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A decades-old drug for urinary tract infections may also work for “brain-eating” amoeba infections, which kill the vast majority of people who contract them, Science magazine reported (opens in new tab) .

The drug’s promise was demonstrated in a recent case report, published in January in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases (opens in new tab) , which describes a 54-year-old man whose brain was infiltrated by the amoeba Balamuthia mandrillaris. The single-celled organism lives in dust, soil and water, and can enter the body through skin wounds and cuts or through the lungs, when it’s inhaled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in new tab) (CDC). The amoeba can then infiltrate the bloodstream and travel to the brain, triggering a very rare infection called “granulomatous amebic encephalitis” that kills around 90% of people affected. 

“The disease might appear mild at first but can become more severe over weeks to several months,” the CDC notes.

The man in the case report initially received treatment at a Northern California hospital for an unexplained seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a mass on the left side of his brain, surrounded by swelling. At this point, the man was transferred to the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, where doctors took samples of the patient’s brain tissue and the clear fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This analysis revealed B. mandrillaris in the man’s brain.  

Related: Boy dies from rare ‘brain-eating’ amoeba found in splash pad at Texas park 

After consulting the CDC, the patient’s doctors prescribed an aggressive regimen of antiparasitic, antibacterial and antifungal drugs. “It’s what’s recommended because it was what happened to be used in patients who survived,” Dr. Natasha Spottiswoode (opens in new tab) , an infectious disease physician-scientist at UCSF and first author of the case report, told Science. Unfortunately, the treatment triggered severe side effects, including kidney failure, and the patient wasn’t yet amoeba-free. RELATED STORIES—5 key facts about brain-eating amoeba

—Deadly ‘brain-eating amoeba’ has expanded its range northward

—Nebraska child likely died of a brain-eating-amoeba infection

In search of another solution, Spottiswoode dug up a 2018 report, published in the journal mBio (opens in new tab) , in which UCSF scientists found evidence that an antibiotic called nitroxoline can kill B. mandrillaris in laboratory settings. The drug is approved in Europe, but not the U.S., so the medical team sought permission from the Food and Drug Administration to use it; they received approval, started the patient on nitroxoline and observed rapid improvement, within a week.

The patient was soon discharged from the hospital and he continued to take nitroxoline at home, along with other medications; his clinicians plan to eventually discontinue his use of the drugs. In the meantime, UCSF doctors are overseeing the case of a second B. mandrillaris-infected patient who’s started receiving nitroxoline. They are seeing similar improvements, Science reported. 

Read more in Science (opens in new tab) .  

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MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

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MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.

Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.

He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.

Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.

Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.

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A’s Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

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A's Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.

Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.

“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”

Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.

His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.

The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.

Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.

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O’s trade reliever Baker to Rays for draft pick

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O's trade reliever Baker to Rays for draft pick

BALTIMORE — The Orioles traded right-handed reliever Bryan Baker to AL East rival Tampa Bay on Thursday in exchange for the 37th overall pick in the 2025 MLB amateur draft, a sign that one of baseball’s most disappointing clubs could be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias wouldn’t completely commit to that idea. Speaking to reporters before Thursday’s split doubleheader against the New York Mets, he cited the 2024 Detroit Tigers, who traded players off their major league roster but held on to ace Tarik Skubal and then surged into a playoff spot.

Elias did, however, acknowledge the possibility of selling on a day that began with last-place Baltimore (40-50) sitting 12½ games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays and seven out of the final AL wild-card spot.

“I think it’s a step in that direction,” said Elias three weeks before the July 31 deadline. “There’s no way around that. The timing of the draft, and when you have draft picks involved in the trades, kind of front-loads these decisions, and it’s earlier than my comfort level. But we thought it was a really good return and a good trade for everyone. So, we did it.”

The draft begins Sunday. In a corresponding move, the Orioles selected the contract of catcher David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk.

After a dreadful start that brought the May dismissal of manager Brandon Hyde, the Orioles have steadied under interim skipper Tony Mansolino, playing to a 21-14 record since a loss to St. Louis on May 28.

Baker was a solid part of that, posting a 3.52 ERA, striking out 49 batters and posting a 1.096 WHIP in 38⅓ innings as the setup man for closer Felix Bautista.

“This is a team that is moving in the right direction, and we still have a lot of time left before the deadline, but this was a trade with the draft coming up in a couple days that we had to make a decision on,” Elias said. “We didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity. Hopefully, we can use the pick wisely, bring a lot of value back, and Bryan’s going to a good place.”

Mansolino is also hoping his team will get replenishments in the form of players eventually returning from the injured list. That sizable group includes several possible starting pitchers: Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder), Albert Suarez (shoulder), Tyler Wells (elbow) and Kyle Bradish (Tommy John surgery).

Meanwhile, Baltimore will now have four of the first 37 and seven of the first 93 draft picks.

“All the drafts are important, but when you have this amount of picks, it becomes more important, there’s no question about it,” Elias said. “There’s just a much bigger opportunity ahead of us, and the draft is a lifeblood for our franchise.”

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