Latest news with #liverfailure
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning over alarming spike in killer virus in four holiday hotspots - bug can cause liver failure
Holidaymakers jetting off to four popular European destinations could be at risk of deadly 'dirty hands disease' experts warn. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has identified a surge in hepatitis A infections sweeping through Europe, after nine people died from the virus. Hepatitis A—which is caused by a virus spread via contaminated faeces making its way into food and drink—can be deadly, causing catastrophic liver failure. Now health officials have confirmed 2,097 cases of the disease, across four popular holiday destinations including Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. According to a new ECDC report, Slovakia has been hit the hardest in terms of the sheer number of cases, with 880 confirmed in 2025 alone. Cases in Austria have already topped last year's figures, with 87 confirmed diagnoses including three deaths this year. Hungary has so far reported 530 cases this year, mostly among adults. But, the Czech Republic—with 600 cases—has reported the most deaths linked to the virus, with six fatalities following serious liver infections, with young children the most likely to fall victim. Because the virus is spread through contact with faeces—giving it the name 'dirty hand disease'—children who don't wash their hands properly before eating are more likely to contract it. Hepatitis A has few noticeable symptoms in its early stages but if left untreated can lead to liver failure and even prove fatal. Signs of the infection include a high temperature, flu-like symptoms—such as fatigue, headache and muscle pains—nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pale grey coloured faeces and itchy skin. In more severe cases, an infected person's skin and eyes may appear yellow—a condition known as jaundice and a serious sign the liver is struggling to function. But the NHS warns that most children, and some adults, may have no symptoms indicating they are infected. Dr Barbora Macková, chief hygienist and director of the Czech Republic, said: 'In the current epidemiological situation, we recommend getting vaccinated before the start of holidays and vacations.' The warning comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is tracking a mystery spike in Hepatitis A infections in Britain, after 95 people developed a serious liver infection, with 58 so ill they needed to be hospitalised. Officials have reported two separate clusters of the virus across the UK, with 53 cases having been reported since December 2024 alone in the latest wave. Analysis of patient interviews has linked the outbreak to an unnamed specific food item purchased from an unnamed supermarket, which most patients reported consuming before falling ill. No deaths in Britain linked to the outbreak have yet been reported. Anyone who has not been vaccinated or previously infected is at a higher risk of catching Hepatitis A. Patients diagnosed with the virus are advised not to drink alcohol, prepare food or drink for other people, have sex without a barrier method like a condom, or share needles with others until they are no longer infectious. This is usually around seven days after initial symptoms start, for those who do not have jaundice. Hepatitis A vaccines are not routinely given in the UK due to the generally low risk of getting the infection. But the NHS does advise the jab for travellers heading to places where the virus is more common. These include parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. Hepatitis A very rarely rare cause of death in the UK — between 2005 and 2021, only 42 deaths were recorded with the virus as an underlying cause.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
The subtle change to your skin that could mean deadly blood cancer, according to doctor
Bruising without explanation should never be ignored as it can be a little-known sign of deadly blood cancer, a doctor has warned. According to GP Dr Sermed Mezher, the small purple, brownish marks could in fact indicate a range of hidden diseases, including thyroid conditions and liver failure. In an Instagram clip posted to Dr Mezher's page, where he has over 349,000 followers, he revealed an image of a woman's legs that illustrated the type of bruising to watch out for. 'Bruising without a clear explanation—such as not recalling an injury or impact—is a potential sign that something more serious may be going on beneath the surface and should not be ignored',' he said in the video. 'Frequent or severe bruising without cause can be a red flag.' Social media users took to the comment section to echo Dr Mezher's warning. 'My dad had small bruises all over his legs (before) leukemia. May he rest in peace,' said one. Another, @nay_theposho, said: 'Before my diagnosis (acute T-cell leukemia at ten) I had all these weird things happen. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sermed Mezher (@drsermedmezher) 'Mum remembers I had started getting chubby but I had lost all the weight so she didn't think about it, nor my numerous bruises since I was a clumsy child. 'Then my breathing got funny and I was seen four times before they officially diagnosed me.' 'A very key sign that had been missed was a strange purple bruise. Always be vigilant.' Excessive bruising is common in blood cancer due to a deficiency in a type of blood cell called platelets, which help the blood to clot after an injury. A lack of these cells mean the body cannot stop blood vessels from bleeding under the skin, leading to bruising. Other signs of blood cancer include fevers, night sweats, weight-loss, tiredness and swollen lymph nodes, Dr Mezher added. Blood cancer is not the only potentially fatal condition bruising can be a sign of. If it is accompanied with yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, it can also be a tell tale symptom of liver disease that kills over 12,000 Britons and 50,000 Americans every year, he warned. When the liver is damaged, it cannot produce sufficient amounts of proteins needed to help the blood clot. Meanwhile excessive bleeding from other areas like the nose gums or during menstrual periods it could be a sign of a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia. This is when someone is prone to excessive bleeding because the body is unable to clot. These conditions are estimated to affect 7,625 women and 4,310 men in the UK, but many thousands remain undiagnosed, according to The Haemophilia Society. 'If you also can't tolerate the cold and are gaining weight easily and are tired all the time, it could be a sign of a thyroid problem,' Dr Mezher added. This is a medical condition that prevents the thyroid—the little, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck—from making the right amount of hormones, leading to a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, depression, and brain fog. It's estimated that one in 20 people in the UK have a thyroid problem, with women six times more likely to suffer from the condition than men. 'If you also have hypermobility or stretchy skin, then it could be a sign of a connective tissue disorder like Ehlers Danlos syndrome (which can cause life-threatening complications in a rare cases),' he added. 'Getting evaluated by a healthcare professional can help rule out serious causes and insure that, if treatment is needed, it begins early.
Wall Street Journal
6 days ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Roche Pauses Commercial and Clinical Use of Elevidys After Fatal Liver Failures
Roche discontinued the commercial and clinical use of Elevidys after two cases of fatal acute liver failure. The Swiss pharmaceutical company said Sunday that the dosing of non-ambulatory patients, irrespective of their age, is paused in the clinical setting with immediate effect. Enrolment and dosing of non-ambulatory patients will also be immediately paused until additional risk mitigation measures are implemented, it added. Meanwhile, non-ambulatory patients shouldn't receive Elevidys in commercial settings.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Warning over deadly risk of Mounjaro that 'ripped a hole' in 34 year-old woman's gullet and made her go bald
A woman who shed four stone on Mounjaro but suffered life-threatening side effects has warned the public to be wary of the blockbuster weight loss jabs. Aimee Chapman, 34, from Southampton, was admitted to intensive care last summer with liver failure and a perforated oesophagus—complications doctors linked to the popular injections. The former waitress bought the drug from a major online pharmacy in March 2024. She hoped that weight loss would lead to he being 'taken more seriously' by doctors, after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. Initially the medication proved successful, with Ms Chapman shedding four stone in just four months. A few months in, her energy levels plummeted, and more troubling symptoms began to emerge. She said: 'I couldn't really do much. I was only eating a couple of times a week. 'I stopped being able to walk. I would take a couple of steps and have to stop. Then I couldn't stop being sick. 'I was throwing up all the time and started throwing up blood. I was sick between 50 and 60 times. 'I collapsed a couple of times. My husband came home and found me passed out on the hallway one night. 'I was in a bit of denial about it being linked to the jab because I was fine up until now. I just thought I was poorly and it was some sort of virus.' When she began experiencing chest pains, she went to Winchester Hospital's A&E where doctors discovered a hole in her oesophagus—the tube connecting the back of the mouth to the stomach. This was allowing air to fill the space around her heart and lungs. Her blood pressure and potassium levels then began to plummet, forcing doctors to admit her to intensive care. Ms Chapman was later rushed to Southampton General Hospital's ICU, where doctors noticed her liver was 'failing', prompting them to consider an organ transplant. 'They had said it was down to the weight-loss jab but they didn't know why or how to fix it,' she said. 'I was terrified. It all happened so quickly and I hadn't realised how serious it was until I was transferred and it sunk in that it was worse than I thought it was. 'I was told the hole in the oesophagus can kill people and I may have needed a new liver. They said I could've died.' Luckily, doctors were able to stabilise her condition within two weeks, and she was discharged from hospital. The ordeal was not over, however. A few months later, in September, Ms Chapman began to notice large clumps of her hair falling out. Subsequent blood tests revealed the cause of the problem—a deficiency in the vitamin B12, which is essential for maintaining the supply of oxygen to the hair follicles. A wealth of research has shown that any form of rapid weight loss, whether from medication or surgery, can dramatically increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies. 'It kept happening and the handfuls kept getting bigger. I would be so sad,' said Ms Chapman. 'My hair was such a massive part of my identity and to cut it off just felt really traumatic. But I said to myself it was just hair, it'll grow back. This feels like another result of the injections.' While she doesn't wish to 'tell people what they can and can't take', she believes 'more research' is needed to confirm the safety of weight loss injections. 'I regret ever taking them,' she said. 'I'd say to other people thinking about trying them, don't do it online, go through your doctor who can give you blood tests and check how you're doing.' In September last year, medics from Kuwait reported the case of a 24 year-old teacher who began suffering from extreme vomiting, nausea and stomach pains after using Mounjaro—often referred to as the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs. Hospital tests revealed that the patient, who was obese and had a BMI of 34, had 'alarming' levels of liver enzymes, proteins that help break down bile and toxins. This was a sign that her organ was failing and she was admitted to the ICU where she was given a plasma transfusion to flush out the toxins in her blood. She was referred to a transplant team because if left untreated, she could have suffered full blown liver failure, and a transplant would have been her only chance of survival. Writing in the European Journal of Case Reports, doctors from Kuwait who treated her said Mounjaro was 'likely the susceptible cause.' The case came a year after a 37 year-old in Seattle was treated for a similar liver injury after taking the same drug. Experts believe liver damage may happen in rare cases due to the rapid reduction of fat in the liver that could kill healthy cells. Meanwhile, patients have previously spoken of how Ozempic—which works similarly to Mounjaro—have triggered vomiting so violent it's led to a hole in their food pipe. Ozempic and Wegovy contain the active ingredient semaglutide. This mimics the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) which slows the movement of food through the digestive system, signalling to the body that it's full. Mounjar, meanwhile, use the active ingredient tirzepatide, which targets GLP-1 as well as the hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which has a similar hunger-surpressing effect. The dual action is thought to accelerate weight loss, making it more effective than Ozempic. In a statement, Eli Lilly, the drug firm that makes Mounjaro said: 'Patient safety is Lilly's top priority. 'We are committed to continually monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety information for all Lilly medicines. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) was approved based on extensive assessment of the benefits and risks of the medicine, and we provide information about the benefits and risks of all our medicines to regulators around the world to ensure the latest information is available for prescribers. 'If anyone is experiencing side effects when taking any Lilly medicine, they should talk to their doctor or other healthcare professional.'
