Bird flu resource; preventing parasite infection; new foods for health – Morning Medical Update

AMA on A(H5N1)

The American Medical Association has posted this patient question and physician answer guide to the latest developments on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, commonly known as bird flu. Read more here.

On patients and parasites

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds doctors and patients that “a parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host.” They can be transmitted through infected animals, blood, food, insects, and water, and with warm weather during the summer, people may have more contact with those potential carriers. CDC has this refresher on parasites and how to avoid them.

A new kind of health food

Food giant Nestle is introducing Vital Pursuit, a new line of foods intended to help patients using glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist drugs for treating Type 2 diabetes or losing weight. The company said the foods are high in protein and fiber, with essential nutrients, and “portion-aligned” to a patient’s appetite. (That sounds good even if you’re not using GLP-1 drugs.)