Raw cat food is dangerous for cats and their owners

According to an analysis, commercial raw cat foods, especially those sold at room temperature on the shelves, can pose a significant health risk for cats and their families.

Researchers reported in Communications Biology that the analysis found disease-causing bacteria, including some resistant to antibiotics.

In a press release, Laura Goodman from Cornell University stated that "most of these products do not have warning labels that indicate that the meat ingredients in them are not fully boiled. This could mean that they harbor bacteria that is still alive and possibly viruses and parasites which would make a whole family sick."

Researchers found Salmonella and E. coli on raw or partially-cooked meat that was sold in frozen, chilled or freeze-dried form in supermarkets and online.

Goodman stated that "especially for freeze-dried foods sold on shelves, the consumers are likely unaware of this risk."

The researchers also discovered antibiotic-resistant pseudomonas bacteria, which can cause life-threatening infections of the lungs, blood, and urinary system. They also found Klebsiella bacteria, which can cause fatigue, fever, and chills. It can even cause pneumonia or urinary tract infection.

Researchers said that these pathogens could be transmitted from pets to people. They are especially dangerous for children and pregnant women, as well as older adults and those with compromised immune systems.

Researchers also point out that in previous studies, antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains were found in dog food.

Goodman stated that when the researchers uploaded their results from their cat food study into a federal database "there were in fact some human cases which were genetically similar ...,", revealing that potentially people were sickened by the same products that were studied.

Researchers said that although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tests for a small number of bacteria, this paper shows a larger range of pathogens. This information could be used by the agency to develop future policies.

KILLING PAIN W/OUT AFFECTING HELPFUL IMMUNO RESPONSE

Researchers suggested that painkillers over the counter could be replaced with alternatives that would control pain while preventing inflammation. This paper may lead to a change in how pain medications are designed.

NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) are the most common pain medication in the world. They include aspirin, ibuprofen and others. They block the enzymes that create prostaglandins. These work with the immune systems to promote inflammation.

Prostaglandins can also increase the sensitivity of nerve endings to pain signals.

Scientists generally believe that reducing or preventing inflammation is the best way to treat pain. Inflammation - the immune response to an injury or infection – can be beneficial and inhibiting this might delay healing and recovery.

Researchers have found, as reported in Nature Communications that a protein present on the surface prostaglandins called the EP2 receptor is responsible for pain, but not inflammation.

Researchers found that delivering drugs to silence the EP2 receptor alone reduced pain in mice, without affecting inflammation.

Inflammation is good for your health, as it restores and repairs normal function," Pierangelo Geppetti, study author at the Pain Research Center of New York University said in a press release.

"To our great surprise, blocking the EP2 receptor... abolished prostaglandin-mediated pain but the inflammation took its normal course. Geppetti stated that they had "effectively decoupled inflammation from pain".

Researchers are investigating whether drugs that target EP2 receptors could be used to reduce pain associated with conditions such as arthritis, which would normally be treated by NSAIDs.

TINY CAPSULES FIGHT INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN

Researchers are working on tiny bioengineered capsules to fight brain inflammation without triggering the immune system.

Inflammation can be beneficial in some cases, for example, to promote wound healing. However, inflammation of the brain has been linked with disabling conditions like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Bioengineers and Neuroscientists have developed a soft gel-like capsule about the size and shape of a grain sand. These capsules can be used to implant human brain cells, called astrocytes, into the brain.

According to a report published in Biomaterials, the capsules contain astrocytes that secrete a protein known as interleukin-1 antagonist to the outside environment. This anti-inflammatory substance reduces inflammation in test tubes and the brains in mice.

The capsules are designed to form a barrier between the astrocytes implanted and the brain tissue. This will allow the astrocytes to secrete anti-inflammatory protein while preventing immune rejection and unwanted brain migration, according a press release from Robert Krencik at Houston Methodist Research Institute.

In a press release, Rice University's Omid Veiseh said that "encapsulating cells" in a manner to shield them from immune rejection has been a major challenge.

The full newsletter is available for free by signing up here. (Reporting and editing by Bill Berkrot; Reporting by Nancy Lapid)

(source: Reuters)