Most bacteria are tiny. You could fit thousands of them on the period at the end of this sentence. But on submerged leaves in the Caribbean Sea, researchers have discovered a bacterial behemoth. Dubbed Thiomargarita magnifica, a single bacterium is the size of a pea, 50 times larger than its nearest competitor.

Thiomargarita means "sulfur pearl" in Latin. The name refers to the bacteria's luminescence due to microscopic sulfur granules that scatter light. The bacterium is surprisingly complex and may lie between prokaryotes, primitive single-cell organisms that do not have a cell nucleus (their DNA is free-floating), and eukaryotes, where the DNA is surrounded by the nuclear envelope.

An Ill Wind Blows

Air pollution is a recognized risk factor for heart disease, and it doesn't just have to come from car tailpipes or factory smokestacks. Researchers say that ambient air pollution and indoor air pollution from unventilated cooking raise the risk of cardiovascular disease about as much as smoking tobacco.

Smoky kerosene stoves might seem a remote risk to most Americans, but wildfire smoke is a comparable threat.

Get Me That, Stat!

The COVID pandemic has greatly strained health systems across the country, though not equally. Some systems and some places have fared better than others in handling not just COVID but all of the other diseases and disorders that did not stop.

A new survey reports that all states experienced more deaths than typical, from COVID-19 and other causes, since February 2020, but there was a fivefold difference from best to worst, with Hawaii experiencing 110 deaths per 100,000 people to Mississippi at 596 per 100,000.

Based on 56 health measures, Hawaii and Massachusetts topped the list while Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia fared the worst.

Stories for the Waiting Room

At this point, at least 6.3 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19, but new research suggests that, without vaccines, the death toll would have been even more staggering. Mathematical models suggest vaccines prevented 14 million COIVD-19 deaths during the first year of the pandemic and possibly saved closer to 20 million lives.

The bad news is that in low-income countries where vaccines arrived late or in insufficient quantities, the number of lives saved could have been more than doubled with sufficient, timely supplies.

Doc Talk

Fasciculation: a muscle twitch

Mania of the Week

Catapedamania: an obsession with jumping from high places

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating record for corn dogs is 12 in 10 minutes, held by Richard "The Locust" LeFevre. That compares with a record 76 hot dogs consumed in 10 minutes by Joey Chestnut. LeFevre might have eaten more but got stuck.

Best Medicine

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

HIPAA.

HIPAA who?

I can't tell you.

Hypochondriac's Guide

Aquagenic pruritus is a rare skin condition that causes an intense itching sensation after exposure to water. It can happen to people with or without other skin conditions, but it's most common among those with eczema or other rashes.

Symptoms may last for hours and require treatment with antihistamines, though oddly, bathing in cold water can sometimes temporarily stop the itching.

Observation

"My struggle to remain healthy is gradually killing me." — British cartoonist and quipster Ashleigh Brilliant (1933-)

Medical History

This week in 1973, the first CAT scan was made (Computer Aided Tomography).

Perishable Publications

Many, if not most, published research papers have titles that defy comprehension. They use specialized jargon, complex words and opaque phrases like "nonlinear dynamics." Sometimes they don't, and yet they're still hard to figure out. Here's an actual title of an actual published research study: "Misophonia: Diagnostic Criteria for a New Psychiatric Disorder."

The title sounds staid enough, but the disorder is not. Misophonia is a long-unrecognized medical condition characterized by distress at hearing other people make chewing sounds.

Last Words

"You know, I'm not frightened. It's just that I'll miss you all so much.

"Ow. F—-!" — British novelist and children's book author Roald Dahl (1916-1990). Dahl's first line was spoken to his family. He was dying of cancer. Dahl then appeared to have lost consciousness, and a nurse decided to inject him with a lethal dose of morphine to ease his passing. After she did, Dahl uttered the second line, then died.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: kkolosov at Pixabay