March 31st – West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne illness primarily found in Africa, West Asia, and the Middle East. It was first identified in Uganda in 1937 on the west side of the White Nile, one of the two tributaries of the Nile. In recent years, the virus has been methodically spreading around the …
March 30th – Trichomoniasis, or Trich, is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It is caused by the Trichomonas protozoa – and millions of people start a relationship with this little parasite every year. Although men and women can both become infected, it tends to victimize young women as it is typically asymptomatic …
March 29th – For many years, stress and spicy foods were thought to be the root causes of ulcers (which are holes in the lining, or mucosa, of the stomach). In 1983, however, Australian physicians Barry Marshall and Robin Warren implicated Helicobacter pylori bacteria as causing the condition. The medical establishment was skeptical until the …
March 28th – Vibrio is a type of bacteria found in temperate and subtropical waters. Vibrio is responsible for its bioluminescence (its ability to light up!) and is often found in fish. This explains the bioluminescence of decomposing fish and of glowing fish sticks. Vibrio also has a relationship with the Hawaiian squid, Euprymna Scolopes …
March 27th – One of the more fascinating organisms in the microsphere is the common tardigrade – technically speaking, “slow walker.” However, it is not the tardigrade’s sluggish speed that captures the attention, but rather the fact that as this miniscule creature lumbers along on its eight tiny legs, it bears an uncanny resemblance to, …
March 26th – In most of the world’s dark woods and grassy plains, tiny ticks are questing in search of blood. These little vampires can be as small as pinpoints or as large as grapes – but they have an uncanny ability to sense heat and carbon dioxide, and to identify the well-travelled paths that …
March 25th – Stachybotrys (or straw mold) is a black, toxic fungus that first achieved recognition in the 1930’s when horses on Russian farms became sick after eating contaminated hay. More recently, Stachy has been implicated as a cause of “sick building syndrome.” While the mold itself is not pathogenic, it does produce toxins that …
March 24th – Tetanus (from the Greek word “to stretch”) is a lethal infection most commonly contracted after suffering a cut or wound, prototypically from a rusty nail. The rust is pathogenically incidental, except in so far as it provides a suitable low-oxygen habitat for the Clostridium tetani bacterium – and the point of the …
March 23rd – Discovered in 1885 by American veterinarian Daniel E. Salmon, Salmonella bacteria are among the leading causes of food poisoning in the world. Salmonella are very common and can be found on many foods. Pets can be carriers as well, particularly reptiles. However, poultry and eggs are among the most favored habitats for …
March 21st – A childhood encounter with “little red” (or “rubella” in Latin) was historically considered a rite of passage. Usually symptoms were limited to little red rashes on the face, arms, and torso, often accompanied by joint pains, headaches and fevers, generally lasting no more than three days. In fact, rubella is sometimes referred …
