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Health experts warn that E.coli cases are ‘likely to increase’ due to an outbreak linked to ‘nationally distributed food’, with dozens of people already in hospital.
Cath Rees, professor of Microbiology at the University of Nottingham’s School of Biological Sciences, tells Tech & Science Daily everything we know about the current situation.
The UK Health Safety Agency has confirmed that at least 37 people have been hospitalized as a result of this outbreak, and testing shows that most of the 113 cases reported across the UK are from a single source. The agency did not provide further details about which foods might be responsible.
The UKHSA ruled out the possibility of the disease spreading through water, stating that “there is currently no evidence that the outbreak is linked to open farms, drinking water or swimming in contaminated seawater, lakes or rivers”.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, has successfully launched and landed on an important test mission.
SpaceX’s Starship took off from its base in Texas, its booster separated, and then splashed into the ocean. The spacecraft then flew around the Earth and completed its landing burn as it fell towards the water.
The spacecraft lost most of the flooring that protected it from heat and one of the flaps intended to control its descent was damaged, but for the first time, SpaceX maintained control of the spacecraft directly into the ocean.
The Standard’s Saqib Shah joins us to discuss the new Bodycam game that’s gone viral thanks to its ultra-realistic visuals.
Some streamers who provided early access to the game garnered millions of views from those who wanted to get a preview.
It is thought that this title will especially appeal to people who prefer older versions of Call of Duty with advanced technology.
And the rest
Why nature groups are launching a legal bid over wildlife loss in the UK and look who’s kidding about it: why scientists are using artificial intelligence to interpret the meaning of barks.
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Here is an automatic transcript:
Hi, I’m Rochelle Travers and this is The Standard’s Tech and Science Daily podcast.
Soon SpaceX’s Starship will complete its important test mission.
Now let’s get into it.
Health experts warn that E coli cases are likely to rise due to an outbreak linked to a nationally distributed food item, and dozens of people have already been hospitalized.
E coli is a type of bacteria normally found in the intestines, and this particular species is found quite frequently in the intestines of animals.
We live with E coli all the time now, we need E coli in our intestines, it’s really good for us because it produces vitamins, it keeps us healthy, but there are some specific types, especially those that come from animal intestines. These are the ones in animals that have some extra genes that help them survive. The proteins do not cause any harm to animals, but when they get into us, they cause serious illness because they get into parts of our bodies that they normally shouldn’t.
This is Cath Rees, Professor of Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham.
We know that its main source is animal feces, contaminating carcasses and meat, but it can also contaminate water supplies and then things like irrigation water for salad vegetables or washing fruits and vegetables.
People often associate this with going to the environment where you go to farms where there are animals.
So there are all kinds of resources.
So it’s really hard to pinpoint exactly where this is coming from.
At the time of recording this podcast, the UK Health Safety Agency has confirmed that at least 37 people have been hospitalized as a result of this outbreak.
Testing shows most of the 113 cases reported across the UK come from a single source.
The agency did not provide further details about which foods might be responsible.
Professor Rees says it is important not to speculate about the source of the outbreak and wait for approval from the UK HSA, as inaccurate predictions could harm both people’s health and businesses.
These outbreaks are very rare, but I say when we do have these outbreaks, the reason the government issues these warnings is because we’re concerned, because it’s not like other types of food poisoning where you can feel nauseous for a few days. This strain may have long-term effects on health.
So they will do their best to pursue this as quickly as possible.
The UKHSA ruled out the possibility of the disease spreading through water, saying there is currently no evidence that the outbreak is linked to open farms, drinking water or swimming in polluted seawater, lakes or rivers.
Due to the wide geographic spread of cases, the agency believes the outbreak is linked to a nationally distributed food item or multiple food items.
Here’s Professor Rees’ advice for those worried about this epidemic.
Cook everything.
Right, so E coli itself is a bit of a coward in terms of killing it.
Killing is actually not difficult at all.
So when eating meat, cook it well.
If you eat ground meat, especially minced meat, make sure that the middle is not pink.
As for salads and vegetables, even if they have been washed beforehand and if you buy them from the supermarket or anywhere else, wash them again at home with plenty of water.
Remember to wash your hands as often as possible when preparing or handling food.
Next.
The sound of the launch of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built.
And then we successfully completed the soft ocean landing.
SpaceX and Starship took off from their base in Texas. His booster separated and then splashed into the ocean.
The spacecraft then flew around the earth and completed its landing burn as it fell towards the water. The spacecraft lost most of the parts that protect it from heat. And one of the wings intended to control its descent was damaged.
But for the first time, SpaceX maintained control of the spacecraft directly into the ocean.
This was the fourth test flight of Starship, which NASA and SpaceX owner Elon Musk hope will eventually fly humans to the moon and Mars.
The company said it will launch its next test mission soon.
Now.
A clip from Bodycam, the new game that went viral due to its ultra-realistic visuals.
Yep, so Bodycam is a PC game that’s a bit like a back-to-basics version of Fall of Duty.
What I mean by that is there are more gritty, realistic gunfights, tactical skirmishes in almost photorealistic environments.
There is no health regeneration, which is designed to create a more tactical and immersive experience.
This is Saqib Shah, The Standard’s technology and games correspondent.
But the central trick or USP here is that the game makes it look like you’re viewing the action from a wearable camera perspective.
The body cameras that some police officers wear while on patrol are supposed to add to the realism.
Players are excited about the return to basic multiplayer modes and visceral gunplay.
Some streamers who provided early access to the game garnered millions of views from those who wanted to get a preview.
YouTuber Jack Fragg’s preview video for the game alone has been viewed more than 4 million times so far.
It is thought that this title will especially appeal to people who prefer older versions of Call of Duty with advanced technology.
It was made using Unreal Engine 5, the latest technology developers use to create games.
The results tend to be more realistic, with more natural light and shadows, detailed characters, smoother animation, and more complex 3D worlds.
Bodycam went into early access on Steam today, Friday, June 7th.
Let’s get to the ads.
Next, we can get one step closer to understanding what dogs say.
Welcome back.
More than 80 conservation groups are launching a legal bid to force whichever party comes to power after the general election to improve its targets for tackling the decline of wildlife in England.
One in six species in the UK is currently at risk of extinction, and a legally binding target has been set by the Conservative government to halt nature loss by 2030.
Organizations including the National Trust, RSPB and Wildlife Trust have also joined forces to call on politicians from all parties to pledge to do more to increase biodiversity.
And finally, have you ever wanted to look at your dog and know what they’re thinking?
We may actually have an answer soon.
Scientists are using artificial intelligence to interpret the meaning of dog barks.
Researchers from the University of Michigan in the US are using artificial intelligence to better understand what a wolf says about whether a dog is feeling playful or angry.
Scientists say they have already made progress in deciphering dog communication by reusing existing computer models trained on human speech.
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