Getting to the Bottom of the Elizabethkingia Anophelis Outbreaks

If you’ve never heard of Elizabethkingia anophelis, don’t worry: you’re not alone. It’s a bacterial strain found most often in the gut of mosquitos, most often in Africa. But in 2015 and 2016, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed reported an outbreak of the bacteria in the state. In total, they had 63 confirmed…

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VA Health Initiative is Reducing MRSA Cases

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) a serious problem in hospitals throughout the country. That is why an initiative by the Veterans Health Administration looks so promising. At a recent conference, the VHA reported a reduction in “Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections by 89 percent over four years in a Veterans community living center (CLC) in North Carolina.”…

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Samsung’s Latest Recall Poses Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury

It hasn’t been a good year for Samsung loyalists. The Galaxy Note 7 recall was a disaster; it was more than a month after injuries and multiple cases of exploding batteries were reported before an official recall was issued. After replacement handsets started exploding, the company published a public apology in full-page ads in three…

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What Parents Should Know about Pokémon GO

If you haven’t heard about Pokémon GO yet, you’ve probably seen the effects of the latest gaming craze to sweep the nation. The increase in the number of people spending time outdoors isn’t some new health craze – it’s thanks to Nintendo’s wildly successful smartphone game. Once-deserted town centers are hosting droves of tweens and…

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Study Shows Sub-Clinical PTSD Responds Better to Established Treatment

Subclinical post-traumatic stress disorder is not something that often makes the news. The condition means that veterans exposed to trauma experience some, but not all, of the symptoms required for a diagnosis of PTSD. While their service has affected their lives, it hasn’t done so drastically enough to warrant a formal diagnosis (according to the…

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A Heartwarming Tale of Tech Support

Peter Byrne is a 21-year-old with cerebral palsy and a passion for video games. Cerebral palsy is caused by an insult an immature, developing brain, often before or during birth. As such, Byrne has lived with his disability all his life. Unfortunately, the disorder affects his muscle tone and movement in a way that interferes…

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Bionic Spine Implant Could Help the Paralyzed to Walk Again

Australian developers have created an implantable “bionic spine” that can interpret and transmit signals from the motor cortex. The device, about the size of a paperclip, can be implanted through a vein using a catheter. This method eliminates the need for dangerous and invasive brain surgery. How it works The Guardian reports, “The outside of…

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