After a California resident tested positive for plague, likely due to being bitten by an inflected flea, as the health officials have said on Tuesday, August 19, the threat of plague is lingering again.

As per the reports, the person was camping in South Lake Tahoe area, and it was in this region when such an infection was previously reported in 2020.

READ: California Resident Tests Positive For Plague, Officials Trace Case Back To Lake Tahoe Flea

While the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do note that on an average, seven people are diagnoses with a confirm case of plague each year in the US, it is now treatable with antibiotics. The CDC also notes that over 80% of the US plague cases are in the bubonic form, or also known as the "black plague".

Are There More Than One Form Of Plague?

Before we get into the different kinds of plagues, it is important to understand what exactly is plague.

It is an illness that you can get from the bacterium Yersinia pestis or the Y pestis. It is a zoonotic disease, which means you can get it from animals and they also can get it from you. The disease usually spreads through bites from fleas that have been infected by biting an infected animal.

The type of plague depends on where in your body Y pestis ends up.

Bubonic Plague

It is the most common form of plague and is the most survivable too. It has a quick antibiotic treatment, with a 95% chance of recovering, notes the Cleveland Clinic.

It makes one or more lymph nodes painful and swollen and the affected lymph nodes are usually near where an infected flea bit.

ALSO READ: Has The Black Death Returned? List Of Dreadful Symptoms Of The Bubonic Plague

Septicemic Plague

This is when Y pestis gets into your blood. It can destroy your tissues, lead to gangrene and even organ failure.

How can you get a septicemic plague?

• From a flea bite
• Body fluids of an infected animal getting into a break in your skin
• Y pestis is moving to your blood from another part of your body, also known as secondary infection

Pneumonic Plague

This happens when Y pestis gets into your lungs. It is the least common and the most dangerous type of plague.

This can spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing like a common cold. You can also get it from close contact with an infected animal or from a bacteria which may have moved to your lungs from another part of your body, through secondary infection.

ALSO READ: Pneumonic Plague Death Raises Alarm, Can Prairie Dogs Be The Cause Of It?

This can also cause severe pneumonia and respiratory failure.

How Does Plague Spread?

the CDC notes that the bacteria is most often transmitted by the bite of an infected flea. During plague epizootics, many rodents die, causing hungry fleas to seek other sources of blood. This is when people and animal that visit places where rodents have recently died become most at risk of plague.

Dogs and cats may also bring plague-infected fleas into home.

Another way is also when humans become infected when handling a tissue or body fluids of a plague-infected animal. For instance, a butcher skinning of an infected animal without using precautions.

Furthermore, if an infected person coughs, then someone close to them can also catch it. This requires a direct and close contact with the person. However, the CDC also notes that person-to-person spread has not been documented in the United States since 1924, but there continue to be rare cases of pneumonic plague among people exposed to sick cats.

What Lessons Has The Bubonic Plague Taught Us?

The UNESCO notes that the bubonic plague, often remembered as the Black Death of the 14th century, devastated societies across Eurasia, killing tens of millions. Yet, its history holds important lessons for how we think about epidemics today, especially in an age of rapid globalization and frequent outbreaks like COVID-19.

One of the clearest reminders from the plague is that disease does not require modern technology to spread. Long before airplanes, trains, and cruise ships, the plague travelled swiftly along the Silk Roads, carried by infected rodents, fleas, and merchants.

This shows that restricting human movement and exchange is not a guaranteed solution to epidemics. People have always migrated, traded, and shared ideas across vast distances—and this interconnectedness, while it facilitated disease, also enriched societies in countless ways.

In fact, the Silk Roads highlight a second major lesson: human progress has always depended on exchange and collaboration.

Along these routes, not only did goods travel, but also science, medicine, literature, and technologies. During the medieval era, the translation and circulation of medical knowledge across cultures, drawing from Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Indian traditions, laid foundations that shaped later advances in health and medicine. Even while diseases spread, knowledge spread too, and in many ways became our strongest defense.

The Black Death also spurred the evolution of public health measures. In the 14th century, societies lacked accurate understanding of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium behind plague, and treatments were ineffective. Fleeing infected areas was often the only option.

However, the devastation prompted new strategies, most famously, the Venetian practice of keeping ships and travelers isolated for 40 days before entering the city. This became known as quarantine, a concept still central to disease control today.

What Is Different Today?

Modern society has one crucial advantage that medieval Europe did not: science. Today, we can identify new viruses, sequence genomes, and develop diagnostic tests within weeks. But history cautions us against complacency. Epidemics are not new, and global movement will always carry risks. What matters most is how societies respond, through collaboration, sharing knowledge, and strengthening public health systems.

Ultimately, the history of plague teaches us that epidemics, though devastating, also drive innovation, cooperation, and resilience. The same interconnectedness that spreads disease can also unite humanity in finding solutions.

Delhi’s toxic air is doing more harm than damaging your lungs. During the 40th annual conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association (IRACON 2025) held at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, leading rheumatologists warned that constant exposure to air pollution is now being seen as a major factor behind rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that causes painful inflammation and stiffness in the joints.

But what exactly is rheumatoid arthritis, and what are the warning signs you should watch out for?

Experts Warn That Delhi Pollution Can Lead To Rheumatoid Arthritis

While rheumatoid arthritis has traditionally been linked to genetics and immune system irregularities, scientists are increasingly associating it with environmental factors such as polluted air. Nearly 1% of India’s adult population already lives with RA, but experts caution that cities with severe air pollution, like Delhi-NCR, could witness a sharp increase in new cases.

Dr. Uma Kumar, Head of Rheumatology at AIIMS Delhi, explained, “When pollution levels spike, even patients who were previously stable start experiencing flare-ups. We’re now diagnosing more RA cases among people with no family history of autoimmune diseases, especially those living in highly polluted regions.” She added that most patients are between the ages of 20 and 50, stressing, “This is a public health crisis that demands urgent action.”

Supporting this, Dr. Pulin Gupta, Professor and Rheumatologist at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said, “Delhi, which ranks among the world’s ten most polluted cities, is fast becoming a hotspot for autoimmune disorders. Studies from Europe, China, and India have found that exposure to PM2.5, the fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs is not only linked to respiratory and heart diseases but may also contribute to autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis.”

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term inflammatory condition that affects multiple joints, often in the hands and feet. In this disorder, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, including the joints, and in severe cases, it can damage internal organs as well. The inflammation primarily targets the joint lining, leading to swelling, pain, and over time, bone erosion and deformity.

Although there is no permanent cure for RA, timely treatment can significantly slow its progression. A combination of medication—especially disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics—along with physiotherapy, helps manage symptoms and maintain joint function in most cases.

Early Warning Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, but some early warning signs may appear even before these. While some signs are general, affecting overall well-being, others are specific to the joints. Spotting these early clues can help ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.

1. Fatigue

Extreme tiredness and low energy are often the earliest signs of RA. Many people also report a drop in mood or feelings of depression.

2. Occasional Fever

Low-grade fever can accompany fatigue in the early stages of RA. The body’s inflammatory response may make a person feel feverish and unwell, even before joint pain begins.

3. Weight Loss

Unexplained weight loss is another possible early sign. Chronic inflammation can speed up metabolism, while fatigue and loss of appetite caused by feeling unwell may also contribute to weight loss.

4. Stiffness

Morning stiffness, when the body feels stiff after periods of rest is one of the most common early symptoms. It usually starts in smaller joints, such as those in the fingers, and can last for several days.

5. Joint Tenderness

Tenderness in the hands and feet often marks the onset of RA. In the hands, pain can occur when pressing the middle or base joints of the fingers. In the feet, soreness at the base of the toes can cause people to adjust how they walk to reduce discomfort.

6. Joint Pain

Pain in the fingers, wrists, or feet is another defining feature. Inflammation thickens the joint lining and increases fluid buildup, putting pressure on surrounding nerves and causing pain.

7. Joint Swelling

Subtle swelling in the hands and feet may be an early indication of RA. As the disease advances, swelling becomes more noticeable, often accompanied by stiffness and pain.

Interestingly, this connection between pollution and autoimmune disorders is backed by new scientific evidence. A recent study published in the European Medical Journal (2025) provided strong genetic proof linking air pollution to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Using a research method known as two-sample Mendelian randomisation, scientists found that exposure to pollutants directly affects immune function. Their findings suggest that environmental pollution is playing a growing role in the global rise of autoimmune diseases.

New research has found that harmful genetic changes in a man's sperm become much more common as he gets older. This happens partly because some of these harmful changes are actually favored (or given an advantage) during the process of making sperm.

A major study, published in the journal Nature, mapped out exactly how these damaging DNA changes increase across the genome as men age. The findings were made by researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and King's College London, using the TwinsUK study.

How Harmful Changes Increase With Age

As cells in the body divide, changes in their DNA (called mutations) occur. Sometimes, a mutation gives a cell a "competitive advantage," allowing it to multiply faster than other cells.

In the testes, where sperm is made, this process can favor cells that carry harmful mutations. When these mutated cells multiply, they create a large group (a "clone") of sperm-producing cells that carry the same genetic flaw. Unlike regular cells, mutations in sperm cells can be passed down to children.

How Can You Identify Problems With DNA?

Researchers used a very accurate DNA sequencing method (called NanoSeq) to look at sperm from 81 healthy men, aged 24 to 75.

• In men in their early 30s, about 2% of their sperm carried disease-causing mutations.
• In middle-aged and older men (43 to 74 years old), this rate jumped to 3% to 5%.

This shows a clear link: the older a father is, the higher the genetic risk for his children. This risk is not just from random changes, but from a subtle form of natural selection that gives certain mutations an advantage during sperm production.

What Genes Were Linked to Disease

The researchers found 40 genes where specific DNA changes are favored during sperm production. Many of these genes are linked to:

• Serious neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
• Inherited cancer risk.
• Other childhood diseases.

This process, where harmful mutations are given a competitive edge, is much more widespread than scientists previously thought.

How Does The Sperm Quality Affect Children?

In a related study, researchers looked at DNA from over 54,000 groups of parents and children to see which mutations were actually passed on. This separate research confirmed the initial findings: certain mutations that are linked to disorders and cancer gave sperm cells a competitive edge.

The study showed that these mutations can increase the rate of new mutations in sperm by about 500 times. This helps explain why some rare genetic disorders appear even when the parents don't have the mutation in their own body DNA.

Can Lifestyle Changes Lower This Risk?

Researchers were surprised by how much this selection process in the testes increases the number of sperm carrying mutations linked to serious diseases.

As Dr. Matthew Neville, a lead author, said, “We found a hidden genetic risk that increases with paternal age.”

The hope is that understanding this process will help doctors better assess reproductive risks and explore how external factors like lifestyle and environment might affect the genetic risks passed down to the next generation.

October 10 marks World Mental Health Day, a day that brings global attention to one of the most discussed health concerns today: depression and anxiety. But could these mental health challenges also affect physical health, particularly the heart? Depression and heart disease rank among the most disabling conditions worldwide. Both are widespread and often occur together in the same individual. So, can mental health issues actually worsen heart health?

Can Depression Or Anxiety Lead To Heart Issues?

The link between heart disease and mental health is complex and goes both ways. Conditions like coronary artery disease, heart failure, and high blood pressure can increase the likelihood of developing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Conversely, those living with mental health disorders are also more susceptible to heart problems.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the most commonly studied mental health conditions connected to heart disease or related risk factors include:

• Mood Disorders: Conditions such as major depression or bipolar disorder can affect emotional and mental well-being almost daily, impacting overall health.
• Anxiety Disorders: Individuals experience intense fear or dread in response to situations or objects. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorders, and phobias.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD can develop after traumatic experiences such as accidents, natural disasters, or violent events.
• Chronic Stress: Persistent emotional stress can trigger predictable biochemical, physiological, and behavioral changes over time, affecting long-term health.

Connection Between Heart Disease And Mental Health Issues

A growing body of research indicates that mental health can influence risk factors for heart disease both before and during treatment for a mental health condition. These effects occur through biological pathways and indirectly through risky health behaviors, according to the CDC.

Long-term depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD can cause physiological changes such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, reduced blood flow to the heart, and elevated cortisol levels. Over time, these changes may contribute to calcium buildup in arteries, metabolic disorders, and heart disease.

Studies also show that mental health conditions can develop after a cardiac event like heart failure, stroke, or heart attack. These disorders may be triggered by pain, fear of death or disability, and the financial or emotional strain associated with recovery.

Moreover, conditions such as anxiety and depression can make it harder for individuals to maintain healthy behaviors. People may be more likely to smoke, lead a sedentary lifestyle, or neglect prescribed medications because mental health challenges reduce coping strategies for stress and make healthy choices more difficult.

How To Tackle Mental Health And Heart Diseases?

People handle challenging situations in different ways. Some react strongly, while others stay relatively calm. The good news is that you can reduce how stress affects your body. Start by recognizing the situations that trigger stress, and work on managing both your mental and physical responses.

To help manage stress and protect your heart, Dr. Prateek Chaudhary, Sr. Consultant – Interventional Cardiology at Asian Hospital, recommends the following tips:

• Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps counteract the harmful effects of stress, depression, and anxiety.
• Aim for consistency: Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week for optimal heart health.
• Protect mental and heart health: Regular exercise can also lower the risk of depression, which itself is a risk factor for heart disease.

Disclaimer: Mental health is important, and if you are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress, you should consult a qualified healthcare professional for guidance and support.