COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It’s spring, the birds are migrating and bird flu (H5N1) is rapidly evolving into the possibility of a human pandemic. On May 7, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Public Health published a major study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases documenting research on bird flu in cats and calling for urgent surveillance of cats to help avoid human-to-human transmission.

Surgical face masks help prevent the spread of airborne pathogens and therefore were ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a modified mask could also protect a wearer by detecting health conditions, including chronic kidney disease. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors incorporated a specialized breath sensor within the fabric of a face mask to detect metabolites associated with the disease. In initial tests, the sensor correctly identified people with the condition most of the time.

An international study led by the Institut de Neurociències at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) has shown that increasing levels of the Klotho protein in mice extends lifespan and improves both physical and cognitive health when aging.