Good morning. It's Wednesday, Feb 4. Welcome to this week's Health & Medicine newsletter. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here or click here to share with friends. |
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Thanks for all your messages about the inaugural edition last week! This week's newsletter explores three external environmental threats that remain major healthcare topics. We're covering growing concerns around fungus (and fungal diseases) and then diving into the latest developments with zoonotic diseases and food poisoning.
Do you have feedback about this newsletter or a reaction to last week's? Links you'd love to suggest for our "Best of the Week" section? Feel free to get in touch. Reaching out is as simple as replying to this message.
—Dina Fine Maron, 1440 Health & Medicine Section Editor |
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Fungus 101
Fungi are nature’s decomposers, recycling ecosystem nutrients. Distinct from plants and animals, fungi are everywhere on Earth, including in water, soil, air, and our bodies.
The fungal kingdom includes more than 1 million species, such as molds, mushrooms, and yeasts. But in this diverse group are also fungi that produce toxins in food and ones that trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks. When certain fungal species become overgrown in or on humans, that can lead to disorders like yeast infections, ringworm, and athlete’s foot.
Fungal diseases are increasing worldwide due to factors including climate change and the increase in international travel and trade. They cost the US around $19B annually and cause around 130,000 annual hospitalizations. Although most fungal pathogens, when inhaled, are easily cleared from the human body in otherwise healthy people, people with compromised immune systems are at particular risk. In hospitals, fungal pathogens may persist on surfaces, equipment, and in the air without strict sanitation practices and then spread easily among vulnerable people.
Also, check out ...
> Black mold isn’t more worrisome than other colors of mold. (Read)
> Reptiles seek heat—behavior that may help limit fungal infections. (Listen)
> Cutting mold off your food doesn't make it safe to eat. (Watch)
> Watch Cordyceps, a parasitic fungus, turn an ant into a "zombie." (Watch)
Explore everything else we've found on Fungus. |
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Interspecies Disease Jumps |
What are zoonotic diseases?
Zoonotic diseases are infections that spread between animals and people. They are the source of some of the world’s most devastating and deadly illnesses. The diseases may be caused by various pathogens—viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites—and can originate in creatures ranging from ticks and mosquitoes to pigs and bats.
Because animals may serve as natural reservoirs for pathogens to mutate and evolve, many emerging diseases have never been seen before. This means they're less likely to have existing treatments and may pose greater dangers to humans. Deforestation increases our contact with animals, boosting the likelihood of animal-human interactions and potential disease transmission. When researchers venture into unexplored environments, such as cave systems, they may also encounter new pathogens. And market conditions where live animals are kept in jammed quarters awaiting sale are also a known transmission risk.
While animals host a vast number of pathogens, only a small number successfully jump to humans and cause illness. More than 200 zoonotic diseases have been identified to date.
Also, check out ...
> Explore 3D models of some of the most dangerous pathogens. (Read)
> Bats are uniquely suited to act as disease reservoirs. (Read)
> Rabies is nearly 100% fatal once symptoms appear. (Watch)
> Only seven coronaviruses are known to have jumped to humans. (Read)
Explore everything else we've found on Zoonotic Diseases. |
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Food poisoning explained
Food poisoning is a common illness, affecting one in six Americans annually. It occurs when people consume any food or drink tainted with certain bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Food poisoning can also be caused by consuming a variety of toxins that develop on crops or are consumed by animals that humans may then slaughter and eat.
Norovirus is the leading cause of food poisoning in the US. Other top sources include salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, which are all bacteria. Food poisoning’s common symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Symptoms may begin hours or days after eating a contaminated substance. When your body is exposed to one of these disease-causing pathogens, it often leads to vomiting, diarrhea, or both, as it tries to remove the toxins from the digestive tract. Beyond short-term sickness, these infections can also lead to more severe, longer-term health complications. Thorough hand-washing, proper cooking, and safe food preparation are key steps to prevent illness.
The economic burden of food poisoning in the US totaled almost $75B in 2023, mostly due to the high cost of treating serious illnesses and lost employee wages.
Also, check out ...
> A WWI discovery about a plant hormone now helps preserve our fruits. (Watch)
> The first major norovirus outbreak sickened half an elementary school. (Read)
> Alexander the Great may have died from food poisoning. (Read)
> There were more than 20 cruise ship outbreaks in 2025. (Read)
Explore everything else we've found on Food Poisoning. |
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Medical Developments Spotlight |
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We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, influences future research directions, or informs healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.
> Don't always trust physician YouTubers' advice just because they are doctors
JAMA Network Open | EunKyo Kang, HyeWon Lee, and JuYong Choi. A review of over 300 physician and healthcare professional-generated YouTube videos—all relating to diabetes or cancer—found that almost two-thirds of them had very low or no evidence to support their health claims. (Read)
> This is the human brain on the world's strongest psychedelic
University College London | Staff. New research measured the brain’s electrical activity after people inhaled a high dose of vaporized synthetic 5-MeO-DMT, a substance derived from the glands of the Colorado River toad and currently in clinical trials for treating depression. Within seconds of exposure, it induced slow brain waves—those typically associated with unconsciousness due to a coma or anesthesia, perhaps explaining why users describe feeling like everything falls away. (Read)
> Genetics influences the microbes in our mouths
Nature | Nolan Kamiti, Robert E. Handsaker, and others. Some people may be genetically predisposed to develop more cavities than others due to the bacterial species that are likely to take up residence. That's one implication of an analysis of the largest collection of oral microbiome profiles to date. (Read) |
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In partnership with Timeline |
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Is Cellular Health the New Gut Health? |
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Each year, fungal diseases kill some 7,300 people—roughly the same number of deaths attributed to motor vehicles striking pedestrians. |
Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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