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Health experts are warning that the number of E.coli cases is ‘likely to increase’ due to an outbreak linked to a ‘nationally distributed food product’ – and dozens have already been hospitalized.
Cath Rees, professor of microbiology at the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences, tells Tech & Science Daily everything we know about the current situation.
The UK Health Security 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 reported cases in the UK are from a single source. The agency did not provide more details about which foods might be responsible.
The UKHSA has ruled out that the disease is spread through water, saying there is “currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in polluted seawater, lakes or rivers”.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made, has successfully launched and landed in a crucial test mission.
SpaceX’s starship lifted off from its base in Texas, the booster separated and then splashed into the ocean. The spacecraft then flew around Earth and completed a landing burn as it fell toward the water.
The spacecraft lost many of the tiles protecting it from heat, and one of the flaps intended to control descent was damaged, but SpaceX retained control of the spacecraft all the way into the ocean — for the first time.
Saqib Shah from The Standard joins us to talk about the new game Bodycam, which has gone viral for its ultra-realistic visuals.
A number of streamers who got early access to the game have racked up millions of views from people wanting to get a sneak preview.
It is thought that the title will mainly appeal to people who prefer the older versions of Call of Duty, but with improved technology.
And the rest
Why wildlife groups are launching a legal bid to end Britain’s wildlife loss, and look who’s talking: why scientists are using AI to interpret the meaning of barks.
You can listen to the episode in the player above, find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Here is an automated transcript:
Hello, I’m Rochelle Travers, and this is The Standard’s Tech and Science Daily podcast.
SpaceX’s Starship will soon complete a crucial test mission.
Let’s get into it now.
Health experts warn that E coli cases are likely to increase due to an outbreak linked to a nationally distributed food product, with dozens already in hospital.
E coli is a type of bacteria normally found in the intestines, while this particular type is quite commonly found in the intestines of animals.
Now we live with E coli all the time, 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 certain types, especially this one, that come from from the intestines of animals, which have some extra genes, which help them survive in animals, does not harm the animals, but if it gets into us, it causes a serious disease because it gets into parts of our body where it would not normally should penetrate.
That is Cath Rees, professor of microbiology at the School of Biosciences at the University of Nottingham.
We know that the primary sources come from animal feces which can end up on carcasses and meat, but it can also enter the water supply and then end up in things like irrigation water for salad vegetables, or it can end up in the wash in 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 sources.
So it’s really, really hard to identify exactly where this comes from.
At the time of recording this podcast, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed that at least 37 people have been hospitalized as a result of this outbreak.
And tests show most of the 113 reported cases in the UK come from a single source.
The agency did not provide more details about which foods might be responsible.
Professor Rees says it is important not to speculate about the cause of the outbreak and wait for confirmation from the UK HSA, as wrong gambling can have damaging consequences for people’s health and for businesses.
These outbreaks are very rare, but I say that when we do get these outbreaks, the reason the government is giving these warnings is because we are concerned, because unlike other forms of food poisoning where you might have your stomach for a few days belly, With this type you can have long-term health effects.
So they will do everything they can to detect this as quickly as possible.
The UKHSA has ruled out that the disease is spread through water, saying there is currently no evidence linking the outbreak to open farms, drinking water or swimming in polluted seawater, lakes or rivers.
Due to the wide geographic spread of the cases, the agency believes the outbreak is linked to a nationally distributed food product or multiple food products.
Here’s Professor Rees’ advice for anyone concerned about this outbreak.
Cook everything.
Right, so E coli itself is a bit of a pussy when it comes to killing it.
It’s really not hard to kill.
So if you eat meat, cook it properly.
If you eat minced meat, especially minced meat, make sure there is no pink in the middle.
If they are salad and vegetables, even if they are pre-washed and you get them from the supermarket or wherever, wash them again at home with plenty of water.
And don’t forget to wash your hands as often as possible when preparing or touching food.
Next one.
The sound of the launch of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made.
And then successfully complete a soft ocean landing.
SpaceX and Starship have taken off from their base in Texas. The booster separated and then splashed into the ocean.
The spacecraft then flew around Earth and completed a landing burn as it fell toward the water. The spacecraft lost many of the tiles that protect it from heat. And one of the flaps intended to control descent was damaged.
But SpaceX retained control of the spacecraft deep into the ocean for the first time.
It was the fourth test flight for Starship, which NASA and SpaceX owner Elon Musk hope will eventually fly people to the moon and Mars.
The company said it would launch its next test mission soon.
Now.
An excerpt from Bodycam, a new game that has gone viral for its ultra-realistic visuals.
Yeah, so Bodycam, it’s a PC game that’s a bit like a back-to-basics version of Fall of Duty.
What I mean by that is that it has more gritty, realistic gunplay and tactical firefights in almost photorealistic environments.
There’s no health recovery, that sort of thing is designed to create a more tactical and immersive experience.
That’s Saqib Shah, technology and gaming reporter for The Standard.
But the central gimmick or USP here is that the game looks like you’re seeing the action from the perspective of a handheld camera.
The type of body cameras that some police officers wear on patrol should increase realism.
Gamers are raving about the back-to-basic multiplayer modes and the in-depth gunplay.
A number of streamers who got early access to the game have racked up millions of views from people wanting to get a sneak preview.
YouTuber Jack Fragg’s preview video of the game has racked up over 4 million views alone so far.
It is thought that the title will mainly appeal to people who prefer the older versions of Call of Duty, but with improved technology.
It was created using Unreal Engine 5, the latest technology that developers use to create games.
The results tend to be more realistic with more natural light and shadows, detailed characters, smoother animations and more complex 3D worlds.
Bodycam will be available in early access on Steam later today, Friday, June 7.
Let’s get to the ads.
I’ll get to why we might be one step closer to understanding what dogs say.
Welcome back.
More than 80 conservation groups are launching a legal bid to force the party in power after the general election to improve targets for tackling the decline of England’s wildlife.
One in six British species is currently threatened with extinction and the Conservative government has set a legally binding target to halt nature loss by 2030.
Organizations including the National Trust, the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust have also joined forces to urge politicians from all parties to do more to boost biodiversity.
And finally, do you ever look at your dog and wish you knew what he was thinking?
We may have an answer soon.
Scientists use artificial intelligence to interpret the meaning of dog barking.
Researchers from the University of Michigan in the US are using AI to better understand what a wolf says about whether a dog is feeling playful or angry.
The scientists say they have already made progress when it comes to decoding dog communication by reusing existing computer models trained on human speech.
You are informed.
Come back to The Standard podcast at 4pm for all the latest news and analysis.
Tech and Science Daily returns tomorrow at 1 p.m.
See you then.