Two dead after Victorian ‘thunderstorm asthma’ strike

A freak phenomenon known as “thunderstorm asthma” has left two dead and thousands seeking urgent medical assistance as ­Melbourne hospitals treated hundreds of patients and ran out of ventolin puffers and oxygen.
The thunderstorm — which caused a sudden drop in air quality — triggered widespread asthma attacks across the city on Monday night as particles and irritants flooded into the air. A change in humidity levels caused the pollen particles to shatter, which can be lethal for asthmatics.....

Read more here: theaustralian.com.au

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Schools are swarming with bacteria from MICE - crippling asthma sufferers

Schools are saturated with bacteria from mice, exacerbating kids' asthma, a new study warns.
More than one in 10 children suffer from asthma, the leading chronic illness in under-18s - and that figure is rapidly escalating.
Studies have so far been unable to pinpoint exactly what is causing the boost in diagnoses.
But a new study by Boston's Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School has identified the staggering scale of allergens in public high schools which cripple lung function.....

Read more here: dailymail.co.uk

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Start-up seeks funding for asthma tech

A Manchester start-up which has designed a smart asthma inhaler and software platform is seeking to raise £250,000 to scale up the business and gain a foothold in the burgeoning medical technology industry.
Aerobit, founded by chief executive Ali Moiyed, has launched a drive on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube in return for 16 per cent equity in the company.
Asthma UK estimates there are about 5.4 million asthma sufferers in the UK, while every ten seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening attack.....

Read more here: insidermedia.com