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☆ Fact Check-No proof of ‘deadly mosquitoes’ at AFRAM in Baltimore
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

AFRAM, an annual cultural festival celebrating Black excellence, was held over Juneteenth weekend at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, Maryland (here), (aframbaltimore.com/about-afram). Weeks later, Instagram posts shared a clip from the festival that shows attendees swatting and fanning themselves and includes the text: “Helicopter released deadly mosquitoes in Baltimore, MD AFRAM 2023” (here). In other posts from the event, however, users say the flying bugs were gnats, not mosquitoes (here), (here). MALE MOSQUITOES SWARM, DON’T BITEMale mosquitoes swarm to mate but don’t bite, and the swarming flies in social media posts do not look like mosquitoes, said George Dimopoulos, a deputy director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (here). Social media clips of a Baltimore festival do not show “deadly mosquitoes,” entomology and health experts said.

Persons: Weeks, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Michael Raupp, gnats, Raup, Brian Federici, midge, ”, George Dimopoulos, Johns, Laura Harrington, “, Arinze Ifekauche, Dimopoulos, Read Organizations: Baltimore, Helicopter, Baltimore Mayor, University of Maryland, University of California, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Cornell University, Health Department, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Reuters Locations: Maryland, Baltimore City, Druid, Baltimore , Maryland, Baltimore, Riverside

☆ Fact Check-U.S. malaria outbreak in 2023 not caused by GM mosquitos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The release of genetically modified mosquitos in Florida and Texas could not have caused recent cases of malaria detected in the U.S., as suggested in social media posts. The OX5034 mosquitos developed by Oxitec were approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 for pilot testing (here). Markowski noted that only female mosquitos “blood feed,” which needs to happen to transmit diseases like malaria, and the only genetically modified mosquitos being released are males, which feed only on plant juices and therefore cannot transmit malaria (explained further here). Reuters has previously addressed misinformation about uses of genetically modified mosquitos (here), (here) and (here). Recent cases of malaria in the U.S. could not have been caused by the release of genetically modified mosquitos.

Persons: they’re, mosquitos, Daniel Markowski, Markowski, Read Organizations: Oxitec, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, American Mosquito Control Association Locations: Florida, Texas, U.S, BioNTech, Florida and Texas, Saharan Africa, South Asia

☆ Fact Check-U.S. malaria outbreak in 2023 not caused by GM mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

(This story was corrected on July 27, 2023, to clarify that genetically modified mosquitoes were not released in Texas. The modified mosquitoes, which were released only in Florida, were all male, and only female mosquitoes feed on blood, which is how they transmit the malaria parasite from person to person, a mosquito-control expert said. Moreover, Markowski noted, only female mosquitoes “blood feed,” which needs to happen to transmit diseases like malaria, and the only genetically modified mosquitoes released are males, which feed only on plant juices and therefore cannot transmit malaria (explained further here). Reuters has previously addressed misinformation about uses of genetically modified mosquitoes (here), (here) and (here). Recent cases of malaria in the U.S. could not have been caused by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes.

Persons: they’re, Aedes aegypti, Daniel Markowski, Markowski, Oxitec, Joshua Van Raalte, “ Oxitec, Read Organizations: Oxitec, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Reuters, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, American Mosquito Control Association Locations: Texas, Florida, Harris County , Texas, U.S, BioNTech, Florida and Texas, Saharan Africa, South Asia

☆ Temperatures seen surging as El Nino weather pattern returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

El Nino, a warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is linked to extreme weather conditions from tropical cyclones to heavy rainfall to severe droughts. The world's hottest year on record, 2016, coincided with a strong El Nino - though experts says climate change has fuelled extreme temperatures even in years without the phenomenon. The World Health Organization said last month it was preparing for an increased spread of viral diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya linked to El Nino. During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures. In the past, it has caused severe droughts in Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America and northern South America.

Persons: El, Maria Neira, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson, Christina Fincher Organizations: WHO, El, World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, WMO, Prediction Service, World Health Organization, Environment, Health, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Pacific, Geneva, South America, United States, of Africa, Central Asia, Australia, Indonesia, Asia, Central America

☆ The mosquito era: As the world warms, these insects are thriving – and bringing disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

James Gathany/CDC/Handout/ReutersWhile serious mosquito-borne diseases remain rare in the US, other countries are not so lucky. While scientists are yet to assess the role climate change has played in the outbreak, Carlson said the links seem clear. But the shift of mosquito-borne diseases into regions like the US and Europe is still likely to be a shock. Scientists are working to develop tools to be able to better assess the link between mosquito-borne diseases and climate change. The path the world takes on reducing planet-heating pollution will lead to very different futures for mosquito-borne diseases, Brady said.

Persons: it’s, Edgar Su, ”, Oliver Brady, –, James Gathany, Colin Carlson, Carlson, I’m, Ernesto Benavides, Celine Gossner, ” Brady, “, Shannon LaDeau, they’ve, ” LaDeau, Jon Cherry, Gossner, Brady Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, London School of Hygiene, Medicine, Climate Central, Georgetown University, Getty, European Centre for Disease Prevention, Carey Institute of Ecosystems Studies, Louisville Metro Department of Health, Wellness Locations: United States, Singapore, zika, West, Saharan Africa, Peru, Piura, AFP, Europe, “, Western Europe, China, Texas , Florida, Hawaii, Arizona, India, Louisville , Kentucky, Florida

There were 71 cases of the disease - which generally causes fever and muscle pain but can be more severe and even sometimes fatal - last year, mainly in France. The health agency warned at a press conference on Thursday there is an increasing risk of a number of mosquito-borne diseases in the European region, including dengue, zika, chikungunya and West Nile virus, linked to the changing climate and the spread of mosquitoes carrying the viruses. “If this continues, we can expect to see more cases and possibly deaths from diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever," said Andrea Ammon, ECDC director. Aedes aegypti, which spreads diseases including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya, became established in Cyprus last year and could make further inroads, it said. While the rates of some mosquito-borne diseases in Europe have not risen dramatically in recent years or even fallen slightly, such as malaria and zika, others have seen a "striking" rise, particularly dengue, the ECDC said.

Persons: Andrea Ammon, Aedes, Jennifer Rigby, Jane Merriman Organizations: European Centre for Disease Prevention, World Health Organization, El, Thomson Locations: Europe, France, chikungunya, West, Cyprus, Peru, El Nino

☆ A body odor buffet reveals which scents attract mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Anyone who has spent a summer evening swatting away mosquitoes, or a summer day scratching mosquito bites, can agree: Mosquitoes stink. In a scientific report published Friday, scientists helped pinpoint the different chemicals in body odor that attract these insects by building an ice-rink size testing arena and pumping in the scents of different people. Hundreds of mosquitoes in the main 20-by-20-meter facility were then treated to a buffet of the sleeping subjects’ scents. The researchers found what many who have been on a picnic would attest to: Some people attract more mosquitoes than others. (Vosshall said that even scrubbing with unscented soap doesn’t get rid of the natural scents that attract mosquitoes.)

☆ Are You a Mosquito Magnet? Check Your Soap.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Dominique Mosbergen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Of the thousands of mosquito species, only a handful are specialized to target humans. Photo: James Gathany/Associated PressYour soap could be making you seem tastier to bloodsucking mosquitoes. Washing with certain brands of soaps made some people more attractive to a species of mosquito that spreads yellow fever, Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses in a study published Wednesday in the journal iScience. One soap, Native Coconut & Vanilla Body Wash, made people less attractive to mosquitoes, the study said.

☆ Opinion | If the Pandemic Is No Longer a Public Health Emergency, Then What Is It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( David Quammen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Is malaria an emergency? Is tuberculosis of international concern? I’m neither a public health expert nor a scientist, so I offer a citizen’s opinion: Yes, it’s time to cease calling Covid-19 a public health emergency of international concern. Therefore, Covid is still certainly a public health situation of international concern. We will need to keep improving laboratory techniques and manufacturing capacity for potentially ever-revised Covid vaccines.

☆ Opinion | Finding the Origin of a Pandemic Is Difficult. Preventing One Shouldn’t Be.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( W. Ian Lipkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Similarly, in 2008 my team investigated a hemorrhagic fever outbreak with an 80‌‌ percent case fatality rate in Zambia and South Africa. Finding the origin of a viral outbreak can be incredibly difficult, even with full government cooperation and the best available technologies. It’s important to try, because the insights into how a virus emerged may be useful in reducing the risk of future outbreaks. We cannot wait for answers that may never come before doing what must be done to prevent the next pandemic. And yet very little has been done in the wake of this pandemic to better either source of risk.

☆ Oxford malaria vaccine rollout could have 'major' implications in sub-Saharan Africa, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The University of Oxford Jenner Institute, which developed the vaccine, estimates that malaria kills around 800,000 people per annum. These casualties occur predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, where one in five childhood deaths is associated with the disease. The WHO assessed that 241 million clinical cases of malaria occurred in 2020, resulting in 627,000 deaths, mostly among children in Africa. A health worker vaccinates a child against malaria in Ndhiwa, Homabay County, western Kenya on September 13, 2019 during the launch of malaria vaccine in Kenya. Brian Ongoro | AFP | Getty ImagesIn 2021, the WHO signed off on GSK's RTS,S malaria vaccine for rollout across sub-Saharan Africa, following pilot programs in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, which tracked 800,000 children since 2019.

[1/6] An Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen under a magnifying glass at the CNEA (National Atomic Energy Commission), in Ezeiza, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina April 12, 2023. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYBUENOS AIRES, April 17 (Reuters) - Argentine, fighting one of its worst outbreaks of dengue in recent years, is sterilizing mosquitoes using radiation that alters their DNA before releasing them into the wild. Their population keeps on moving further south," said National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) biologist Marianela Garcia Alba. They expect to release the first batch of sterilized males in November. Similar techniques to sterilize pests using the same radiation found in X-rays have been utilised for decades, helping global efforts to control diseases such as chikungunya, dengue and Zika.

☆ How this former Adidas executive is tackling the biggest problem in footwear with biodegradable sneakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"It's a first of its kind," Liedtke told Insider. The Unless shoe, which retails for $139, was made in partnership with Natural Fiber Welding, which makes various materials from natural products, including plants and minerals. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for ADIDAS"This is a game changer," industry analyst and ARCH-USA founder Chris Burns previously told Insider. "What's unique about what Eric has done in the footwear industry is paid attention to every single component of the shoe," Natural Fiber Welding President Steve Zika previously told Insider. Last April, Natural Fiber Welding announced an $85 million Series B investment round.

☆ Fact Check-Moderna CEO did not say company made 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses before the pandemic started
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At Davos 2023, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel spoke about how quickly the company was able to scale up vaccine production at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, not that Moderna had made 100,000 COVID vaccine doses before the pandemic began, as some are claiming online. The clip of Bancel responding to a question in January 2023 circulated in a tweet by the user @healthbyjames with the false caption, “URGENT — Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Admits Company Produced 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses In 2019 Before The Pandemic Started” (here). Bancel responds by first recalling that, “when the pandemic happened, Moderna had made 100,000 dose in 2019 for the whole year. Moderna did not produce 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2019, Ridley said. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel did not say in a 2023 panel discussion that the company produced 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines prior to the pandemic.

But agency veterans, outside public health officials, and workplace organization experts said the current workplace structure could be a major barrier to that goal. As of early 2020, much of the workforce of the FDA and the National Institutes of Health was working remotely. Today, the NIH is mostly back in the office, but the FDA said many of its employees continue to work remotely when possible. Many people have fled the U.S. public health workforce in recent years, burned out from the covid-19 response. Benjamin said the CDC would likely have made its pandemic stumbles even if staffers hadn’t been working remotely.

☆ The exec behind Adidas' partnership with Kanye West just released a biodegradable sneaker expected to be a 'game changer' for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Unless shoe, which will retail for $139, was made in partnership with Natural Fiber Welding, which makes various materials from natural products, including plants and minerals. While other brands, including Allbirds and Camper, have worked with Natural Fiber Welding, Unless is the first to build a shoe from top to bottom with its materials. "What's unique about what Eric has done in the footwear industry is paid attention to every single component of the shoe," Natural Fiber Welding President Steve Zika told Insider. In April, Natural Fiber Welding announced an $85 million Series B investment round. Its investors include industry giants such as Ralph Lauren and Allbirds.

☆ The U.S. is 'certainly' still in a Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Fauci says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, speaks during a briefing on COVID-19 at the White House on November 22, 2022 in Washington, DC. The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the U.S. is "certainly" still in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic and he is "very troubled" by the divisive state of American politics. "I don't care if you're a far-right Republican or a far-left Democrat, everybody deserves to have the safety of good public health and that's not happening." The 81-year-old became a household name during the Covid-19 pandemic, battling back against misinformation — sometimes from the highest levels of government. White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said Sunday he knows it has been a long two years for Americans, but that it is still "incredibly important" to get vaccinated ahead of the holiday season.

☆ Explainer: COP27: How climate change impacts countries around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 9 (Reuters) - While delegates at the COP27 climate conference discuss the shared problem of climate change, each country will face its own challenges and threats. In February, the U.N. climate science agency released a major report on adapting to a warmer world - and detailed how that effort would differ from place to place. While some countries see glaciers melt or coastlines rise, others will contend mostly with raging wildfires and extreme heat, the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said. A World Bank report warned in September that climate impacts, including water scarcity and declining crop yields, could force some 216 million to migrate within their own countries by 2050. And in the Arctic, melting sea ice, warming temperatures, and thawing permafrost will push many species to the brink of extinction.

But this focus obscures what is happening on the ground, every day: Local and national public health workers and epidemiologists, or “disease detectives,” around the world are stopping outbreaks in their tracks and preventing epidemics. The case studies show what is possible when local, state and national communities mobilize a whole-of-society effort to prevent epidemics. When local efforts are supported by national and local government, we can stop and prevent epidemics. Another lesson is the substantial return on investment we can realize by prioritizing and funding preparedness efforts. Finally, there is a crucial role that coordination among local, state and federal agencies plays in epidemic prevention.

☆ Beyond Catastrophe: A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | Photographs Devin Oktar Yalkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View By David Wallace-WellsYou can never really see the future, only imagine it, then try to make sense of the new world when it arrives. (A United Nations report released this week ahead of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, confirmed that range.) A little lower is possible, with much more concerted action; a little higher, too, with slower action and bad climate luck. There were climate-change skeptics in some very conspicuous positions of global power. New emissions peaks are expected both this year and next, which means that more damage is being done to the future climate of the planet right now than at any previous point in history.

☆ Doctors decry 'record profits' for fossil fuel companies as climate change weighs on global health
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The report’s theme reflects a growing frustration and helplessness expressed by medical professionals left to deal with the impacts of climate change as world leaders struggle to address the root cause. The annual report catalogs the health impacts of change worldwide and a separate policy brief outlines impacts in the U.S. Tiny particles released into the air as pollution during fossil fuel use were responsible for 1.2 million deaths in 2020. Climate change is taking a toll on mental health. The report notes growth in renewable energy investment, increasing media coverage of climate change and growing engagement from government leaders on health-centered climate policies.

☆ Toxic Workplaces Are Bad for Mental and Physical Health, Surgeon General Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lindsay Ellis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. surgeon general is telling Americans for the first time that disrespectful or cutthroat workplaces could be hazardous to their health. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s office—which is more often associated with warnings about nicotine, Zika and the Covid-19 pandemic—issued a guidance Thursday outlining how long hours, limited autonomy and low wages can affect workers’ health and organizational performance. Chronic stress disrupts sleep, increases vulnerability to infection and has been linked to conditions ranging from heart disease to depression, the document said, citing research from the American Psychological Association and a Stanford University psychologist.

☆ Fact Check-Video of doctor saying world is flat on CBS is missing context
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video of a doctor saying “the world is flat” has been taken out of context on social media. The book does not claim that the Earth is flat; Friedman uses the term “the world is flat” as a metaphor to talk about the impacts of globalization. The video clip posted on Instagram with text that says, “Doctor on CBS News Mentions Flat Earth Twice Out Of Nowhere,” was liked over 1,500 times at the time of writing (here). In a 2016 CBS interview, David Agus is not claiming that the Earth is flat. He is using the term “the world is flat” as a reference to describe how globalization makes viruses spread more quickly.

☆ Pakistan floods: Children face a new disaster -- diarrhea, dengue and other waterborne diseases
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Sophia Saifi Rhea Mogul Anna Coren Sandi Sidhu Javed Iqbal Sameer Mandhro | Sophia Saifi | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A sick baby waits to be seen at the Mother and Child Healthcare Hospital in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Credit: Javed Iqbal/CNNDozens more children sleep cramped together on beds in the facility’s emergency room; some unconscious from their illness, others crying in pain. And then our patients came in like the floods,” said Dr. Nazia Urooj, physician in-charge at the hospital’s children emergency unit. This is the face of a near unprecedented health crisis unfolding across Pakistan – but for many, help is not arriving. In Sindh, one of the worst-impacted provinces, villages have been completely cut off, making it nearly impossible for families to seek help for their sick children.

☆ O bacterie "miraculoasă" introdusă în țânțari a micşorat cazurile de febră Dengue cu 77%
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-10 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +3 min

Oamenii de știință au folosit țânțari infectați cu o bacterie "miraculoasă", care reduce capacitatea insectei de a răspândi virusul. Febra Dengue nu era o boală cunoscută acum 50 de ani, însă s-a transformat într-o pandemie lentă și numărul cazurilor a crescut puternic. Wolbachia nu rănește țântarul, însă bacteria este găzduită de insectă în aceeași parte a corpului pe unde intră virusul care provoacă febra Dengue. Orașul indonezian Yogyakarta City a fost împărțit în 24 de zone, iar țânțarii au fost eliberați în doar jumătate dintre acestea. Doctorul Yudiria Amelia, coordonatorul programului de prevenenire a bolilor din Yogyakarta City, s-a declarat încâtată de rezultat.

Persons: Katie Anders, Anders, Bacteria, Doctorul Yudiria Amelia, David Hamer Organizations: BBC, Universitatea din Locations: Yogyakarta City, Indonezia, City, New England, Universitatea din Boston

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