Virginians should take proper precautions when venturing outdoors as tick season heats up in warmer months.

In Virginia, tick exposure can occur year-round. The state ranks in the top 10 for tickborne disease cases with more than 6,000 recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bites from the small arachnids can infect humans with illnesses such as Lyme disease, which accounts for more than 80 percent of tick-borne illnesses.

Tick-borne diseases also can vary by region, with more than 17 human diseases known to be caused by at least nine kinds of ticks nationally, the CDC reports.

Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening or hunting can put you in close contact with ticks, and many people encounter ticks in their own yards or neighborhoods.

The CDC suggests familiarizing yourself with where to expect ticks before stepping outside. Avoid woody and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, and walk in the center of trails.

While ticks can’t fly or jump, they can detect heat, breath and other signals from warm creatures.

To find meals, they typically cling to the tops of grass blades or leaves with their back legs and hitch a ride on people’s apparel.

Tips for avoiding ticks

• Check clothing for ticks upon entering the household, and use tweezers to immediately remove any that are found. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill clinging ticks, or longer if the clothes are damp. If washing clothing first, use hot water—cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
• Ticks also can ride into homes on pets or objects and attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats and daypacks.
• Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce the risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tick-borne diseases.
• The CDC also recommends checking under arms, in and around ears, inside navel, back of knees, in and around hair, between legs and around the waist for any unwanted visitors.
• For extra protection, treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin or purchasing permethrin-treated clothing can help ward off ticks.

For more tips on avoiding ticks, visit cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html.

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President Joe Biden ended the COVID-19 public health emergency in the United States in May 2023, more than three years after the pandemic’s onset.

A new variant of COVID called EG.5 is narrowly surpassing other variants in 2023 to become the most common in the U.S.

However, as reported by The Washington Post, public health officials are not worried. While EG.5 appears more infectious, it is not virulent. Hospitalizations are increasing but remain near an all-time low. New booster shots expected to be available in the latter half of September are expected to prevent severe disease.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that the new variant accounts for approximately 17 percent of COVID cases in the U.S., an increase of 12 percent of all strains from July 2023.

“At this time, there is no evidence indicating EG.5 is able to spread more easily, and currently available treatments and vaccines are expected to continue to be effective against this variant,” a CDC spokesperson told POLITICO.

POLITICO reported that the World Health Organization has not labeled EG.5 as a variant of interest or concern. Global hospitalizations have declined since January 2023, while slightly increasing this summer in the U.S.

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Two recipients of Augusta Health’s Medical Laboratory Science Scholarships are Virginians.

After 1,500 hours of in-class and hands-on work, Lauren, who is from Hampton, and Andrew, who is from Staunton, will graduate at the end of May 2024 with a certificate in Medical Laboratory Science. Andrew has completed his degree from Virginia Tech.

Each were awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the Medical Laboratory Sciences Scholarship Fund (in memory of Kathy Miller), and in return will commit to two years of employment in the Augusta Health Laboratory. The laboratory is staffed 24/7 to ensure the best care possible for patients.

“Well-trained laboratory scientists are essential to the field of medicine. Without them, there can be no accurate disease diagnosis or management,” Ann Ridder, Laboratory Clinical Education Program Director for Augusta Health’s School of Medical Laboratory Science, said.

The scholarships allow students from all backgrounds and across the country to consider a profession in laboratory sciences at Augusta Health in Fishersville. Scholarship funds will cover the cost of tuition and contribute toward living expenses for the year of enrollment. Private donations make the scholarships possible.

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The Twila and Larry Showalter Cancer Fund has donated $75,000 to RMH Foundation for the treatment of patients at Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center.

Since 2018, the fund has raised $75,000 for RMH Foundation’s Hope Fund for Cancer Care. This week, the cancer center received a $19,000 donation from the Fund.

“The Hahn Cancer Center helped us and it’s an amazing group of people here that run this and treat people,” Larry Showalter said. Showalter’s wife, Twila, died Dec. 28, 2017, from colon cancer at age 58.

Showalter and their three children made it their mission to honor Twila’s life and help others in their brave fight against cancer.

“We take a situation that was a negative and turn it into a positive. The treatment we received here at Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center was incredible and if we can do a little to honor Twila and to help other people, it means so much to us,” Showalter said.

Donations are presented each year around Twila’s birthday, which was August 12.

“It’s taken on a life of itself. It has grown so much more than we ever expected,” Showalter said. “I can remember when we first decided to do this we said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we raised $2,000 and maybe eventually get up to $10,000?’ And here we are five years later and our donation of $19,000 has made the total $75,000.”

Twila Showalter, a resident of Penn Laird, Va., had Stage 4 colon cancer when she was diagnosed and fought the disease for 3.5 years, received care at Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center. She was known to many as an avid sports fan and fitness instructor.

The Showalter Cancer Fund has grown to include community support through a three-day holiday basketball tournament at Spotswood High School and funds received through the Great Community Give event.

Showalter and his family hope to raise $25,000 in 2024 to bring the donation total to $100,000.

“The Hope Fund is such a beautiful reflection of the community’s generosity, and the Showalter family’s support is a shining example of how thoughtful gifts can make a life-changing impact,” Cory Davies, executive director of the RMH Foundation, said. “We are deeply grateful for their continued commitment, the difference it makes for our patients, and the inspiration it is to our community.”

Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center provides more than 19,000 treatments every year.

The RMH Foundation’s Hope Fund for Cancer Care, established in 2016, gives hope and healing to patients battling cancer in the community. The mortality rate for cancer in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area outpaces the state of Virginia. Support of the Hope Fund for Cancer Care helps detect disease in patients sooner, expedites necessary care and builds a stronger path to recovery.

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A Forest Service permit is necessary to dig ginseng on National Forest System lands in the United States.

Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia will begin selling ginseng permits for the 2023 harvest season on Monday, August 28. Permits may be purchases at ranger stations in Parsons, Petersburg, Richwood, Bartow, Marlinton or White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, or the Supervisor’s Office in Elkins, Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A ginseng permit costs $20 each, and a separate permit is required for each district on the Forest. Permits are limited to one permit per person per district at a time this year, and each permit allows you to collect up to 95 plants from one ranger district during the West Virginia ginseng season, which is Sept. 1 through Nov. 30. Additional permits may be purchased for the same district after return of each completed permit, as supplies allow.

For harvest, ginseng plants must have three or more prongs and have produced fruit this year. When harvesting, plant the fruit on-site and keep the rest of the plant intact. Harvest no more than 24 plants per day and have no more than 24 plants in your possession while on national forest land.

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A new discovery by UVA Health researchers about coronary artery disease could help doctors develop new ways to treat and prevent America’s No. 1 killer.

Researchers identified critical biological processes that can go wrong inside the linings of our blood vessels and contribute to the dangerous plaque buildup responsible for the disease.

CAD is responsible for 1 in 4 deaths in the United States. More than 600,000 Americans die from the disease every year, and more than 17 million people die from it worldwide.

“Smooth muscle cells that make up the bulk of our blood vessels play important roles in coronary artery disease. They undergo pathological transformations as the disease develops inside our arteries,” said researcher Dr. Mete Civelek of the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Center for Public Health Genomics and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Our results point to a previously under-appreciated role for metabolic pathways during this pathological transformation.”

Civelek and his team were in search of unravelling a longstanding mystery about the behavior of smooth muscle cells during plaque formation. The cells line our blood vessels and are integral in protecting the body during plaque formation because they build stabilizing caps over the plaques that prevent the lesions from breaking loose and causing strokes. Sometimes, however, the beneficial smooth muscle cells take off their white hats and put on black ones. Instead of helping to stabilize the plaques, they begin to accelerate the plaque development and spur the progression of CAD, according to scientists.

The news discovery by Civelek and his team helps explain why. Noah Perry, a PhD student on Civelek’s team, analyzed smooth muscle cells collected from 151 heart transplant donors and used a sophisticated approach to identify genes responsible for the smooth muscle cells’ behavior.

The researchers initially identified 86 groups of genes, then focused on 18 groups that could explain the mysterious behavior. Their analysis suggested that the smooth muscle cells’ shift to the dark side might stem from problems with how the cells use nitrogen and glycogen, which is how the body stores the sugar glucose.

The researchers also identified a particular sugar, mannose, that may be contributing to problems by potentially triggering them. Scientists said more research is necessary to determine that.

“The metabolic shift in the cells as they transition to a disease state can point to points of intervention and therapy,” Perry of UVA’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and the lead author of the study, said.

Civelek said that by better understanding what triggers the smooth muscle cells to become harmful doctors may be able to develop ways to prevent that from happening, which could open the door to new ways to treat and prevent coronary artery disease.

“Coronary artery disease is still the leading cause of death worldwide,” Civelek said. “Although cholesterol-lowering therapies and blood pressure control have been very effective tools to prevent deaths from heart attacks, we still need more targets to reduce the suffering of patients and their families from this devastating disease.”

The research findings were published in the scientific journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

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Terrible news out of Liberty football just got worse: the death of freshman offensive lineman Tajh Boyd has been ruled a suicide.

That word comes from the Western District Medical Examiner Office.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of a bright and promising 18-year-old football player that left us far too soon,” his family said in a statement. “The community and the Belfield and Boyd families are grappling with profound grief and sorrow as they mourn the loss of a young life filled with talent, dreams and boundless potential. As a family, the Belfield and Boyd families are devastated by this sudden tragedy. The pain of losing a beloved son, grandson, brother and friend is immeasurable. In this time of immense grief, the family asks for privacy, as they come to terms with their loss and find solace in the memories they shared with Tajh.”

Boyd, 19, an alum of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, enrolled at Liberty in January, and was preparing for his freshman season with the Flames.

He passed on Saturday.

First-year Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell, speaking to reporters at a Friday press conference, the first for the program since Boyd’s death, declined to talk about what had caused the death, except to say that it wasn’t football-related.

“It’s been a challenging time not only for our staff, our players and just our whole community trying to comprehend all the different things have been going on,” Chadwell said.

Boyd, a 6’4”, 315-pound three-star recruit who committed to Liberty before his senior year of high-school football, had already “made a huge impact on the team,” Chadwell told reporters.

“He was very quiet as far as an outwardly quietness, but when he was one on one with his teammates, he lit up the room,” Chadwell said. “He had a very giving heart, and if there was something that anybody was going through on the team, he was always there.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-TALK (8255). It is a free, 24/7 service that offers support, information, and local resources. Click here for more resources.

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August 15 is National Relaxation Day.

LawnStarter compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on 42 stress factors and stress relievers and ranked 2023’s Most Relaxed Cities. Metrics taken into consideration include depression rates, average workday length and access to spas and massage therapists.

America’s most relaxed city is Sunnyvale, Calif., followed by San Fransisco, Alexandria, Va., Naperville, Ill. and Fremont, Calif.

The most stressed cities are Detroit, Shreveport, Cleveland, Jackson, Mississippi and New Orleans.

Alexandria also ranked third for most beauty and spa businesses per square mile.

LawnStarter’s survey revealed that rest and relaxation appear easier where money makes them possible. Seven of the top 20 cities ranked are among the 20 cities with the highest purchasing power and adequate sleep rates.

Mental health providers are most needed in West Valley, Utah, Laredo, Texas, North Las Vegas and Morena Valley, Calif. where more residents suffer from high rates of mental distress, depression and, except Laredo, suicide.  Alaska has the highest suicide rate per capita in the United States. Anchorage ranked No. 50 of most stressed cities.

Of the 200 biggest cities, Detroit needs a reset. The Motor City has the highest rates of inadequate sleep and stroke.

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The Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water (ODW) has awarded the city of Staunton $5.93 million for its Gardner Springs Pump Station project.

The funds are from the office’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan distributed state-wide to 45 ongoing projects and totaling $100 million.

“This infusion of ODW’s ARPA funds frees up debt capacity for other critically needed water projects, benefitting Staunton’s City-wide water program as a whole,” City Manager Leslie Beauregard said.

The station was installed in the 1940s and served as the city’s primary water source. The project will replace the existing pump station with a new station, designed with modern equipment and elevated above the city’s flood plain. The new station will have adequate emergency power to allow full operations without commercial power, and, as is necessary, will draw from the Middle River to provide appropriate security, lighting and communications, greatly increasing overall resiliency across the entire source water system.

Staunton issued a bond for $8.5 million to fund the project, but the ODW funds mean the city will be able to allocate part of the bond funds to other capital improvement projects related to its water system.

A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2023, in the Rita S. Wilson Council Chambers regarding the matter.

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Dr. Madhusmita Misra, a renowned researcher, patient-care provider, educator and leader, will chair UVA School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.

Misra will begin her new position on Dec. 4, 2023, where she will also serve as physician-in-chief for UVA Health Children’s.

“Dr. Misra has an excellent track record of success as a leader who also performs groundbreaking research, provides high-quality patient care, and serves as a caring mentor for colleagues and physicians in training,” Dr. Melina R. Kibbe, dean of the UVA School of Medicine and chief health affairs officer for UVA Health, said. “She is an ideal choice to build upon the strong foundation in our Department of Pediatrics and UVA Health Children’s, which has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia for three consecutive years.”

Misra joins UVA after serving as chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. She is also the director of pediatric research and associate program director at the Massachusetts General Hospital Translational and Clinical Research Center, medical research officer at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate chief for academic faculty Development at Mass General for Children.

With more than 15 years of experience at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Misra also served as the fellowship program director for Pediatric Endocrinology, clinical director for the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and co-chair of the faculty development program at Mass General for Children.

She has held several leadership roles at the national level, including president of the Pediatric Endocrine Society.

Her research efforts include serving as director of the Pediatric Endocrine- Neuroendocrine-Sports Endocrine Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. Misra’s research has focused on how weight-related conditions from anorexia to obesity affect bones and the body’s hormone system. Her research findings have had a significant impact on the management of low bone density in youth with low-weight eating disorders. More than 200 peer-reviewed original research papers by Misra have been published and she has co-edited two pediatric endocrine textbooks. Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other funding agencies since 2004 and she currently serves as principal investigator or multi-principal investigator on three NIH R01 grants and a Department of Defense grant.

“As an exceptional leader, researcher, educator, and clinician at Mass General for Children, Dr. Misra has worked diligently to not only improve care, but to make that care more accessible for children and their families,” Kibbe said. “That experience will be welcome as we work to expand access to care for patients across Virginia, which is a vital element of our 10-year strategic plan.”

Misra specializes in the care of children with neuroendocrine and bone disorders. As chief for the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, she developed several specialty programs, including a multidisciplinary pediatric diabetes program at Mass General for Children that provides comprehensive care for children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and their families, and expanded the division’s outreach efforts to serve patients at 10 satellite clinic locations.

She earned her medical degree from S.C.B. Medical College at Utkal University in India and a master’s degree in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. After an internship at S.C.B. Medical College and a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Institute of Medical Sciences in Varanasi, India, she went on to complete a residency in pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center in New York and a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“I am delighted and deeply honored to serve as the next chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UVA and physician-in-chief of UVA Children’s Hospital. It will be my privilege to serve in these roles and to work with current leadership to take the department and the children’s hospital to the next level,” Misra said.

Misra will succeed Dr. James Nataro, who has served as chair since 2010.

“I want to thank Dr. Nataro for his distinguished tenure as chair and help in making the Department of Pediatrics one of the best in the country,” Kibbe said. “His leadership has been essential in expanding the department’s services and enabling us to provide excellent care for children across Virginia and beyond.”

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