CDC

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Explosion of cicada-eating mites has the state of Illinois scratching

CDC, cicadas, health, itch mites, mites, outbreak, rash, Science / /

Attack of the mites —

The good news: There’s little risk beyond the rash. The bad: The rash is awful.

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A cicada from a 17-year cicada brood clings to a tree on May 29, 2024, in Park Ridge, Illinois. The state experienced an emergence of cicadas from Brood XIII and Brood XIX simultaneously. This rare occurrence hasn't taken place since 1803.

Enlarge / A cicada from a 17-year cicada brood clings to a tree on May 29, 2024, in Park Ridge, Illinois. The state experienced an emergence of cicadas from Brood XIII and Brood XIX simultaneously. This rare occurrence hasn’t taken place since 1803.

A plague of parasitic mites has descended upon Illinois in the wake of this year’s historic crop of cicadas, leaving residents with raging rashes and incessant itching.

The mighty attack follows the overlapping emergence of the 17-year Brood XIII and the 13-year Brood XIX this past spring, a specific co-emergence that only occurs every 221 years. The cacophonous boom in cicadas sparked an explosion of mites, which can feast on various insects, including the developing eggs of periodical cicadas. But, when the mites’ food source fizzles out, the mites bite any humans in their midst in hopes of finding their next meal. While the mites cannot live on humans, their biting leads to scratching. The mite, Pyemotes herfsi, is aptly dubbed the “itch mite.”

“You can’t see them, you can’t feel them, they’re always here,” Jennifer Rydzewski, an ecologist for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, told Chicago outlet The Daily Herald. “But because of the cicadas, they have a food source [and] their population has exploded.”

The mites are around 0.2 millimeters in length and very difficult to see with the naked eye, according to agriculture experts at Pennsylvania State University. They have four pairs of legs and are tan with a reddish tinge. Female itch mites can produce up to 250 offspring, which emerge from her abdomen as adults. Emerged adult offspring quickly mate, with the males then dying off and the newly fertilized females dispersing to find their own food source.

Itchy outbreak

Besides “itch mites” these parasites have also been called the “oak leaf itch mite” or “oak leaf gall mite,” because they have often been found feasting on the larvae of oak gall midges. These midges are a type of fly that lays eggs on oak trees. The resulting larvae feast on the tree, spurring the formation of unusual growths (galls) around the larvae.

The first known outbreak of itch mites in the US occurred in Kansas in August 2004. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment had called in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help investigate a puzzling outbreak of rashes in Crawford County. At the start, 300 residents in the small city of Pittsburg reported extremely itchy rashes, primarily on the limbs, neck, and face. The rashes looked similar to those from insect bites, but few of the affected people recalled being bitten by anything.

With the help of entomologists, outbreak investigators pinned the rashes to the itch mites. The area had experienced a mild winter and cooler summer temps, leading to an explosion of oak gall midges and subsequent infestation of oak galls. A detailed investigation determined that county residents were nearly four times more likely to have an itchy rash if they had a pin oak tree on their property. Once the itch mites invade a gall-infected oak tree, more than 16,000 mites can emerge from the galls on a single leaf. The mites can then drop from trees and are even small enough to be carried by the wind, giving them ample opportunity to find their way onto humans.

By the end of the outbreak, investigators estimated that 54 percent of the roughly 38,000 residents in Crawford County—that is, around 20,500 people—had been bitten by the mites.

Profuse parasites

But oak gall midges are far from the only insect the itch mites feed upon. In 2007, the emergence of a particularly prolific brood of cicadas led to an outbreak of itch mites in the Chicago area. The Illinois Department of Public Health noted that the “proposed common name ‘oak leaf itch mite’ for P. herfsi is misleading and contributed to the delay in identifying the causative agent of the 2007 Illinois outbreak.” The department noted that at least five insect orders and nine insect families are prey to the mites.

In the US, cases of itch mite rashes have been documented in at least Illinois, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.

If bitten, humans develop an itchy red rash, typically with pimple-like bumps, which can stick around for up to two weeks. The rash develops between 10 to 16 hours after exposure, which can make it difficult to identify the source. But, the mites typically don’t produce groupings of bite marks like bedbugs or burrowing like scabies.

To try to avoid rashes, experts recommend wearing protective clothing when outside—including gloves while gardening or doing yard work—and washing clothes and showering after a potential exposure. The insect repellent DEET is often recommended, but anecdotal reports indicate DEET may not be entirely effective. If you already have a rash, the only thing to do is treat the symptoms with things like ice packs, soothing lotions (like calamine), oral antihistamines, over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams, and, if needed, prescription topical steroids. The good news is that the mites will not live on you and are not known to spread any diseases.

Explosion of cicada-eating mites has the state of Illinois scratching Read More »

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Mpox outbreak is an international health emergency, WHO declares

africa, CDC, health, Infectious disease, mpox, outbreak, Science, WHO / /

PHEIC —

The declaration is “the highest level of alarm under international health law.”

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A negative stain electron micrograph of a mpox virus virion in human vesicular fluid.

Enlarge / A negative stain electron micrograph of a mpox virus virion in human vesicular fluid.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared an international health emergency over a large and rapidly expanding outbreak of mpox that is spilling out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is the second time in about two years that mpox’s spread has spurred the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the highest level of alarm for the United Nations health agency. In July 2022, the WHO declared a PHEIC after mpox cases had spread across the globe, with the epicenter of the outbreak in Europe, primarily in men who have sex with men. The outbreak was caused by clade II mpox viruses, which, between the two mpox clades that exist, is the relatively mild one, causing far fewer deaths. As awareness, precautions, and vaccination increased, the outbreak subsided and was declared over in May 2023.

Unlike the 2022–2023 outbreak, the current mpox outbreak is driven by the clade II virus, the more dangerous version that causes more severe disease and more deaths. Also, while the clade I virus in the previous outbreak unexpectedly spread via sexual contact in adults, this clade II outbreak is spreading in more classic contact patterns, mostly through skin contact of household members and health care workers. A large proportion of those infected have been children.

To date, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the virus is endemic, has reported more than 22,000 suspect mpox cases and more than 1,200 deaths since the start of January 2023. In recent months, the outbreak has spilled out into multiple neighboring countries, including Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.

Earlier on Wednesday, the WHO convened an emergency committee to review the situation, in which experts from affected countries presented data to independent international experts. The committee concluded that the outbreak constituted a PHEIC, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus followed their recommendation.

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying,” Tedros said in a statement announcing the PHEIC. “On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a similar emergency. Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the declaration will “mobilize our institutions, our collective will, and our resources to act—swiftly and decisively. This empowers us to forge new partnerships, strengthen our health systems, educate our communities, and deliver life-saving interventions where they are needed most.”

For now, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention assess the risk to the US public to be “very low,” given that there is limited and no direct travel between the US and the epicenter of the outbreak. So far, no clade I cases have been detected outside of central and eastern Africa.

Mpox outbreak is an international health emergency, WHO declares Read More »

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31% of Republicans say vaccines are more dangerous than diseases they prevent

CDC, Democrat, health, pandemic, partisan, Republican, Science, vaccines / /

Vaccines save lives —

The partisan divide on vaccine falsehoods threatens the health of children nationwide.

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Polio victim Larry Montoya is at the airport for the arrival of cases of vaccine, which were distributed as part of the KO Polio campaign, September 5, 1962.

Enlarge / Polio victim Larry Montoya is at the airport for the arrival of cases of vaccine, which were distributed as part of the KO Polio campaign, September 5, 1962.

Public sentiment on the importance of safe, lifesaving childhood vaccines has significantly declined in the US since the pandemic—which appears to be solely due to a nosedive in support from people who are Republican or those who lean Republican, according to new polling data from Gallup.

In 2019, 52 percent of Republican-aligned Americans said it was “extremely important” for parents to get their children vaccinated. Now, that figure is 26 percent, falling by half in just five years. In comparison, 63 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaners said it was “extremely important” this year, down slightly from 67 percent in 2019.

Overall, only 40 percent of Americans now say it is extremely important for parents to vaccinate their children, down from 58 percent in 2019 and 64 percent in 2001.

More broadly, 93 percent of the Democratic group said it was “extremely” or “very” important for parents to vaccinate their children this year, while only 52 percent of the Republican group said the same.

On the other end of the spectrum, 11 percent of the Republican group said vaccinating children was “not important at all,” and an additional 8 percent said it was “not very important.” For the Democratic group, only 1 percent was reported in each of those categories.

Dangerous disinformation

Perhaps most concerning, the data indicated that a growing number of Americans view vaccines as more dangerous than the diseases they prevent—including polio, measles, tetanus, rotavirus, diphtheria, whooping cough, meningitis, and RSV, among others. Now, 20 percent of Americans overall think vaccines are more of a threat than the dangerous diseases they effectively prevent.

The partisan divide is most stark on this sentiment. In 2019, the two parties were about the same. Twelve percent of the Republican group and 10 percent of the Democratic group held this erroneous belief. But now, a whopping 31 percent of the Republican group say vaccines are a more significant threat than dangerous diseases, while the percentage among the Democratic group fell to 5 percent.

Republicans and Republican leaners are much more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to believe the false and debunked claim that vaccines are linked to autism—19 percent of the Republican group believe this falsehood compared to 4 percent of the Democratic group.

The polling data aligns with national vaccination trends tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the pandemic, rates of routine vaccination among kindergartners slipped from the protective target of 95 percent—which prevents infectious diseases from spreading widely—to 93 percent. Additionally, nonmedical exemptions from vaccinations have reached an all-time high of 3 percent nationally. At least 10 states have exemption rates at or above 5 percent, preventing them from reaching the protective target of 95 percent vaccination coverage.

31% of Republicans say vaccines are more dangerous than diseases they prevent Read More »

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Troubling bird flu study suggests human cases are going undetected

bird flu, CDC, dairy, H5N1, health, human infections, Infectious disease, outbreak, poultry, Science, vaccine / /

Poor surveillance —

A small sample of farm workers is enough to confirm fears about H5N1 outbreak.

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Troubling bird flu study suggests human cases are going undetected

Tony C. French/Getty

A small study in Texas suggests that human bird flu cases are being missed on dairy farms where the H5N1 virus has taken off in cows, sparking an unprecedented nationwide outbreak.

The finding adds some data to what many experts have suspected amid the outbreak. But the authors of the study, led by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, went further, stating bluntly why the US is failing to fully surveil, let alone contain, a virus with pandemic potential.

“Due to fears that research might damage dairy businesses, studies like this one have been few,” the authors write in the topline summary of their study, which was posted online as a pre-print and had not been peer-reviewed.

The study authors, led by Gregory Gray, were invited to two undisclosed dairy farms in Texas that experienced H5N1 outbreaks in their herds starting in early and late March, respectively. The researchers had a previously approved research protocol to study novel respiratory viruses on dairy farms, easing the ability to quickly begin the work.

Rare study

“Farm A” had 7,200 cows and 180 workers. Illnesses began on March 6, and nearly 5 percent of the herd was estimated to be affected during the outbreak. “Farm B” had 8,200 cows and 45 workers. After illnesses began on March 20, an estimated 14 percent of the herd was affected.

The researchers first visited Farm A on April 3 and Farm B on April 4, collecting swabs and samples at each. Based on the previously approved protocol, they were limited to taking nasal swabs and blood samples from no more than 10 workers per farm. On Farm A, 10 workers provided nasal swabs and blood samples. On Farm B, only seven agreed to give nasal swabs, and four gave blood samples.

While swabs from cows, milk, a dead bird, and a sample of fecal slurry showed signs of H5N1, all of the nasal swabs from the 14 humans were negative. However, when researchers looked for H5N1-targeting antibodies in their blood—an indicator that they were previously infected—two of the 14, about 14 percent, were positive.

Both of the workers with previous infections, a man and a woman, were from Farm A. And both reported having flu-like symptoms. The man worked inside cattle corrals, close to the animals, and he reported having a cough at the time the samples were taken. The woman, meanwhile, worked in the cafeteria on the farm and reported recently recovering from an illness that included fever, cough, and sore throat. She noted that other people on the farm had similar respiratory illnesses around when she did.

The finding suggests human cases of H5N1 are going undetected. Moreover, managing to find evidence of two undetected infections in a sample of just 14 workers suggests it may not be hard to find more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that around 200,000 people work with livestock in the US.

A “compelling case”

To date, the virus has infected at least 175 dairy farms in 13 states. The official tally of human cases in the dairy outbreak is 14: four in dairy farm workers and 10 in workers on poultry farms with infections linked to the dairy outbreak.

“I am very confident there are more people being infected than we know about,” Gray told KFF, which first reported on the study. “Largely, that’s because our surveillance has been so poor.”

Known infections in humans have all been mild so far. But experts are anxious that with each new infection, the wily H5N1 virus is getting new opportunities to adapt further to humans. If the virus evolves to cause more severe disease and spread from human to human, it could spark another pandemic.

Federal officials are also worried about this potential threat. In a press briefing Tuesday, Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, announced a $5 million effort to vaccinate farm workers—but against seasonal flu.

Shah explained that the CDC is concerned that if farm workers are infected with H5N1 and the seasonal flu at the same time, the viruses could exchange genetic segments—a process called reassortment. This could give rise to the pandemic threat experts are worried about. By vaccinating the workers against the seasonal flu, it could potentially prevent the viruses from comingling in one person, Shah suggested.

The US does have a bird flu-specific vaccine available. But in the briefing, Shah said that the use of that vaccine in farm workers is not planned for now, though there’s still active discussion on the possibility. The lack of severe disease and no documented human-to-human transmission from H5N1 infections both argue against deploying a new vaccine, Shah said. “There has to be a strong and compelling case,” he added. Shah also suggested that the agency expects vaccine uptake to be low among farm workers.

Troubling bird flu study suggests human cases are going undetected Read More »

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7 million pounds of meat recalled amid deadly outbreak

CDC, deaths, health, Infectious disease, listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Meat, outbreak, recall, Science, USDA / /

7 million pounds across 71 products —

Authorities worry that the contaminated meats are still sitting in people’s fridges.

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Shelves sit empty where Boar's Head meats are usually displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Anselmo, California.

Enlarge / Shelves sit empty where Boar’s Head meats are usually displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Anselmo, California.

Over 7 million pounds of Boar’s Head brand deli meats are being recalled amid a bacterial outbreak that has killed two people. The outbreak, which began in late May, has sickened a total of 34 people across 13 states, leading to 33 hospitalizations, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

On June 26, Boar’s Head recalled 207,528 pounds of products, including liverwurst, beef bologna, ham, salami, and “heat and eat” bacon. On Tuesday, the Jarratt, Virginia-based company expanded the recall to include about 7 million additional pounds of meat, including 71 different products sold on the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand labels. The products were sold nationwide.

The meats may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a foodborne pathogen that is particularly dangerous to pregnant people, people over the age of 65, and people with compromised immune systems. Infections during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in newborns. For others who develop invasive illness, the fatality rate is nearly 16 percent. Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions that are sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The problem was discovered when the Maryland Department of Health—working with the Baltimore City Health Department—collected an unopened liverwurst product from a retail store and found that it was positive for L. monocytogenes. In later testing, the strain in the liverwurst was linked to those isolated from people sickened in the outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six of the 34 known cases were identified in Maryland, and 12 were identified in New York. The other 11 states have only reported one or two cases each. However, the CDC expects the true number of infections to be much higher, given that many people recover without medical care and, even if people did seek care, health care providers do not routinely test for L. monocytogenes in people with mild gastrointestinal illnesses.

In the outbreak so far, there has been one case in a pregnant person, who recovered and remained pregnant. The two deaths occurred in New Jersey and Illinois.

In a statement on the company’s website, Boar’s Head said that it learned from the USDA on Monday night that L. monocytogenes strain in the liverwurst linked to the multistate outbreak. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to immediately and voluntarily expand our recall to include all items produced at the Jarratt facility. We have also decided to pause ready-to-eat operations at this facility until further notice. As a company that prioritizes safety and quality, we believe it is the right thing to do.”

The USDA said it is “concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators and in retail deli cases.” The USDA, the company, and CDC warn people not to eat the recalled products. Instead, they should either be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. And if you’ve purchased one of the recalled products, the USDA also advises you to thoroughly clean your fridge to prevent cross-contamination.

7 million pounds of meat recalled amid deadly outbreak Read More »

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Five people infected as bird flu appears to go from cows to chickens to humans

avian influenza, bird flu, CDC, Chickens, Colorado, cows, dairy, H5N1, health, infectious diseases, influenza, milk, outbreak, poultry, Science, USDA / /

Cows and chickens and humans, oh my! —

High temperatures made it hard for workers to use protective gear during culling.

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Five people infected as bird flu appears to go from cows to chickens to humans

The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus that spilled from wild birds into US dairy cows late last year may have recently seeped from a dairy farm in Colorado to a nearby poultry farm, where it then infected five workers tasked with culling the infected chickens

In a press briefing Tuesday, federal officials reported that four of the avian influenza cases have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while the fifth remains a presumptive positive awaiting CDC confirmation.

All five people have shown mild illnesses, though they experienced variable symptoms. Some of the cases involved conjunctivitis, as was seen in other human cases linked to the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. Others in the cluster of five had respiratory and typical flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, sore throat, runny nose, and cough. None of the five cases required hospitalization.

The virus infecting the five people is closely related to the virus infecting the chickens on the poultry farm, which, in turn, is closely related to virus seen in infected dairy herds and in other human cases that have been linked to the dairy outbreak. The affected poultry farm is in Colorado’s northern county of Weld, which has also reported about two dozen outbreaks of avian influenza in dairy herds.

Dairy to poultry hypothesis

In one fell swoop, Colorado’s poultry farm outbreak has more than doubled the number of human avian influenza cases linked to the dairy cow spillover, bringing the previous tally of four cases to nine. While officials have previously noted instances where it appeared that H5N1 on dairy farms had moved to nearby poultry farms, this appears to be the first time such spread has led to documented human infections.

The link between the poultry farm cases and neighboring dairy farms is still just a hypothesis, however, Nirav Shah, the principal deputy director at the CDC, emphasized to reporters Tuesday. “It is a hypothesis that needs and requires a full investigation. But that is a hypothesis at this point,” he said of the link between the dairy farms and the poultry farm. So far, there is no direct evidence of a specific source of the poultry farm’s infection, and the route of infection is also unclear.

Throughout the outbreak of H5N1 on dairy farms, officials have noted that the primary way the virus appears to spread to new farms is via the movement of cows, people, and machinery between those facilities. There remains no evidence of human-to-human transmission. But milk from infected cows has been found to be brimming with high levels of infectious virus, and milk-contaminated equipment is a prime suspect in the spread.

In the press briefing Tuesday, Eric Deeble, acting senior advisor for H5N1 response with the US Department of Agriculture, noted the poultry are very susceptible to avian influenza and are easily infected. “It does not take much to introduce this into a flock,” Deeble said. The USDA is now working on a “trace-back” investigation on how the Colorado poultry farm was infected.

Searing spread

As for how the farm workers specifically became infected with the virus, health officials pointed to high temperatures that prevented workers from donning protective gear. The poultry farm is a commercial egg layer operation with around 1.8 million birds. Given the presence of bird flu on the premises, all 1.8 million birds need to be culled, aka “depopulated.” This is being carried out using mobile carts with carbon dioxide gas chambers, a common culling method. Workers are tasked with placing the birds in the chambers, which only hold a few dozen birds at a time. In all, the method requires workers to have a high degree of contact with the infected birds, going from bird to bird and batch to batch with the carts.

Amid this grim task, temperatures in the area reached over 100° Fahrenheit, and massive industrial fans were turned on in the facility to try to cool things down. Between the heat and the fans, the approximately 160 people involved in the culling struggled to use personal protective equipment (PPE). The required PPE for the depopulation involves a full Tyvek suit, boots, gloves, goggles, and an N95 respirator.

“The difficulty with wearing all that gear in that kind of heat, you can imagine,” said Julie Gauthier, executive director for field operations at the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The industrial fans blowing large amounts of air made it yet more difficult for workers to keep goggles and respirators on their faces, she said.

The CDC and the USDA are both involved in further investigations of the poultry farm outbreak. CDC’s Shah noted that the team the agency deployed to Colorado included an industrial hygienist, who can work on strategies to prevent further transmission.

To date, at least 161 herds in 13 states have tested positive for avian influenza since the dairy outbreak was confirmed in March. Since January 2022, when US birds first tested positive for the H5N1 virus, 99 million birds in the US have been affected in 48 states, which involved 1,165 individual outbreaks.

Five people infected as bird flu appears to go from cows to chickens to humans Read More »

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Microdosing candies finally recalled after psychoactive muscimol found

CDC, diamond shruumz, fda, health, illnesses, muscimol, Mushroom, neurotransmitter, poisoning, recall, Science / /

Finally —

Muscimol, found in the candy, is from hallucinogenic Amanita muscaria mushrooms.

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Microdosing candies finally recalled after psychoactive muscimol found

After weeks of reports of severe illnesses across the country, the maker of Diamond Shruumz microdosing chocolates, gummies, and candy cones has finally issued a recall. It covers all lots and all flavors of all the brand’s products.

The illnesses have been marked by several severe symptoms, which notably include seizures, loss of consciousness, and the need for intubation and intensive care. To date, there have been 39 people sickened, including 23 hospitalizations across 20 states, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA first issued a warning on the brand’s chocolate bars on June 7, when there were reports of eight cases, including six hospitalizations, in four states.

Diamond Shruumz’s parent company, Prophet Premium Blends, said in the recall notice that it had received only two complaints about the products to date and, upon receiving those complaints, reviewed recent laboratory analyses (Certificates of Analysis) of its products. According to the company, those CoAs noted “higher than normal amounts of muscimol,” which is one of two key compounds found in hallucinogenic Amanita mushrooms. Muscimol “could be a potential cause of symptoms consistent with those observed in persons who became ill after eating Diamond Shruumz products,” the company said in the recall notice.

In a statement posted on Diamond Shruumz’s website, Prophet Premium Blends announced the recall and added that it has also ceased production and distribution of all of the brand’s products.

“Due to consumers becoming ill after consuming the entire chocolate bar and some products containing higher levels of Muscimol than normal, it is crucial that all of our consumers refrain from ingesting this product while we, alongside the FDA, continue our investigation as to what is the cause of the serious adverse effects,” Prophet Premium Blends wrote on its website.

Diamond Shruumz has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Ars. Prophet Premium Blends did not respond to a request for comment and a list of questions.

What’s normal?

It’s unclear what amounts of muscimol were found in the company’s products and which products were affected. While the company reported only “higher than normal” amounts, it’s also unclear what the “normal” amount is. Diamond Shruumz posts third-party lab reports on its website, most of which indicate that the products are tested for muscimol. For instance, the reports show muscimol testing for all flavors of Cones and Extreme Gummies. For the brand’s chocolate bars, which the FDA first linked to the illnesses, all the bars except for the dark chocolate flavor showed muscimol results. For the gummies, only the report for the Hawaiian Punch flavor shows muscimol results. Of all the reports that include results for muscimol, all indicate that the amounts are lower than the limit of quantitation, which suggests that they are not supposed to contain any amount of muscimol. All of the reports reviewed by Ars were dated at various times throughout 2023.

Muscimol, along with related ibotenic acid, are both key psychoactive components of some Amanita mushrooms. That includes the hallucinogenic toadstool mushroom A. muscaria var. muscaria, which is notable for its unique bright red-orange caps with white warts. Both muscimol and ibotenic acid resemble neurotransmitters, namely GABA and glutamate, respectively. Muscimol is associated with depression of the central nervous system, while Ibotenic acid is associated with excitation of the central nervous system.

Fuzzy findings

According to the recall notice, it’s possible that the muscimol could cause some of the symptoms in people sickened, which included seizures, agitation, involuntary muscle contractions, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rates, and hyper/hypotension. The FDA said in its own update that it was “evaluating this information.”

The agency had previously identified the undisclosed synthetic psychedelic compound 4-AcO-DMT in the company’s chocolates, as well as undisclosed compounds found in a potentially toxic Kava plant (Piper methysticum). It remains unclear if any of those compounds explain the illnesses.

The totality of the ingredients in Diamond Shruumz’s products remains unclear. The company does not list the ingredients on its website, selling the products only with terms indicating they contain psychedelic compounds and the vague, buzzword-loaded description of having a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.”

The CDC warns that such “edibles” are often sold as candies and snack food and might contain undisclosed ingredients, including illicit substances, adulterants, or potentially harmful contaminants. Common marketing terms to look out for include “microdosing,” “adaptogens,” “nootropics,” and “functional mushrooms,” the CDC warns.

Consumers should not eat, sell, or serve any Diamond Shruumz product. For those who have already purchased the products, they can be returned for a full refund to 1019 Arlington St., Orlando, Florida, 32805, according to Diamond Shruumz’s website.

Microdosing candies finally recalled after psychoactive muscimol found Read More »

synthetic-psychedelic-found-in-candies-linked-to-seizures,-intubation

Synthetic psychedelic found in candies linked to seizures, intubation

4-AcO-DMT, candies, CDC, chocolate, diamond shruumz, fda, kava, piper methysticum, psilocybin, psychedelic, Science / /

Toxic trip —

Cases grow to 39, including 23 hospitalizations, across 20 states.

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A Diamond Shruumz chocolate bar, which comes in a variety of flavors.

Enlarge / A Diamond Shruumz chocolate bar, which comes in a variety of flavors.

The US Food and Drug Administration has identified a synthetic psychedelic compound as well as compounds from a potentially toxic plant in the Diamond Shruumz-brand microdosing candies linked to a growing number of severe illnesses nationwide that have included seizures, intubation, and admissions to intensive care units.

As of June 25, the case total has grown to 39, including 23 hospitalizations, across 20 states, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

It remains unclear what is in the candies and what may be causing the severe illnesses. Diamond Shruumz does not provide a full list of ingredients. The term “microdosing” and other marketing used by Diamond Shruumz suggests the candies contain a psychedelic compound, but the company does not name any. To figure it out, the FDA has been analyzing multiple samples of Diamond Shruumz-brand candies, including chocolates, gummies, and candy cones. On Tuesday, the FDA reported finding the synthetic psychedelic compound 4-AcO-DMT in the company’s Dark Chocolate Bar and its Birthday Cake Chocolate Bar.

As Ars reported previously, 4-AcO-DMT (aka 4- acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, O-acetylpsilocin, or psilacetin) is a common synthetic tryptamine used in psychedelics and was previously suspected to be in the Diamond Shruumz candies. The psychoactive drug has a chemical structure similar to the most notable mushroom-derived psychedelic, psilocybin, as well as LSD. Though safety data on the compound is scant, it is not known to be linked to some of the severe symptoms seen in the current string of illnesses. People who use 4-Aco-DMT describe it as producing effects similar to psilocybin, but without some of the unpleasant side effects noted with natural mushrooms, such as nausea. Still, according to the CDC, some people who use it could experience nausea, vomiting, fast heart rate, anxiety, agitation, lightheadedness, or tremor.

Additionally, the FDA found three compounds from the Kava plant (Piper methysticum) in the company’s dark chocolate bar, though not the birthday-cake flavored bar. The compounds are kavalactones—desmethoxyyangonin, dihydrokavain, and kavain.

Concerning kava

Kava is a plant found on some Pacific Islands and is used in traditional herbal remedies for the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, stress, and other ailments. But, over the years, it has also occasionally been linked to severe liver toxicity. In the early 2000s, this led to warnings, withdrawals, and even bans in several countries, including Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, and the UK. In 2002, the FDA issued an advisory of its own over the associated liver injuries, which include hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Later that same year, researchers published case reports of 11 people (two in the US and nine in Europe) who developed liver failure after using kava products and needed subsequent liver transplants.

In an update on the illnesses linked to Diamond Shruumz candies, the CDC noted that kava can cause numbness of the mouth and skin, loss of coordination, dizziness, sedation, and gastrointestinal effects, such as nausea and vomiting. Consuming kava products alongside alcohol or drugs like benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium and Xanax) can heighten the sedative effects. But, the CDC seemed to downplay the risk of liver toxicity here, noting that it has only occasionally been associated with chronic or heavy ingestion of kava.

In all, it’s still unclear if the compounds the FDA identified in the Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars so far can explain the illnesses seen in the linked cases. The CDC lists the severe and common symptoms from those cases as including seizures, decreased level of consciousness, respiratory failure, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hallucinations, uncontrolled movements, abnormal heart rate (e.g., too fast or too slow), high or low blood pressure, excessive sweating or secretions, and flushed skin.

The FDA said testing of other Diamond Shruumz products is still in progress. The agency noted that there can be differences across products and batches. In the meantime, the agency advises consumers not to eat, sell, or serve any of the company’s products and, instead, discard them.

There is still no recall of the candies. Diamond Shruumz has not responded to multiple inquiries from Ars. The FDA said Tuesday that the agency has “been in contact with the firm about a possible voluntary recall,” but to date, Diamond Shruumz has not initiated one.

Synthetic psychedelic found in candies linked to seizures, intubation Read More »

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Microdosing candy-linked illnesses double; possible recall in “discussions”

CDC, chocolate, cones, diamond shruumz, fda, gummies, intubation, microdosing, outbreak, psychedelic, recall, Science, seizures / /

No recall —

Of the 26 cases identified so far, 25 sought medical care and 16 were hospitalized.

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Microdosing candy-linked illnesses double; possible recall in “discussions”

Cases of illnesses linked to microdosing candies have more than doubled, with reports of seizures and the need for intubation, mechanical ventilation, and intensive care stays. But, there remains no recall of the products—microdosing chocolates, gummies, and candy cones by Diamond Shruumz—linked to the severe and life-threatening illnesses. In the latest update from the Food and Drug Administration late Tuesday, the agency said that it “has been in contact with the firm about a possible voluntary recall, but these discussions are still ongoing.”

In the update, the FDA reported 26 cases across 16 states, up from 12 cases in eight states last week. Of the 26 reported cases, 25 sought medical care and 16 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a health alert about the candies. The agency noted that as of June 11, the people sickened after eating Diamond Shruumz candies presented to health care providers with a host of severe symptoms. Those include: central nervous system depression with sedation, seizures, muscle rigidity, clonus (abnormal reflex responses), tremor, abnormal heart rate (bradycardia or tachycardia), abnormal blood pressure (hypotension or hypertension), gastrointestinal effects (nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain), skin flushing, diaphoresis (excessive sweating), and metabolic acidosis with increased anion gap (an acid-based disorder linked to poisonings).

At the time of the CDC alert, 10 patients had been hospitalized, and “several required intubation, mechanical ventilation, and admission to an intensive care unit,” the agency reported.

It remains unclear what ingredient in the candies could be causing the poisonings. The FDA reports that it has worked with state partners to collect multiple samples of Diamond Shruumz products so they can be analyzed for potential toxic components. That analysis is still ongoing, the agency said.

Diamond Shruumz has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Ars.

Untold toxic ingredients

Diamond Shruumz does not list the ingredients of its products on its website. They are sold as “microdosing” candies, a term that typically suggests a small amount of a psychedelic compound is present. The company describes its chocolates, gummies, and cones as “trippy,” “psychedelic,” and “hallucinogenic,” and also claims they contain a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.” But, it’s unclear what, if any, psychoactive compound is present in the candies.

The CDC notes that products like these “might contain undisclosed ingredients, including illicit substances, other adulterants, or potentially harmful contaminants that are not approved for use in food.”

Diamond Shruumz posted documents on its website from third-party laboratories claiming to indicate that the candies do not contain the most notable mushroom-derived psychedelic compound, psilocybin. The reports also indicate that some of the products do not contain cannabinoids or compounds from the hallucinogenic Amanita muscaria mushroom. Additionally, the company said in a blog post that its products contain a blend of Lion’s mane, Reishi, and Chaga mushrooms, but these are all non-hallucinogenic mushrooms used in herbal and traditional medicines and supplements.

In recent decades, hundreds of new synthetic psychoactive substances have hit the market in such products, including many new phenethylamines and tryptamines, which are chemically related to LSD and psilocybin. Some experts and members of the psychedelic community have speculated that Diamond Shruumz products could potentially contain one of the more popular tryptamines, 4-AcO-DMT, often pronounced  “4-akko-DMT,” and also known as 4- acetoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, O-acetylpsilocin, or psilacetin. According to a qualitative 2020 study, users describe 4-AcO-DMT as producing effects similar to psilocybin, but without some of the unpleasant side effects noted with natural mushrooms, such as nausea. Animal experiments have confirmed that 4-AcO-DMT appears to produce psilocybin-like effects.

Still, it’s unclear if such ingredients could explain the symptoms seen in the current outbreak. Though clinical data on 4-AcO-DMT is scant, it has not been linked to such severe symptoms. On the other hand, some novel synthetic compounds, such as Dox and NBOMe, often misrepresented as LSD, are considered dangerous. For instance, NBOMe compounds (N-methoxybenzyl, also called N-bombs or 251), first discovered in 2003, have been linked to overdoses and deaths. In the scientific literature, they’ve been linked to “unpleasant hallucinations, panic, agitation, hypertension, seizures, acute psychosis, and/or excited delirium that can result in cardiac arrest,” according to the 2020 study.

Microdosing candy-linked illnesses double; possible recall in “discussions” Read More »

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Huge telehealth fraud indictment may wreak havoc for Adderall users, CDC warns

adderall, ADHD, CDC, department of justice, Done Global, fentanyl, fraud, health, illicit drugs, overdose, prescription drug, Science, stimulants, telehealth / /

Tragic —

The consequences are dangerous, possibly even deadly, for patients across the US.

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Ten milligram tablets of the hyperactivity drug, Adderall, made by Shire Plc, is shown in a Cambridge, Massachusetts pharmacy Thursday, January 19, 2006.

Enlarge / Ten milligram tablets of the hyperactivity drug, Adderall, made by Shire Plc, is shown in a Cambridge, Massachusetts pharmacy Thursday, January 19, 2006.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday warned that a federal indictment of an allegedly fraudulent telehealth company may lead to a massive, nationwide disruption in access to ADHD medications—namely Adderall, but also other stimulants—and could possibly increase the risk of injuries and overdoses.

“A disruption involving this large telehealth company could impact as many as 30,000 to 50,000 patients ages 18 years and older across all 50 US states,” the CDC wrote in its health alert.

The CDC warning came on the heels of an announcement from the Justice Department Thursday that federal agents had arrested two people in connection with an alleged scheme to illegally distribute Adderall and other stimulants through a subscription-based online telehealth company called Done Global.  The company’s CEO and founder, Ruthia He, was arrested in Los Angeles, and its clinical president, David Brody, was arrested in San Rafael, California.

“As alleged, these defendants exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to develop and carry out a $100 million scheme to defraud taxpayers and provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants for no legitimate medical purpose,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Those seeking to profit from addiction by illegally distributing controlled substances over the Internet should know that they cannot hide their crimes and that the Justice Department will hold them accountable.”

Deadly consequences

According to the Justice Department, Done Global generated $100 million in revenue by arranging for the prescription of over 40 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants, which are addictive medications used to treat ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Done Global allegedly eased access to the drugs by limiting the information available to prescribers, instructing prescribers to prescribe Adderall and other stimulants even if the patient didn’t qualify, and mandating that the prescribing appointments last no longer than 30 minutes. The company also discouraged prescriber follow-up appointments and added an “auto-refill” feature.

Prosecutors further allege that He and Brody continued with their scheme after becoming aware that patients had overdosed and died.

The CDC cautioned that the disruption from lost access to Done Global prescriptions comes amid a long-standing, nationwide shortage of Adderall and other stimulant medications. For patients with ADHD, the disruption could be harmful. “Untreated ADHD is associated with adverse outcomes, including social and emotional impairment, increased risk of drug or alcohol use disorder, unintentional injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, and suicide,” the CDC warns. Further, a loss of access could drive some to seek illicit sources of the drugs, which could turn deadly.

“Patients whose care or access to prescription stimulant medications is disrupted, and who seek medication outside of the regulated healthcare system, might significantly increase their risk of overdose due to the prevalence of counterfeit pills in the illegal drug market that could contain unexpected substances, including fentanyl,” the CDC said. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration recently reported that seven out of every 10 pills seized from the illegal drug market contain a potentially lethal dose of illegally made fentanyl, the CDC noted.

This post was updated to clarify that the DEA’s data indicated that 70 percent of illicit pills seized contained “potentially” lethal doses, which was not included in the CDC’s warning.

Huge telehealth fraud indictment may wreak havoc for Adderall users, CDC warns Read More »

more-seizures,-intubation-from-microdose-candies:-12-sickened,-10-hospitalized

More seizures, intubation from microdose candies: 12 sickened, 10 hospitalized

CDC, chocolates, diamond shruumz, fda, health, microdose, mushrooms, outbreak, poison, psychelics, Science / /

Potent microdoses —

FDA updates alert after the latest case fell ill on June 9.

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Diamond Shruumz's

Enlarge / Diamond Shruumz’s “extremely potent” infused cones in “sprinkles” flavor.

More people have reported severe poisonings in an ongoing outbreak marked by people seizing and needing to be intubated after consuming microdose candies made by Diamond Shruumz, the Food and Drug Administration reported Tuesday.

There are now at least 12 reported cases across eight states. All 12 people were ill enough to seek medical care, and 10 needed to be hospitalized. The symptoms reported so far include seizures, central nervous system depression (loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness), agitation, abnormal heart rates, hyper/hypotension, nausea, and vomiting, the FDA reported.

In Tuesday’s update, the FDA also expanded the products linked to the illnesses. In addition to all flavors of Diamond Shruumz’s Microdosing Chocolate Bars, the agency’s warning now covers all flavors of the brand’s Infused Cones and Micro Dose and Macro Dose Gummies.

According to the FDA, the most recent case fell ill on June 9. On June 7, the FDA issued its initial warning on Diamond Shruumz’s chocolates, reporting that eight people had been sickened in four states, with six people hospitalized. The agency advised the public not to sell, serve, buy, or consume the chocolates and instead discard them.

The candies are available nationwide. They are sold online—where they remain available for purchase as of Tuesday evening—and can also be found in various retail locations throughout the US, including smoke/vape shops and retailers that sell hemp-derived products.

The current tally of cases includes one from Alabama, four from Arizona, two from Indiana, one from Kentucky, one from Missouri, one from Nevada, one from Pennsylvania, and one from South Carolina.

Diamond Schruumz has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Ars. The New York Times also reported that the company was unresponsive.

It remains unclear what exactly is in the candies and what could cause such severe toxicity. The company does not provide ingredient lists for its products on its website. The term “microdosing” typically suggests a small amount of psychedelic compound is present, and Diamond Shruumz markets its products as “trippy,” “psychedelic,” and “hallucinogenic.” But lab reports posted on Diamond Shruumz’s website indicate that its candies do not contain the notable mushroom-derived psychedelic compound, psilocybin.

The company only says that its candies contain a “primo proprietary blend of nootropic and functional mushrooms.” Nootropics are compounds said to affect cognition, though supplement makers have used the term dubiously in marketing.

In an April 2023 blog, Diamond Shruumz said its chocolate bars contain a blend of Lion’s mane, Reishi, and Chaga mushrooms, which are all non-hallucinogenic mushrooms used in herbal and traditional medicines and supplements. “Lion’s mane is a natural nootropic that can enhance cognitive function, while Reishi is an adaptogen that helps the body adapt to stress and boosts the immune system,” the company claimed. “Finally, Chaga is rich in antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation in the body.”

The FDA, along with America’s Poison Centers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is still investigating the cases and working to determine the cause. In a response to an inquiry from Ars, the FDA declined to comment on whether it is in contact with the company and if it is recommending a voluntary recall.

6/12/2024 3: 50pm ET: This story was updated to include the response from the FDA. 

More seizures, intubation from microdose candies: 12 sickened, 10 hospitalized Read More »

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Bird flu virus from Texas human case kills 100% of ferrets in CDC study

animal experiments, bird flu, CDC, dairy cows, Ferrets, H5N1, Infectious disease, respiratory transmission, Science, texas, Transmission / /

Animal study —

H5N1 bird flu viruses have shown to be lethal in ferret model before.

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Bird flu virus from Texas human case kills 100% of ferrets in CDC study

The strain of H5N1 bird flu isolated from a dairy worker in Texas was 100 percent fatal in ferrets used to model influenza illnesses in humans. However, the virus appeared inefficient at spreading via respiratory droplets, according to newly released study results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data confirms that H5N1 infections are significantly different from seasonal influenza viruses that circulate in humans. Those annual viruses make ferrets sick but are not deadly. They have also shown to be highly efficient at spreading via respiratory droplets, with 100 percent transmission rates in laboratory settings. In contrast, the strain from the Texas man (A/Texas/37/2024) appeared to have only a 33 percent transmission rate via respiratory droplets among ferrets.

“This suggests that A/Texas/37/2024-like viruses would need to undergo changes to spread efficiently by droplets through the air, such as from coughs and sneezes,” the CDC said in its data summary. The agency went on to note that “efficient respiratory droplet spread, like what is seen with seasonal influenza viruses, is needed for sustained person-to-person spread to happen.”

In the CDC’s study, researchers infected six ferrets with A/Texas/37/2024. The CDC’s data summary did not specify how the ferrets were infected in this study, but in other recent ferret H5N1 studies, the animals were infected by putting the virus in their noses. Ars has reached out to the agency for clarity on the inoculation route in the latest study and will update the story with any additional information provided.

All six of the infected ferrets developed severe disease and died. To test how well the virus could spread among the ferrets, the CDC scientists set up experiments to test transmission through direct contact and respiratory droplets. For the direct transmission test, three healthy ferrets were placed in the same enclosures with three experimentally infected ferrets. All three healthy ferrets became infected.

For the respiratory transmission test, three healthy ferrets were placed in enclosures next to enclosures containing the experimentally infected animals. The infected and uninfected ferrets shared air, but did not have direct contact with each other. Of the three healthy ferrets, only one contracted the H5N1 virus (33 percent). Additionally, that one respiratory transmission event seemed to have a one- to two-day delay compared with what’s seen in the same test with seasonal influenza viruses. This suggests further that the virus is inefficient at respiratory transmission.

The CDC called the overall results “not surprising.” Previous ferret experiments with H5N1 isolates—collected prior to the current bird flu outbreak among US dairy cows—have also found that H5N1 is often lethal to ferrets. Likewise, H5N1 isolates collected from Spain and Chile during the current global outbreak also found that the virus was inefficient at spreading via respiratory droplets among ferrets—with rates ranging from 0 percent to 37.5 percent.

For now, the findings don’t affect the CDC’s overall risk assessment for the general public, which is low. However, it does reinforce the risk to those who have contact with infected animals, particularly dairy and poultry farm workers.

To date, there have been four human cases of H5N1 in the US since the current global bird flu outbreak began in 2022—one in a poultry farm worker in 2022 and three in dairy farm workers, all reported between the beginning of April and the end of May this year. So far, the cases have been mild, the CDC noted, but given the results in ferrets, “it is possible that there will be serious illnesses among people,” the agency concluded.

As of June 9, the US Department of Agriculture has confirmed H5N1 in 85 dairy herds and one alpaca farm across 10 states.

Bird flu virus from Texas human case kills 100% of ferrets in CDC study Read More »