United States: The medical experts have identified a genetic variant that constitutes protection against COPA Syndrome enabling prospects for transformative gene treatments. 

This discovery offered families whose lives had endured the disease both an understanding of its nature and prospects of future improvement. 

About COPA syndrome 

Throughout 15 years, Dr. Anthony Shum studied a unique genetic disease that produces unexpected consequences for affected families. 

The mutation causes specific persons to experience severe lung hemorrhage in childhood, yet other individuals who possess the mutation show no symptoms. 

Through his research team, Shum discovered another genetic variant that stops COPA syndrome from developing, scitechdaily.com reported. 

Scientific progress enables the possible development of a gene therapy solution for managing a medical condition that needs extensive medical care under immunosuppressant drug treatment. 

Scientists found that some family members of individuals with COPA syndrome managed to avoid developing the condition even though they inherited the pathological COPA mutation. 

What are the reasons behind this? 

There was another gene with a protective variant that they carried named HAQ-STING. 

Scientists were able to increase the health of lung cells with the diseased COPA lung cells by adding this protective genetic element. 

According to Shum, the senior author of the paper, which was published on February 27 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, “We really think HAQ-STING could be a gene therapy tool and a clear step toward a cure,” scitechdaily.com reported. 

How did experts reach the conclusion? 

A physician at UCSF, Helen Diller Medical Center, phoned Shum to support a patient in the emergency room in 2011. 

Letasha, the patient, consisted of a young female who suffered from extensive blood loss in her lungs. 

Medical specialists could not determine the origin of Letasha’s health condition. The discovery that the mother, Betty Towe, shared with Shum the similar symptoms of her daughter Kristina initiated his genetic cause hypothesis. 

The two sisters, Kristina and Letasha, have visited UCSF since birth for medical treatment of their unusual lung bleeding disorder and rheumatoid arthritis. Betty Towe made every UCSF trip with her daughters since they lived four hours away from Oakdale, California. 

During his assistance at UCSF, Shum investigated to see to what extent symptoms affected members of their family tree. Shum established a position as their main pulmonology physician. 

As per Letasha, who is now 43, “My mom’s cousin mentioned that we had distant relatives in Texas, third cousins, who had a young daughter with lung problems and arthritis, and other relatives in Oakland with similar problems.” 

“Dr. Shum took blood samples from all of us and started to connect the dots,” she added. 

United States: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is examining five hospitalization cases among patients who received the chikungunya virus disease-preventing vaccine. 

More about the news 

The centers posted an information notice on their provider vaccine page revealing that the patients admitted to hospital care experienced cardiac or neurologic complications after receiving IXCHIQ vaccination, according to the CDC. 

The transmission of the Chikungunya virus occurs through mosquito bites, which infect humans. 

People above the age of majority typically do not take the vaccine, while particular travelers have a chance of vaccine recommendation when there is a high risk for mosquito-borne disease exposure, CNN Health reported. 

What are the experts stating? 

According to the CDC’s online statement, “This topic will be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Healthcare providers should discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination with individual travelers based on their age, destination, trip duration, and planned activities,” CNN Health reported. 

According to a draft meeting agenda, the chikungunya vaccine and surveillance for adverse events were supposed to be examined in an ACIP session on Wednesday. However, the meeting has since been postponed. 

Furthermore, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and ACIP liaison, noted that the CDC investigation is an example of the agency’s vaccine surveillance system “working excellently and sending out a signal” in detecting rare events that might deserve further investigation. 

“And, of course, the CDC and the local people who are taking care of these patients are working on that now, which is entirely appropriate. That’s the way the system is supposed to work,” Schaffner added. 

Therefore, “Remember, we’re still trying to work out whether this is a causal relationship or a coincidental one,” he noticed regarding the investigation, in which he is not directly involved. 

“Let’s not draw any conclusions yet. That’s why they’re doing the investigation,” he continued. 

United States: The outbreak of Listeria began from frozen supplemental milkshakes distributed to healthcare facilities, leading to twelve deaths among thirty-eight reported cases throughout twenty states, as the FDA announced in late February. 

More about the news 

Medical staff from the Department of Public Health verified that the outbreak had spread to Connecticut residents and confirmed that their patients had made full recoveries. 

As a DPH spokesperson notified, “Any individual or facility with Sysco Imperial or Lyons ReadyCare frozen supplement shakes should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase,” sheltonherald.com reported. 

“DPH also recommends cleaning your refrigerator, containers, or surfaces that may have touched the recalled products. Listeria can easily survive in the refrigerator and easily spreads to other foods and surfaces,” the statement by officials read. 

What have the officials stated? 

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. of Indiana produces 17 contaminated shake products that fall under Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes brand names. 

The distributor, Lyons Magnus LLC, issued a voluntary recall of the shakes on February 22 following the discovery of the outbreak. 

Listeria was discovered in frozen supplemental shakes for the first time in November 2024 among residents of long-term care facilities. 

The outbreak began in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), because investigators at that time were unable to detect the origin of contamination. 

The distribution company stated that “the recalled products were distributed primarily to long-term care facilities and were not available for retail sale,” sheltonherald.com reported. 

Know about Listeria infection 

Although rare, Listeria infections pose increased dangers to newborn infants, pregnant mothers, and adults over 65 years old. 

People develop symptoms starting two weeks after exposure to Listeria, and these symptoms may include fever and diarrhea followed by vomiting, neck stiffness, and convulsions. 

FDA authorities connected listeria outbreaks involving contaminated shake containers to residents of Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and West Virginia together with Connecticut. 

Furthermore, “People should call their health care provider right away if they experience any of these symptoms after drinking a recalled shake,” the DPH spokesperson stated.