Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US
Slashdot It! Slashdot 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US
Submit to Reddit Submit 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US to Reddit
Reading: 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the USTwitter This Reading: 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the USTwitter 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US
Add to Facebook Add 'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US to Facebook

'Airport malaria' -- cause for concern in the US

November 12, 2008

In a global world, significant factors affect the spread of infectious diseases, including international trade, air travel and globalized food production. "Airport malaria" is a term coined by researchers to explain the more recent spread of malaria to areas such as the United States and Europe, which some scientists credit to warmer climate changes.

Airport malaria is transmitted when a mosquito infected with the disease bites a human within the vicinity (usually one mile or less) of an international airport. Warmer climate changes in major U.S. cities with a large presence of international air traffic, such as New York and Los Angeles, seem to have created a more welcoming environment where these infected mosquitoes can survive. It begins with a mosquito that is transported during an international flight from a malaria-endemic region. Once the infected female mosquito leaves the aircraft, it can survive long enough to seek blood meals and transmit the disease to other humans within the airport. This type of international transmission creates an increased possibility for the reintroduction of not just malaria, but other detrimental diseases such as dengue and Chikungunya fever, into areas where they are not normally found. For example, people infected with malaria can travel anywhere in the world in 24 hours or less and as long as the malaria-transmitting mosquitoes are present, countries can face larger local outbreaks of imported malaria.




"As international travel increases and climate patterns change - particularly warming nighttime temperatures and increased precipitation -- the U.S. becomes a more stable ecosystem for these disease carrying insects to survive and flourish for longer periods of time," says James H. Diaz, M.D., member of the ASTMH and program director for Environmental and Occupational Health at Louisiana State University.

Dr. Diaz explains that warm, dry summers followed by heavy rain causes mosquitoes to rush breeding and seek out more blood meals, which in turn creates more mosquitoes in a shorter period of time. Similarly, as the winter season becomes more mild, mosquitoes and their eggs are surviving longer and not being killed by the harsh winter freeze. These extreme climate changes allow for longer reproductive lives and prolonged breeding seasons, while increasing the risk of infected mosquitoes spreading malaria to the U.S.

While this is a growing problem for the U.S. there are ways to help prevent the spread of airport malaria. "The best defense against the spread of malaria through international travel is prevention, early detection and treatment of malaria-infected patients, and draining stagnant areas of water where mosquitoes breed and lay eggs," says Dr. Diaz. "People need to remember that West Nile disease was introduced into the U.S. in 1999 by international air travel. Before reaching the United States, West Nile wasn't viewed as a threat to North America. Now we see just how quickly and easily infectious diseases can be spread, proving that we need to take measures to protect ourselves from these diseases before they actually reach the United States."

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene





Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
Cox-2 Inhibitors   Thyroid   Mussels   Fragile X Syndrome   Psychological Science   Lyme Disease   Skin Cancer   Sexual Harassment   Polyphenols   Magnetic Resonance   Frogs   Wrinkles   Hepatitis B   Diet   Sleep-disordered Breathing   World Trade Center   Shopping   Post-traumatic Stress Disorder   Happiness   Space Exploration   Hubble Space Telescope   Monsoon   Blood Clots   Brain Region   Solar Cell  
Related Malaria Current Events and Malaria News Articles Malaria Current Events and Malaria News RSS Malaria Current Events and Malaria News RSS
Breakthrough in combating the side effects of Quinine
Discovered back in the 1600s quinine was the first effective treatment in the fight against malaria - and it continues to be a commonly used treatment against this devastating disease.

Tryptophan deficiency may underlie quinine side effects
Researchers have found that the anti-malarial drug quinine can block a cell's ability to take up the essential amino acid tryptophan, a discovery that may explain many of the adverse side-effects associated with quinine.

Variation in the same gene affects rate of parasite infection in both humans and baboons
Researchers at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have found that variation in the same gene in humans and baboons produces the same kind of disease resistance.

Global health funding soars, boosted by unprecedented private giving
Well-heeled donors, private corporations and average citizens sending money to their favorite charities are changing the landscape of global health funding.

New malaria agent found in chimpanzees close to that commonly observed in humans
Researchers based in Gabon and France report the discovery of a new malaria agent infecting chimpanzees in Central Africa.

Jeepers Creepers! Climate Change Threatens Endangered Honeycreepers
As climate change causes temperatures to increase in Hawaii's mountains, deadly non-native bird diseases will likely also creep up the mountains, invading most of the last disease-free refuges for honeycreepers - a group of endangered and remarkable birds.

Old Stain in a New Combination
New combinations of agents based on the oldest synthetic malaria drug, the methylene blue stain, can curb the spread of malaria parasites and make a significant contribution to the long-term eradication called for by the international "Roll Back Malaria Initiative."

Electronic monitoring and mapping enables malaria management
A Geographic Information System (GIS)-driven digital map of past and predicted malaria outbreak hotspots has been used in India as part of a national control program. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access International Journal of Health Geographics describe the creation of the GIS and its implementation in the malaria-stricken Madhya Pradesh region.

TB vaccine gets its groove back
A team of Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators has cracked one of clinical medicine's enduring mysteries - what happened to the tuberculosis vaccine.

New lead on malaria treatment
Approximately 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria are diagnosed each year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. While medications to prevent and treat malaria do exist, the demand for new treatments is on the rise, in part, because malaria parasites have developed a resistance to existing medications.
More Malaria Current Events and Malaria News Articles
The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria (Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease)

The Making of a Tropical Disease: A Short History of Malaria (Johns Hopkins Biographies of Disease)
by Randall M. Packard (Author)

Malaria sickens hundreds of millions of people -- and kills one to three million -- each year. Despite massive efforts to eradicate the disease, it remains a major public health problem in poorer tropical regions. But malaria has not always been concentrated in tropical areas. How did other regions control malaria and why does the disease still flourish in some parts of the globe?

From Russia to Bengal to Palm Beach, Randall Packard's far-ranging narrative traces the natural and social forces that help malaria spread and make it deadly. He finds that war, land development, crumbling health systems, and globalization -- coupled with climate change and changes in the distribution and flow of water -- create conditions in which malaria's carrier mosquitoes thrive. The combination of...

Compiled 1981-1984

Compiled 1981-1984
by Malaria!



The Malaria Capers : More Tales of Parasites and  People, Research and Reality

The Malaria Capers : More Tales of Parasites and People, Research and Reality
by Robert S. Desowitz (Author)

"Reads like a murder mystery. . . . [Desowitz] writes with uncommon lucidity and verse, leaving the reader with a vivid understanding of malaria and other tropical diseases, and the ways in which culture, climate and politics have affected their spread and containment."—New York Times Why, Robert S. Desowitz asks, has biotechnical research on malaria produced so little when it had promised so much? An expert in tropical diseases, Desowtiz searches for answers in this provocative book.



MALARIA

MALARIA

Orange, Laurel, Mandarin, Tangerine, Lavender, Rosewood, Tsuga, Neroli, Frankincense, Peppermint

Malaria: Fever Wars

Malaria: Fever Wars
Starring: Artist Not Provided



Humanity's Burden: A Global History of Malaria (Studies in Environment and History)

Humanity's Burden: A Global History of Malaria (Studies in Environment and History)
by James L.A. Webb Jr. (Author)

Humanity's Burden provides a panoramic overview of the history of malaria. It traces the long arc of malaria out of tropical Africa into Eurasia, its transfer to the Americas during the early years of the Columbian exchange, and its retraction from the middle latitudes into the tropics since the late nineteenth century. Adopting a broadly comparative approach to historical patterns and processes, it synthesizes research findings from the natural and social sciences and weaves these understandings into a narrative that reaches from the earliest evidence of malaria infections in tropical Africa up to the present. Written in a style that is easily accessible to non-specialists, it considers the significance of genetic mutations, diet, lifestyle, migration, warfare, palliative and curative...

First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and A Third World Adventure Changed My Life

First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and A Third World Adventure Changed My Life
by Broadway

In this laugh-out-loud funny memoir, a pampered city girl falls head over little-black-heels in love with a Peace Corps poster boy and follows him—literally—to the ends of the earth.
Eve Brown always thought she would join the Peace Corps someday, although she secretly worried about life without sushi, frothy coffee drinks, and air conditioning. But with college diploma in hand, it was time to put up or shut up. So with some ambivalence she arrives at the Peace Corps office—sporting her best safari chic attire —to casually look into the steps one might take if one were to become a global humanitarian, à la Angelina Jolie. But when Eve meets John, her dashing young Peace Corps recruiter, all her ambivalence flies out the window. She absolutely must join the Peace Corps—and...

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life

First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life
by Eve Brown-Waite (Author)

In this laugh-out-loud funny memoir, a pampered city girl falls head over little black heels in love with a Peace Corps poster boy and follows him —literally–to the ends of the earth.
Eve Brown always thought she would join the Peace Corps someday, although she secretly worried about life without sushi, frothy coffee drinks and air conditioning.  But with college diploma in hand, it was time to put up or shut up. So with some ambivalence she arrives at the Peace Corps office–sporting her best safari chic attire –to casually look into the steps one might take if one were to become a global humanitarian, a la Angelina Jolie.  But when Eve meets John, her dashing young Peace Corps recruiter, all her ambivalence flies out the window. She absolutely must join the Peace Corps -...

MALARIA GIANT MICROBE PLUSH

MALARIA GIANT MICROBE PLUSH
by Giant Microbes

GIANTmicrobes are fun and educational?a great way to learn about various health topics and the microscopic critters that are found in and around us. Each microbe character is 5-7? in size--over a million times their actual size! Perfect for teachers, parents and budding scientists?they also make humorous gifts. Each microbe comes with an information tag including scientific name, an image of the actual microbe, and a mini history and science lesson. Not suitable for children under 3 years.   Our products are made by top manufacturers who care about toy safety, quality and value. Your order will ship factory fresh directly from our warehouse to your door. We carefully inspect and beautifully package every order before shipment to ensure that you receive high quality products that are...

Malaria Protection Kit

Malaria Protection Kit
by Traveler's Supply, Inc

The Malaria Protection Kit contains: 1 8oz. DurationTM Permethrin 0.5% RTU Kills insects when they come in contact with it Repels and kills mosquitoes that may carry West Nile virus, Malaria and ticks that may carry Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever For use on clothing, tents or netting. Safe for use on childrens clothing The active ingredient (Permethrin) actually binds to the fabric being treated and is completely odorless after application It is safe for use on natural and synthetic fibers 3 oz. (sprayed) treats 2 sets of clothes for 2 weeks or 2 launderings 1-bottle used as a soaking method provides 6 weeks of protection 1- 2oz. & 3single use packets of UltrathonTM Insect Repellent Rated the # 1 most effective insect repellent lotion by a leading consumer...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com