Fitness & Nutrition News

As concerns grow globally over the spread of hantavirus, leading virologists and epidemiologists have stressed that the country remains vulnerable to a possible outbreak of the virus due to its exposure to rodents and rodent-borne diseases, increased international travel, weak disease surveillance systems and inadequate laboratory facilities.

A global study in Nature finds childhood obesity rising fastest in low- and middle-income countries, even as rates stabilise in many rich nations. Researchers tracked trends from 1980–2024 across 232 million people, warning that rapid urbanisation, ultra-processed diets and less physical activity are driving future risks of diabetes and heart disease.

Health authorities have confirmed the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the disease.

Recent outbreaks of hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships are making headlines, but they’re unlikely to dim vacationers’ growing love of cruises.

Three daughters have raised £27,000 after their mum, Celane Disney, was diagnosed with a grade four brain tumour at the N&N Hospital last month.

A 64-year-old man died after the car he was driving crashed into a crash cushion in Serangoon on Saturday (May 16) morning.The accident happened at about 10.15am along Serangoon Road towards Upper Serangoon Road. Videos of the accident shared to a motoring chat group show a white Toyota Sienta multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that had crashed into a crash cushion between...

1 of 4 Canadians on cruise had ‘presumptive positive’ test for Andes strain of virus

Rawalpindi  -  The District Health Authority Rawalpindi continued its intensive field engagement across the district with multiple monitoring visits,

Phocaeicola dorei has been reported to ameliorate metabolic diseases. Its role in liver fibrosis remains unclear. We evaluated the hepatoprotective effect of P. dorei in liver fibrosis. Fecal samples were collected from healthy controls and patients (n = 285) to assess the clinical relevance of P. dorei. In male mice models (3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1.4-dihydrocollidine [DDC] diet), P. dorei (109 CFU/g twice/week) was orally administered. Primary HSCs, LX-2, THP-1, and HL-60 cell lines were used for mechanical validation. The relative abundance of P. dorei increased with worsing liver disease in human. P. dorei administration significantly reduced neutrophil degranulation and efferocytosis pathways (Ly6g and F4/80). The dysregulated expression of neutrophil-associated chemokines (Cx3cl1 and Cx3cr1) was restored by P. dorei. P. dorei culture supernatant inhibited macrophage-mediated efferocytosis. P. dorei attenuates liver fibrosis by suppressing neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and disrupting efferocytosis. Our results identify P. dorei as a potential microbiome-based therapeutic candidate for cholestatic liver fibrosis. This study reveals that the gut bacterium Phocaeicola dorei reduces liver fibrosis by regulating immune cell clearance of neutrophils.

“Our findings show that intestinal stem cells are not only responsible for tissue regeneration, but also the early defense against bacterial infection,” explained study supervisor Dr. Matan Hofree.