They’re called wild animals for a reason, you goobers

Don’t invite people to pet the cute baby raccoon at a public event. That’s advice too late for 33 people in Macon who “interacted” with one at an event called (we kid you not) “Raccoon or Kitten?” that allowed people to pet both animals.

The raccoon turned out to have rabies.

No one is believed to be infected, but A) 21 of them have opted for treatment just in case, and B) the article features a video with horrific pictures of people who did contract the disease, vicious dogs, and dead animals. And one cute raccoon.

The raccoon apparently showed no sign of the disease other than sudden premature death.

Drug misuse in Georgia: low

Good news for Georgia: The state has among the lowest rates of painkiller abuse in the country. (Hawai’i has the lowest rate, with 3.4% of people there misusing painkillers; Georgia is tied for second place with Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey.)

Now I really want to see what’s in those documents

August 26: “Court Lets Purdue Pharma Court Records Be Made Public”

August 27: A settlement proposal is leaked that would have the Sacklers giving up Purdue Pharma, paying $3 billion out of their own pockets, and transforming Purdue “from a private company into a ‘public beneficiary trust.'”

That would allow the profits from all drug sales, including the opioid painkiller OxyContin, to go to the plaintiffs — largely states, cities, towns and tribes.

Even more, the Sacklers would also give up their other drug company, Mundipharma — one of the companies we wrote about yesterday that’s making inroads into the ripe-for-the-picking Indian opioid market.

Want to live forever?

Eat more plants. At least if you’re a middle-aged Japanese person, which is who was studied. (Although it probably applies to everyone else, too.)

Compared to people who consumed the smallest amount of plant protein, participants who consumed the largest amount were 13% less likely to die during the study and 16% less likely to die of cardiovascular causes.

You gotta believe: It’s more than just eating plants. You have to believe it’ll work because, as researchers at Boston University School of Medicine found, optimists can achieve “‘exceptional longevity.”

Following the money

Are you worried that, with all the attacks on pharma companies lately, they might not get support in Washington? Fear not: They’re pouring in the lobbying cash.

“We support candidates from both political parties who support innovation and patient access to medicines,” said PhRMA spokeswoman Holly Campbell.

Suicide factor

It’s not clear about cause and effect, but here’s an interesting finding: People with Restless Leg Syndrome are more likely to harm themselves or commit suicide. Further, “[T]he increased risk is independent of depression, sleep disorders, chronic conditions, and other factors being examined.”

Not what you think

The headline was “Fat pumps generate electrical power.” Alas, the story — while interesting — was not nearly as interesting as I had hoped for.

A previously unknown electrical current develops in the body’s cells when the vital fat pump function of the flippases transfers (“flips”) lipids from the outer to the inner layer of the body’s cell membranes.

Admit it, you also thought it was a way to fight obesity while reducing our carbon footprint.

From uterus to cradle

If you know any pregnant mice, here’s some advice: When pregnant, they should eat a high-fat diet to protect children from Alzheimer’s later in life. But once those kids are born, they need to avoid “overnutrition” to protect the kids from diabetes and premature aging.

This might apply to humans as well.

As for humans: Keep away from pesticides when you’re pregnant.