The Most Interesting Diseases You Don’t Know

Vibrio cholerae.  Cholera.  One of the most aggressive water-borne infections, cholera can kill within 24 hours, and has caused seven pandemics in history.  It occurs in over 60 countries worldwide.  Currently, the World Health Organization(WHO) has warned that cholera is a serious risk in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there have already been 1,000 cases [...]

Read Full Post »

Hunting the Hunters in Cameroon

Dr. Nathan Wolfe has an interesting job description.  He hunts primate hunters in Cameroon, in an effort to head off global pandemics before they occur.  He tracks bushmeat hunters, who are at a high risk of virus transmission due to their blood mixing with that of their prey.  Diseases such as ebola virus and HIV [...]

Read Full Post »

Another Victim of West Nile Virus?

As if my fascination with zoonotic disease wasn’t already bad enough, the discovery of this dead blue jay in my front yard has further piqued my interest in the recent outbreak of West Nile virus in Nassau County. Was it another victim of West Nile virus, or just an unfortunate accident? The recent fiasco with [...]

Read Full Post »

There’s Something in the Water

…and that something is Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has decided to close the Connetquot fish hatchery for at least the next five years in an attempt to eradicate the virus. During the shutdown, the parks agency will clean and disinfect the hatchery, while simultaneously stocking the [...]

Read Full Post »