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Increase of marine bacteria on beaches endangers public health

The scientist's alert follows a study by ICBAS, subsidized by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), on water quality on beaches in the North region.

The researcher from the University of Porto Adriano Bordalo Sá warned about the danger to public health in beach waters, due to the increase in non-fecal pathogenic bacteria during the summer, and recommends an urgent national diagnosis.

In an interview with the Lusa agency in the context of climate change that is increasing the temperature of sea water in the north of the country, the scientist and professor at the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS) of the University of Porto, recommended to the Health authorities to perform an “immediate diagnosis at national level”, because the situation found on the northern beaches could be happening along the coast, which is about 900 kilometers long.

Read the full text here.

Source: Diário de Notícias | Image Credits: José Carmo/Global Imagens

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ICBAS wants to make Porto a “pilot city” of the “One City, One Health” concept

The Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (ICBAS), which has been working on the One Health concept for four years, wants to make Porto a "pilot city" in the reflection around the relationship between animals, humans and the environment.

“The objective is to use Porto, a city with international visibility, and with an important regional and national weight, as a pilot for the 'One city, One Health' project and think about health with these three components [animals, environment and people] and not individually. Thinking about the animals that are on the streets without forgetting environmental policies, including people, seeing the characteristics of the environment where they live, thinking, for example, that a health support infrastructure can not be created without respect for the environment”, said the director of ICBAS, Henrique Cyrne Carvalho.

In an interview with the Lusa agency – on the One Health subject, a concept and vision that ICBAS leads and which has already taken Cyrne Carvalho to the European Parliament this year, after having been on the Ethics Committee National Council for Life Sciences in the Portuguese Parliament – he said that he has already met with the Porto municipality and that the partnership is “being worked on”.

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ICBAS Center for Human and Animal Health will have riding stables

The Center for Research in Human and Animal Health, a project of the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar of the University of Porto (ICBAS), that will be located in Maia, will include riding stables to promote community contact with horses.

In an interview with the Lusa agency, the director of ICBAS, Henrique Cyrne Carvalho, highlighted that the project, in addition to the scientific and research aspect, includes as its objective “a very marked connection to the community, using horses for the benefit of mental health and some groups of pathologies.”.

“We know that hippotherapy is of enormous benefit to various disorders of the autism spectrum, among others. On the other hand, by having riding stables, we can promote the interaction and proximity of the community with the horses”, said Henrique Cyrne Carvalho.

Read the full text here.

Source: SAPO24

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Nano for One Health – nanomedicine in zoonoses prophylaxis and treatment

By Sofia Costa Lima, ICBAS

PORTO – Emerging zoonotic diseases are one of the major challenges to the "One Health" concept. Zoonosis embraces multiple infectious diseases transferred from animals to humans. Currently, the treatment and diagnosis of zoonotic infections are difficult due to genetic mutations, target site modifications, and multi-drug resistance. In fact, increasing level of resistance against antimicrobial agents among bacteria species causes a major challenge for Human and Animal health, as well as life in the future.

New management approaches to improve prophylactic measurements, assure effective diagnosis and therapies towards resistant bacteria are urgent. In this context, nanomaterials are transforming medicine with versatile potential capabilities for diagnostic devices and treatments for zoonosis through targeted and controlled delivery of antimicrobial drugs. The nanometer size of the materials, allows easy entrance into the cells of living organisms. Additionally, nanomaterials can have a protective role, preventing the encapsulated drug or antimicrobial agent from degradation because of the shielding properties of these nano-sized material, controlling and targeting its release into the diseased tissues reducing adverse side effects. Applications of nanomaterials as vaccines or drug delivery systems, directing therapeutic agents in combating zoonotic diseases strengthen the successful design of control strategies. Recently, new nanotechnology-based approaches were proposed with active antimicrobial properties, for pathogens separation, or as diagnostic material. The application of nanotechnology can bring new opportunities to tackle zoonotic infections.

Image credits: iStockphotos

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