Rat Bite Disease

Hippopotamus aren't the first thing that come to mind when considering epidemiology and disease ecology. And yet these amphibious megafauna offered UC Santa Barbara ecologist Keenan Stears a window into the progression of an anthrax outbreak that struck Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, in the dry season of 2017. Through surveys and GPS monitoring, Stears and his colleagues, Wendy Turner, Doug McCauley and Melissa Schmitt, revealed that reduced dry-season flows in the Great Ruaha River indirectly spread the disease by affecting hippo movement. The results, which appear in the journal Ecosphere, present a unique perspective on disease ecology and illustrate how anthropogenic changes can impact wildlife and human health. The ecology of wildlife disease was far out of mind during the dry season in 2016, when Stears and his team outfitted 10 male hippos with GPS collars. The researchers sought to track the animals' movements to better understand their behavior and ecology, especia...

President Joe Biden's young German shepherd Major is being sent to undergo training after a number of biting incidents at the White House. The 3-year-old German shepherd was adopted as a puppy from the Delaware Humane Association in late 2018 and is the first shelter dog to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. "The off-site, private training will take place in the Washington D.C. area, and it is expected to last a few weeks," a spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden told NBC News this week. Although it is unclear how much Major's training will cost, for any other dog owners facing a similar situation, training isn't cheap. Petco's cheapest private lesson costs $89 for one hour, while a six-week training course costs $299. PetSmart offers private training sessions for $89 per hour and $219 for four hours. Sending a dog away for intensive training can cost even more. For a situation like Major's, "it could be anywhere from as little as $400 o...

Welcome to the 18th post in our Dog Training blog series. This ongoing series features guest posts by local professional dog trainers and highlights some of the big questions they address to their clients. Today's post was written by Adam Miller of Big Dog Canine Behavioral Dog Training. Puppies explore the world around them with their mouths and a mouthing (or biting) puppy is a common issue that I come across while training owners. The puppy is not trying to intentionally harm their human, but they can get a little overzealous at times. Puppy teeth, also referred to as "milk teeth," are very sharp, can be painful on our skin and can easily tear or rip clothing. These puppy teeth are temporary, and a puppy will typically begin to replace them with adult teeth around 3-4 months of age and will usually have all its adult teeth by 6-8 months of age. This period of tooth replacement is referred to as "teething" (just like a human child) and, because it can ...

Authorities are withholding the name of the person killed in a traffic accident in Linn County. The accident was reported to the Linn County Sheriff at about 8:15pm Tuesday (June 22), at the intersection of Highway 30 and Kepler Drive, west of Mt. Vernon. Responding emergency workers found an eastbound vehicle went out of control, entered a ditch, and crashed into a tree. The driver and only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim's name will be released after relatives can be notified. The Linn County Sheriff continues to investigate the accident; they were assisted at the scene by Linn County Rescue, Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Police Department, Mt. Vernon Fire, Lisbon Fire, and Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Ambulance. LOOK: The least obedient dog breeds In Pictures: What Education Looks Like Around the World During a Pandemic

You can listen to the full interview with Rep. James White below. Texas State Representative James White of House District 19 joined The Chad Hasty Show across the Texas Townsquare Media Network on Wednesday evening to discuss the past Texas Legislative Session and what will come up during a Special Session. White also gave the listeners a hint about his own political future. Governor Greg Abbott's office has already announced that the first special session will begin on July 8th. Regarding the veto of Article X dealing with legislature pay, White told The Chad Hasty Show that the Governor has the power to do what he did and White fully expected for the legislation to get to work during a special session and "close the deal on election integrity and other conservative legislation and we are going to fund article X". White also told The Chad Hasty Show that Texas taxpayers need "strong, conservative property tax relief". White said he would...

Daisy Hernández grew up knowing her Tía Dora was always thin and sickly. She never quite knew what was wrong, but the issues defined Dora's life. As an adult, Hernández gives a name to the problem: Chagas. As a journalist, she embarks on a journey that takes her all over the country to interview patients, epidemiologists, and even veterinarians with the Department of Defense. The journey has been long and arduous. It's also been revealing about the ways in which racial politics and for-profit healthcare have contributed to the problem of Chagas, the kissing bug disease that ravages the human body and destroys families. Highlights from the interview The author on her earliest awareness of Chagas, the "kissing bug" disease My earliest awareness was really...being in the hospital, visiting my auntie. This was at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, what it was called back then in New York City. Well, at that age, of course I was only five or six. So I actually...

Mice and rats can spread disease through their saliva, feces, or urine. They also often host mites, fleas, and other parasites that can transmit diseases to people. Luckily, mice aren't aggressive and usually only bite people when they feel threatened or cornered. Unless you're handling them, you're very unlikely to get bitten. Mice bites usually aren't serious, but it's still a good idea to see a doctor if you get bitten. The main threat of rodent bites is the risk of infection. Mice carry bacteria and viruses that can lead to potentially lethal conditions. Let's take a look at what mice bites look like and the potential risks. Mice have strong front teeth that can break your skin if they bite you. Their bite can cause a sharp pinching sensation and draw blood. Usually, their bite causes a single puncture wound. You're most likely to get bitten by a mouse if you're handling it. However, in rare circumstances, a mouse may bite you if ...