A deadly fungal disease has infected more than 23 snake species, according to scientists.

Snakes have become so intertwined with human religion and folklore that it would be impossible to imagine a world without the slithering reptile. But according to a recent study, that day may be fast-approaching.

A new study published in the journal, Science Advances, warns of a deadly fungal disease that has spread from the U.S. to Europe and has affected over 23 snake species. The disease, caused by a bacteria called Ophidiomyces ophidiocodiicola, can infect any type of snake regardless of their physical characteristics, genetic make-up, or habitats. According to the researchers, the Europe outbreak may bring the snake species close to an extinction event. They state that no species, so far, had been immune to the fungal disease. Notable casualties were in the eastern part of the United States, including milk snakes, vipers and garter snakes. In Europe, the disease can be found in at least three species so far.

“This really is the worst-case scenario,” states Frank Burbrink, lead author of the paper and a curator at the American Museum of Natural History’s Department of Herpetology. “first responders shouldn’t just be looking for certain types of snakes that have the disease, but at the whole community.”

According to Burbrink, all snakes are likely to become infected or are already infected. The disease manifests itself in the form of small bumps and cracks on the snake’s skin which slowly become lesions. While some snakes have been able to shed the skin and get rid of the infected areas, the lesions spread too quickly and cover the entire snake within days.

Researchers noted that snakes who attempt to get rid of their infected skin tend to sit longer in the sun. Most of the time, this type of behavior would make the snake susceptible to predator attacks and even forget to eat.

While snakes have become a mainstay in human culture, they are also a key component of a balanced ecosystem. Without snakes, we would see an increase in the number of rats and other rodents that were easy prey for the slippery reptiles.

The study’s authors urge authorities to step in and prevent the disease from spreading by isolating and developing treatments for the infected snakes.

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A genetic mutation found in six members of an Italian family may hold the key to effective pain relief medication.

British researchers have found a gene mutation that suppresses pain in a family from Italy.

Researchers focused on six members of an Italian family who couldn’t feel pain regardless if they burned themselves or suffered bone fractures. While the phenomenon may suggest a lack of nerve development, that isn’t the case, according to Dr. James Cox, lead study author with the University College of London.

“They have normal intraepidermal nerve fiber density, which means their nerves are all there, they’re just no working how they should be,” said the doctor.

The study authors explained that an estimated 10 percent of people experience moderate to severe chronic pain, which causes them to seek relief in opioid medication. The Marsilis might shed some light on potential new drugs that can offer pain relief, according to Cox.

As part of the study, the family members underwent a series of trials which included being poked at sensitive points, having their hands submerged in ice water and touching surfaces that ranged from 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

The final part of the experiment had researchers sequence the family’s genomes which revealed a new mutation in the ZFHX2 gene. This gene alters how nociceptors, which are the part of the nerve cells that sense pain and convert sensory inputs into stimuli in the brain, interpret DNA code into making proteins.

Previous studies involved breeding mice without the ZFHX2 gene in order for them to be resilient against pain. However, those researchers noticed the mice were more hyperactive and even displayed signs of mouse depression. The study was published in the journal, Brain.

For this experiment, the team of researchers bred mice with the ZFHX2 gene mutation. The mice with the altered DNA appeared to be resistant to heat and cold, which would suggest that the mutation was the reason why the Marsili family lacked the ability to feel pain.

Anna Maria Aloisi, the co-author of the study and professor at the University of Siena in Italy, echoes Dr. Cox, by saying the mutation’s discovery has paved the way for new advancements in pain relief medication.

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The Isle of Skye in Scotland was supposedly hit by a meteorite 60 million years ago.

Geologists from the University of London have discovered fragments of a 60 million-year-old meteorite on the Isle of Skye. While exploring volcanic rocks on the Scottish island, they stumbled upon several rocks that had otherworldly origins.

The fragments discovered contained minerals such as vanadium-rich and niobium-rich osbornite, which Earth is not known to have. These meteoric minerals were found under layers of lava, which dated back to over 60 million years ago, according to the geologists. Previous rocks of this type have been collected by Nasa’s 2006 Stardust mission as space dust in the wake of the Wild 2 comet.

The minerals were from a previously unknown meteorite impact, one which will shed light on the ancient Paleogene volcanic activity which occurred across the North Atlantic all those millions of years ago. When looking closer, the geologists found that the osbornite was unmelted, which points to it being an original piece of the meteorite.

The geologists later discovered a second site, a mere seven kilometers away, that contained the same minerals. More, so the site was a two-meter-thick layer of ejecta, which is material ejected from a crater.

“We have found evidence of the impact at two sites and at another potential two sites on the Isle of Skye, at the moment.” Said Dr. Simon Drake, from Birkbeck, University of London, who made the find along with his colleague, Dr. Andrew Beard.

According to Drake, the volcanological evolution of the Isle of Skye has been previously considered to have occurred due to a volcanic plume that came up under the crust that the island was on. Now, however, they suggest that a meteorite might have been partially responsible for the volcanic event. The team of geologists published their findings in the journal, Geology.

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