Free-ranging ticks are widely known to be restricted to the ground level of vegetation. Here, we document the capture of the tick species
Amblyomma tapirellum
in light traps placed in the forest ...canopy of Barro Colorado Island, central Panama. A total of forty eight adults and three nymphs were removed from carbon dioxide–octenol baited CDC light traps suspended 20 meters above the ground during surveys for forest canopy mosquitoes. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of questing ticks from the canopy of tropical forests. Our finding suggests a novel ecological relationship between
A. tapirellum
and arboreal mammals, perhaps monkeys that come to the ground to drink or to feed on fallen fruits.
The local population of Sundarbans, an environmentally vulnerable delta region in south-eastern India, is currently affected by combined negative impacts of cyclone Amphan and the COVID-19 pandemic. ...The lockdown measures have created an additional burden on the health care system, while flooding during Amphan increased the risk of spreading water-borne diseases. In this viewpoint, we provide a conceptual model of the complex interlinkages among the combined multi-hazard effects, human health and water availability, with possible mitigation measures. We then discuss the specific pathways through which these immediate and long-term impacts occur and highlight the risk of together slowing progress on SDG3 and SDG6 in the Sundarbans. Finally, we call for coordinated assessment, support and appropriate intervention measures to secure clean water availability and minimize the health impacts of the recent multiple disasters in this tropical delta region.
The last century has seen remarkable gains in life expectancy and population health outcomes, and significant declines in metrics such as child mortality. Yet traditional global health and public ...health agendas have not generally considered whether improvements in health were made at the expense of the natural systems on which we depend for our food, safe water, and clean air.1 As our planet is pushed closer to its limits, the potential trade-offs between health and the environment is forcing us to redefine our agendas, and consider 'planetary health'.
Free-ranging ticks are widely known to be restricted to the ground level of vegetation. Here, we document the capture of the tick species
Amblyomma tapirellum in light traps placed in the forest ...canopy of Barro Colorado Island, central Panama. A total of forty eight adults and three nymphs were removed from carbon dioxide-octenol baited CDC light traps suspended 20 meters above the ground during surveys for forest canopy mosquitoes. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of questing ticks from the canopy of tropical forests. Our finding suggests a novel ecological relationship between
A. tapirellum and arboreal mammals, perhaps monkeys that come to the ground to drink or to feed on fallen fruits.
Only 30% of all breast cancer can be explained by known risk factors. Increases in breast cancer incidence rates in Hawaii over the past few decades cannot be attributed solely to improvements in ...screening and detection. Avoidable environmental factors may contribute to a proportion of the unexplained cases. Emerging evidence on endocrine disruption suggests that environmental chemicals may play a role in the development of breast cancer. Agricultural chemicals, including endocrine disruptors, have been used intensively in Hawaii's island ecosystem over the past 40 years leaching into groundwater, and leading to unusually widespread occupational and general population exposures. This paper discusses breast cancer patterns in Hawaii in the context of documented episodes of exposure to two endocrine-disrupting chemicals, chlordane/heptachlor and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), at levels that sometimes exceeded federal standards by several orders of magnitude. In light of this history, detailed geographic-based studies should be undertaken in Hawaii to elucidate the potential role of environmental factors in the development of breast cancer and other diseases.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as DDT are long-lasting and tend to bioaccumulate in many different media such as soil, air, water, and living tissues. Because of these properties, they can ...cause adverse effects on human health and the environment at both short and long range distances from their actual sources. Although DDT is banned in almost all countries for use in agriculture, it is still authorized for use primarily against malaria. The overwhelming effectiveness of DDT in the first decades of its use led to an overconfidence that malaria could be eradicated at one time, but it has since been realized that reliance on DDT as a primary control strategy may not be sustainable. An international call for action was initiated in 1995 to eliminate the emissions of the “dirty dozen” persistent organic pollutants (POPS) and where appropriate, ban their remaining production and use. However, prescribing a comprehensive ban was difficult because of DDT's long history as a weapon against malaria. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO) still considers DDT as one of the most important elements in vector control programs. While malaria continues to emerge and re-emerge all over the world, there is mounting evidence of DDT's enduring legacy that suggests irreversible adverse impacts on human health and the natural environment. There is debate over the risks of exposure to DDT compared with the immediate risks to health of those currently suffering from or vulnerable to malaria. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) addressed this policy problem, in carrying out its mandate to develop a resolution on DDT. However, there is no systematic, conceptual framework for characterizing and comparing the risks and tradeoffs of this issue. The risk-tradeoff issues that form the crux of the DDT dilemma present fundamental changes in thinking about reliance on and widespread use of pesticides in vector control.
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