A Trip down the Nile

West Nile that is… a Flavivirus; West Nile Virus (WNV) is a vector born disease spread by mosquitoes. Birds are the amplifying hosts, transmitting the disease to mosquitoes when bitten. The disease is spread when a mosquito then bites a person. “West Nile virus may also be spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. 

It is possible for an infected mother to spread the virus to her child through breast milk” (USNLM, 2012). The American robin (Turdus migratorius) and the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) are the most common carriers of WNV in the Western Hemisphere.

The infected mosquito species vary according to geographical area; in the US, Culex pipiens (Eastern US), Culex tarsalis (Midwest and West), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Southeast) are the main sources (Hayes, et al., 2005).

“Thus far in 2012 (as of 8/24/12), 47 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 1118 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including 41 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 629 (56%) were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 489 (44%) were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease” (CDC, 2012).

“The 1118 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the third week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999. Approximately 75 percent of the cases have been reported from 5 states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Oklahoma) and almost half of all cases have been reported from Texas)” (CDC, 2012).

Generally, people infected with WNV have positive prognosis; however severe cases can lead to

Encephalitis or meningitis; and can lead to brain damage and death.  10% of patients with severe cases do not survive (USNLM, 2012).

Side note and disease alert 2:

There is a possible outbreak of another disease…

“A second person has died of a rare, rodent-borne disease after visiting Yosemite National Park earlier this summer and park officials are warning past visitors to be aware of some flu-like aches and symptoms as fears of a possible outbreak mount” (AP, 2012).

This outbreak is a hantavirus . Taken from the U.S. National library of medicine; "Hantavirus is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by rodents that has symptoms similar to influenza. Hantavirus is carried by rodents, especially deer mice. The virus is found in their urine and feces, but it does not make the animal sick.

It is believed that humans can get sick with this virus if they come in contact with contaminated dust from mice nests or droppings. You may come in contact with such dust when cleaning homes, sheds, or other enclosed areas that have been empty for a long time".

Hantavirus does not spread between humans.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/28/second-person-dies-after-contracting-rare-rodent-borne-disease-at-yosemite/#ixzz24rYi9ZKi

References:

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Hayes EB, Komar N, Nasci RS, Montgomery SP, O'Leary DR, Campbell GL (2005). "Epidemiology and transmission dynamics of West Nile virus disease". Emerging Infect. Dis. 11 (8): 1167–73

Associated press (AP):

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/28/second-person-dies-after-contracting-rare-rodent-borne-disease-at-yosemite/

U.S. National Library of medicine  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004457/

 

Image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aedes_albopictus_2.jpg

Help yourself

Self-medication in wild animals

 Zoopharmacognosy is a term used to describe self-medication in wild animals to treat or even prevent disease. The idea of self-medication by animals was first introduced by ecologist Daniel Janzen in 1978. Unusual feeding habits were observed that raised questions about animals using the secondary metabolites in plants as antibiotics, laxatives, and even antidotes for previously consumed toxins (Raman & Kandula, 2008). 

Parasites can undermine the overall fitness of a species (i.e. lowering of reproductive fitness, compromised immune systems) and affect survival rates. This parasitic pressure is believed to be one of the main selective factors that led animals toward the use of medicinal plants (Raman & Kandula, 2008). According to Clayton & Wolfe (1993), self-medication can be classified into four categories based on contact mode: ingestion; absorption, topical application and proximity. One example of proximal medication can be demonstrated by birds that weave insecticidal green vegetation into their nests to combat ectoparasites.

Several studies have been done to test the hypothesis of self-medication. Some of these behaviors of diet selection may be linked to cultural practices. Nevertheless, “selection of the same plant species or species of related plant genera by two sympatric ape species or between regional populations of great ape subspecies strongly suggests a common criteria of medicinal plant selection” (Huffman, 1997. P. 171).

Side note: one of my fellow classmates at the University of Edinburgh (hey Denise!) will be focusing on this topic for her thesis. Students don’t forget we have several online resources for you to research this and many other topics for your papers online and in the library. Check out our database searches here or read the full articles listed below to learn more on Zoopharmacognosy.

References:

Clayton, DH and Wolfe, ND, 1997. The Adaptive Significance of self-medication. Trend in ecology & evolution. V.8. pp 60-63. Online. Available through web of science. [Accessed on 8/22/12]

Rajasekar Raman and Sripathi Kandula, 2008. Zoopharmacognosy: Self-Medication in Wild Animals. Resonance, 2008, Volume 13, Number 3, Pages 245-253. Online. Available through web of science. [Accessed on 8/22/12]

Huffman, Michael, 1997. Current evidence for self-medication in primates: A multidisciplinary perspective. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, V104 (25), pp 171-200. Online. Available through web of science. [Accessed on 8/22/12]

Image credit: Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bonobo_01.jpg

Here Kitty!

In a press release last week, The Center for Biological Diversity  [national, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places] announced that “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally proposed to protect 838,232 acres — an area larger than the state of Rhode Island — as "critical habitat" for endangered jaguars in southern Arizona and New Mexico” (CBD, 2012).

Jaguars (Panthera onca) have been extinct in the United States since the 1950s. Federal predator killing programs   caused the extirpation of these big cats in the United States. The historical range of the jaguar extended from California to Louisiana.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the jaguar on the endangered species list in 1997. However, according to the American Mammal Society, “despite the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and an urgent conservation imperative, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not developed a jaguar recovery plan or designated jaguar critical habitat” (AMS, 2012). Jaguar numbers continue to decline in their remaining ranges south of the United states for several reasons (i.e. habitat fragmentation, climate change, human conflict).

After a few lawsuits and the 2009 court order to initiate a protection plan, the federal government has finally stepped up protection for the jaguar.

You can read the Jaguar/ land proposal here .

Here is a link to more journal articles referencing the decline in the Panthera onca.

References:

American Mammal Society

http://www.mammalsociety.org/committees/resolutions/resolution-of-jaguars

Center for Biological Diversity

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2012/jaguar-08-17-2012.html

Image credit: Wikipedia/Belize zoo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Junior-Jaguar-Belize-Zoo.jpg

United States Department of Agriculture

 http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/BigCats/jaguar_conservation.shtml

The Lady is a Tramp

Some species of globe-trotting ants known as tramp ants are considered invasive and can have drastic effects on their new home, displacing many native species and disrupting entire ecosystems. “Among the worst of these invaders are the Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta), the Argentine Ant ( Linepithema humile), the Big-Headed Ant (Pheidole megacephala), and the Little Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata)” (Myrmecosis, 2009). There are several other species of tramp ants which are described here.

These ants are transferred across biogeographic barriers through human activity. These invaders not only disrupt native flora and fauna, they can also change their own life history. These ants can have increased queen numbers and lose their colony boundaries (Heinz, et al., 2006). New colony structure allows for population increases and enhances their competitive abilities.

To read more about the colony structure and reproduction of one tramp species, Cardiocondyla; go to this link or research others via our Searchwise electronic resource. (Remember you may have to be logged in the FAU network for the article link to work).

Side note:

Myremecology is the scientific study of ants. Many of our students focus on ants for their thesis, due largely to our resident myrmecologist Dr. Wetterer (here's a shout out Doc!). Did you know many of the student theses are online? There is a list here. You can access the electronic versions of complete student and faculty theses and dissertations here.

References:

http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/MCAS-88798C/$FILE/trampants.pdf

J. Heinze, S. Cremer, N. Eckl and A. Schrempf , 2006 Stealthy invaders: the biology of Cardiocondyla tramp ants.  Insectes Sociaux, Volume 53, Number 1, Pages 1-7.

Image credit: wikipedia

The Yolk’s On You.

 Humans:

In a recent study reported by Science Daily, eating egg yolks may be as bad for you as smoking cigarettes!

Eating egg yolks builds up carotid plaque, increasing risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Eating as few as three yolks a week significantly promotes plaque buildup. In patients that are diabetic, the risk increases 2-5x.  You can read the full story from the link above or below in the references.

Animals:

In addition to researching health benefits / hazards to humans, the study of the egg is very relevant to conservation as well. Did you know that females birds deposit substantial amounts of steroids into the yolks of their eggs? Phenotypic differentiation and physiological functions develop from these steroid (hormones); affecting nestling growth and development (Kozloswski, et al., 2009).

There are over 39,000 articles on egg yolks if you search on Searchwise in our electronic resources.

References:

Image Credit: © Irochka / Fotolia (reposted from Science Daily).

J. David Spence, David J.A. Jenkins, Jean Davignon. Egg yolk consumption and carotid plaque. Atherosclerosis, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2012.07.032 

Kozlowski, C. P., Bauman, J. E. and Caldwell Hahn, D. (2009), A simplified method for extracting androgens from avian egg yolks. Zoo Biol., 28: 137–143. doi: 10.1002/zoo.20221

Current Ebola Outbreak

According the to Center for Disease Control, on July 28th, 2012, the Uganda Ministry of Health reported an outbreak of Ebola Hemorrhagic fever in the Kibaale District of Uganda.

A total of 60 human cases, including 16 fatalities, have been reported since the beginning of July. Laboratory tests of blood samples, conducted by the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), confirmed Ebola virus in five patients, two of whom have died. All reported illnesses and contacts are being investigated.

A team of experts from CDC is in Uganda, to work with Ministry of Health and international partners in determining the extent of the outbreak and locating, testing, and treating any additional cases (Taken from the Center for Disease Control website).

• CDC information about Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
• CDC Travel Notice: Ebola in Uganda

What exactly is Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever? 
Ebola is often a fatal disease in primates (human and nonhuman). It was first recognized in Zaire in 1976 and is caused by infection with Ebola Virus (pictured above). It is a filoviridae, belonging to the RNA family of viruses. Currently there are five identified subtypes of the Ebola virus;  only one (Ebola-Reston) does not cause disease in humans (CDC, 2010).

The exact origin of Ebola HF is not known; however it is believed to be zoonotic. Ebola is not known to be native to other continents.

"Infections with Ebola are acute. There is no carrier state" (CDC, 2010). It is believed that the first patient comes in contact with an infected animal. Transmission can occur several ways and is often spread through families and friends due to close contact. Additionally, nosocomial transmissions are frequent during Ebola outbreaks (CDC, 2010).

To read more about the symptoms of Ebola HF, the incubation periods and treatments of this disease you can visit the CDC website ; check the link below; or research articles in the library electronic resources.

References:

Center for Disease Control

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/Fact_Sheets/Ebola_Fact_Booklet.pdf

Got worms? 

Filarial parasitology has not been given substantial consideration by the science community. Rare in the United States; most of the afflictions are found in developing countries and can cause very painful and incapacitating diseases (WIRM, 2012). 

Did you know the Scripps Research Institute located on the FAU campus in Jupiter has The Worm Institute for Research and Medicine? They target several organisms for study such as the nematode that causes onchocerciasis (river blindness).  

Taken from the WIRM website; “ In addition to O. volvulus, WIRM researchers are targeting a number of other organisms including:

    Brugia malayi, Mansonella streptocerca, and Wuchereria bancrofti - three thread-like worms that infect some 120 million people worldwide. These parasites lodge in lymphatic tissue and cause a disease known as lymphatic filariasis, a debilitating and disfiguring illness that causes elephantiasis, a disease characterized by severe swelling in the genitals and limbs.

    Dracunculis medinensis - a worm spread through unclean water that can grow to be several feet long in the body and causes the painful disease dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease.

 

    Schistosoma mansoni - a worm carried by freshwater snails, which causes the disease schistosomiasis, afflicting some 200 million people worldwide.

    Dirofilaria immitis - a heartworm spread by mosquitoes that infects dogs and is common in the United States” (WIRM, 2012).

To find out more about these diseases or the Worm institute at Scripps; please visit this link. You may also visit our electronic databases to research additional sources related to filarial parasitology.

Here are some related articles found in our electronic resources:

Vale T, Marques D, Roberto de Sousa-Pereira S, Lambertucci J. Schistosoma mansoni Encephalomyelitis. Arch Neurol. 2011;68(9):1200-1201. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2011.198. http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1107849

 

Erickson SM, Xi Z, Mayhew GF, Ramirez JL, Aliota MT, et al. (2009) Mosquito Infection Responses to Developing Filarial Worms. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(10): e529. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000529 http://www.plosntds.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0000529

References:

Scripps Research Institute (WIRM), 2012.  http://www.scripps.edu/research/wirm/index.html

Image credit: http://www.phsource.us/PH/HELM/PH_Parasites/Dracunculiasis.htm

Wildlife Forensic Science

Poachers beware

image credit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elephant_in_Tanzania_3306_Nevit.jpg]

Did you know that forensic science is used to help conservationists; the government and wildlife officers solve environmental crimes? In the U.S. several agencies maintain forensic labs (e.g. US Fish and Wildlife, NOAA). The Society for Wildlife Forensic Science (SWFS) was formed in 2009 to help this field grow into an integrated discipline of science (SWFS, 2012).

Wildlife forensics is where the law meets science and conservation. Non-human biological evidence is used for solving an array of cases from oil soaked birds and seafood fraud to poaching. Scientists have been making progress in the fight to save elephants from poachers.

By using samples of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) taken from illegal tusks, researchers have been able to guide officials to specific locations where elephants are being poached (SD, 2012). Nuclear DNA is a good marker for tracing the origins of the ivory because female elephants do not migrate between herds (SD, 2012).  DNA can also be obtained by using dung  samples.

There are several articles on the subject of DNA, elephants and poaching available through our electronic databases. The list below is a sample search in Searchwise (from our home page) using the keywords “DNA from ivory”

1. DNA from ivory may lead to poachers                                                                  by RANDOLPH E. SCHMID and AP Science Writer

Associated Press, 02/26/2007, p. 1

The seizure of more than six tons of ivory in Singapore in 2002 has helped solve part of that puzzle, according to a report by Samuel K...

Full Text Online

2. Isolation of DNA from small amounts of elephant ivory                                                  by Mailand, Celia

Nature Protocols, ISSN 1754-2189, 09/2007, Volume 2, Issue 9, pp. 2228 - 2232

This protocol describes a method for the extraction of DNA from elephant ivory. These techniques are being used to assign geographic origin to poached ivory...

Full Text Online

3. DNA Pinpoints Poached Ivory Tusks                                                                           by Patrick Barry

Science News, ISSN 0036-8423, 03/10/2007, Volume 171, Issue 10, p. 158.... Adapting the existing technique, researchers referred to a reference map of DNA taken from elephant tissue or dung are the at the location throughout central Africa, the technique revealed...

Full Text Online

4. Dung DNA set to foil ivory poachers                                                                                       by Flintoft, Louisa

Nature Reviews Genetics, ISSN 1471-0056, 11/2004, Volume 5, Issue 11, p. 806

...Elephant dung could be more valuable than ivory - to the elephants at least. A test that compares DNA from illegal ivory with maps of genetic variation based...

Full Text Online

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 References:

Science Daily (SD)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806151409.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_environment+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+News+--+Top+Environment%29

Society for Wildlife Forensic Science (SWFS)

http://www.wildlifeforensicscience.org/mission/

Welcome to the new library science blog!

Welcome to library’s new science blog!  We will be posting stories about global environmental issues as well as  local issues on habitat and species conservation, land use policy, and other topics that affect life on our planet.  Our goal to offer additional links to support timely student research in these areas.

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 Let's get started...

 image credit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WOA05_GLODAP_del_pH_AYool.png]

Posted on science daily on August 5, 2012; Scientists Predict Impact of Ocean Acidification On Shellfish.

Humans have a huge impact on the planet. According to this article, increased Co2  released into the atmosphere from anthropogenic activity, reacts with water to form acid. Increased levels of acid are affecting shellfish and other marine species. Consequently, affecting larger ocean animals and humans.

To find out what researchers have found, visit the link above or see the full article

Journal Reference:

1. Sue-Ann Watson, Lloyd S. Peck, Paul A. Tyler, Paul C. Southgate, Koh Siang Tan, Robert W. Day, Simon A. Morley. Marine invertebrate skeleton size varies with latitude, temperature and carbonate saturation: implications for global change and ocean acidification. Global Change Biology, 2012; DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02755.x

[Remember to open article links you may have to log into ez proxy first]