they’ve increased by 1½ degrees Celsius over the last 140 years — that’s child’s play for fungi. They’re totally unaffected by this.
“Instead, I believe there are other things going on in nature that have changed the development of these fungi that are responsible for making them so dangerous,” Money added.
Since the 1980s, antifungal drugs have been used widely in both health care and — more significantly — agricultural contexts. “In agriculture, we use millions of tons of the same kinds of compounds that we use to treat fungal infections in us,” Money said.
“Apples, for example, and other fruits are sprayed with these antifungal agents that are frighteningly similar to the drugs that we use to control life-threatening human infections. So, I think agriculture really is what’s to blame here.”
Pet Food Recalled Over Possible Salmonella, Listeria Contamination
A pet food manufacturer is recalling several dog food products after testing revealed the presence of salmonella and listeria.
Lystn LLC, the owner of Answers Pet Food, initiated the recall of ANSWERS Detailed Beef Formula for Dogs, ANSWERS Straight Beef Formula for Dogs, and ANSWERS Straight Chicken Formula for Dogs “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The samples that tested positive for the bacteria were collected by the FDA.
The affected products — sold in 4lb half gallon cartons — were sold online and in retail stores.
No illnesses have been confirmed to date.
However, the bacteria can affect animals eating the food and the humans who handle the food, especially if they haven’t washed their hands after touching it, according to the notice.
Spraying Human Urine on Crops Could Reduce Reliance on Pesticides
Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers — making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study.Scientists discovered that, even when applied in high doses, one-year stored urine had little impact on soil bacterial
communities and produced minimal change in soil pH and salinity.
However, the researchers did discover that urine fertilization increased the relative amounts of nitrifying and denitrifying groups compared to synthetic fertilizer — implying that more nitrogen oxides could be emitted when fertilizing with urine.“Our research highlights the potential of recycling human urine to enhance
agricultural sustainability, reduce wastewater pollution, and decrease reliance on synthetic fertilizers.
Stored urine can be safely applied to a plant-soil system without negatively impacting the soil microbiome,” Manon Rumeau, University of Birmingham.Publishing their findings in Applied Soil Ecology, the team of researchers from University of Birmingham and L’Institut Agro Montpellier, France, call for further studies on
the long-term effects of urine fertilization — particularly regarding nitrogen oxide production and soil salinity.
Milk, Meat and Peanuts May Suppress Gut Tumors, Study Suggests
Proteins in certain foods could suppress tumors in the small intestine, according to a Japanese study published last week.
Foods including milk, meat, peanuts, shellfish, bread and eggs seemed to reduce the growth of tumors in the small intestines of mice, when scientists at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences tested three diets.
These foods all contain antigens: proteins which prompt a response from the immune system in the gut when eaten, and may cause allergic reactions in some people.
It’s this immune response, the scientists proposed, that could prevent the formation of new tumors in the small intestine.
How Bee-Killing Pesticides Poisoned a Community
In 2017, scientists studying bees at the University of Nebraska discovered a big problem.
All their bees kept dying before they had a chance to conduct any research.
Soon it wasn’t just the bees. Birds and butterflies were disoriented, pet dogs got sick, and people were experiencing sore throats, burning eyes and nosebleeds.
The cause of this environmental disaster?
A factory in the nearby town of Mead was using corn seeds coated with bee-killing pesticides to make ethanol.
The chemicals, known as neonicotinoids or just neonics, are some of the most toxic pesticides in the world, a thousand times more deadly to bees than DDT.
Even seven years after the disaster first came to light, the cleanup is nowhere near complete, and the land around Mead remains buried in thousands of tons of toxic waste.
