zoonotic diseases
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Credit: Ken Doerr/Flickr
Rethinking our approach to zoonotic diseases in a changing world
Despite historical attempts to eliminate diseases, experts now suggest focusing on control and coexistence.
In short:
- Many diseases, like Lyme and malaria, cannot be eradicated due to their complex ecologies involving multiple hosts and vectors.
- Recent efforts focus on prevention, like using narrow-spectrum antibiotics in natural reservoirs and developing gene-edited mosquitos.
- Historical efforts to eradicate diseases, such as the Soviet campaign against plague, have largely failed and shifted to containment strategies.
Key quote:
"Shifting our resources — which are limited — to prevention and surveillance is the only way to go."
— Susan Jones, ecologist and historian at the University of Minnesota
Why this matters:
Understanding the complexity of zoonotic diseases indicates a need for sustainable prevention strategies rather than eradication. Read more: Cutting forests and disturbing natural habitats increases our risk of wildlife diseases.
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Credit: USFWS Fish and Aquatic Conservation/Flickr
Wild fish host new viruses, including a coronavirus cousin
Researchers have detected multiple new viruses in wild sport fish in Wisconsin, revealing a surprising diversity of pathogens.
In short:
- The University of Wisconsin study found 19 viruses in fish, 17 of which were previously unknown, highlighting the diversity of aquatic pathogens.
- Among the viruses discovered is a distant relative of the coronavirus, stressing the importance of understanding fish health for ecosystem management.
- The study aids fishery management and conservation efforts by identifying viruses that could impact fish health and population stability.
Key quote:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the viruses we found, or some we haven’t found yet, pop up in the future when things like climate change get worse or we have water quality declines for any reason.”
— Tony Goldberg, professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin's School of Veterinary Medicine.
Why this matters:
This research reinforces the importance of monitoring wildlife health as a reflection of ecosystem stability and environmental quality. We need to change how we relate to wildlife, putting their health, and our own, before commercial interests.
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Photo by Steven Coffey on Unsplash
An incurable disease is coming for deer
It rots their brains, weakens their muscles, and can linger in the environment for years.
Newsletter
Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash
It's not just extreme weather: 'Climate-sensitive' diseases are spreading through the US
Climate change is pushing ticks, mosquitoes, and more into new regions.
Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash
What to know about dengue fever as cases spread to new places
Dengue, the excruciating mosquito-borne disease, is surging throughout the world and coming to places that had never had it. California just confirmed a rare U.S. case.
Photo by manjur alom on Unsplash
Dogs are key to stopping spread of deadly tick epidemic in U.S., Mexico
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is on the rise in parts of Mexico and the United States. Climate change and dogs could be crucial to the fight against the tick-borne scourge.
Ticks and the diseases they carry are spreading. Can this drug stamp them out?
A small study showed that feeding deer a type of ivermectin reduced the number of ticks drinking their blood. (Yes, it’s that ivermectin. No, you shouldn’t eat it.)
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