Having recently moved from a suburban area nestled in a major metropolitan region to a semi-rural area amid forests, farms, a nature preserve, and even a swamp, I’ve become a little more conscious of the need to take proper precautions against insect-borne diseases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports, “Disease cases from mosquito, tick, and flea bites tripled in the US from 2004 to 2016. Nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks have been discovered or introduced since … [Read more...]
Insect-borne Diseases Spreading in the United States? Blame EPA, Not Exxon
Last fall Politico ran a special feature on global health that featured a graphic presentation of increased incidence of insect-borne diseases in the United States from 2004 to 2013, blaming the increase on global warming. "Warming global temperatures are changing the range and behavior of disease-carrying insects like mosquitos and ticks and extending the seasons in which they are active. As a result, incidence of the diseases they carry---including Lyme, spotted fever, West Nile and … [Read more...]
