Fatal infections in farm animals can now be detected in minutes thanks to a new rapid test created at McMaster University. The test – developed over four years by Mac biochemist Yingfu Li and engineer Leyla Soleymani – mixes a small sample of saliva with a chemical reagent. The mixture is then applied to a small microchip reader that quickly transmits the results to a connected smartphone. McMaster says the scientific discovery could help curb the growing threat of dangerous animal epidemics, which often require euthanasia of entire herds and have serious economic and environmental consequences. A prototype test has already been shown to be successful in detecting a catastrophic diarrhea infection in pigs that was first detected in Canada in 2014. Once widely available, McMaster says the test is expected to be a valuable tool for detecting and isolating outbreaks on farms and reducing the risk of transmitting animal-to-human infections. Inhaled vaccines provide better protection, require fewer doses than nasal sprays Inhaled aerosol vaccines provide much better protection and stronger immunity to viruses from nasal sprays, according to a study by McMaster University. The study – recently published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology – found that inhaled aerosols bypass the nose and deliver vaccine droplets deep into the airway, directly targeting respiratory pathogens. It elicits a broader protective immune response compared to nasal sprays, which mainly reach only the nose and throat, according to the study. The researchers used a tuberculosis vaccine to compare methods of administration, measuring droplet distribution, immune response and potency in animals. They found that vaccines given deep into the lungs provide much stronger immune responses from the nose, mainly because the tissues and cells in the two pathways are very different. While nasal fog vaccines are very effective in children, they are much less common in adults, the researchers said. In addition to being needle-free and painless, the researchers said that oral vaccines are so effective at targeting the lungs that they can achieve maximum protection at much lower doses. Elderly people with type 1 diabetes are at greater risk for muscle weakness, cardiovascular problems A research project at McMaster University found that older people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at a much higher risk of muscle weakness and cardiovascular complications. The researchers compared the restraint of 126 people – half with T1D, half without – with a mean age of 59 in the three-year study, which is expected to guide clinical practice and help diabetics make better health decisions. They found that elderly patients with T1D had abnormally low diastolic blood pressure (when the heart muscle is relaxed between pulses), an early indicator of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. While some people with T1D avoid exercise for fear of lowering their blood sugar, the study suggests that patients should try to maintain their strength with resistance-based exercise. The researchers said the evidence was now “overwhelmingly clear” that a reduction in muscle strength was closely linked to higher mortality. SHARE:
