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West Nile Virus Connected to Foreclosures?
An increase in the number of West Nile Virus cases this summer has officials in one New York community studying whether the spike could be linked to the rise in mortgage foreclosures. An increase in the number of West Nile Virus cases this summer has officials in one New York community studying whether the spike coul... more
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Meet the Tiger, a Bug With Extra Bite
When Sydney Williams moved last year from a condo to a house in the Pimmit Hills section of Falls Church, she relished the opportunity to hone her gardening skills in a yard of butterfly bushes, hydrangeas and perennials.
Her first summer of gardening, though, was "an absolute misery," the 43-year-old remembers. "The mosquitoes were awful -- morning, noon and night." And this summer hasn't been any better. "They attacked you so much, you didn't know where they were coming from," says Williams, who wore long sleeves, jeans and socks but still got bitten in places that weren't totally covered even after investing in "gallons" of bug sprays. "I wanted a yard to play in, not a yard to be eaten in," Williams says.
When she realized these mosquitoes were the probable source of the welts and hivelike rashes on her arms and legs, she called the Fairfax County Health Department. Having lived in southern Florida, she was accustomed to mosquito bites, but she had never seen a reaction like that. These mosquitoes, it turned out, were different from those she had encountered before. They were a species relatively new to the area, the Asian tiger mosquito.[more] When Sydney Williams moved last year from a condo to a house in the Pimmit Hills section of Falls Church, she relished the opportunity... more -
Mosquito Surveillance & West Nile Virus MWV19
West Nile virus entered the United States in 1999 and is now considered a seasonal epidemic that starts in the summer and continues into the fall. First isolated in Uganda in 1937, the virus can cause severe human meningitis or encephalitis in 1% of those infected. In 2007 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 124 fatalities. The rapid spread of West Nile virus has put local and state mosquito surveillance programs on the front line of public health and disease preparedness.
In this episode, MicrobeWorld Video interviews Dr. Jorge Arias, an expert in vector-borne diseases of the Americas. Arias currently serves as the Environmental Health Supervisor of the Fairfax County Health Department in Northern Virginia. In this role, he is responsible for directing the Disease-Carrying Insects Program which focuses on West Nile virus and Lyme disease.
For more information about West Nile Virus, please visit:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
National Pesticide Information Center - http://npic.orst.edu/wnv/
Fairfax County Health Department - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd/westnile/
This episode was filmed at the Marian Koshland Science Museum, the Fairfax County Health Department, Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax, Va., and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. West Nile virus entered the United States in 1999 and is now considered a seasonal epidemic that starts in the summer and continues in... more -
First Confirmed case of West Nile Virus in Los Angeles
Three people were hospitalized this month with the virus and are recovering, public health officials say. A infected blood donor with no symptoms was also discovered.
Three people were hospitalized this month with Los Angeles County's first confirmed illnesses from West Nile virus in the 2008 season, public health officials said.
The three -- two men and a boy -- are recovering. A fourth, asymptomatic case was detected in a male blood donor during a routine screening for the virus, officials said in a statement released Thursday.
The four individuals lived in the eastern and southern sections of the county. But Dr. Jonathan Fielding, the county's director of public health, warned that the virus can be found in any part of the state. Vector-control agencies last week detected the virus in nine dead birds in the eastern county and in 11 mosquito pools, primarily in the San Fernando Valley. He advised residents to remove sources of standing water, where mosquitoes breed.
Humans and animals contract the virus from bites of infected mosquitoes, which contract it by feeding on birds that have the virus in their blood.
Although the virus is now considered endemic to California, most mosquitoes do not carry it. And most people who become infected with the virus do not develop symptoms or become seriously ill. But for the nearly one in five who are sickened, symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea, tiredness, swollen glands or skin rash.
Deaths from the virus are rare, but the risk of complications increases for people over age 50 and those who may have preexisting health problems or weakened immune systems.
In warm months when mosquitos are active, public health officials advise residents to wear long sleeves and long pants or use repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon when outdoors. Three people were hospitalized this month with the virus and are recovering, public health officials say. A infected blood donor with ... more -
CDC Interview: Traveling? Beware Dengue Fever!
Traveling to Latin America, the Caribbean or the Southern part of the United States anytime soon? Beware of dengue fever! A recent outbreak of this potentially deadly disease in Brazil has reinvigorated attention to dengue fever and rightly so says Dr. Lyle Petersen, Director of the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases at the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Dr. Petersen expressed concern at the lack of attention being given to the threat of dengue fever by the media since the spread of the disease has been rapidly growing for the last decade, particularly in the Americas. The media demonstrated far more hysteria over bird flu which is far less prevalent and carries a far less risk of infection to humans here in America than dengue fever.
Dengue fever is transmitted from the vector mosquito to humans and back to the mosquito in a unique vector-host-vector pattern because most mosquito borne diseases have birds as hosts. Humans are the primary host for dengue fever. There are two traditional vectors for the disease: the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and the Aedes Albopicpus mosquito (also known as the Asian Tiger). The Aedes Aegypti, more commonly associated with yellow fever transmission is the most common carrier of the dengue fever virus. This mosquito is a highly effective vector and causes giant outbreaks of dengue like that currently happening in Brazil. Besides Latin America and the Caribbean, they can be found in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Western states include Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Densities are greatest in the Gulf Coast states. Past efforts to eradicate them in the U.S. have failed.
The other vector mosquito which causes smaller outbreaks, Aedes Albopicpus (Asian Tiger) is not native to the U.S. but was imported starting back in 1985 in shipments of used auto tires containing its eggs. This mosquito breeds faster as the temperatures get higher according to Barry Alto, a University of Florida entomology doctoral student and co-author of a study appearing in the Journal of Medical Entomology. "If global warming trends continue, the Asian tiger mosquito may become common in places it's not found today."
"There are two primary reasons for the rapid spread off dengue fever particularly in the Americas," said Dr. Petersen of the CDC. "The first is globalization; people are traveling more. The second is population increases particularly into more urban areas." Last year there were 900,000 cases of dengue fever in the Americas alone. Currently, there is no vaccine for dengue fever but the CDC is close to developing one according to Dr. Petersen.
Dr. Petersen stressed that the biggest risk is to travelers and suggested recommendations for those who might be traveling to areas where Dengue is known to have caused outbreaks. First he recommends you use insect repellent. Second, stay in a hotel that has air conditioning and screens in the windows. "The mosquito more commonly known to spread Dengue, the aedes aegypti is specially adapted to living indoors and to biting humans," he added, "so screens are really important."
Signs and symptoms of dengue fever: Within three days to a week of being infected, the person may experience any of the following alone or in combination: fever, joint and muscle pain, bone pain, severe headache, skin rash, and fatigue. Thereafter, the person often suffers a prolonged period of fatigue that lasts for weeks. In a small percent of people, there is the potential to develop dengue hemorrhagic fever and shock syndrome which can be fatal if not treated. Whether a person develops this depends upon the strain of dengue they have been infected with by the vector. If you notice any of these symptoms following a trip to a known infected area, please consult your physician or the CDC immediately. Traveling to Latin America, the Caribbean or the Southern part of the United States anytime soon? Beware of dengue fever! A recent out... more -
Dengue Affects 50,000+ In Brazil
-- More than 55,000 people have been hit by dengue -- a sometimes deadly mosquito-borne virus -- around Rio de Janeiro in the last four months, Brazilian authorities said Thursday.
During the last four months, more than 55,000 cases of dengue have been reported in Brazil.
The disease killed 67 people so far this year in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, the state's Ministry of Health reported.
Nearly half of the deaths were children under the age of 13, the ministry said.
There are four types of the dengue virus, and all are carried by infected mosquitoes -- mainly the Aedes Aegypti mosquito -- according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
YIKES!!! So sad. -- More than 55,000 people have been hit by dengue -- a sometimes deadly mosquito-borne virus -- around Rio de Janeiro in the last fou... more -
The End of Poverty - The "Homework" of Our Generation
My name is Shawn and I used to be a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame. I was inspired to put graduate school on hold and leave the comforts of home behind and come to Bangladesh after meeting Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. Dr. Sachs is author of the book called "The End of Poverty". His message is simple: we can end poverty in our lifetime and it doesn't take drastic changes for that to happen. I've been here since the last week of June '07 trying to do my part to help the poorest of the poor. This the first of many videos documenting my experiences here.
I also run a blog at http://uncultured.com
I look forward to being able to share this with the Current.com community! My name is Shawn and I used to be a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame. I was inspired to put graduate school on hold an... more -
Anti-teen device not getting banned
The BBC has reported that the controversial 'Mosquito' device, nicknamed the 'anti-teen device,' is not to be banned in the UK following a government statement.
The highly publicised device emits a high pitch sound designed to disperse crowds of 'people,' although it's high frequency is allegedly only audible by those under the age of 25.
The BBC documents the controversy over the device with the main consensus being that "the gadget is indiscriminate and targets all young people, and not just those who may be causing trouble." The BBC has reported that the controversial 'Mosquito' device, nicknamed the 'anti-teen device,' is not to be bann... more -
The "anti-teen" device
The device fires out high pitch sound designed to do nothing but irritate teenagers who may cause trouble into moving on. The frequency of the sound is inaudible to anyone over the age of 25, making this some sort of 21st century ageist sound-blasting apartheid machine. Or so the Children's Commissioner for England thinks, backed by the civil liberties group Liberty, they are spear heading a campaign called "Buzz Off" which is calling for these odd machines to be scrapped.
There are already an estimated 3500 of these machines, nicknamed the mosquito, in the country. "Buzz Off" wants to highlight the way that these machines are a symbol of the ""increasingly negative" way society views and deals with children and young people. Is it fair to have a machine blasting out an irritating and piercing sound that only young people can hear? The device fires out high pitch sound designed to do nothing but irritate teenagers who may cause trouble into moving on. The frequenc... more
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