The sudden death of a Northern Arizona resident due to the pneumonic plague- a diseases that is the known cause of the century old health crisis bubonic plague, has raised alarm among the locals and health officials alike. The person died from the plague just 24 hours after feeling sick and showing symptoms. This is a rare but serious case of the disease in the United States amid the declining rate of immunization. The person, whose name hasn't been released, was taken to Flagstaff Medical Center in a very bad condition and passed away the same day.

The case has raised new worries, especially since it happened at the same time as many prairie dogs were reported dying near Flagstaff. This is a natural warning sign that the plague might be spreading among wild animals in the area.

What Is Pneumonic Plague?

Plague is a rare but serious illness that can affect both animals and humans. It's caused by a type of bacteria called Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis). These bacteria are found in wild rodents and their fleas in many parts of the world, including most of the western United States. Pneumonic Plague is a more concerning type because it affects the lungs. It happens when you breathe in the Y. pestis bacteria. This form of plague can be spread from person to person. Symptoms of pneumonic plague usually start one to four days after exposure. These include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Weakness
• A cough that produces bloody or watery mucus (due to lung infection, or pneumonia)

If you start showing symptoms, see a doctor right away. If you think you might have been intentionally exposed to pneumonic plague, contact law enforcement immediately. Currently, there's no vaccine for pneumonic plague. However, antibiotics can be used to prevent illness in people who have been exposed to the bacteria.

How Are Prairie Dogs Linked To This?

According to a report received by Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) on 7th July, Townsend Winona area experienced a prairie dog die-off. They explained that a sudden die-off of prairie dogs and other rodents can be a warning sign for plague, a serious disease that can affect both animals and people. The bacteria that cause plague, Yersinia pestis, spread through the bite of infected fleas or by touching sick animals. People can also get infected from sick pets.

Can The Plague Be Prevented?

The affected area is on private land, CCHHS is working with the property owner to collect fleas for testing. They'll also contact other nearby property owners to expand their checks and potentially treat the area. Rodent burrows will be treated to reduce flea activity, and the area will continue to be watched closely because plague is common in Coconino County, CCHHS has a system to monitor for the disease. They also watch for other diseases like West Nile virus and rabies to quickly find them, understand how they spread, and take steps to protect the public.

Here are some preventative tips you should take

Protect your pets from fleas

Use veterinarian-approved flea treatments, keep your pets on a leash, and keep them away from areas where wild rodents live.

Report dead rodents

If you see many dead rodents or rabbits, please call animal services

Keep rodents away from your home

Clear away brush, rock piles, trash, and lumber from around your house and sheds. Store food in containers that rodents can't get into.

Avoid wild animals

Never feed or touch wild rodents, and stay away from areas where they are known to live. Do not touch sick or dead animals.

Prevent flea bites

Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET and tuck your pant legs into your socks.

Keep dogs on leash

This prevents them from roaming around rodent burrows and is also required by Arizona State law.

Be careful when camping

Don't camp near rodent burrows and avoid sleeping directly on the ground.

Be aware of sick cats

Cats can easily get plague. If your cat is sick (especially if it roams outside), take it to a vet right away for diagnosis and treatment to reduce the risk of people getting plague.

Get vet care for sick pets

If your pet shows symptoms like a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, tiredness, loss of appetite, a cough, or eye discharge, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Also Read: Cancer Related Deaths Linked To Obesity Have Tripled In US - What Are The Reasons Behind This Spike?

Are you in the habit of catching up on social media or news updates while sitting on the pot? A new study shows you may be "unintentionally" spending extra time and increasing your risk of developing painful hemorrhoids by 46 percent.

The study, published in the open-access journal PLOS One, explained that getting distracted by news or social media can increase pressure on sensitive anal tissues, which leads to hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are swollen and inflamed veins around your anus or in your lower rectum.

"Using a smartphone while on the toilet was linked to a 46 percent increased chance of having hemorrhoids. We're still uncovering the many ways smartphones and our modern way of life impact our health,” Trisha Pasricha, from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US.

“It's possible that how and where we use them -- such as while in the bathroom -- can have unintended consequences," she added.

For the study, the researchers examined data from colonoscopies of 125 adults in America, and conducted an online survey to understand their lifestyle habits and behavior while using the toilet.

Two-thirds of the participants reported using their smartphones while on

the toilet. Compared with those who did not, endoscopists found that they had a 46 percent higher risk of hemorrhoids.

Longer Toilet Time And Mobile Scrolling

More than a third of bathroom smartphone users reported spending more than five minutes there during a single visit -- reading news (54.3 percent), or browsing social media (44.4 percent).

In comparison, just 7.1 percent of non-users reported staying that long.

"Smartphone use may unintentionally extend the time people spend sitting on the toilet. Sitting for longer periods could increase pressure on tissues in the anal region, which may contribute to the development of hemorrhoids,” the researchers said.

Pasricha suggested individuals leave smartphones outside the bathroom to understand the actual time it takes for a bowel movement.

"If it's taking longer, ask yourself why. Was it because having a bowel movement was really so difficult, or was it because my focus was elsewhere?" she said, calling for more studies.

Hemorrhoids: The Symptoms, Risk Factors

Studies estimate that hemorrhoidal disease affects 40% of people all over the world, and it is one of the most common diseases in the anorectal region.

The two types of hemorrhoids are:

• external hemorrhoids -- under the skin around the anus
• internal hemorrhoids -- in the lining of the anus and lower rectum

• bright red rectal bleeding during bowel movements,
• anal itching or irritation, pain or discomfort (especially while sitting),
• swelling or hard, tender lumps around the anus

• straining during bowel movements
• sitting on the toilet for too long
• chronic constipation or diarrhea
• eating low fiber foods
• older age >50
• pregnancy
• lifting heavy objects

• consume 25-35g of fiber daily,
• drink 6-8 glasses of water,
• avoid straining,
• limit toilet time to under five minutes
• do not delay bowel movements,
• maintain hygiene.

Iran's capital Tehran was engulfed in a black cloud of toxic smoke. This also unleashed a black rainfall on Sunday after overnight Israeli strikes on several fuel depots caused fires to burn for hours. Images have come from across the city of Tehran. These images show thick black smoke from the fires hanging over it. Residents have also reported difficulty breathing and oil-tainted rainfall staining everything around them.

As per a TIME report, Iran's Red Crescent Society warned the residents of Tehran and the surrounding region that the rainfall after the strikes could be "highly dangerous and acidic", and could cause "chemical burns of the skin and serious damage to the lungs".

Many have complained about breathing problems, along with headache, feeling dry and sore lips, and feeling like burn in the eyes and constant itch in the throat.

What Does The Toxic Rain Fall Contain?

Iran's Red Crescent Society issued statements on Telegram that the rain could be contaminated with "toxic hydrocarbon compounds" as well as "sulfur and nitrogen oxides".

What Are The Health Risks?

As per a report by The Conversation, people exposed to the black smoke in Iran could experience headaches or difficulty in breathing, especially if they have asthma or a lung disease.

People who are more prone to health issues are older people, young children, anyone with disabilities and pregnant women. This could also lead to lower birth weights.

Since the thick black cloud from all the burning could increase the PM2.5 or the ultrafine particles, known as particulate matter, it could also increase cancer risks, along with neurological conditions and cardiovascular conditions.

The toxic rain could further pollute the natural waterways and drinking water sources. A photo shared by Iran's Red Crescent shows a healthcare worker's uniform covered in black droplets from the rain.

The "rain drops" are tainted with oily residue and could lead to skin problems, and if inhaled, it could also lead to serious medical crisis, noted Jim NR Dale, a senior meteorologist at British Weather Services.

It may also carry carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) along with heavy metals that are released when construction materials burn and then remain suspended in the air.

As acidity increases, natural water bodies such as rivers and lakes can become too hostile to support life. When the pH of water drops below 5, most fish cannot survive, and at pH 4, a lake is often described as a “dead water body” because almost no living organisms remain.

Acid rain also harms the soil. It reduces calcium levels, an important nutrient for plants, and makes it easier for toxic aluminium to leach into water sources, further threatening ecosystems.

GLP-1 drugs have already made enough news and a new study shows that it could actually help you treat your addiction. GLP-1 drugs, medically used to treat diabetes and obesity could come in handy to drive away cravings for drugs too. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis reported that it could prevent substance use disorder and could also treat it.

How Do GLP-1 Medicines Fight Against Addiction?

Not just the lack of will to eat food, but some people have actually reported a lack of interest in alcohol or nicotine consumption. Previously observational studies have also shown how it could lower the risk of alcohol and cannabis use disorders, opioid overdose, and alcohol related hospitalization.

The findings of the study were published in The BMJ.

Ziad Al-Aly, MD, a WashU Medicine clinical epidemiologist and Chief of the Research and Development Service at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System, who is a senior author, said, "In addiction medicine, a lot of treatments target just one thing — for example, a nicotine patch helps with smoking, but not alcohol — but there is no medication that works across addictive substances, let alone all of them. The revelation about GLP-1 medication is that it really works against all major substances, and it works uniformly, not because it acts against alcohol or opioids or nicotine specifically, but because it is likely acting against the craving itself. It blunts that craving that pulls people toward whatever they’re addicted to.”

Read: Doctor Explains Why Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Are Truly A Medical Breakthrough

So, How Does It Work?

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis analysed health records of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes to understand whether GLP-1 medications affect substance use.

They compared people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Semaglutide, Liraglutide, and Dulaglutide with those using another diabetes drug class called SGLT2 inhibitors. Researchers then followed their health records for up to three years.

The Findings

Lower risk of addiction: People taking GLP-1 drugs had a 14% lower risk of developing any substance use disorder.

• Substance-specific reductions:
• Alcohol use disorder risk fell by 18%
• Cannabis use disorder fell by 14%
• Cocaine and nicotine use disorders fell by 20%
• Opioid use disorder fell by 25%

What the real world impact shows: This meant about 7 fewer new substance use disorder diagnoses per 1,000 people taking GLP-1 medications.

Better outcomes for those already struggling with addiction: Among people who already had a substance use disorder, GLP-1 treatment was linked to fewer serious health complications.

After three years, researchers observed:

• 30% fewer emergency room visits related to substance use
• 25% fewer hospitalizations
• 40% fewer overdoses
• 50% fewer drug-related deaths

Overall, this translated to about 12 fewer serious harm events per 1,000 people using GLP-1 medications.