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Increasing tick-borne diseases: Better information and enhanced protection for outdoor workers
Ixodes ricinus questing. Soucre: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Overall, vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are on the rise globally, with outbreaks of several novel pathogens reported and previously controlled VBDs expanding into new geographic areas, mainly resulting from the spread of their arthropod vectors, animal movement, and human-driven changes to the environment. VBDs…
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Traditional surveillance approaches in collaboration with citizen science improves the known distribution of invasive Aedes japonicus in Spain
Aedes japonicus adult mosquito. Source: James Gathany, CDC, Public Domain. Mosquito species from the genus Aedes are major vectors of viral and parasitic diseases of humans and animals, worldwide. Several species in particular are especially competent vectors of arboviral infectious diseases, such as Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, the vectors of Dengue fever, chikungunya and…
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Bovines, Bilharzia and Benin: does Schistosoma hybridization happen in cattle?
taken by Hilary Hurd Schistosome species in Africa: blurring the lines! Schistosomes affect over 200 million people worldwide. Their impact as a parasitic disease on human health is huge, second only to malaria. However, their impact on other animals, particularly livestock, are also potentially devastating. Cattle schistosomiasis is estimated to affect 165 million domestic cattle…
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Humans: are we the most effective vector of disease?
One billion people were on the move or have moved in the last year. The majority of this movement occurs within countries, but people are also moving across international boundaries. The scale of people moving raises the question: are we the most prevalent vectors of disease? Restrictions to limit travel for essential purposes only has…
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Mobilizing research to defeat Neglected Tropical Diseases: A World NTD Day special
World NTD Day was announced by the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi at the Reaching the Last Mile Forum on 19 November. Since then, more than 280+ partners around the world have signed on to celebrate the Day https://worldntdday.org/ Today is World NTD Day. Committed Bugbitten followers will know that our blog posts are…
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What difference does a law make?
Flickr via Compfight cc Worldwide, as many as 19-20 million women resort to unsafe abortions every year. Many of these result in complications that cause considerable damage and even death, making abortion a key issue of women’s health and gender equity. Nevertheless, abortion remains a contentious issue among global health actors, and is often neglected…
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Giardia, deworming, and WASH: a complex picture
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an in vitro Giardia lamblia culture. (Picture by CDC/ Dr. Stan Erlandsen, from the Public Health Image Library) Giardiasis and intestinal worms: two neglected tropical diseases Giardiasis, caused by the parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as Giardia intestinalis or Giardia lamblia), has been associated with malnutrition and poor growth in…
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Thinking outside the cube: The political determinants of universal health coverage
© Syda Productions / stock.adobe.com The politics of UHC Universal health coverage (UHC) is a key policy priority of our times, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly as central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The World Health Organization defines UHC as all people having access to the health services they need, when and where they…
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Keeping the momentum on state-of-the-art civil registration and vital statistics systems
©World Bank Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems provide the foundation for good governance. In some countries, a large number of births and deaths are not registered with appropriate authorities and thus are excluded from the government system. This results in individuals lacking proof of legal identity and vital events such as live birth,…
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The little tissue that couldn’t – the hymen’s role in determining sexual history or assault
© zakokor / iStock Conversations about the female body, reproductive organs, sexuality, and virginity have dominated cultural discourse for centuries. They have been the subject of works of fiction, Renaissance art, romantic tales, religious missives, feminist theories and counter-theories, historical narratives, political movements, global health initiatives, and of course, scientific articles. This dialogue often begins…