Health

A New Project to Track Animal Diseases Before They Infect Humans

Over on Healthland I have a post on a new online mapping project that will gather together reports of animal disease outbreaks from around the world. That data matters, and not just for vets—75% of the new, emerging and reemerging diseases affecting human beings at the start of the 21st century originated in human beings, including …

You Can Believe Your Eyes: Low Visibility Can Mean Higher Death Rates

Does it look like a bad day to go out for a run? Maybe a little too hazy out there? Here’s a tip: It is. Don’t do it.

A study released today by Hong Kong University and published in the journal Environmental Research has found that lower visibility due to pollution has a direct correlation with increased rates of mortality in Hong …

Health: Using Genetic Engineering to Make Chickens Flu-Proof

On the main page I have a piece on a fascinating Science study that showed how scientists were able to genetically engineer chickens to make them virtually unable to pass on avian flu. That could have major implications for influenza—birds can spread new flu viruses to human beings—and for veterinary disease, if researchers can …

Health: Consumer Reports Warns Over Mercury in Tuna

Over at the Healthland blog, I have a post up on a new report from the venerable Consumer Reports on potentially unsafe levels of mercury found in canned tuna. Mercury contamination is a real risk for pregnant women and young children—the Consumer Reports investigation shows that mercury may be more prevalent in canned tuna than we …

Hong Kong Faces Pollution-Driven Brain Drain

A new survey released yesterday by Hong Kong’s Civic Exchange found that one in four residents are considering leaving Hong Kong because of the city’s chronic air pollution problems. Over half the people surveyed with post-graduate educations are considering leaving — up 12% from 2008 — along with 37% of university graduates. …

Wildlife: Protecting Biodiversity Might Just Protect Us From Disease

Biodiversity—what’s it good for? Of course anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an endangered Indri lemur screaming through a forest in Madagascar or humpback whale cresting in the north Atlantic knows there’s an intrinsic value to a world with species beyond Homo sapiens. But if biodiversity was just about providing a pretty …

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