Do you use social media and Google to diagnose your health symptoms? Here’s why it’s a big problem for teens, in 60 seconds.
A mysterious salmonella outbreak has spread across 25 states
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The Centers for Disease Control is a major part of the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC protects the U.S. from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and domestic.
The agency has been at the forefront of news since the pandemic swept across the country. It has been studying COVID-19 and advising on how to deal with the virus. Tap or click here to check out an interactive map that tracks the Delta variant’s movements.
Now, the CDC is investigating a mysterious salmonella outbreak that, as of last week, had already led to 127 illnesses and 18 hospitalizations across half of the U.S.
Here’s the backstory
There are more than 2,500 types of the bacteria salmonella, but less than 100 are known to cause infections in humans. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, which usually arise between six hours and six days after infection and last up to a week. The CDC notes that some people don’t develop symptoms for weeks while others experience symptoms for many weeks.
Most cases of salmonella infection pass without the need for antibiotics. But vulnerable people such as children under five and adults 65 and over, along with those with weakened immune systems, may experience a more severe illness that requires hospitalization.
The CDC estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million illnesses, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. each year.
The latest outbreak
On Sept. 2, 2021, the CDC identified an outbreak of 20 Salmonella Oranienburg infections, which have spread rapidly since then. As of Sept. 15, 127 cases of the illness have been reported across 25 states, with an age range of one to 82. No deaths have been reported.
The CDC notes that the number of sick people in an outbreak is usually higher than what’s reported, and the spread may be greater. This is because most people recover without medical care, and not everyone is tested for infection.
Tap or click here to check out a towel that kills bacteria.
How to report an illness
🦴 Help for arthritis is here: A 58-year-old woman got a tiny bio-implant that stopped her symptoms cold. It sends signals through the vagus nerve to calm inflammation, so no more pain or swelling. The best part? She only needs one minute of treatment a day. If all goes well, the FDA could approve it this summer.
Right place, right time: A man started having heart attack symptoms mid-flight, but luckily, a cardiologist was on board. Even better? The doctor had all the tools to help, including a pocket-size electrocardiogram to monitor abnormal heartbeats. He gave the man medication, stabilized him and saved his life. Wow.
🩸 ChatGPT spotted it first: A woman had night sweats and itchy skin, but her doctor said everything looked normal. She ChatGPT’d her symptoms, and it said blood cancer. The warning was ignored, and a few months later, she was back at the doctor with chest pain and fatigue. Turns out? It was Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
🙏 A nurse says her Oura Ring saved her life: Nikki had been dealing with night sweats and fatigue but brushed it off — until her Oura app kept warning her that her body was under stress. That push made her see a doctor, where she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer with the same symptoms. The Oura Ring is FSA or HSA eligible, btw.
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