THE SLAB

GRLFOE, Protozoan, JusB, (locals)

Scramble, B.I.M.B.O.S. (touring)

A Silver Bullet Against the Brain-Eating Amoeba?

by Emily Baumgaertner / NY Times

The brain-eating monsters are real enough, they lurk in freshwater ponds in much of the United States. Now scientists may have discovered a new way to kill them.

Minuscule silver particles coated with anti-seizure drugs one day may be adapted to halt Naegleria fowleri, an exceptionally lethal microbe that invades through the sinuses and feeds on human brain tissue.

Learn More About The Naegleria Brain-Eating Amoeba

The research, published in the journal Chemical Neuroscience, showed that repurposing seizure medicines and binding them to silver might kill the amoebae while sparing human cells. Scientists hope the findings will lay an early foundation for a quick cure.

“Here is a nasty, often devastating infection that we don’t have great treatments for,” said Dr. Edward T. Ryan, the director of the global infectious diseases division of Massachusetts General Hospital, who was not involved in the research. “This work is clearly in the early stages, but it’s an interesting take.”

Infections with brain-eating amoebae are rare but almost always deadly. Since 1962, only four of 143 known victims in the United States have survived, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of all cases have occurred in Texas and Florida, where the microscopic organisms thrive in warm pond water.

July 21 2017 3/100 days of productivity

Hi! I came to show what I studied today!

The first and second pictures are notes that I made from my Math book, the subject is Geometry (I showed it in my last post too!)

The third and fourth photo are notes of my science book, the matter is Protozoan

The fifth and sixth pictures are annotations of my handbook of Geography, the subject is Economy and Society

Today I also studied English, the subjects were Object and Subject Pronouns and How Much and How Many

This beautiful tawny owl was brought into us recently after being found lethargic and struggling to fly.

Emma, our vet, checked it over thoroughly and found that the poor bird had a bad case of canker; an ulcerous disease of the throat and crop caused by the protozoan Trichomonas gallinae. The infection made it difficult to eat and the bird was quite thin.

After medication and food, the bird was moved into our quarantine facility and will receive round the clock care until it has recovered!