The new rapid test for farm animals will stop outbreaks of deadly infections on farms
Deadly infections in farm animals can now be detected in a matter of minutes thanks to a new rapid test created at McMaster University.
The test, developed over four years by Mac biochemist Yingfu Li and engineer Leyla Soleymani, mixes a small sample of saliva with a chemical reagent. The mixture is then applied to a small microchip reader that quickly transmits the results to a connected smartphone.
McMaster says scientific advances could help curb the growing threat of dangerous livestock outbreaks, which often require euthanasia of entire herds and cause serious economic and environmental consequences.
A prototype test was already successful in detecting a devastating diarrheal infection in pigs first identified in Canada in 2014.
Once available, McMaster says the test is expected to be a valuable tool for identifying and isolating outbreaks on farms and limiting the risk of transmitting infections from animal to human.
Inhaled vaccines provide better protection, requiring fewer doses than nasal sprays
Vaccines delivered by inhaled aerosols provide much better protection and stronger immunity to viruses than nasal aerosols, a McMaster University study suggests.
The study, recently published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, found that inhaled aerosols bypassed the nose and delivered vaccine droplets into the airways, targeting respiratory pathogens directly. It induces a broader protective immune response compared to nasal aerosols, which only reach mainly the nose and throat, according to the study.
The researchers used a TB vaccine to compare delivery methods, measuring their droplet distribution, immune response, and potency in animals. They found that vaccines given deep into the lungs offer much stronger immune responses than the nose, mainly because the tissues and cells of the two pathways are very different.
While nasal mist vaccines are very effective in children, they are much less so in adults, the researchers said.
In addition to being needle-free and pain-free, the researchers said that oral vaccines are so effective at targeting the lungs that they can achieve maximum protection with much smaller doses.
Older people with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of muscle weakness and cardiovascular problems
A McMaster University research project has found that older adults with type 1 diabetes (DT1) have a much higher risk of muscle weakness and cardiovascular complications.
The researchers compared the grip power of 126 people, half with DT1, half without, with a mean age of 59 in the three-year study, which is expected to guide clinical practice and help diabetics. to make better health decisions.
They found that older patients with DT1 had abnormally low diastolic blood pressure (when the heart muscle relaxes between beats), an early indicator of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
While some people with T1D avoid exercise for fear of lowering their blood sugar, the study suggests that patients should try to preserve their strength with resistance-based exercises.
Researchers said the evidence is now “overwhelmingly clear” that decreased muscle strength is strongly associated with higher mortality.
TO SHARE: