The Animal Link

What I've Learned

2007-12-14T09:34:00.001-08:00

Blogging on The Animal Link was not only a great introduction to blogging, but it has also caused me to be more mindful of the human/animal health connection and how it is portrayed in the news. I have also learned that the biggest animal threats tend to lie in the smallest animals, like insects and parasites. I hope this blog has provided as many new insights for those who've read it as the research side of it has for me.

Pets and your health

2007-12-14T09:29:00.001-08:00

While it is often said that having pets improves a person's health, I would like for you to think about all the unsanitary conditions that humans live under with their pets. I saw on TV recently a family that had been getting sick a lot recently and it was determined that their problems may have stemmed from them letting their dog jump up onto the counter, thus depositing feces on the surfaces they prepared food on. And how about the cat that drinks from the toilet bowl and plays in the litter box, then walks around on tables and counter tops. There are so many more scenarios I could mention. But this just gives you something to think about. My point is not that people should not keep house pets, but that they should be more careful if they do.

Malaria research

2007-12-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

Another article in the New York Times talks about the latest, and controversial, research into a malaria vaccine. Those pesky mosquitoes are a big threat to human health. This is the sole vaccine using the whole malaria-causing parasite. There is still a lot of research to be done and many questions to be answered, but an adequate malaria vaccine is certainly something the world needs.

No rare burgers for me

2007-12-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

An article I read in the New York Times today talks about how meat processers are trying to come up with better ways to make ground beef safe. Apparantly there were a lot of recalls this year. I think that an increased effort on the part of the industry is great, as long as they don't make replace one health problem with another. For example, one of their ideas was irradiation. Hmmmm.

In my opinion the biggest threat exists when you eat at restaurants, because you don't know how they cooked your hamburger. But at home, you can prevent E. coli poisoning and other potential health hazards by making sure you cook your food well.

Consider the plover

2007-11-30T21:11:00.000-08:00

As I explore various topics related to animals and human health through this blog I have also thought about broader ways to approach this beat. Today I read a NY Times article about efforts to increase the numbers of the endangered Atlantic piping plovers on Massachusetts beaches.

Over 20 years ago the population of these birds had fallen to 722 nesting pairs. In 2006 biologists found 1,743 pairs on the Atlantic coast, a number attributed to repopulation efforts by scientists. Part of these efforts in Revere, Mass. have included closing off various beach areas and banning off-road vehicles. Some people still complain about these inconveniences.

While this article is primarily one about how humans affect animal health, I believe the benefits come full circle. If we start paying attention to how we inhabit the world in which we live, whether for human, plant or animal sake, we will be more likely to maintain a healthy natural environment. Thus, by keeping the earth healthy, many problems associated with endangerment to human health might dissapear as well.

Struck down, but not destroyed--Rebuilding lives in New Orleans

2007-11-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I with the rest of my health and medical journalism class took a trip to New Orleans. While the image of one abandoned house after another stands strong in my mind, something else more amazing stands out even stronger: the hard-working people embodying determination, perseverance and a hopeful vision of the future. It was the nurse who has seen more despair than many of us could take, but continues to offer care to those who need it most. It was the mental health worker who held out hope that a man's suicide attempt had not ended in death. It was the people working on rebuilding projects on empty streets. I am amazed by these efforts that started small but have grown tremendously. New Orleans offered so many examples of how care put into even the smallest action can make a difference.

Visiting the devastated areas of New Orleans put me face to face with a tragedy I had not taken much time to consider before. Dealing with the realities of life post-Katrina has left many residents depressed, some of them so much so that they choose to end their lives. I take for granted how much having a home and a sense of security is really worth. As demonstrated in the lives of New Orleanians, the loss of these things may be almost unbearable. Those people didn't just lose material possessions, they lost a way of life and many lost even the most basic tools of survival. All of a sudden there was no doctor to go to, no grocery store, no clean water, and the list goes on and on.

Cecille Tibo, administrator of the New Orleans Police Department Crisis Unit, saw the lack of healing as a stand still in the grieving process. After grief, comes acceptance, she said, but the people of New Orleans are in constant grief. Nobody can get to the acceptance part.

Tibo related to us a situation in which a man from North Carolina (also a recovered alcoholic) had moved to New Orleans to work. He became so depressed that he relapsed and one day decided to commit suicide by jumping into the river. Those at the scene assumed he was dead, but when Tibo arrived she thought that he couldn't be dead. Sure enough, he was rescued down river, lucky to be alive. Tibo said that the man later said he did it to see if God wanted him to live.

Unfortunately, this man is one of many in New Orleans who have decided that they can't take anymore. Perhaps this trend can be reversed as people like Tibo continue to reach out a helping hand and speak words of encouragement into the lives of a struggling people.

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." (2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 16-18)

How about some zebra chips?

2007-10-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be fun to have "zebra chips?" Reminds me of the zebra cakes Little Debbie makes. Well I don't think you will be getting zebra chips anytime soon, because all of those potatoes get thrown out. Now, scientists believe the phenomenon may be caused by cicada-like insects called psyllids, as reported in a Science Daily article last week. (Also see link for picture)

The article stated that the disorder was first reported in Mexican potato fields in 1994 and then in Texas potatoes in 2000. Outbreaks occurred in Mexico and the U.S. in 2004 and 2006, causing millions of dollars in losses. The article did not say whether consumption of said potatoes would be harmful to humans. I read an article on the Agri-Inject, Inc. Web site that said the stripes appear when the potatoes are sliced and put into the fryer.

All I want to know is, what would happen if you ate one?

An article on SeedQuest cited scientists as saying that the disorder is not harmful to human health "but causes serious and expensive reductions in crop yields and quality."

I guess they figure people don't really want to eat diseased potato chips, no matter how cool they look.

The Uninvited Guest

2007-10-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

Cockroaches: nobody likes them, but apparantly most people do not become as distraught by them as I was when, for the first time ever, I was face to face with a large cockroach in my room. Now let me just say, bugs in the house, even fairly large ones, usually do not disturb me all that much. But, I have never had to deal with cockroaches in my home until now.

Let's just say, after I met my new friend, I slept downstairs on the couch-bed for 2 nights. The first was peppered with panicked thoughts of having cockroaches crawling over my sleeping body. When pest control arrived, after answering my urgent call the next morning, the man told me that the warmer winters in Georgia are the reasons for the roaches, perhaps explaining why I never had roaches in my house in North Carolina.

Anyway, being completely disgusted by the creatures, I went in search for a better reason to hate them. What I found was that the feces or body parts of roaches can trigger allergic reactions or asthma in some people, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ok, so I didn't break out in a rash and I don't have asthma, but still, apparantly someone out there could be harmed by these disgusting creatures. If you happen to be one of these people, or, like me, just can't stand the thought of roaches as roommates, see the above link for tips on how to "prevent pests."

If you're ever in the Everglades, beware of the 20 foot pythons

2007-10-15T21:15:00.001-07:00

As someone fascinated by snakes, I could not resist blogging a little about the Burmese python problem in the Florida Everglades.

According to an article last month on the Miami Herald Web site, the problem with the snakes continues to worsen. A National Geographic profile says that the Burmese python, native to Southeast Asia, can grow to be over 23 feet long.

From what I have read in National Geographic reports, the problem with the pythons in the United States seems to have started in the '90s, with pet owners releasing their snakes into the wild once they have grown too big for them to care for(it is legal to own these snakes as pets in the U.S.). The snakes now freely roam and breed in the Florida Everglades. The Miami Herald article reported that farmers in the area have killed 51 of the pythons in the past month or so from the time of the article in September. Like any invasive species, the snakes are a threat to native species as well as humans. According to the article, legislation was passed earlier this year making the ownership of exotic snakes "more difficult and costly." There are also projects in place to more effectively remove the animals from their new home in Florida.

I can hardly imagine snakes that big living here in the wild in the United States! I also seriously question the thought process of people who buy these and other large snakes as pets. It is a foolish pattern of people thinking it's cool to buy these snakes when they are a foot long, and then trying to get rid of the snake when it is 15 feet long...as if they didn't know it was eventually going to be that big. How utterly stupid and irresponsible, even more so for the people who are releasing them into the wild. What are you thinking?

Here in the U.S. it is also legal to own reticulated pythons, the largest snakes in the world when measuring by length. They can grow to over 34 feet (according to an Erie Zoo Web page). What is the largest when it comes to body mass? That would be the green anaconda (see the National Geographic profile).

This topic also brings to mind all the stories of the people who have been squeezed to death by their pet constrictors, or killed by their pets of the venomous variety (I REALLY don't understand those who choose to keep poisonous snakes). Even worse are the instances of children being killed by the family pet snake. Don't get me wrong, I am all for having snakes as pets, as long as people really consider what they are getting into. For instance, I think the majority of people in this world have no business owning a snake over 5 or 6 feet long. And with many snake species, even 5 feet is too big if there are young children in the household.

Therefore, as beautiful as I think the red-tailed boa is, I have done enough research to know that the 3-foot pet store version will eventually be 12-15 feet long, i.e. big enough to kill me. No thanks. In the case of keeping snakes as pets, simple logic could save us all a lot of trouble.

Clarke County reports 3 rabies cases so far this year

2007-10-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Last week the Athens Banner-Herald reported Clarke County's third case of rabies this year. A raccoon was found to have the disease. The raccoon had gotten in a fight with a dog, but luckily the dog had been vaccinated for rabies. If it had not, then it would have been put down. Another reminder why vaccinating our pets is so important. The previous week another rabid raccoon was found. In January, a boy was bitten by an infected bobcat.

According to the article, since 1991 only two people have been infected with rabies in Georgia and both died.

I think stray animals, like cats who invade the dumpsters around apartment complexes, are certainly cause for concern.

I just recently heard about the feral catch and release program, which is intended to control the feral cat population. I am not sure if Athens has a program like this, but one model I read about, published in the California Veterinarian, involves catching the cats, altering them (spay or neuter) and giving a rabies vaccination before releasing the animals. I think as long as a rabies vaccination is included, this program sounds like a good way to make an impact on the problem of unwanted pets.

Protect Yourself and Your Pets

2007-09-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Most people know that mammals are capable of contracting the rabies virus. After all, it is required that pets such as cats, dogs and ferrets be vaccinated against the disease. According to the CDC, the most common wild reservoirs for the disease are raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes and coyotes. Rabies can be transmitted to humans through the bites of infected animals.

Despite knowing the facts, it is still common for people to take in stray animals that they have found or that have come up in their yards. While that cute puppy or kitten can be hard to resist, we should do so in order to protect ourselves. The safest response is to call animal control. We should also make sure we keep our pets' vaccinations up to date.

Next month the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine's Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association will be hosting a variety of events in support of the World Rabies Day organization, according to a UGA news release. On October 6, a low-cost vaccination clinic will be held at Pet Supplies Plus, along with a 5k race on October 7 and a belly-dancing event on October 20. Proceeds from the race and belly-dancing events will benefit the Alliance for Rabies Control and proceeds from the vaccination clinic will go to the Athens Area Human Society to support rabies vaccination.

Check out the National Geographic feature

2007-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

I was notified earlier this week of National Geographic's special feature for October on Infectious Animals. Online, along with the article, there are features such as a photo gallery and multimedia presentation. This is definitely an attention grabbing source to check out if you want to learn more about this area of health.

There was also an interesting news brief in an August issue of New Scientist about why West Nile virus became such a serious problem in the mid-1990s. Scientists discovered that the strains of the virus that were popping up around this time had in common a gene mutation. In an experiment the virus was shown to replicate faster, increasing the amount of viral particles that a mosquito would take in at each meal, which made the infection more efficient.

Here is a fun fact for you, also courtesy of the August 18-24 issue of New Scientist. Entemologist Justin Schmidt of the Southwestern Biological Institute in Tucson Arizona created a Sting Pain Index, which has a scale of 0-4. The honeybee scores 2 and is the "benchmark against which all insect stings are measured." What insect ranked the highest? The bullet ant, said to cause waves of burning, throbbing pain that continues for 24 hours.

The trouble with mosquitoes

2007-09-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Human cases of West Nile virus are continuing to crop up in Georgia. West Nile is a disease transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes, although the chances of becoming infected are small (according to the Northeast Health District less than 1% of mosquitoes are infected).
Nevertheless, the Georgia Division of Public Health's latest numbers cite 14 human cases of West Nile so far this year. And yesterday on the news I saw that an additional human case was reported, along with a fatality, due to the virus. That was the first I had heard of a West Nile virus fatality this year. (Last year there was only one).
Speaking of mosquito-related illnesses, it's time for some good news! The New York Times reported yesterday that the number of deaths of children around the world has fallen below 10 million for the first time since record keeping began in 1960. The number dropped to 9.7 million, an estimate taken from household surveys completed in 2005 or earlier.
Along with improvements in economies (outside of Africa) and campaigns against diseases, one of the factors said to play a role in this was campaigns against malaria. One of the most important advances listed was that more babies are sleeping under mosquito nets. Efforts in various countries to combat malaria included draining of swamps, the provision of mosquito nets, spraying houses and children getting Vitamin A drops, which reduces the chances of a child dying of malaria and other illnesses.
The New York Times cited Domingos Ferriera, a minister counselor at Sao Tome and Principe's mission to the United Nations, saying that malaria used to be a leading cause of death in his country, and that now he's heard that hospital beds in Principe are empty for the first time.

UGA looking to play major role in fight against bioterrorism

2007-09-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

The University of Georgia could possibly become the site of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NABF). According to an article in the Atlanta Constitution Journal, the facility, which is currently located on Plum Island, N.Y., will have a new home by 2013. UGA is one of five U.S. sites in the running. The facility will study deadly animal diseases, many of which can infect humans, said the report.
Of course, with any high-containment laboratory where dangerous diseases are studied, there are going to be safety concerns. Last month's outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (harmless to humans, deadly to livestock) in Britain occurred about four miles from a high-containment lab. A BBC News report on Friday said that it is believed that the outbreak originated from one of the two labs in Pirbright, England and was caused by a combination of leaky drains, heavy rain, building work and the movement of vehicles, although the exact cause is unknown. This case certainly highlights cause for concern about such laboratories, however the AJC article notes that UGA officials believe the lab can be operated safely.
The facility would be used for research in fighting bioterrosim. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines a bioterrorist attack as "the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants." The AJC cites UGA agro-terrorism expert Dr. Corrie Brown in saying that "five of the six most serious biothreat agents are found in animals."

Looking at animals and our health

2007-09-03T07:46:00.001-07:00

I have created this blog in order to explore the connections between animals and human health. Animals play a large role in testing new treatments, and also in the spread of disease. In short, animals, whether wild or a favorite pet, affect the health of humans.
In addition to keeping up with the latest news and research around the world, I will also tap into the wealth of knowledge to be found at The University of Georgia in Athens. Resources include, but are not limited to, the university's College of Veterinary Medicine and its Animal Health Research Center that opened last year.
Concerning world news, a recent New York Times article reported that researchers, for the first time, have found the Marburg virus in bats. In light of a recent outbreak of Marburg in Uganda (which included the death of a mine worker from the disease on July 14) scientists began to search for the virus in bats. After testing 1,100 bats, encompassing 10 species in Gabon and Congo, four of a certain cave-dwelling species were found to be carrying the virus. Marburg is related to the Ebola virus and can be fatal in humans.
On another note, the most dangerous animal in the world is much smaller than a bat. Because of its role in spreading malaria, the mosquito is considered the world's most dangerous animal. Last week an article in The Independent reported that scientists believe they are close to finding a weakness in the Anopheles mosquito. They are currently studying the main sensory organ that allows the mosquitoes to locate prey--the maxillary palp. Scientists hope to use these findings to prevent malaria in humans, with one possibility being disabling the sense of smell in these mosquitoes.