In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to…
Tag: Infectious diseases
How does raw water compare to tap water? A microbiologist explains why the risks outweigh the benefits
Water that comes straight from natural sources, dubbed “raw water,” is gaining popularity. Raw water advocates reject public water supplies, including tap water, because they don’t enjoy the taste or…
Bird flu flares up again in Michigan poultry – an infectious disease expert explains the risk to humans, chickens, cows and other animals
After a relatively quiet fall, there’s been another spike in cases of bird flu in Michigan. When state officials announced on Dec. 16, 2024, that bird flu had been found…
Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a…
Infectious diseases killed Victorian children at alarming rates — their novels highlight the fragility of public health today
Modern medicine has enabled citizens of wealthy, industrialized nations to forget that children once routinely died in shocking numbers. Teaching 19th-century English literature, I regularly encounter gutting depictions of losing…
Is it COVID-19? Flu? At-home rapid tests could help you and your doctor decide on a treatment plan
A scratchy, sore throat, a relentless fever, a pounding head and a nasty cough – these symptoms all scream upper respiratory illness. But which one? Many of the viruses that…
Airdropping vaccines to eliminate canine rabies in Texas – two scientists explain the decades of research behind its success
Rabies is a deadly disease. Without vaccination, a rabies infection is nearly 100% fatal once someone develops symptoms. Texas has experienced two rabies epidemics in animals since 1988: one involving…
Half of Black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV, despite highly effective preventive treatments − why?
At a pharmacy in Iowa, a 42-year-old Black gay man couldn’t find a medication he needed. The pharmacist, a white woman, told him they didn’t stock that medication. But while…
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states – a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in…
West Nile virus season returns − a medical epidemiologist explains how it’s transmitted and how you can avoid it
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the continental U.S., with an average of 2,464 reported cases per year. Every August, West Nile season ramps up, primarily…
