In the Canadian province of British Columbia and north-western U.S. states recorded the spread of new strains of the tropical semi-pathogenic fungus that can affect the lungs and brain of man until death. Cryptococcus gattii was first discovered in Australia. It was later revealed that he is quite common in tropical areas of Africa.
Cryptococcus gattii causes life-threatening infection of the pulmonary and central nervous systems in hosts with normal immunity and traditionally has been considered to be restricted geographically to tropical and subtropical climates. The recent outbreak of C. gattii in the temperate climate of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, led to a collaborative investigation. The objectives of the current study were to ascertain the environmental source of the outbreak infections, survey the molecular types of the outbreak and environmental cryptococcal isolates, and determine the extent of genetic diversity among the isolates. PCR-fingerprinting and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) were used to examine the genotypes, and mating assays were performed to determine the mating type of the isolates.
All outbreak and environmental isolates belonged to C. gattii. Concordant results were obtained by using PCR-fingerprinting and AFLP analysis. The vast majority of clinical and veterinary infections were caused by isolates of the molecular type VGII/AFLP6, but two were caused by molecular type VGI/AFLP4. All environmental isolates belonged to molecular type VGII/AFLP6. Two or three subtypes were observed within VGII/AFLP6 among outbreak and environmental isolates. All mating-competent isolates were of the α-mating type. The emergence of this usually tropical pathogen on Vancouver Island highlights the changing distribution of this genotype and emphasizes the importance of an ongoing collaborative effort to monitor the global epidemiology of this yeast.
New danger semi-pathogenic fungus detected
Whitening Teath
Every time when you get your picture taken, you hear "Say cheese! Smile!" So you do — you open your mouth and show your teeth. So, how to whiten your teeth naturally, are there recipes that can help you on the way?
There are home whitening methods and you can find them online but very often it does not constitute medical advice, then before you try to use some of them please see your doctor to get medical advice, it’s important! Well, one of the metods is based on malic acid, which acts as an astringent to remove surface discoloration. Combined with baking soda, strawberries become a natural tooth-cleanser, buffing away stains from wine, coffee, and dark sodas. I repeat ones more, it’s no replacement for a bleaching treatment at your dentist’s office, “this is a fast, cheap way to brighten your smile,” says Adina Carrel, DMD, a dentist in private practice at Manhattan Dental Arts in New York. “Be careful not to use this too often, though, as the acid could damage the enamel on your teeth.”
You need:
1 ripe strawberry
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions: Crush the strawberry to a pulp, then mix with the baking soda until blended. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth. Leave on for 5 minutes, then brush thoroughly with toothpaste to remove the berry–baking soda mix. Rinse. (A little floss will help get rid of any strawberry seeds.)