Medical Bulletin 10/May/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Multidrug-resistant bacteria discovered

The emergence and global spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria among companion animals (e.g., dogs and cats) pose a risk of the animals being reservoirs for cross-species transmission because of their close contact with humans.

In Japan, for the first time, a research team led by 1Associate Professor Mayo Yasugi from the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Veterinary Science discovered Escherichia coli resistant to both 2colistin and third-generation cephalosporin antibiotics in a companion dog. Outside Japan, both colistin and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli isolates have already been discovered in companion animals. However, the number of reports is still low, and knowledge of the trends and in-depth analysis of the bacteria is limited. Therefore, there are still many unknowns regarding the nature and 3host-to-host transmission of the bacteria.

Reference:

Genetic and phenotypic analyses of mcr-harboring extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli isolates from companion dogs and cats in Japan,Veterinary Microbiology, DOI 10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109695

Some MND and dementia patients share genetic defects: Study

New research has discovered that some patients with1 motor neuron disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) carry the same rare genetic defects that cause other neurodegenerative diseases.

2Researchers from the Macquarie University MND Research Centre and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research have identified the defects in the genomes of some people with non-inherited, or sporadic, MND and FTD.

3MND results in the death of the neurons, or motor nerves, connecting the brain and spinal cord to the muscles. These are the cells that control our ability to move, breathe and swallow. The disease is progressive and eventually fatal.

Reference:

Science Advances, DOI 10.1126/sciadv.ade2044

People in 20s and 30s with mental health problems have elevated risks of heart attack and stroke: Study

Adults in their 20s and 30s with mental disorders have an up to three-fold elevated likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, according to a study in more than 6.5 million individuals published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Lifestyle behaviours did not explain the excess risk. One in every eight of the 20-to-39-year-old participants had some kind of mental illness including depression, anxiety and insomnia.

This study investigated the association between mental disorders in adults aged 20-39 years and the risks of developing 1myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. The study used the 2Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database which covers the country’s entire population. A total of 6,557,727 individuals aged 20 to 39 years who underwent health examinations between 2009 and 2012 and had no history of myocardial infarction or stroke were included in the study. The average age was 31 years, and more than half (58%) of participants were 30 years or older.

Reference:

Professor Eue-Keun Choi et al,European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, DOI 10.1093/eurjpc/zwad102