Fondue with chicken causes campylobacter infections in Switzerland

Meat fondue with chicken is one of the primary risk factors for a campylobacter infection in Switzerland in winter, a new study shows. At the end of each year, the reported case numbers of this severe intestinal infection increase in Switzerland. This increase over the festive season can be attributed to the consumption of Fondue chinoise.

In Switzerland, between 7000 and 8000 persons fall ill with a campylobacter infection annually. This makes it the most frequent bacterial disease transmitted through food. Contamination of chicken meat with campylobacter bacteria during the slaughtering process is one of the known causes of the infection. An increase of campylobacteriosis case numbers is being observed throughout Europe. Human cases of campylobacteriosis must be reported to the relevant authorities in Switzerland.

In Switzerland, an unusual increase in campylobacteriosis case numbers can be observed in the period around Christmas and New Year. Therefore, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, in agreement with the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office has commissioned Swiss TPH to perform a case control study in order to investigate this increase over the festive season.

"We are relying on data subject to reporting and telephone interviews with affected persons for this," study leader Daniel Mäusezahl of Swiss TPH says.

The researchers interviewed affected persons who had fallen ill with a campylobacter infection between December 2012 and February 2013. An independent laboratory examination had confirmed a campylobacter infection in all interviewed persons. The focus of the interviews was on risk factors, the consultation of a doctor and the course of the illness experienced by the affected persons.

Fourfold increased risk when consuming a meat fondue

The study identified two factors for an increased risk of infection with campylobacter pathogens. On the one hand, the risk of infection increased by a factor of four when consuming Fondue chinoise. About half of the notified campylobacteriosis cases over the Christmas and New Year period can be attributed to this source of infection.

The study also shows that the risk of infection can be decreased by hygienic measures at the table. As soon as the meat fondue consumers used compartmented or separate plates for raw and cooked meat, the risk of an infection decreased by a factor of up to five. Likewise, the risk of an infection decreased when consuming meat that had been previously frozen. "Campylobacter infections among consumers could be avoided to a large extent by employing the appropriate hygiene behaviour measures," Daniel Mäusezahl says.

Another risk factor for a campylobacter infection identified by the study was travelling abroad over the Christmas season. However, persons returning from a trip with diarrhea are tested more frequently for infection which might also explain this increased finding.

No harmless illness

Campylobacter infections are experienced as a severe illness by affected persons. On a scale from 1 "harmless" to 10 "very severe," half of the patients had rated the subjectively experienced symptoms with 8 or more points. Persons who have fallen ill primarily complained of diarrhea (98%), abdominal pain (81%), fever (66%), nausea (44%) and vomiting (34%). The patients stated an average duration of illness of seven days; about 15% were hospitalised.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute . Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Food allergies: A new, simple method to track down allergens

Although food allergies are common, sufferers often don't know exactly what in foods cause their allergic reactions. This knowledge could help develop customized therapies, like training the body's immune system to respond to certain proteins found in foods. However, determining which protein in a food causes an allergic response to a patient requires time-consuming tests that often ignore rare or unexpected allergens. Publishing in Analytical Chemistry, EPFL scientists have developed a highly-sensitive method that can quickly and accurately identify the culprit proteins even at very low concentrations. The method has been successfully tested in the context of cow milk allergy.

Food allergies are becoming widespread in the Western world today, affecting around 6-8% of children and about 3% of adults. These types of allergies occur when the body's immune system mistakes a harmless food protein for a threat and attacks it as it would normally do with a bacterium or a virus. This causes symptoms like swelling, rashes, pain, and even life-threatening anaphylactic shocks.

Cow milk allergy is common among children, preventing them from breast feeding and drinking milk, although some outgrow the allergy by six years of age. Allergies, including food allergies, are caused when our immune system produces antibodies to destroy "enemy" molecules, like those from bacteria and viruses. In the case of milk allergies, the antibodies are called "IgE." Medical doctors can diagnose milk allergies by simply detecting an overproduction of IgE, but that does not tell them which one of the numerous proteins in milk -- and other foods -- is causing the allergic response.

The team of Hubert Girault at EPFL has developed a highly-sensitive method that uses a patient's IgE to determine specifically which protein induces allergic responses in them. The method uses a well-established technique called immunoaffinity capillary electrophoresis (IACE). First, IgE antibodies from the patient's blood are isolated by interaction with magnetic beads that are coated with a different type of antibody. The "bead" antibodies recognize and bind the patient's IgE antibodies. This takes place inside a long and narrow glass tube, only 50 micrometers in diameter, called a "capillary." The bound antibodies are then flushed out of the capillary and powerfully attached to the magnetic beads through a process called 'crosslinking', which keeps them from detaching. The beads with the patient's IgE are then placed again inside the capillary.

The test begins when milk is injected through the capillary. As the milk's proteins pass over the patient's IgE antibodies, the ones that cause allergies are caught by them, while the others exit on the other side. The beads are then washed with a strong chemical that causes the allergy-inducing protein to dissociate from the patient's IgE antibodies. The isolated, "culprit" protein is then identified using mass spectrometry, which is a technique that analyzes compounds according to their mass and electrical charge.

The method offers a personalized way to identify the exact proteins that can cause food allergies to a patient, which can help develop an effective treatment. It is also quicker, as it does not require the detection and quantification of a patient's specific IgE antibodies or the laborious and resource-intensive diagnostic methods used currently. Finally, it provides higher accuracy than conventional allergy-testing methods, as it can detect tiny amounts of allergic proteins, even if they are unexpected and rare. This also means that the method can be extended beyond milk to other foods like nuts and wheat products.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne . Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Bone-house wasps [Life Lines]

Bone-house wasps protect their young by building walls made of ant carcasses. Image from: Merten Ehmig

A new species of wasp that protect their young with walls made of ant carcasses has been discovered in the forests of China. Dr. Michael Staab from the University of Freiburg discovered the new species which he named Deuteragenia ossarium meaning “bone-house wasp” since the wasps reminded him of the ossuaries in Europe with structures decorated from human bones.

Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic. Image from Wikipedia.

Similar to the ossuaries, the bone-house wasps use alive or dead ants to create plugs that help seal off their nests from predators. Dr. Staab believes the pungent smell of the ant carcasses may help to ward off predators or camouflage the nest. The jet black wasps look unlike any other species of wasp currently known.

Probiotics for poultry production

In a study published in the Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, the research team reported that all three strains -- which belong to the species Lactobacillus salivarius -- would probably be able to survive and colonize the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of chickens: they exhibited good tolerance to acid, bile and pancreatic enzymes as well as a strong ability to adhere to the intestinal wall.

For more than 50 years, antibiotics have been routinely used to prevent or control poultry diseases and to promote growth and feed efficiency. But due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Europe has banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters for poultry production while some countries, such as the United States, are considering a ban. As a result, there is growing interest in developing alternatives, such as probiotics -- defined as live microbial feed supplements that beneficially affect a host animal by improving its intestinal balance.

However, many potential probiotic products have been marketed without proper studies, giving rise to problems of inconsistent efficacy. In 2001, the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization issued guidelines for evaluating probiotics in food which recommended that every potential probiotic strain must be correctly identified and tested for safety and efficacy.

With a long history of use as probiotics in the food industry, Lactobacillus bacteria are "generally recognized as safe." They are commonly found in the environment as well as the normal microflora of the GI tract of animals. In this study, Y. W. Ho and colleagues at the Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Universiti Teknologi MARA isolated, identified and assessed Lactobacillus strains from chicken intestines, with a view to selecting potential probiotics. Out of 42 isolated strains, three Lactobacillus salivarius strains demonstrated a high tolerance of stress conditions in the GI tract and a good capacity to adhere to intestinal epithelial cells. The authors recommend that further studies be undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of these strains in host animals.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) . Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Rare, Remarkable Maps Trace America’s Path to Independence

Published in a children’s geography book in 1833, this map uses a majestic eagle as a symbol of the young nation. The text, however, hints at the discord that would lead to the Civil War, likening any future secession of states to tearing the eagle apart. Image: Library of Congress

Published in a children’s geography book in 1833, this map uses a majestic eagle as a symbol of the young nation. The text, however, hints at the discord that would lead to the Civil War, likening any future secession of states to tearing the eagle apart. Image: Library of Congress

This 1755 map of North America depicts British colonial ambitions for the continent, with claims reaching west to the Mississippi River and beyond. It conveniently ignores French claims in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. Image: Library of Congress

This 1755 map of North America depicts British colonial ambitions for the continent, with claims reaching west to the Mississippi River and beyond. It conveniently ignores French claims in the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. Image: Library of Congress

As Deputy Postmaster General for the American colonies, Benjamin Franklin wondered why mail ships sailing west from London to New York took longer to arrive than ships sailing in the opposite direction. He published this map, the first to show the Gulf Stream current, around 1768. Image: Library of Congress

As Deputy Postmaster General for the American colonies, Benjamin Franklin wondered why mail ships sailing west from London to New York took longer to arrive than ships sailing in the opposite direction. He published this map, the first to show the Gulf Stream current, around 1768. Image: Library of Congress

A close up of Franklin’s Gulf Stream map. The Library’s copy is one of three known surviving copies. Image: Library of Congress

A close up of Franklin’s Gulf Stream map. The Library’s copy is one of three known surviving copies. Image: Library of Congress

This 1774 map depicts the legitimate colonial boundaries decreed by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which marked the official end of the French and Indian War. Image: Library of Congress

This 1774 map depicts the legitimate colonial boundaries decreed by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which marked the official end of the French and Indian War. Image: Library of Congress

The battle of Bunker Hill, just west of Boston, on June 17, 1775 was the first significant engagement between British and Colonial forces. The British won the battle but sustained heavy losses and withdrew their forces from Boston nine months later. Image: Library of Congress

The battle of Bunker Hill, just west of Boston, on June 17, 1775 was the first significant engagement between British and Colonial forces. The British won the battle but sustained heavy losses and withdrew their forces from Boston nine months later. Image: Library of Congress

This map, printed in London, depicts colonial militias (the little dark spots along some roads) rushing to defend Boston in June, 1775. Image: Library of Congress

This map, printed in London, depicts colonial militias (the little dark spots along some roads) rushing to defend Boston in June, 1775. Image: Library of Congress

In this close up of the previous map, British and English forces face off at Bunker Hill (top). Image: Library of Congress

In this close up of the previous map, British and English forces face off at Bunker Hill (top). Image: Library of Congress

This map, produced by a Hessian military engineer (the Hessians, remember, were in cahoots with the British), depicts Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and his successful attack on Trenton on December 26, 1776, an early turning point in the war. Image: Library of Congress

This map, produced by a Hessian military engineer (the Hessians, remember, were in cahoots with the British), depicts Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and his successful attack on Trenton on December 26, 1776, an early turning point in the war. Image: Library of Congress

This map of Princeton, New Jersey was drawn by a spy for the Continental Army. Washington used this map, which depicts British troop positions and fortifications, in planning his successful attack on January 3, 1777&emdash;just four days after the map was delivered to him. Image: Library of Congress

This map of Princeton, New Jersey was drawn by a spy for the Continental Army. Washington used this map, which depicts British troop positions and fortifications, in planning his successful attack on January 3, 1777&emdash;just four days after the map was delivered to him. Image: Library of Congress

A close up of the spy map of Princeton. The dark lines in the middle of the large road running top to bottom are cannons; the dots show which direction they fired. Image: Library of Congress

A close up of the spy map of Princeton. The dark lines in the middle of the large road running top to bottom are cannons; the dots show which direction they fired. Image: Library of Congress

This map of the battles at Trenton and Princeton was published in London nearly four months later, in April 1777. It depicts eight days of fighting, and it would have been sold as a newssheet. Image: Library of Congress

This map of the battles at Trenton and Princeton was published in London nearly four months later, in April 1777. It depicts eight days of fighting, and it would have been sold as a newssheet. Image: Library of Congress

This pictorial map shows the French naval blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and the naval battle off and the coast of Virginia that led to the British surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Image: Library of Congress

This pictorial map shows the French naval blockade of the Chesapeake Bay and the naval battle off and the coast of Virginia that led to the British surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Image: Library of Congress

The first map of the newly independent United States printed in America by an American. Abel Buell, a Connecticut engraver, produced this map in March 1784, just six months after the official end of the Revolutionary War. Image: Library of Congress

The first map of the newly independent United States printed in America by an American. Abel Buell, a Connecticut engraver, produced this map in March 1784, just six months after the official end of the Revolutionary War. Image: Library of Congress

A Philadelphia mapmaker, William McMurray, began raising money for this map in 1783, but it was slow going and Abel Buell (previous map) beat him to it. In addition to the 13 states, it shows 10 unnamed states northwest of the Ohio River. Image: Library of Congress

A Philadelphia mapmaker, William McMurray, began raising money for this map in 1783, but it was slow going and Abel Buell (previous map) beat him to it. In addition to the 13 states, it shows 10 unnamed states northwest of the Ohio River. Image: Library of Congress

The only map ever published by Thomas Jefferson, this map appears as a fold-out illustration in a 1787 edition of his book, Notes on the State of Virginia. Image: Library of Congress

The only map ever published by Thomas Jefferson, this map appears as a fold-out illustration in a 1787 edition of his book, Notes on the State of Virginia. Image: Library of Congress

Published in 1875 to commemorate the country’s centennial anniversary, this map incorporates illustrations of George Washington, the U.S. Capitol, and the Declaration of Independence. Image: Library of Congress

Published in 1875 to commemorate the country’s centennial anniversary, this map incorporates illustrations of George Washington, the U.S. Capitol, and the Declaration of Independence. Image: Library of Congress

The cartouche, or title block, of the previous 1876 map depicts the American Republic rolling westward by train, an optimistic vision for the nation just a decade past its bloody Civil War. Image: Library of Congress

The cartouche, or title block, of the previous 1876 map depicts the American Republic rolling westward by train, an optimistic vision for the nation just a decade past its bloody Civil War. Image: Library of Congress

If you’re lucky enough to get off work for Independence Day, you’ll probably be spending some time by the grill, perhaps with a few cold beers nearby. It’s practically your duty as an American citizen.

But don’t forget that our independence from those imperialistic, tax-happy Brits was hard won, and the Declaration of Independence, signed 238 years ago today, was just the beginning. Actually, it was more like a dramatic middle act in a decades long struggle to break free of colonial rule and set a fledgling nation on the path to prosperity. The maps in this gallery tell that story.

They were selected by Ed Redmond, a map curator at the Library of Congress who specializes in early American history. They include the first map ever made of the Gulf Stream current in the Atlantic Ocean, drawn by Benjamin Franklin when he was in charge of getting mail to and from the colonies. There are maps depicting key battles in the Revolutionary War, and a hand-drawn spy map used by George Washington to plan a successful attack on Princeton, New Jersey in January 1777.

One of the most remarkable maps here is a wall map made by Abel Buell, a Connecticut engraver, in 1784. The best-preserved of the seven known surviving copies is currently on display at the Library as part of its Mapping a New Nation exhibit. Buell’s map is the first map of the United States published in America by an American (also the first to be copyrighted here).

Buell’s map reveals the ambitions of the new nation, Redmond says. The 1783 Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the war and established American independence, set the new nation’s western border along the Mississippi, but most of the new state borders stopped well short. Nevertheless, Buell extended those borders all the way to the Mississippi. “That’s the first real expression of American imperialism by an American author,” Redmond said.

This Week’s Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible

Mockups give us a possible closer look at what the iPhone 6 could look like this week. Ariel Zambelich/WIRED

Each week, there are dozens of rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what’s coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but many are totally bogus. As always, we’ve parsed the rumors, ranking them in order from “utterly ridiculous” to “duh, of course.” First up…

DON’T COUNT ON IT: ‘iPhone Air’ Could Launch September 25

Mid-September to early October is the expected time frame for Apple’s next big product launch. According to one report, September 25 looks like the date the next iPhone could go on sale after a September 15 event announcement. This seems dubious as Apple usually launches products on Fridays, and the 25th is a Thursday. Apparently, the larger 5.5-inch model is going to be dubbed the “iPhone Air,” though. This wouldn’t surprise us, considering there’s an Air in the MacBook line and iPad line now. Calling the larger model the Air would differentiate it from the “regular” iPhone 6.

DON’T COUNT ON IT: Mockups Offer ‘Rough Approximation’ of iPhone 6 Design

While they’re not much to look at, a new report out of Japan claims that the latest set of mockups gives a rough approximation of what the next iPhone should look like. More importantly, they supposedly offer a better sense of antenna placement in the new phone. Those stripes along the backside of the iPhone ‘leaks’ we’ve been seeing? Those apparently aren’t supposed to be stripes, but rather denote areas where glass will be used instead of aluminum, just like in the iPhone 5s. If the stripes are present, though, they’ll be made out of polished glass. This glass is necessary so that the iPhone’s antennas can transmit and receive data. Aluminum blocks those signals. This report also says the Apple logo on the rear of the iPhone will be different than in the past, carved out of the aluminum, and that the glass may be curved. An artist also gave their rendition of what the iPhone 6 could look like in an unrelated photo set of mockups.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Photos of iPhone 6 Front Glass Appear

Historically accurate Apple parts leaker Sonny Dickson sent 9to5Mac photos of what’s claimed to be the front glass plate of the next iPhone. The glass plates pictured are both the black and white versions of the 4.7-inch model. According to these images, the new iPhone will be slightly wider than the iPhone 5/5s, and noticeably longer. The only possible design difference from current iPhones is a hole to the left of the front speaker, which could house either a sensor or a repositioned FaceTime camera. We’re getting closer to the iPhone’s impending launch, so parts leaks—while still questionable—have a higher likelihood of being the genuine.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Gas-Filled Earbud Design Could Improve Fidelity

This week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a patent for the earbud version of ‘plasma speakers’. In this type of speaker, a gas like helium is used behind the speaker’s vibrating cone reproducing sounds more exactly than normal air would. But, in order for this to work, the barometric pressure needs to be controlled (sudden changes in air pressure can cause the speaker’s diaphragm to stick). Apple would address this with a vented cavity where ambient air can be compressed to adjust for surrounding air pressure.

ASK AGAIN LATER: Next iPhone Getting Thinner Thanks to New Display Tech

Apple loves making its products as thin as physically possible, so it’s not surprising to hear (or think) the company will try to make the next iPhone skinnier. One way Apple will reportedly do this is by using one brightness enhancing display layer instead of two. This change in design and production could lead to yield issues since that single layer needs to be high quality enough to do the job that two used to perform. The report says Apple will continue to use in-cell display technology, though. Like other recent reports, this one says that Apple will begin mass production of the iPhone this month, and it’ll be released some time in September.

ASK AGAIN LATER: iPhone Authentication Settings Could Change Based on Location

While this is just a patent application from Apple it makes sense as a possible future evolution of iOS: Apple could adjust the interface and security levels of your mobile device depending on your location. When you’re at home, your device would have a lower security level, but while you’re at a restaurant or at the mall, it would require Touch ID authentication before granting you access to the device. Unsecure Wi-Fi hotspots could also trigger higher security settings for the device, for instance with applications like your Address Book or Calendar. Apple thinks these changes could be implemented without significantly compromising overall device security, and it would certainly make things more convenient for the user.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: Voice Messaging Could Be Key Feature of iWatch

Apple introduced a new voice messaging feature as part of iOS 8 at WWDC this year which lets users record a short audio or video message and send it to a contact. After meeting with Tim Cook, one analyst thinks this could be a key feature of Apple’s iWatch. And it would make sense. Voice messaging and message dictation are already popular in China, a huge market that Apple wants a greater foothold in. After using Android Wear smartwatches, the voice dictation features of Google Now are very much the highlight of the experience. Voice messaging could be an easy, quick way to differentiate Apple’s wearable.

SIGNS POINT TO YES: Apple’s Upcoming Photos App Won’t Be Pro-Focused

While Apple confirmed to Ars Technica that Yosemite and iOS 8′s new Photos offering will include professional-grade features such as “image search, editing, effects, and most notably, third-party extensibility,” it looks like the app will not feature the sort of robust editing tools pro users require. Images on Apple’s website and in the keynote also seem to suggest that the app will largely rely on more straightforward photo editing features.

Dear America, Here’s a Playlist to Make Your July 4th Extra-Patriotic

Columbia

For a number of months now, we’ve been posting weekly playlists of new music—which is great, but sometimes circumstances demand something a bit more…canonical. And a national holiday might be just that kind of circumstance. Therefore, in observation of today’s traffic jam/barbecue/unwise home pyrotechnic displays, we rounded up 30 of our favorite American-ish songs (mostly pro-, though a few anti-). From standards to punk anthems, to a surprising amount of Jay-Z—who’s the American Dream personified, if you think about it—let this playlist be the soundtrack to whatever ill-advised madness you can cook up. (But be careful out there—it’s tough to use a mouse if you’ve blown your fingers off.) And don’t worry: We’ll be back next week with our usual new-music recommendations for you to get irrationally upset about.

The tracks:

Ray Charles, “America The Beautiful”

Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”

Simon & Garfunkel, “America”

America, “Ventura Highway”

The Guess Who, “American Woman”

Bruce Springsteen, “Born in the U.S.A.

John Mellencamp, “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”

Tom Petty, “American Girl”

James Brown, “Livin’ in America”

Brooks & Dunn “Only in America”

Neil Diamond, “America”

Grand Funk Railroad, “We’re an American Band”

Miley Cyrus, “Party In The U.S.A.”

Katy Perry, “Firework”

Estelle feat. Kanye West, “American Boy”

2 Live Crew, “Banned in the U.S.A.”

Lil Wayne, “God Bless Amerika”

Watch the Throne, “Made in America”

Young Jeezy feat. Jay-Z & Nas, “My President is Black (Remix)”

Eminem, “White America”

Jay-Z, “American Dreamin’”

George Clinton feat. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Public Enemy, Yo-Yo, MC Breed, Kam, “Paint the White House Black”

The Goats, “Typical American”

Public Enemy, “Fight The Power”

Green Day, “American Idiot”

Bad Brains, “Banned In D.C.”

Black Flag, “American Waste”

Pennywise, “God Save The USA”

The So So Glos, “Son Of An American”

Titus Andronicus, “A More Perfect Union”

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