Florida doctor accused of raping patients after plying them with laughing gas and tequila

A Florida doctor is accused of sexually abused two female patients after incapacitating them with Tequila and nitrous oxide.

Eric Andrew Salata, 54, was arrested at his Pura Vida Medical Spa cosmetic surgery practice in Naples on 21 November on suspicion of raping two “physically helpless” women, aged 51 and 72, according to a statement from the Naples Police Department.

The younger of the two victims told police she had been prescribed the sedative Xanax prior to undergoing surgery.

Arriving at the practice, she was informed the procedure would be painful and agreed to take nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, and tequila, according to ABC7 News.

She told investigators she blacked out, and awoke to find Mr Salata having sex with her. She reported the alleged rape to police and underwent a sexual assault examination, Naples police said.

A second woman came forward to report that Mr Salata had begun massaging her roughly, and when she complained he gave her laughing gas before raping her, Naples Police Lt Bryan McGinn told Fox4.

She was left with a bruised lip from where he allegedly kissed her, and retained forensic evidence to provide to police, Mr McGinn said.

“It's extremely insightful for the victim to do such a thing, it takes a lot of courage,” Mr McGinn told the news site.

Mr Salata has been charged with two counts of sexual battery against a physically helpless person and been placed under a $200,000 bond, according to ABC7.

Mr Salata was the only medical professional present in the room during both incidents, police say.

A website for the Pura Vida Medical Spa states that it is co-owned by Mr Salata and his wife Jill. 

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Universal flu vaccine could be ready for human use in two years – expert

A universal flu vaccine that can protect against all strains of the virus could be available in the next two years, a leading expert has said. 

Booster Covid vaccinations© PA Wire

Professor John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary University in London, said a new vaccine developed at the University of Pennsylvania represented a “huge breakthrough”.

The US researchers have created a vaccine based on the same mRNA technology used in the Covid-19 jabs from Moderna and Pfizer.

Writing in the journal Science, they said their vaccine protected mice and ferrets against severe influenza, with the next stage being clinical trials in humans.

Prof Oxford told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme the vastly experienced team had mixed 20 strains of flu together and had a got a response to every strain.

Current vaccines tend to protect against four strains of the virus.

“I cannot emphasise enough what a breakthrough this paper is,” Prof Oxford said, adding there was a “very good chance” the jab would work in humans.

“The potential is huge, and I think sometimes we underestimate these big respiratory viruses.”

He said about 30 or 40 volunteers would be needed for a phase 1 clinical trial, with the first data possibly coming within the next six months.

Researchers have been working on universal flu vaccines for many years, but the latest breakthrough is seen as a step towards protecting people in any future flu pandemic.

Prof Oxford said the jab could save thousands of lives.

The research found the vaccine provoked high levels of antibodies that protected against the flu virus.

Dr Andrew Freedman, a reader in infectious diseases at Cardiff University, said: “This vaccine has only been tested in animals to date and it will be important to investigate its safety and efficacy in humans.

“It does seem a very promising approach to the goal of producing a universal flu vaccine as well as vaccines that protect against multiple members of other viral families such as rhino and coronaviruses.”