Buzz Newsletter 10/30/25

Fifth Case of Avian Influenza Confirmed in State

A Gordon County poultry producer has an outbreak of bird flu in their flock, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The state's Agriculture Response Team was dispatched to conduct a thorough remediation of the flock, along with cleaning and disinfection of the operation. 

Poultry is the number one industry in the state and a more widespread outbreak of bird flu could be devastating to the state's economy. To date, around 340,000 birds have been affected in Georgia. 

Viruses Sneakier Than We Thought 

All health care professionals know how deadly some viruses can be, but as it turns out, they can also be incredibly good at playing hide and seek. Some of the world's most dangerous viruses, like Ebola, can hide dormant in parts of the body that are immune to the reaches of the immune system. 

The host believes they are free of the virus and have no symptoms, but are capable of spreading the virus anyway. It's how some outbreaks appear contained and then reappear in other parts of the country. 

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Can Prolong Life 

Another fun story out of the Washington Post: researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Florida studied the relationship between mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and cancer patients longevity and found a connection. 

It still needs to be confirmed in a Phase III trial, but early results show that the vaccines engage the immune system against cancer and almost doubles the survival length of patients. 

New Oral Peptide Shows Promise in Teens with Psoriasis 

Icotrokinra, an investigational oral peptide drug sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, cleared plaque psoriasis in two-thirds of teenage patients in the latest drug trials. The medicine blocks interleukin-23, a protein that promotes the development of inflammatory immune cells. You can read more on the study here. 
 

Step Away From the Bananas 

Almost every great smoothie recipe has bananas. Erewhon's famous $20 Hailey Bieber Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie, for example, lists bananas as one of its main ingredients (along with eight other fruits and six protein sources).  

Seems like a no-brainer to add bananas to a smoothie, as they blend well, are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. However, research out of UC Davis discovered that those bananas could block your absorption of flavanols by up to 84%. Flavanols improve our heart and brain health and are common in all of the other popular smoothie fruits. 

Next time you're at your favorite smoothie bar, ask them to hold the banana. 

Bayer Releases Non-Hormonal Menopause Meds

If you haven't been through menopause, trust us when we say it can be brutal. To date, most remedies suggested by health care professionals have been hormone replacement patches, which in some patients can create worse symptoms than actual menopause. 

The FDA recently approved Bayer's dual neurokinin (NK) targeted therapy called elinzanetant, marketed as Lynkuet, to treat hot flashes and night sweats in menopausal patients. It is taken once daily, at night before bedtime. 

If you're able to tolerate hormone replacement therapy, Estretol (E4), a plant-based natural estrogen, also significantly reduced vasomotor symptoms (fancy way to say hot flashes and night sweats) in postmenopausal women. It is also a once-daily treatment. 

Screwworm Drug Approved for Emergency Use 

New World screwworm infestations are gross, and deadly. We won't go into details but you can read more here if you have the stomach for it. 

On Friday, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Approval (EUA) for Credelio chewable tablets dispensed for the treatment of New World screwworm infestations in dogs and puppies. It is the first time the FDA has issued an EUA for veterinary medicine. While NWS isn't common in most of the U.S., it is common in other countries, including Mexico, and as global travel for dogs becomes more accessible, vets in the U.S. are seeing more cases. 

Starvation + Freezing + Bacteria = Bad News for Napoleon 

Napoleon famously failed at his planned invasion of Russian in 1812. A campaign that began with more than 450,000 troops in June of 1812 ended with a retreat of fewer than 55,000 by November of that same year. During the retreat, the troops hit snowstorm after snowstorm with supplies dwindling by the day. 

Researchers in France knew that infections were also a major cause of casualties among the troops, but until recently could only guess at which diseases took down the army. After studying the DNA found in 13 teeth from a mass grave outside Vilnius, they discovered that in addition to hunger and cold, the bacterial infections relapsing fever and paratyphoid fever played a big role in the deaths of soldiers in retreat. 

Science is cool.

Why Is Gluten-Free Spaghetti Terrible 

Those of us that avoid gluten know that while there are some really great gluten-free pastas (we recommend the cheese tortellini from Wildgrain), the majority of gluten-free spaghettis are just not edible. They fall apart to mush most of the time.  

Scientists in Sweden analyzed the structure of spaghetti and found that the key to holding the long spaghetti shape is gluten. It acts like a structural net that keeps the pasta from disintegrating. The researchers also showed that adding salt to the boiling water makes a difference in the end quality of your spaghetti, so make sure you follow the Italian nonna recommendation of making the water "as salty as the sea." (Also, Martha Stewart says so, too.) 

Fall Meetings In Full Swing  

If you haven't registered for your upcoming Fall Region meeting, do it now. You can see the full list here as well as register for your local event. Here are the upcoming dates (in chronological order): 

Region 7 - Wednesday, November 5, Kennesaw
Region 5 - Tuesday, November 11, Alpharetta 
Region 11 - Thursday, November 13, Augusta 
Region 10 - Wednesday, December 3, Athens 

Our Region Presidents have lined up some great programming, sponsors, and locations, so make sure you reserve your spot today!