Gardasil Vaccine Now FDA Approved to Prevent Throat Cancer

On June 12, 2020, the FDA has (finally) approved an expanded indication for the Gardasil-9 vaccine for the prevention of throat and other head and neck cancers caused by the HPV virus. This vaccine was originally designed to prevent cervical cancer, but is now indicated to also prevent vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers [ link ]. This FDA approval is long overdue given throat cancer due to the HPV virus is THE most common cause of throat cancer for young adults under 50 years of age... eve…

6/13/2020 0

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Oral HPV Infection is Prevalent in Adult Men

A population study was published in October 2017 revealing a high prevalence of oral HPV infection in men between ages 18 - 69 years. This study is important because HPV is known to increase the risk of not only cervical cancer, but also oral and throat cancer. And in young adults under 50 years, it causes more throat cancer than even smoking. [ more info ] From a public health policy concern, more importantly, it is also "contagious" in that one partner can transmit their HPV in…

10/22/2017 0

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Does Mouth-Breathing Decrease Risk of Viral Infections?

Image by Magnus Mertens in Wikipedia The New York Times published an article looking into this very question on Nov 11, 2016. However, the provided answer ("possibly") was incomplete. In essence, the question of whether mouth-breathing decreases risk of viral infections is based on the idea that contagious viruses spread via the nose by inhaling coughed/sneezed out water droplets infected with viral contagions. Unfortunately, such viruses can also be spread if such droplets …

11/16/2016 0

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How Much Bacteria Gets Transferred During Intimate Kissing?

Researchers in the Netherlands quantified how much bacteria gets transferred from one person to another during an intimate kiss (tongue on tongue action). What they found was that an average of 80 million bacteria gets transferred per 10 seconds of French kissing. How did they come up with this figure? Samples were obtained both before and after an intimate kiss of 10 seconds duration. One partner was  than asked to consume 50 ml of a probiotic yoghurt drink which contained organisms no…

11/17/2014 0

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Oral HPV Can Be Transmitted by Kissing

HPV  transmitted by  oral sex  is the leading cause of  oral  and throat cancer now surpassing throat cancer due to tobacco products and alcohol. The main concern is whether kissing can also transmit HPV. A small John Hopkins study suggested that kissing did not increase risk of oral HPV transmission, but a more recent and larger study conducted at McGill University suggests that open-mouthed kissing actually does increase the risk of oral HPV being transmitted from one partner to the other…

11/12/2014 1

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Can HPV be Caught by Kissing Someone with HPV Throat Cancer?

HPV transmitted by oral sex is the leading cause of oral and throat cancer now surpassing throat cancer due to tobacco products and alcohol. And for spouses/partners of patients diagnosed with HPV throat cancer, the main concern is whether it is "contagious". After all, if HPV is transmittable by oral sex , than it would seem that kissing can also transfer HPV to the partner as well. Well, a small Johns Hopkins study suggests that intimately kissing someone who has HPV orop…

6/02/2013 0

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Just How Contagious is the Flu (and Other Viral Infections)?

Everybody knows the flu and other viral infections are contagious, but did you wonder just how contagious??? Well, here are some facts gleaned from a few studies: • In just 4 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 50% of surfaces in a typical office • After 8 hours, one sick worker can contaminate 70%+ of surfaces • Non-sick workers have a 40-90% chance of getting infected after spending one day with a sick worker • A sneeze or cough can hurl virus 6 feet away from the mouth • A si…

2/02/2013 0

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New Drug Helps Prevent A Cough From Being Contagious

University of Alberta researchers have developed an experimental new drug that may be able to completely eliminate airborne disease transmission due to cough. The way this drug works is by reducing/eliminating the amount of droplets that is expelled during a cough by changing the properties of the lung fluid. The drug comes in the form of a spray that can be inhaled by a sick patient. It is conceived that this drug would help stop the spread of pandemic outbreaks as well as protect healthca…

9/22/2010 0

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New Reason for Chronic Cough... Playing the Trombone!

NPR published a story on Sept 8, 2010 regarding a trombone player whose chronic cough for over 15 years was ultimately found to be due to a mold called fusarium as well as mycobacterium (cousin to TB) found growing inside his trombone. Each time he inhaled while playing the trombone, these germs inside his trombone was causing an allergic reaction, which led to hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a severe inflammation of the lungs. The doctor who figured out the problem went on to investigate oth…

9/09/2010 0

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Is Cancer Contagious? Well... it depends...

The literal answer to this question is YES... Cancer CAN be literally contagious, but only if you are a tasmanian devil, hamster, or a dog. I am excluding transmission of a vector that may lead to cancer like HPV. Rather cancer itself being contagious. Fortunately, cancer has NOT been found to be contagious in humans... yet... At this time, the only cancers I am aware of that is contagious are found in the animal world. And even in that world, there are only 4. 1) Devil facial tumour di…

5/25/2010 0

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Can Playing a Wind/Brass Instrument Be a Source of Recurrent Infections?

Is playing a wind/brass instrument a significant factor for recurrent strep , URI's, sinus infections , etc in people? Is such use contagious? If so, how does one even go about "sterilizing" the instrument after use by a sick person so that they don't infect themself again as well as players around them when blowing into it? I got asked these questions by one astute parent of a trumpet player. After some inquiries and research, I actually don't have a good answer to whe…

1/07/2010 2

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