Where passion for animals, science, and medicine lives…
Paraphrased, Nietzsche said, “There are no facts, only interpretation.” This could apply to malarial species. If you do some intense data searching, that is, you have a computer, Wi-Fi, and then Google, “number of malaria species that infect people” – typical results include 4, 5, and 6. They could all be correct. Four has been Continue Reading
The Chinese Nei Ching text dating back more than 4000 years (2700 BCE), attributes malaria to the machinations of three demons: one carrying a hammer, another a bucket of water, and one, a stove. While this helped explain the headaches, chills, and fevers then, today, vaccine researchers might be tempted to count a higher number Continue Reading
What Lurks Beneath the Sand? Sand fleas and beach fleas, jigger or chigger? Red bugs or bed bugs. Who do you figure? Can ya tell ‘em apart just by who’s bigger? Not so easy, not so fast. To learn all about them, listen to our podcast! Has this list piqued your interest? Oh yeah, and Continue Reading
In the previous post, we introduced the Old World (OWS) and New World (NWS) screwworms. Both species have many common characteristics. Here, we discuss lifecycles and methods of eradication. Both OWS and NWS follow similar lifecycles. Duration depends on ambient temperatures, with cooler temps lengthening the cycle. Adult females oviposit at the borders of wounds Continue Reading
Maggots are gross. No two ways about it. Tiny little creatures with a voracious appetite consuming flesh. But, did you know that there are different types of maggots? The type we have in the US consume dead flesh. This can be in the form of a dead carcass, or in a wound that is heavily Continue Reading
Love at First Sight I believe in love at first sight. I remember staring into the eyes of Effany. It was as if our souls had known each other from another life, that we were destined to be together, and that I had to protect her. I know, I sound like a stalker. This is Continue Reading
Drug resistance affects all species, across the spectrum of all drug classes. Antibiotic resistance appears in the news frequently. Less popular, but just as concerning, is resistance to common antiparasitics. Small ruminant producers are acutely aware of rapid development of resistance to the avermectins.
Fun Facts on Plague You are at risk for plague! Well, in the same way, that you are at risk of being struck by lightning… twice or being eaten alive by alligators. Unless you work in the veterinary field in the southwest region of the United States, then it should be a concern albeit not Continue Reading
Superfamilies. The answer is yes! As an ape, you are a card-carrying member of the superfamily Hominoidea. Taxonomy classifies all living beings from three domains of life through 8 different levels to the most specific final categories of genus and species. At times, eight levels just aren’t enough to properly group. When this occurs, we Continue Reading
How do you pronounce "proboscis?" One of my favorite teachers, a forensic entomologist, held a pet peeve for pronouncing the mosquito’s mouthparts as “pro-baa-skus (prəˈbɑːskɪs)” instead of “pro-baa-sis” (prəˈbɑːsɪs). She would remind everyone we study “Science,” not “Sky-unce.” Long before I learned about this controversy, I remember stabbing my juice box with my dinosaur-mosquito mouthpart Continue Reading