Reported cases of mumps have spiked to
a 10-year high in the U.S., jumping from
229 cases in 2012 to more than 4,000 in
2016. A vaccine-preventable disease that
affects the salivary glands, mumps causes
headaches, fatigue, and swelling of the jaw;
in rare cases, it can lead to complications
including deafness or brain inflammation.
Infections were reported in 46 states and
the District of Columbia last year; particularly
hard hit were Arkansas, Iowa,
Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York,
and Oklahoma. Health officials have noted
that the controversial “anti-vax” movement,
which opposes the use of vaccinations,
isn’t entirely to blame: Most of the
people diagnosed with mumps last year
had received the two recommended
doses of the measles-mumps-rubella
(MMR) vaccine. There is also no evidence
that the virus has mutated, which
would render the vaccine less effective.
“The most likely reason for these
outbreaks is that vaccine immunity
is fading,” Dr. Paul Offit, with the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
tells Scientific American. Health
officials investigating the issue say a
third dose of the MMR vaccine may
be required.
Novel penis implant
A heat-activated penis implant may offer
new hope for men suffering from erectile
dysfunction. Scientists at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison used nitinol, a nickeltitanium
alloy known for its elasticity
and shape memory, to develop a device
that expands when heated. The implant
remains flaccid at normal human body
temperature, becomes erect when warmed
slightly, and returns to its flaccid state on
cooling. The device isn’t perfect: Men fitted
with it would get an erection every time
they bathed, unless they draped a cold, wet
towel over their groin. But Brian Le, who
led the research, hopes it will offer men with
treatment-resistant erectile dysfunction an
option that’s simpler and less awkward than
an implant requiring a penis pump. “We’re
hoping that, with a better device, a better
patient experience, and a simpler surgery,
more urologists would perform this operation,
and more patients would want to try
the device,” he tells MedicalDaily.com. Le
and his team are now working on a remote
control that would activate the implant, using
heat induction, when waved over the penis.
new hope for men suffering from erectile
dysfunction. Scientists at the University of
Wisconsin–Madison used nitinol, a nickeltitanium
alloy known for its elasticity
and shape memory, to develop a device
that expands when heated. The implant
remains flaccid at normal human body
temperature, becomes erect when warmed
slightly, and returns to its flaccid state on
cooling. The device isn’t perfect: Men fitted
with it would get an erection every time
they bathed, unless they draped a cold, wet
towel over their groin. But Brian Le, who
led the research, hopes it will offer men with
treatment-resistant erectile dysfunction an
option that’s simpler and less awkward than
an implant requiring a penis pump. “We’re
hoping that, with a better device, a better
patient experience, and a simpler surgery,
more urologists would perform this operation,
and more patients would want to try
the device,” he tells MedicalDaily.com. Le
and his team are now working on a remote
control that would activate the implant, using
heat induction, when waved over the penis.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)