BugBitten 2013 October

Discussion on the role of biodiversity in zoonotic disease risk heats up

30/10/2013 Alan Harrison

With the increase in global biodiversity loss comes the search for an understanding of how biodiversity loss will affect people or how conserving biodiversity in may benefit people. These benefits are termed “ecosystem services” and encompass the wide range of resources and processes that regulate the environment, provide food, materials and cultural stimulation and contribute… Read more »

Biology

Inherited selection bias and the hiatus in global warming

23/10/2013 Torleif Markussen Lunde

Projections of future distribution and density of parasites and vectors are highly dependent on the accuracy of climate models. Over the last year, and particularly in recent months, it has been debated whether the projected future changes in climate might be wrong; -not wrong in the sense there will be no global warming, but how warming will evolve… Read more »

Biology

6

Synriam therapy for malaria heralds a new age for the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry.

23/10/2013 Kevin Tyler

With the announcement of approval to market for its new malaria medication SynriamTM the Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy has led India past an important milestone: the production of its first indigenously produced drug treatment. India has long been a successful maverick in the world of international pharmaceuticals, frequently denying or rescinding patents from multinational drug corporations… Read more »

Biology

2

Unlikely Ally for Parasites and Vectors: The U.S. Congress

800px-United_States_Capitol_west_front_edit2

15/10/2013 Krisztian Magori

The United States federal government has been shut down for the last two weeks, because the U.S. Congress failed to enact regular appropriations or a continuing resolution for the 2014 fiscal year, starting October 1, 2013. Most “non-essential” federal employees are furloughed, national parks and monuments are closed, women, infants, and children won’t receive some… Read more »

Biology

Developing knowledge of ILC2’s: Innately interesting, or worm-hit wonder?

Gravid Female Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

01/10/2013 Lukus Roberts

HELMINTH PARASITES are fascinating. While we marvel at their convoluted life cycles, never growing tired of regaling the morbid details of their pathologies to our loved ones over sushi, Udon noodles, or a blue rib-eye (unaware, of course of the insensitivity shown in the process…) we mustn’t forget about the other, equally fascinating side… Read more »

Biology

New vector-borne pathogens in the US

01/10/2013 Alan Harrison

Infectious diseases are considered to be “emerging” or “re-emerging” if they have increased in incidence in the previous two decades or if they threaten to increase in the near future. The causes of infectious disease emergence vary but include the development of resistance of pathogens, increased global trade and travel, increased public awareness, climate change,… Read more »

Biology

3

A review of the British Society for Parasitology’s Autumn Symposium, 2013

01/10/2013 Vera Unwin

On the 25th and 26th September the BSP held their autumn symposium entitled “Advances in diagnostics for infectious diseases” at the scenic location of Ness Gardens, Wirral (UK). The 2-day event hosted by Professor Russel Stothard (LSTM, UK) and Dr Emily Adams (LSTM, UK) was jam-packed with excellent talks and poster presentations from world renowned… Read more »

Biology

1

Travellers provide new isolates for malaria research

Red_blood_cell_infected_with_malaria_parasites-NIAID_RML

01/10/2013 Hilary Hurd

Over 1,300 cases of imported malaria have been reported in the UK annually for the past 10 years. A few of these unfortunate travellers have recently contributed blood samples that may have long term beneficial consequences for future research into many aspects of the biology of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. This is because Colin Sutherland… Read more »

Biology

Dengue Makes Home in Florida

01/10/2013 Krisztian Magori

On August 15, 2013, the Florida Department of Health in Martin County reported 3 cases of locally acquired dengue fever in the Rio and Jensen Beach area (https://www.martincountyhealth.com/Documents/dengue/2013/denguealert82213.pdf). By September 18, 2013, the number of residents diagnosed with dengue fever has grown to 20, including the Indian Riverkeeper (https://www.theglobaldispatch.com/dengue-fever-cases-now-at-20-on-floridas-treasure-coast-75105/). Thirteen of the patients were residents… Read more »

Biology

1

Impact as a donut

01/10/2013 Torleif Markussen Lunde

For a long time, the number of citations an article receives has been the gold standard to measure the impact of an article, with the mean number of citations of all articles measuring the impact of the journal. With the arrival of blogs, twitter, Facebook and electronic newspapers it has become possible, in a practical… Read more »

Biology

Monthly Archives: October 2013