The transition from Medieval Europe to the Renaissance and beyond was not easy. Death and loss of power were the results of events such as the Black Death, the downfall in economy was also involved, but in the end it resulted in the discovery of new things. You can relate all of these changes to a modern event, known as the Zika virus. The Zika virus, which has recently invaded the United States, is a disease which has many of the same characteristics as the Black Death.
Birds across the United States are disappearing after towns are sprayed with pesticides. Dutch elm disease, a fungal disease brought to the U.S. from Europe, has invaded many cities in New England causing a need for abundant DDT spraying. The spraying of the Elm trees poisoned earthworms, which in turn lead to a drastic decrease in the number of robins that eat them. The DDT does not directly kill the robins, but it makes them sterile meaning they will be the last generation of robins. Many other species of birds die when trees are sprayed with insecticides because insects are their primary source of food. A more effective and cheaper method of eradicating Dutch elm disease is sanitation- clearing out diseased trees when they die so that they
At this time, there is little to no evidence that these pesticides are increasing yields from plants they are applied to. However, there has been evidence of the pesticides killing bees or causing damage to their nervous systems, which impedes their ability to forage and fly. Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health preformed a study which found that 70% of pollen and honey collected from local bees contained at least trace amounts of neonicotinoids. Levels found from these samples were enough to cause detrimental health effects. In a separate study, they found that over half of plants at a major garden store contained neonicotinoids. These levels were high enough to kill a bee instantly. In a study from 2016, 35 different pesticides and fungicides were collected from pollen that bees used to pollinate food crops in five U.S. states. Bees that came in contact with these combinations of chemicals were more likely to be infected with the Varroa Mite, a parasite that is associated with Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony Collapse Disorder is a phenomenon that occurs when all or the majority of worker bees suddenly disappear and leave their queen, plenty of food, and a few nurse bees behind. Without the worker bees, a hive cannot sustain itself and will eventually
In the article Zika can damage the brains of even adults, by Megan Rosen she sheds her knowledge of how the disease can potentially cause more harm. The Zika epidemic has been rampaging America by mosquito vectors and is very dangerous to women. It is known to cause birth defects in the wombs of pregnant women that cause birth defects and intellectual impairments. Through new discovery though research, scientist believe the Zika virus can also kill stem cells. They also think that by killing stem cells it could also limit their number in adult brains. This notion came to the surface by using mice as test subjects that revealed the lost of stem cells once getting the virus. In adult’s who have Zika signs include: headache, fever, rash and mild flu-like symptoms. The main reason for all the worry that is expounded is if the virus lodges in the brain of a fetus it would be disastrous. It causes babies to have small heads also called microcephaly that hinders learning ability. Not to mention stem cells are put to risk as a new study shows. Stem cells are often called blank slate cell since it can rise to other types of cells in the body that are needed. The big concern is if Zika attacks the brain of adults or infants it might kill nerve cells and stem cells that are very important.
I just recently visited Miami Beach, Florida and I found out that they have really bad mosquitos because of the Zika Virus. “Florida has confirmed local transmissions of Zika Virus are occurring in two areas Miami - Dade County (floridahealth).”
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2015/pesticides-10-27-2015.html the EPA even recognizes that benzovindiflupyr can "harm wildlife and critical habitat protected by the Endangered Species Act, but approved
You might have already heard of the motivational guru T Harv Eker who could amass millions of dollars in less than two years time. He teaches others the way of becoming rich. He started a company and produce training materials to teach others how to become a wealthy man.
Dodgeball; the greatest elimination game on Earth. What would you think if you could never play it again? I, for one, would be crushed that could never play it again. Many principals in Elkton, Maryland banned dodgeball because they believed it was inappropriate. They removed it from the P.E. curriculum just recently. I believe that dodgeball shouldn’t be taken out of the curriculum because it helps them be more aware, teaches them about life, and it leads to more games being taken away.
“Until a vaccination is found for the Zika Virus, we have to take safety precautions. It is most important that pregnant women do not travel to places where there are known cases of the Zika Virus, i.e., South America, Central America, Caribbean, Miami, Florida and Tampa, Florida. The greatest way to prevent Zika would be preventing mosquito bites. Wearing mosquito and bug repellant when you’re out can help. If you’re not able to wear repellants, you should cover your skin with long clothing. I.e., long shirts with long sleeves or jackets, jeans and long pants also. You should also protect yourself during sex, as the virus can also be transmitted
To answer the question, yes I would be in favor of parents having the option to abort the fetus if the mother was infected with the Zika virus. Microcephaly is a birth defect that causes the baby’s head to be abnormally small, which usually results in underdeveloped brains. If microcephaly is prevalent in a routine, prenatal ultrasound, then the parents should be granted the option to have an abortion. Microcephaly inhibits the child for life, the child will have developmental problems, hearing problems and an array of other issues caused by microcephaly. In addition, a child with microcephaly is not only grievous, but it is also expensive. Jorge Alfaro-Murillo, a research scientist at Yale, estimates that the medicinal cost of Zika could be
Silent Springs by Rachel Carson was a futuristic books that describe how our world will be under the influence of chemicals while describing the damaging effects of these chemicals during her time. As Albert Schweitzer stated “Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation” which it very truthful then as it is truthful today. Everyday a new discovery is achieved by the scientist worldwide, some with the best intentions and others with dubious purposes but all considered an advance in technology which prove the great capacity of humanity to overcome, manipulate, conquered and in many cases to bypass nature in order to demonstrate our superiority as a specie. Without realizing that we are creating our own extinction. Rachel Carson
Respiratory Disorders: Another concerning symptom of presentation to or ingestion of pesticides are respiratory issue, including wheezing, endless bronchitis, asthma and agriculturist's lung. Normal presentation to pesticides expands your danger for creating respiratory issues, however can be reduced with fitting respiratory assurance and every day precaution
Today’s farming world is filled with the latest and greatest technologies. Seed companies, machinery companies and chemical companies are all in a race with each other to develop the next best thing. It’s an exciting time to be in the ag industry and we have seen a lot of new trends and changing of how things are done in and out of the fields and how we grow and manage our crops.
A Fable for Tomorrow, the first chapter of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, shows the effects of using pesticides, specifically dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, or DDT, on an environment. In this first chapter, she refers to pesticides as the “pest” which causes many problems. Carson describes the beauty and peacefulness of a town before it was ruined by this “pest”. Pesticides are any chemicals used by man to control or kill weeds, insects, rodents, or other animals which harm human food or humans. This chapter brings the effects of chemical pollution to people's attention. Even though DDT has been banned for a long time, scientists still find traces of it in the environment. Many, many years later we are still trying to fix the effects of DDT pesticides.
I have always wanted to pursue a career related to the medical field, and it wasn't until my freshman year of college that I encountered the area of public health. I was immediately drawn to the specific area of epidemiology and infectious diseases. I am now a junior at the University of Texas majoring in Public Health with a concentration in microbiology and infectious diseases. I find epidemiology so enthralling, as it is implements ways in which we can scientifically and statistically describe diseases and the mortality/morbidity as well as predict how and why they spread. More so, I think the infectious disease aspect is interesting as well, because while the United States has shifted from burden of infectious disease to that of chronic