>> Tragedy for second recipient after groundbreaking procedure
>> U.S. has its own version of a tropical skin disease
The Med & Mic™ 11.2.23
A medical news blog post
from the author of "Scoop, MD”
Second Xenotransplantation Recipient Dies
Six weeks after the experimental procedure, the second living person to receive a genetically modified pig heart transplant has died. The 58-year-old man had pre-existing conditions that made him ineligible for a human heart transplant. One month after surgery at the University of Maryland, his heart function was excellent, and his doctors withdrew medications to support heart function. He also received an experimental antibody treatment to prevent rejection. However, the heart showed signs of rejection in recent days. The first pig heart transplant recipient died in March two months after surgery. (Source: CNN, N. Kounang, 11.1.23)
Tropical Disease in the U.S.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis has turned up in the United States as an endemic disease. Typically, the causative leishmaniasis parasite is found in the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East and Central Asia, but the CDC has determined it has been living and spreading in North America since 2005 with a distinct genetic signature. The disease is spread by sand flies, which are smaller than mosquitos. They bite at dawn and dusk and live in wooded and grassy areas. Infected people may develop skin bumps and ulcers. Most of the U.S. cases are reported in Texas, though vectors and reservoirs have been found as far north as Ohio. (Source: NPR, Max Barnhart, 11.1.23)
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