Malaria typically turns up in the U.S. when American residents travel abroad, contract malaria and then return home. On the other hand, when experts say eight new cases were “locally acquired,” that means that the infected individual acquired the virus from a mosquito inside the U.S., said Dr. Scott Weaver, virologist and director of the Institute for Human Infections & Immunity and a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

The Facts newspaper released its list of Readers’ Choice winners for 2023. The UTMB Health Angleton Danbury Campus won 1st place in three categories: Favorite Hospital, Favorite ER and Favorite Urgent Care Facility.

In his newspaper column, Dr. Samuel Mathis explained that MCTs work by supercharging our utilization of fat stores for energy. “MCT oil is not for everyone, but it may be a helpful additive for those looking for something extra to give them a little boost in their health journey,” he wrote.

“Because of international travel, population migration and climate change, diseases spread by mosquitos may begin to occur in greater numbers in the United States,” wrote Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in Vaccine Smarts. “Existing vaccines and new ones under development will play a major role in keeping us safe from such diseases. But for now, just keep using your mosquito repellant.”

Scientists have developed a new approach using “dancing molecules” to repair the spinal cord and reverse paralysis after a severe spinal cord injury, explained Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in Medical Discovery News.

“It is important to clearly communicate parental expectations in an age-appropriate manner and set a good example,” wrote Dr. Sally Robinson in her column. “Sometimes we just have to think about what we are saying.”

Dr. Samuel Mathis, assistant professor in the University of Texas Medical Branch Department of Family Medicine, said the resilient virus can live for days and there are plenty of places for it to linger on cruise ships. Mathis, who works in Galveston, cruise port, has seen passengers with norovirus. He said that while the virus itself is uncomfortable, it isn’t typically dangerous. “The biggest risk for almost everyone — but especially for seniors — is actually the risk of dehydration: losing all that fluid through nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.”

Dr. Samuel Mathis recently caught up with his mentor. “I was surprised at the emotional response I had when I saw him,” Mathis wrote in his column. He also shared some of the health benefits associated with mentoring for both the mentor and mentee.

In Medical Discovery News, Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel wrote about a new developing technology that will reduce the time it takes to identify and determine the antibiotic resistance of bacteria.

The University of Texas Medical Branch had seven representatives among the 40 under 40 listing for 2023 in The Galveston County Daily News. The newspaper asked the public to nominate people who were 40 or younger and live or work in Galveston County. A panel picked its top 40 for the list, including these seven people from UTMB: Megan Cazares, associate director of accreditation; Rawan Harirah, business manager; C. Tyler Morrison, exercise physiologist; Christopher Richter, medical student; Maria San Andrés, assistant professor in pediatrics; Tracy Tang, medical student; and Vivian Tat, pre-doctoral research fellow.