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Cave full of bats in China identified as source of virus almost identical to the one killing hundreds today – National Post

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5 years ago

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Fifteen years ago, scientists discovered a cave in southern China that held viruses almost identical to the one that has killed nearly 500 people today and the ones that caused the SARS and MERS outbreaks decades ago. 

The cave, whose exact location is being kept secret, is inhabited by wild bats that have been found to carry a  “rich gene pool of SARS-related coronaviruses,” said Peter Daszark, the president of EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S. nonprofit organization that monitors wildlife diseases that could pose a pandemic risk.

Daszark said that one of the 500 or so virus strains discovered in 2004 is 96 per cent similar to the novel coronavirus that has infected 28,000 people and killed 560 since the outbreak began in December.  

“What we’re saying is that this cluster of viruses is a high risk,” Daszark said. 

The cave was discovered as part of the team’s efforts to track viruses similar to SARS in 2003, after the epidemic had struck, Daszark explained. At the time, people believed civets had caused the outbreak, but Daszark’s team disputed that notion.


A captured mouse-eared bat being handled for sample collection in a cave in Guangdong Province, China.

EcoHealth Alliance

Bats host a much higher number of zoonotic viruses than other mammals, many of which have caused human disease and outbreaks. A 2019 study warned that bats could cause the next coronavirus epidemic in China, due to their geographic proximity to several urban hotspots. This cave, for example, is located 60 kilometres from the city of Kunming in the Yunnan province of China. 

After the SARS epidemic, the team did not find many bats in the wildlife market, Daszark said, but noticed that people were “hunting them in the wild and selling directly to restaurants.” It collected faeces from bats that lived in the cave and tested them.

“We found viruses in bats that could infect human cells in a lab,” he said.  

The team then tested the viral strains on mice to see whether they would cause a SARS-like disease. They did.


Scientists record sample collection near bat cave, Guangdong Province, China. Scientists took samples from bat faeces and tested them for viruses in the lab.

EcoHealth Alliance

Finally, the team drew samples from people who lived near the bat caves and found that three per cent of them had developed antibodies to the viruses — proving that the strains can and have infected humans in the past. 

“So that was a red flag,” Daszark said.

But a lack of funding prevented scientists from researching the virus now known to be a close relative of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

“It’s not that we didn’t find it interesting,” Daszark said. “It went back into the freezer because we didn’t have enough money.”

Instead, the researchers focused on the strains that most resembled SARS and flagged those as most high risk to authorities.

The team published its results in a number of accredited academic journals and Daszark argued for the viruses to be added to the WHO’s top pathogens of high risk to human health.

After flagging the viruses, the team went back to the same regions in China to interview people in rural communities and learn who was at highest risk in contact with wildlife. “We published that information, too, and now if you go to some of those caves, there’s a sign up that says don’t go in, no entry. That’s the sort of thing that the government does,” he explained. 

This cave, he said, has since been redeveloped but declined to elaborate.

“(WHO) took it seriously. The Chinese government took it seriously,” Daszark said. China has attempted to ban the trade and has even banned consumption of wildlife from government banquets, which is “a big thing,” he added.

However, it’s tough to block all the ways, such as the wildlife trade, that these viruses “spill over” into human populations. Behaviours like these, he explained are “culturally deep in our population habits.… These things go back 5,000 years of history, it’s not straightforward. You can’t just ban it and it goes away.”


This picture taken on January 15, 2020 shows cleaners (C) sweeping the floor at a market in Beijing. – The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on January 20 it believed an animal source was the “primary source” of the outbreak.

NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP

Scientists studying the current coronavirus outbreak have not yet narrowed down how the disease spread to humans. If there was enough funding, however, Daszark believes that further research on the strain might have made a difference to preventing or minimizing the impact of the current outbreak. The funding could have supported efforts to sequence the virus genome, test it on animal models and then, depending on results, flag it as a “high risk factor” to respective authorities.

“You can’t say for sure” whether the current pandemic would have been prevented, he stressed. “We also don’t know for sure that blocking, you know, talking to communities and trying to get this reduced contact would actually stop an outbreak. But every little bit helps,” he said. 

There also isn’t enough large-scale support or funding to finance efforts to prevent pandemics from occurring in the future — a long-term, yet realistic endeavour, said  Daszark. 

Last year, PREDICT, a U.S. federal program to identify wildlife viruses that could infect humans was shut down by the government due to “the ascension of risk-averse bureaucrats,” according to Dennis Carroll, the former director of the United States Agency of International Development. 

Over the past decade, the initiative had discovered more than 1,000 new viruses, including a new strain of Ebola. It also trained people and created medical infrastructure in several developing countries to prepare for potential outbreaks. 

USAID also funded the $200 million Global Virome Project, an international effort launched in 2016 to identify and catalogue 99 per cent of “all zoonotic viruses with epidemic/pandemic potential.”


A man drags a handcart across a road on February 5, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Flights, trains and public transport including buses, subway and ferry services have suffered disruption for two weeks.

Getty Images

GVP estimates that there are about 1.5 million viruses present in wildlife, some of which could pose a risk to human health. The organization needs between $1.2 billion and $3.4 billion to find them — a minimum of $125 million a year. 

It looks like a big number. Yet, CNN reported that the coronavirus outbreak could cost China $60 billion in lost economic growth. After SARS broke in 2003, an estimated $40 billion was lost in productivity.

“It’s hard to maybe fight for something that you don’t know about when there are other things that are killing people,” said Goldstein, a UC Davis virologist, who works with the GVP. “But examples like these just explain why we need to continue investing in both of these streams.”

While “it’s hard to say what will prevent an outbreak,” once authorities can understand where and when people are coming into contact with a potentially risky virus, and the kind of population behaviours that initiate contact, “you can think about how to prevent that or how to reduce contact,” she said.

Daszark also argued that there are economic benefits to initiatives that could prevent future pandemics. “We did an analysis on the return of investment of reducing the number of outbreaks,” he said. “For every dollar you spend on that, well, you get a $9 return on investment. It really does make economic sense as well as good public health.”

“We need a proper concerted effort,” he said, and there might be more of a willingness to “think more strategically” after this outbreak. 

“But the problem is between our breaks, in a year from now, the momentum may have gone — as it often does.”

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What’s the greatest holiday gift: lips, hair, skin? Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

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1 week ago

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October 31, 2024

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Give the gift of great skin this holiday season

Skinstitut Holiday Gift Kits take the stress out of gifting

Toronto, October 31, 2024 – Beauty gifts are at the top of holiday wish lists this year, and Laser Clinics Canada, a leader in advanced beauty treatments and skincare, is taking the pressure out of seasonal shopping. Today, Laser Clincs Canada announces the arrival of its 2024 Holiday Gift Kits, courtesy of Skinstitut, the exclusive skincare line of Laser Clinics Group.

In time for the busy shopping season, the limited-edition Holiday Gifts Kits are available in Laser Clinics locations in the GTA and Ottawa. Clinics are conveniently located in popular shopping centers, including Hillcrest Mall, Square One, CF Sherway Gardens, Scarborough Town Centre, Rideau Centre, Union Station and CF Markville. These limited-edition Kits are available on a first come, first served basis.

“These kits combine our best-selling products, bundled to address the most relevant skin concerns we’re seeing among our clients,” says Christina Ho, Senior Brand & LAM Manager at Laser Clinics Canada. “With several price points available, the kits offer excellent value and suit a variety of gift-giving needs, from those new to cosmeceuticals to those looking to level up their skincare routine. What’s more, these kits are priced with a savings of up to 33 per cent so gift givers can save during the holiday season.

There are two kits to select from, each designed to address key skin concerns and each with a unique theme — Brightening Basics and Hydration Heroes.

Brightening Basics is a mix of everyday essentials for glowing skin for all skin types. The bundle comes in a sleek pink, reusable case and includes three full-sized products: 200ml gentle cleanser, 50ml Moisture Defence (normal skin) and 30ml1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum. The Brightening Basics kit is available at $129, a saving of 33 per cent.

Hydration Heroes is a mix of hydration essentials and active heroes that cater to a wide variety of clients. A perfect stocking stuffer, this bundle includes four deluxe products: Moisture 15 15 ml Defence for normal skin, 10 ml 1% Hyaluronic Complex Serum, 10 ml Retinol Serum and 50 ml Expert Squalane Cleansing Oil. The kit retails at $59.

In addition to the 2024 Holiday Gifts Kits, gift givers can easily add a Laser Clinic Canada gift card to the mix. Offering flexibility, recipients can choose from a wide range of treatments offered by Laser Clinics Canada, or they can expand their collection of exclusive Skinstitut products.

 

Brightening Basics 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut, available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.

Hydration Heroes 2024 Holiday Gift Kit by Skinstitut – available exclusively at Laser Clincs Canada clinics and online at skinstitut.ca.
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Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

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2 weeks ago

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October 24, 2024

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LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

X

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

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Pediatric group says doctors should regularly screen kids for reading difficulties

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2 weeks ago

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October 23, 2024

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The Canadian Paediatric Society says doctors should regularly screen children for reading difficulties and dyslexia, calling low literacy a “serious public health concern” that can increase the risk of other problems including anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioural issues, with lifelong consequences.

New guidance issued Wednesday says family doctors, nurses, pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for school-aged kids are in a unique position to help struggling readers access educational and specialty supports, noting that identifying problems early couldhelp kids sooner — when it’s more effective — as well as reveal other possible learning or developmental issues.

The 10 recommendations include regular screening for kids aged four to seven, especially if they belong to groups at higher risk of low literacy, including newcomers to Canada, racialized Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. The society says this can be done in a two-to-three-minute office-based assessment.

Other tips encourage doctors to look for conditions often seen among poor readers such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; to advocate for early literacy training for pediatric and family medicine residents; to liaise with schools on behalf of families seeking help; and to push provincial and territorial education ministries to integrate evidence-based phonics instruction into curriculums, starting in kindergarten.

Dr. Scott McLeod, one of the authors and chair of the society’s mental health and developmental disabilities committee, said a key goal is to catch kids who may be falling through the cracks and to better connect families to resources, including quicker targeted help from schools.

“Collaboration in this area is so key because we need to move away from the silos of: everything educational must exist within the educational portfolio,” McLeod said in an interview from Calgary, where he is a developmental pediatrician at Alberta Children’s Hospital.

“Reading, yes, it’s education, but it’s also health because we know that literacy impacts health. So I think that a statement like this opens the window to say: Yes, parents can come to their health-care provider to get advice, get recommendations, hopefully start a collaboration with school teachers.”

McLeod noted that pediatricians already look for signs of low literacy in young children by way of a commonly used tool known as the Rourke Baby Record, which offers a checklist of key topics, such as nutrition and developmental benchmarks, to cover in a well-child appointment.

But he said questions about reading could be “a standing item” in checkups and he hoped the society’s statement to medical professionals who care for children “enhances their confidence in being a strong advocate for the child” while spurring partnerships with others involved in a child’s life such as teachers and psychologists.

The guidance said pediatricians also play a key role in detecting and monitoring conditions that often coexist with difficulty reading such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but McLeod noted that getting such specific diagnoses typically involves a referral to a specialist, during which time a child continues to struggle.

He also acknowledged that some schools can be slow to act without a specific diagnosis from a specialist, and even then a child may end up on a wait list for school interventions.

“Evidence-based reading instruction shouldn’t have to wait for some of that access to specialized assessments to occur,” he said.

“My hope is that (by) having an existing statement or document written by the Canadian Paediatric Society … we’re able to skip a few steps or have some of the early interventions present,” he said.

McLeod added that obtaining specific assessments from medical specialists is “definitely beneficial and advantageous” to know where a child is at, “but having that sort of clear, thorough assessment shouldn’t be a barrier to intervention starting.”

McLeod said the society was partly spurred to act by 2022’s “Right to Read Inquiry Report” from the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which made 157 recommendations to address inequities related to reading instruction in that province.

He called the new guidelines “a big reminder” to pediatric providers, family doctors, school teachers and psychologists of the importance of literacy.

“Early identification of reading difficulty can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.

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