Plague, a disease that might sound like something from history books, has made a recent appearance in California. A person in South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for this bacterial infection, likely after a flea bite during a camping trip. This isn't an isolated case either; just last month, someon
Biting midges, especially those in the Culicoides family, are more than just a nuisance. They can cause allergic reactions in horses and spread serious viruses like bluetongue and African horse sickness. Scientists are using advanced technology to understand and predict where these midges will thriv
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough nut to crack for traditional disease models. Why? Because it's sneaky. It can spread without symptoms, hide in plain sight, and mess with how we interact with each other. Imagine trying to track a ghost. That's what epidemiologists were up against. The
In a notable development, six dairy farms in Nevada have been identified with a new strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus. This strain, called D1. 1, is different from the one that has been seen in other dairy herds across the US, specifically B3. 13. D1. 1 has previously only been found in birds and pe
Rwanda and the World Health Organization have announced that the Marburg virus outbreak in the country is officially over. No new cases have been reported in recent weeks, which is a promising sign. The outbreak began on September 27 and resulted in 15 deaths and 66 cases. Most of the affected indiv
Imagine you're a farmer with a sick cow. Should you sell it? That's the question researchers tackled, using a mix of models and simulations to figure out the welfare impacts of trading sick livestock. They started by building a theoretical model to understand when and why trading sick animals could
