All posts by Max G. Levy

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How Scientists Use Climate Models to Predict Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreaks

May 10, 2019NewsClimate, Environment, Health, Mosquito, Science, SmithsonianMax G. Levy

SMITHSONIAN

The ebb and flow of rainy seasons corresponds with the hatching of millions of mosquitoes—and the spread of diseases they carry

Few natural phenomena pose a greater threat to humans than a swarm of mosquitoes erupting from a cluster of soil-lodged eggs. These bloodthirsty menaces can carry a host of diseases, such as Zika, West Nile and malaria, making mosquitoes the world’s deadliest animals.

Mosquito-borne diseases threaten billions of people, and while the diseases vary in biology and geography, most, if not all, are exacerbated by climate change. Scientists predict that a warming world will invite the spread of more mosquitoes, and more illness, threatening a billion more people over the next 60 years. But long-term predictions are hard to act on, and public health experts believe short-term forecasts could better kick-start programs to save people’s lives today.

For the last 20 years, scientists studying weather patterns have pieced together how real-time data can help predict mosquito-borne disease outbreaks weeks or even months before the insects emerge from the ground. These tools may provide a mechanism to prevent millions of deaths, tracking monsoons and other rain cycles to forecast mosquito hatching events.

Read the full story in Smithsonian

Mosquito-borne diseases get a boost from climate change

March 28, 2019NewsClimate, Environment, Health, Massive, Mosquito, Pacific StandardMax G. Levy

MASSIVE SCIENCE

Bugs like it hot, and evolve faster when there’s lots of carbon dioxide

We often think of climate change in terms of extreme weather, but the impacts of global warming will extend far beyond natural disasters. Scientists suggest climate change will also make more of the world hospitable to mosquitoes—and the diseases they carry. To make matters worse, new research shows that climate change may also be supercharging mosquito evolution.

Zika, West Nile, and dengue are just a few of the deadly viruses that depend on mosquitoes to spread. Human diseases like these are also carried by animals like birds and rodents, who don’t always show symptoms. But if a mosquito bites an infected animal, it can later transmit the disease to other animals, including humans. That’s why many disease prevention efforts focus on controlling mosquito populations—a task that’s about to become a lot harder.

Read full story in Massive Science

Republished in Pacific Standard Mag

Writing at Massive Science

March 28, 2019Author PageMassive ScienceMax G. Levy

I write, edit, produce, and fact check for Massive Science. My writing there ranges from fast-turn blogs, and service pieces to profiles and reported news stories.

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For a full list of my writing for Massive Science, please refer to my Massive author page

Mosquito control could slow the spread of disease in a warming world

February 13, 2019NewsClimate, Environment, Health, Mosquito, Policy, Science, The VergeMax G. Levy

THE VERGE

Diseases and disasters

The recently announced Green New Deal, a resolution to help address the threats of climate change, gives public health advocates a chance to confront an overlooked consequence of climate change: worsening mosquito-borne illnesses.

The resolution, which outlines projects designed to boost renewables, reduce emissions, and climate-proof the country’s infrastructure, was introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA). Its goal is to extinguish potential economic, national, and social infernos that are brought on by climate change. But the plan also recognizes growing threats to public health, such as the diseases becoming far more common in a warming world.

Climate change has already expanded the reach of mosquitoes that carry certain illnesses. More extreme weather events are also part of the package, and more severe storms, stronger hurricane seasons, more floods and droughts also increase the risk of disease after a natural disaster. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), climate change could increase the number of people who are at risk of malaria by over 100 million.

The FDA is going after stem cell clinics that peddle unproven treatments

January 19, 2019NewsHealth, Medicine, Policy, Science, Stem Cell, VoxMax G. Levy

VOX

The clinics claim they can treat serious diseases with stem cells from fat. The FDA doesn’t buy it.

Inside Mark Berman’s clinic in Rancho Mirage, California, is a sign he’s obliged by law to post. It reads “Not FDA Approved.”

Patients who come here to the California Stem Cell Treatment Center can get treatments for ailments ranging from sports injuries to muscular dystrophy. For upward of $5,000, Berman, a plastic surgeon by training, will remove a small portion of their fat, process it, and inject it back into them.

This is called “fat-derived stem cell therapy”; the premise is that the stem cells in your fat can jump-start the healing process. “The stem cells could be good for repairing everything from Alzheimer’s to paralysis to neurodegenerative conditions,” says Berman. “These cells are miraculous for helping heal. We don’t have a choice. We have to use them.”

Read the full story in Vox

Futuristic organ-on-a-chip technology now seems more realistic than ever

October 13, 2018NewsHealth, Massive Science, News, Research, ScienceMax G. Levy

Massive Science

Researchers have pioneered what may be the most accurate simulation of kidney function to-date

The future of medical research may fit on a clear chip not much bigger than a quarter.

In theory, organ-on-a-chip devices are aptly named. The engineered silicone modules contain small “organs,” represented by specific types of human cells. Fluid courses through thin channels — like veins, but only a fraction of the size — which interconnect the various cells, and expose them to drug treatments carefully administered by lab scientists. They may look like gadgets from the future, but these organ-on-a-chip devices have already garnered attention from scientists hoping to fix a broken drug discovery process.