Don't Sweat It: How Mosquitos Find Us

Scientists recently came one step closer to figuring out how to stop mosquitoes from biting us.

Mosquitos have plagued humans and other warm-blooded mammals for eons. Aside from ruining an otherwise beautiful summer evening with their itchy bites, they transmit some of the worst diseases known to man. Malaria, zika, yellow fever, dengue, West Nile Virus, encephalitis, and chikungunya are some of the deadliest.

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Many of these have no cure and may cause congenital disabilities or death.

In the United States West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, dengue, and yellow fever are all transmitted by mosquitoes.

The good news is that scientists continue to discover precisely how mosquitoes find us? It will help us figure out how to stop them from biting us.

The recent finding confirms that it is the acids in our sweat that attract them. Genetically altered mosquitoes that couldn't sense these acids were not drawn to us.

For now, the best method is still to use repellent with DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or another chemical that masks the smell of our sweat.

The future is looking brighter than ever for us to prevent mosquito bites and thereby eradicate many diseases.

One Hundred Years of the Flu

100 years ago one of the deadliest natural disasters hit humanity, killing approximately 4 percent of the earth's population. Even people in remote Pacific Islands and the Arctic met their demise due to this virus. This shocking number of deaths was caused by the flu, although these days most healthy people take the flu lightly.

That particular strain, the H1N1 influenza virus, commonly known as the Spanish Flu, claimed many young as well as many previously healthy adults. Additionally, since it arrived on the heels of the Great War, many people were malnourished, living in overcrowded medical camps with little access to good hygiene.

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Government censorship may have played a role in the pandemic. To appear strong, many governments didn't reveal how devastating the flu was, giving no warning to the public to protect themselves. In Spain this information was not censored, giving the world the false impression that the Spanish were harder hit than the rest of the world. Thus the common moniker of the H1N1 strain in 1918 was the Spanish Flu.

These days you can walk into the corner drug store and within a few minutes walk out inoculated against the flu. Each year scientists update the formula to keep up with the ever-mutating virus strains.

In addition to the vaccine, we now know to take more steps to minimize infection. These precautions include washing our hands frequently, not touching our faces, standing at least six feet from anyone with the flu, nor touching an infected person’s phone, keyboard or other personal items. In a more general sense, we know to keep our immune systems healthy by getting enough sleep, eating right and regulating stress factors.

How can you tell if someone has the flu, not just a bad cold? Ultimately, without a medical test it is impossible to tell precisely, but here are a few guidelines.

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Common cold:

• comes on gradually

• rarely have a fever

• mild aches

• sore throat and runny nose are common

  
  

The Flu:

• sudden onset

• high fever with chills

• body aches

• fatigue

• headaches

• sore throat and runny nose are rare

Most people recover from the flu on their own and suffer no complications. But one of the main reasons to avoid contracting it is to avoid passing it on to family and friends who are elderly, very young or otherwise susceptible to disease.

Late autumn is the perfect time to get your flu shot. It only takes a few seconds and you'll be covered until the next flu season.

• webmd.com
• cdc.gov

The Beauty of Illustration in an Age of Photography

Photograph of a normal human brain and a 3D illustration of a human brain.

You may associate nature and medical illustration with dusty old tomes, but it's more relevant and beautiful than ever. In a world that's getting more complicated and where technical knowledge can make or break careers, precise and informative illustration is more critical than ever.

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Illustration can show the unseen and explain the unclear. Think about a photograph of internal human anatomy. Even if it is a high resolution, super sharp image, it may still be difficult to decipher. A science or medical illustration, on the other hand, can show each anatomical part in a different color, label it, and indicate its function. Unimportant details can be left out and critical information highlighted.

In many cases, a photograph can't display the same level of detail as a well-designed illustration. Volcanos are spectacular on the outside but their inner workings are hidden from view without a well-placed cross-section. Illustrations can also represent processes such as DNA sequencing and distinctions between organisms that are similar in appearance, such as bacteria and viruses.

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To this day scientific illustrations play an important role in the education of doctors, geologists, paleontologists, physicists and many other careers.  

With the advancement of 2D and 3D software and the continued efforts of talented scientific artists, illustration will continue to play an important role in the future of science education.

Volcanic Eruptions: Kilauea and Beyond

 

A wall of lava flows down Hoʻokāpu Street on Hawaii's Big Island, engulfing cars and setting trees ablaze – one of many scenes of havoc following the eruption of Kilauea in May.

Deriving their name from the Roman god of fire, Vulcan, volcanoes live up to their reputation as one of nature's most fearsome phenomena. Literally openings in the earth's surface, volcanoes exist throughout the world, including underwater. 

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Volcanoes usually occur where tectonic plates separate but they can also arise from hot spots in the earth's crust, such as in the Hawaiian Islands and Yellowstone National Park. When pressure builds up and travels to the earth's surface, an eruption occurs that can last between one hour and hundreds of years. The Island of Stromboli's volcano has been continuously active for over 2,000 years.

In addition to lava, ash and fire, eruptions are often accompanied by earthquakes, mudslides, and acid rain, causing massive damage to the surrounding environment. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens destroyed 200 houses, 15 miles of highway and 4 billion board feet of timber.

Volcanic eruptions are not solely destructive, however. The lava they produce can clear away brush and treat the soil, making the land highly fertile for new plants and agriculture.

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• nationalgeographic.com
• bbc.com