Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Deforestation’s Hidden Toll: Amplifying Disease Risk Worldwide
In the last couple of decades, the lush rainforest around the remote village of Meliandou in the heart of Guinea has become patchier. Animals, like bats, saw their habitats dwindle and in a quest for survival, they sought refuge in closer proximity to human environments, making the boundaries between species thinner. A hollowed-out tree in the middle of the village became home to a colony of bats.
About 50 meters from the same tree, in the heart of Meliandou, a two-year-old boy named Emile lived with his family. In a matter of days, Emile fell ill with an unknown virus, developed a high fever, and died. Soon the same virus, that scientists now believe Emile got from the bats, took the lives of his sister, mother, and grandmother. The village, surrounded by a ring of forest, unexpectedly became the epicenter of a devastating outbreak that would leave an indelible mark.
Aedes aegypti: Beyond the Black and White
One look at Aedes aegypti gives an immediate impression of its menacing nature. The telltale dark and white bands on the mosquito’s legs and other body parts bring a sense of foreboding and hardship. Sleek, silent, and stealthy, Ae. aegypti is the primary vector for several important, debilitating, and sometimes fatal human diseases including dengue, Zika virus, yellow fever, and chikungunya. The species is cause for mounting concern on many levels, as its biology, behavior, and ability to adapt have made Aedes aegypti one of the most pervasive and daunting public health challenges in the modern world.
The first mosquito ever associated with the spread of disease, Ae. aegypti is also the most studied of all mosquito species.1 From its humble beginnings in the African wild to a footprint that spans the globe, this durable and opportunistic insect has become a formidable opponent of vector control efforts worldwide.
Social Media as an Epidemiological Tool
In public health, government entities often communicate directly with the public on social media platforms. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) …
A History of Zika Virus in Brazil
KNOWNS AND UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE ZIKA VIRUS EPIDEMIC The Zika virus is transmitted by container breeding mosquito species that are found in tropical and subtropical …
Top 5 Takeaways from Our Interview with Dr. Tracey McNamara
In mid-July, Valent BioSciences had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Tracey McNamara, DVM, DACVP, and Professor of Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at …