UK health authorities are testing a groundbreaking device that is designed to improve the way progesterone is absorbed in women at risk of miscarriage. Named Callavid, the small, tampon-shaped device could soon replace the current use of vaginal pessaries, which are often uncomfortable and messy, in administering this vital hormone.

Why Is Progesterone Important?

Progesterone plays a crucial role in early pregnancy, helping to prepare and support the womb for a growing baby. For women who have previously experienced miscarriage and early bleeding in subsequent pregnancies, progesterone treatment is recommended. However, the current delivery method is far from ideal—prone to leakage and often uncomfortable—leaving many women feeling distressed during an already anxious time.

That is where Callavid comes in. Developed by Calla Lily Clinical Care, the device is designed to deliver progesterone more effectively and with greater comfort. Experts hope it could significantly ease the emotional and physical burden faced by thousands of women every year. "At a time when women are going through one of the most distressing moments of their lives, we want to offer something that feels dignified, supportive, and effective," said Lara Zibners, co-founder of Calla Lily Clinical Care. She called the recent £1 million funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research a major step forward. The grant will allow the device to enter in-person trials, moving it closer to being widely available for use.

Over 1, 00,000 Women Could Benefit

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is leading the clinical trial. According to their estimates, more than 150,000 women in the UK could benefit from this alternative method of progesterone delivery.

Beyond the emotional impact, the innovation also holds promise for reducing costs to the healthcare system. Current methods are not only inefficient for some women but also contribute to an estimated £236 million annual burden on the NHS, according to health economists.

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Professor Siobhan Quenby, a specialist in obstetrics and reproductive health at UHCW, emphasised the broader importance of the trial. “We know how frightening and heartbreaking it can be to experience early bleeding in pregnancy, especially for those who have experienced miscarriage before,” she said. “Through this innovation, one which is being pioneered right here in the UK, I believe there is potential to transform women's experiences—not just physically, but emotionally too.”

More Research Is Needed

As trials progress, both healthcare professionals and women alike are watching with hope that Callavid might soon become a new standard in early pregnancy care.

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Colon cancer is no longer an old person's disease. In a recent turn of events, incidence rates for colorectal and other GI cancers are increasing steadily in Americans under the age of 50, which is concerning scientists, physicians, and public health experts worldwide.

Based on the American Cancer Society, in 2025 about 52,900 Americans are predicted to be killed by colorectal cancer, with a disproportionate number of deaths falling among young adults—some in their 20s and 30s. The question that experts are desperately seeking to answer is: Why now?

At the center of the crisis is a hypothesis that's gaining momentum: the American diet and increasing levels of obesity are fueling early-onset colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and a study published in the journal BJS by Oxford University Press indicates this increase is strongly associated with obesity-related circumstances like chronic inflammation, raised insulin, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A 2019 study identified that women who were defined as obese had almost twice the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer compared to their non-obese peers. With a projection showing that about half of all U.S. adults will be obese by 2030, the association is increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Obesity is not the sole offender. The Western diet, high in ultra-processed foods, red meat, added sugars, and low in fiber, is being put under extreme scrutiny. Conjugated with alcohol intake, smoking, and a lack of physical activity, this diet could be fueling an insidious epidemic.

Another new piece of the puzzle is a toxin named colibactin, which is made by a strain of E. coli living in the colon. It has been discovered to cause damage to colon cells' DNA, forming a biological pathway that may lead to cancer formation.

Although still an emerging field of study, the presence of colibactin-producing bacteria may partly account for why some individuals with no such family history or apparent lifestyle risk develop colorectal cancer in their 30s or 40s. Researchers are increasingly looking to the gut microbiome, an intricate system heavily controlled by diet, antibiotics, and environment.

Why the American Diet Is Being Blamed for Rising Colon Cancer Rates?

The standard American diet—widely known as a Western-style diet—is rich in ultra-processed foods, red and processed meats, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates but poor in fiber, whole grain, and fresh vegetables and fruits. This dietary pattern has for a long time been linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, but increasing evidence now establishes a clear connection with early-onset colorectal cancer as well.

One of the most important factors is obesity, which is growing very fast in America and is now thought to be a major driving force in the incidence of colon cancer in younger adults. Obesity causes chronic inflammation and high levels of insulin in the body—both of which are known to stimulate cancer cell growth, including within the gastrointestinal system.

In a 2019 report, obese women were found to have almost twice the risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer. Considering that nearly half of all American adults are projected to be obese by 2030, this is an extremely troubling trend.

Furthermore, low-fiber diets prevalent in fast food-dominated and processed food-based diets prolong digestion and inhibit healthy cell turnover in the colon. Fiber is essential for a healthy gut microbiome, the disruption of which can lead to the proliferation of harmful bacteria such as E. coli. Certain strains of E. coli synthesize colibactin, a toxin that has been proven to induce DNA damage in colon cells, causing it to initiate cancer development.

The issue is not limited to a single food category, but instead a combination of unhealthy dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle, and higher intake of pro-inflammatory and metabolic-disturbance-promoting food items.

Simply put, the American diet fosters a setting where cancer is more likely to develop—making it one of the most modifiable risk factors in the fight against early-onset colorectal cancer.

Why Are Young Adults Facing the Brunt of Colon Cancer?

What's of particular concern is how quickly things are shifting. Adults born in 1990 are twice as likely to get colon cancer and four times as likely to get rectal cancer as adults born in 1950. And this increase isn't limited to America—these same trends are being seen across the world.

In American men below 50, colorectal cancer is currently the number one cause of cancer death. In women aged between 50 and younger, it comes second.

These are figures calling for action—but action is slow, in part because colorectal cancer has traditionally been viewed as an old-age disease. That presumption is causing warning signs to go missed, particularly in younger patients who are not considered at risk.

Is Being Diagnosed Too Late Making Treatment Harder?

For younger patients, the path to a diagnosis is typically riddled with obstacles. Symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, rectal bleeding, or unexplained weight loss are commonly dismissed or mislabeled as less severe conditions like hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome.

By the time they are diagnosed with cancer, it's usually at a late stage—decreasing treatment choices and chances of survival. Even when the treatment is given early in life, younger patients tend to receive harsh therapies, which don't always benefit them but usually compromise quality of life, including fertility, body image, and mental well-being.

As lead author Dr. Char notes, “We’re seeing patients not only battling the disease but also facing financial stress, work disruptions, and emotional trauma at a point in life where they’re just beginning careers or raising young families.”

Colorectal cancer is not affecting all communities equally. Data shows that Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Asian Americans are disproportionately impacted—both in incidence and mortality.

This mirrors historical inequities in access to healthcare, preventive tests, and diet, only intensified by economic inequality. In several of these populations, obstacles such as lack of trust in the medical system, lower rates of insurance, and fewer sources of healthy food create prevention and early detection much more difficult.

Public health leaders contend that to stem colorectal cancer is to address not only healthcare systems, but also the wider social determinants of health.

Screening and Awareness Need to Shift Towards Improved Prevention

The increasing burden of early-onset colorectal cancer is forcing health systems to reconsider screening recommendations and public awareness programs. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force already reduced the recommended screening age from 50 to 45, but most experts indicate that may not be soon enough—particularly for individuals at high risk.

Vigilance raising population awareness regarding symptoms, family history risk, and changes in lifestyle is of utmost importance. Early application of screening tests such as colonoscopy and stool DNA tests is effective. However, for younger patients, particularly those who are not insured, access continues to be an issue.

Increased research on early detection, non-invasive diagnostic modalities, and individualized screening intervals is needed urgently.

The rise in early-onset colorectal cancer is not a mystery without leads. Obesity, poor diet, microbial changes, and delayed diagnoses are all contributing factors that can be addressed with policy, education, and targeted intervention but it requires collective will. That means:

• Health systems taking young patients’ symptoms seriously
• Researchers accelerating efforts into microbiome and genetic testing
• Communities pushing for better food access, active lifestyles, and equitable care
• People getting educated on their risk—and fighting for screening

This isn't simply about cancer numbers. It's about the actual lives—lives of young people—lost to a preventable, curable disease. If we persist in viewing colon cancer as something that happens to older people, we'll be losing a generation that's already up against its toughest battle yet.

Ontario is currently facing an outbreak of canine parvovirus (CPV), which has led to spikes in online searches on more information on the dog disease.

Expert Tracy Fisher, a veterinarian from Regina and the president-elect of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, told CTVNews.ca that the frequency of cases varies every year. The expert has also commented that the prominence of CPV in Canada is common and persistent. The outbreak had made headlines earlier this summer in London too.

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What is Canine Parvovirus?

PetMD notes that CPV is the most serious virus that dogs and puppies can get. However, the silver lining here is that it is preventable with proper vaccination, though it is still widely prevalent, especially in puppies and poorly vaccinated adolescent dogs.

DVM Ellen Malmanger writes that CPV is an infectious DNA virus that commonly causes severe illness in young and unvaccinated dogs. It also affects the body's rapidly dividing cells. This means the intestinal tract and bone marrow are usually the most affected.

As per the Veterinary Centers of America (VCA)'s Canadian division, CPV first appeared in dogs in 1978. “The virus that causes this disease is similar to feline panleukopenia (feline distemper); the two diseases are almost identical,” the website for VCA Canada, a network of animal hospitals, says. “However, that has never been scientifically proven.”

VCA Canada notes that primary source of infection is through the ingestion of the feces of already-infected dogs. It can be easily transmitted through contact with the hair or feet of infected dogs or with objects contaminated by the infected feces.

According to VCA Canada, the virus initially targets the animal's tonsils or lymph nodes, where it infects lymphocytes—a type of white blood cell. These infected cells then spread the virus throughout the body, reaching areas such as the bone marrow and the intestinal lining.

Can You Touch A Dog With Parvo?

Humans cannot get parvo from dogs. Parvovirus is species-specific and so the strain that affects dogs, known as CPV cannot infect humans. However, humans can contact similar virus from contaminated surfaces, such as Norovirus, but there is no risk of acquiring parvo from dogs.

What Is Human Parvovirus?

The human parvovirus is different, and is caused by the B19 strain. It was first discovered in 1974 during evaluation and testing for hepatitis B, and was later named by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses in 1985.

Parvovirus B19 is a common and often overlooked infection that spreads from person to person. While it’s not widely talked about, it’s more widespread than most people think — in fact, nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have had it at some point in their lives.

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What makes it tricky to spot is that most people don’t even realize they’ve been infected. The virus rarely causes symptoms, and when it does, they tend to be mild. It’s usually only people with weakened immune systems — where the body’s natural defense isn’t working as it should — who may experience more noticeable effects. That’s because parvovirus B19 can temporarily interfere with the body’s ability to make red blood cells.

Anyone can catch the virus, regardless of age or ethnicity. But those most at risk include individuals with immune system issues or conditions that affect red blood cell production. Children are also more likely to get infected, but in most cases, they don’t show any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they’re generally mild and manageable.

London is currently dealing with a serious lung sickness called Legionnaires' disease. So far, one person has died, and more than 40 people have gotten sick in just the past week. The Middlesex-London Health Unit has announced this as an outbreak.

The Health Unit UK is working closely with provincial health groups to find out where this sickness started. This involves taking samples from different cooling systems, which can take some time. Officials know people are eager to find the source, and they are too, but they don't have an exact location yet. Teams are busy collecting water samples and swabs from cooling systems. They'll then compare these to samples from the sick people, hoping to find a common source.

Normally, only a few cases of Legionella, the bacteria that causes the disease, are reported each month. However, the number suddenly jumped to 43 new cases, which is why the outbreak was declared. Health officials think the recent warm weather probably played a role in this increase, as the number of cases was much higher than what they usually see at this time of year.

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What is Legionnaires' Disease?

The National Health Services UK explains that Legionnaires' disease is caused by tiny bugs called Legionella bacteria. These bugs are naturally found in water sources like hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large pipes, and parts of air conditioning systems.

It's important to understand that this sickness does not spread from person to person. People get sick when they breathe in tiny drops of water or mist that contain these bacteria. Most people who are exposed to the bacteria don't get sick, but some might get a milder, flu-like illness called Pontiac fever.

Legionnaires Outbreak: Where Is This Bacteria Found?

Legionella bacteria are naturally found in water sources like hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, and parts of air-conditioning systems. People get sick if these bacteria become airborne as mist (from wind or fans) and are then inhaled.

Most people exposed to Legionella don't get sick, though some might get a milder, flu-like illness called Pontiac Fever, which usually goes away on its own. People who are older, have lung problems, or have weaker immune systems are at a higher risk of getting a serious infection. It's important to remember that Legionella does not spread from person to person.

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Legionnaires Outbreak: Important Health Guidelines to Follow

If you develop symptoms like fever, cough, or shortness of breath, you should seek medical attention right away.

The Health Unit asks all business owners and property managers to make sure their cooling equipment is regularly maintained and cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions. This is the best way to prevent future outbreaks. The Middlesex-London Health Unit also listed some commonly asked questions regarding the disease,

Legionnaires Outbreak: Will Masks Help?

While face masks can reduce your risk of getting respiratory illnesses, including Legionella, the general public's risk for Legionnaires' disease is currently low. Because of this, the Health Unit is not recommending widespread community masks to use specifically to prevent this disease.

Legionella bacteria can spread over a large area through the air. The exact source of this current outbreak hasn't been found yet. At this time, it's not known if this outbreak is from the same location as last year's Legionella outbreak. However, this possibility is being considered as part of the ongoing investigation.