public health
Mosquitoes that carry West Nile are becoming resistant to insecticides
John VanDenBerg suspects he was gardening when a mosquito got him.
It was September 2018, and VanDenBerg, then 67, had been feeling a little “off” for a few days, he said, like maybe he had the flu.
But one morning, as he was walking out of his Colorado home, he collapsed.
The Economics of Resistance
It would be extremely difficult to calculate, with any high degree of accuracy, the global economic impact of insecticide resistance. For starters, we must consider that insect management plays a pivotal role in a variety of sectors – agriculture, home and garden, forestry, structural applications, and vector control. Analysis of the totality of economic impacts arising from resistance in any one of these sectors quickly becomes a complicated interplay of variables that interact within that given system.
To account for the full economic impact, one must layer in the amount being spent on insect management and how much of that investment is lost to resistance, but also the economic impact of losses to the overarching objectives of a given program.
To calculate the impact, you must first calculate what is at risk.
How Does Insecticide Resistance Happen?
Check out this video by MalariaGen focusing on how natural selection drives insecticide resistance relating to malaria.
David Goodsell: Molecular Biology Meets Artistry
David Goodsell, a distinguished American molecular biologist and illustrator, is renowned for flawlessly blending his expertise in molecular biology with an enchanting artistic flair.
Holding a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, Goodsell’s molecular artwork graces numerous publications, textbooks, and exhibits, offering a visually stunning insight into the intricate structures of molecules, such as Ebola, Zika, Covid-19, and HIV.
Reduce Your Risk of Foodborne Illness
Here’s what you need to know about foodborne illnesses in just a few bites.
Beyond Salmonella: Emerging Foodborne Threats
Walkerton, a serene town in Bruce County, Ontario, with a population of under 5,000, embodies tranquil rural charm, where close-knit communities thrive amid picturesque landscapes. Here on May 15, 2000, the local public utilities commission took a routine sample of the water supply and discovered E. coli contamination. The commission didn’t notify public health officials.
In the following days, several people fell ill with bloody diarrhea. The local public utilities commission reassured officials a couple of times that the water supply was safe, even though cases kept rising. By the time health officials finally warned the community against consuming untreated tap water, over 40 individuals had already sought medical attention at the hospital.
The Walkerton E. coli outbreak that saw 2,300 people fall ill, and seven die, was the worst public health disaster involving municipal water in Canadian history.
Foodborne Diseases 101
Many people are affected by food illness every year. Farmers, governments, food-related professionals, and consumers are all responsible for food safety and cleanliness.
Check out this video by National Geographic that explains how foodborne diseases are spread as well as the devastation they cause.
Faunagraphic’s Art Soars Beyond the Canvas
Faunagraphic, also known as Sarah Yates, is a powerhouse of creative and environmental expression, turning concrete (and regular) canvases into breathtaking murals and paintings that celebrate the birds of our planet.
Hailing from Lancashire, England, she began her career in spray painting at the age of 19 while pursuing her degree in Graphic Design.
Avian Malaria in the Sub-Antarctic
Avian malaria has recently been discovered in southern Chile and the introduction of beavers decades ago is partially responsible.
Birds on the Brink
Hardly anyone visits the desolate outpost of Coldfoot, one of Alaska’s few communities outside the Arctic Circle accessible by road. Its 34 residents live in rustic accommodations along the Dalton Highway. The town’s highlights include an inn, a café, a gas station and a basic airport with a gravel landing strip. All day long, 18-wheeler fuel trucks thunder by on supply runs between Fairbanks and the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay further north. Some will stop to eat and tank up at Coldfoot because the next human habitation is 234 miles away, a town grimly named Deadhorse.
They say Coldfoot got its name from the days of the 1900 Gold Rush when miners would come as far as this remote settlement before getting “cold feet” and turning back. It’s still a lonely place, but one unexpected visitor showed up recently inside an infected Swainson’s thrush (Catharus ustulatus): the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium circumflexum.
In 2011, scientists tested 676 birds representing 32 resident and migratory bird species captured from three northern locations in Alaska: Anchorage (61°N), Fairbanks (64°N) and Coldfoot (67°N). In Anchorage and Fairbanks, they found 49 birds infected by Plasmodium parasites. In Anchorage, even resident birds and hatchlings of species such as the boreal chickadee (Poecile hudsonicus), the varied thrush (Zoothera naevia) and the fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca) were found infected. The parasite was also detected in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and a myrtle warbler (Dendroica coronata coronata) in Fairbanks, indicating that transmission had occurred locally.