Report: U.S. plants release a toxic herbicide into the air that more than 70 countries have banned

Waynesboro, Mississippi, in Wayne County is home to a 
 paraquat processing facility. (Photo by D. Nolan, The Lens)

Despite being banned in more than 70 countries, the toxic herbicide paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson's disease, is regularly released into the air from facilities in the southern U.S., reports Delaney Nolan of The Lens. Currently, Parkinson's is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the world.

The number of Parkinson's disease deaths in rural Wayne County, Mississippi, serves as an example. The county is home to the largest paraquat-emitting facility in the U.S., and was ranked in the top 7% for national Parkinson's deaths between 2018 and 2024, Nolan writes.

Although a significant body of research has linked the herbicide to Parkinson's disease deaths among residents living near paraquat plants, farms or golf courses that use it, the herbicide's popularity is growing. Nolan explains, "About 35% of large commercial farms in the U.S. now use paraquat to kill weeds and dry up crops for harvest, often soybean, corn and cotton."

American factories don't directly produce paraquat; they import paraquat concentrate. Oftentimes, the imported concentrate is "trucked up along the Mississippi River, reformulated and packaged at a [U.S.] facility," Nolan explains. And while paraquat is considered a toxic chemical in the U.S., it is not "a federally regulated air pollutant – states have the authority to regulate it but generally do not set maximum emissions standards."

A "mass of research, including a rigorous 2024 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, has repeatedly affirmed the dangers of paraquat," Nolan adds. "When a person inhales paraquat, it travels into the brain, killing the neurons which produce dopamine, which in some people can lead to Parkinson’s. . . . Even people who live near fields where paraquat is sprayed have increased risks of Parkinson’s and thyroid cancer."

Hantavirus is a less common, but often deadly illness. Awareness and prevention are the best defenses.

Deer mice are the most common carriers of hantavirus.
(Photo by Melvin Zettl, Unsplash)

Not every cautionary tale about diseases spread by critters is limited to vector-carriers like ticks and mosquitoes. Rodents also spread some less-discussed but equally deadly illnesses, like hantavirus, which is most often transmitted to humans by deer mice.

The recent illnesses and deaths aboard an Atlantic cruise ship serve as a sobering reminder that while deer mice are little and perceived as "cute," they can spread hantavirus. "Six people on board a cruise ship were affected by suspected cases of hantavirus, and three died," reports Evan Bush of NBC News. The disease is "relatively rare but devastating threat without a vaccine, treatment or cure. . . . More than 890 cases of hantavirus were reported nationwide from 1993 to 2023."

Hantavirus can be transmitted to humans through contact with saliva, droppings or urine of infected rodents. Bush explains, "People tend to get hantavirus when they disturb droppings or urine from mice in the dusty corners of barns, cabins or outbuildings near forested land, including during cleaning."

The disease is most common in the southwestern U.S., where deer mice are found. But that doesn't mean it can't be found elsewhere in the country, Bush reports. Human to human transmission is also possible.

Initially, hantavirus presents as a flu-like illness, which can be difficult to differentiate from Covid or other forms of influenza that cause coughing, fatigue and body aches. But it can develop into an aggressive respiratory disease. 

Dr. Jeff Duchin, an expert on hantavirus, told Bush, "The fatal, rapidly progressive pulmonary illness can come on very quickly, in hours. That, itself, can become fatal on a very short timeline." The disease weakens blood vessels, allowing fluid to fill the lungs, which eventually causes death.

Since there is no vaccine or medicine to treat hantavirus, prevention is the best protection. When disinfecting a rodent infestation, Erin Phipps, a public health veterinarian in New Mexico, recommended "wearing gloves, using N95 respirator, opening windows and relying on disinfectants," Bush reports. 

Phipps told Bush, "Never sweep up or vacuum mouse droppings, since this can spread particles up into the air."

An early spring means more ticks to avoid

As spring arrived across much of the U.S., more people ventured outside to enjoy nature, but unfortunately, the warmer temperatures also awakened ticks. "Tick season seems to be off to a fast start, with an unusually high number of bites already reported across the country," reports Mike Stobbe of The Associated Press.

All tick bites warrant attention because they can spread "serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy," Stobbe explains. "Lyme disease is the most common, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it each year, according to the CDC."

A 'questing' tick perches itself on the edge of a branch and 
waits for a host to walk past. (Entomology Today photo) 

Although most people know that ticks are tremendously adept at attaching themselves to people and animals, many may not know why. Understanding how ticks "find" their victims can be a first line of defense, simply by knowing where to look.

Ticks seeking a host are most often found in ankle-high vegetation where they exhibit a behavior known as "questing." To quest, all ticks do is anchor themselves to the tips of grasses, leaves, or shrubs and extend their front legs and wait for an animal or human to walk by, according to Entomology Today. Ticks also like to "link" together, so they can fall on a host in a chain, bite and feed.

To prevent tick bites, experts suggest walking "in the middle of paths and wearing light-colored clothing treated with the insecticide permethrin," Stobbe adds. "And use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents."

The risk of disease can be reduced if ticks are found early and removed immediately. "It’s not necessary to go to a doctor unless you think the tick has been on you for days or if you develop a rash or other symptoms," Stobbe reports. 

Kansas fitness centers focus on providing exercise care to rural residents with Parkinson's disease

Kansas has the second-highest rate of 
Parkinson's disease cases in the U.S.

Among the nearly 1 million Americans living with Parkinson's disease, rural residents face more challenges accessing the exercise and support programs that could improve their quality of life.

In rural Kansas, some fitness centers have opened or expanded care to help area patients work out more regularly, according to Bek Shackelford of NPR. Regular exercise is one of the few proven ways Parkinson's disease sufferers can lessen the muscle stiffness, tremors, sleep problems and brain-health issues that often accompany the disease.

The Parkinson's Exercise and Wellness Center in Leawood, Kansas, which offers "gym services to around 280 people and offers classes ranging from Pilates and boxing to theater" serves as an example, Shackelford adds. The head coach and co-founder of the center, Sarrisa Curry, told Shackelford that the center's enrollment has been on the rise as more baby boomers are diagnosed with the disease.

Medical scientists are still unsure what causes Parkinson's disease to develop. Some studies indicate that the disease may have a genetic basis. Other research suggests that exposure to pesticides, such as those encountered in rural farming communities, could be partially to blame. Shackelford reports, "Recent data shows Kansas has some of the highest rates of Parkinson's diagnosis in the country." Only Nebraska has a higher rate.

Elaine Ptacek, who founded the Parkinson's Families of Northwest Kansas, a nonprofit that "offers things like physical therapy and art classes, says about 90% of her group's participants live on farms and are exposed to pesticides," Shackelford adds. "Ptacek's organization serves a rural area she says desperately needs Parkinson's support."

To reach as many patients as possible, Parkinson's Families of Northwest Kansas offers exercise classes to "groups in eight counties [who can] join Zoom calls and follow along with a fitness instructor," Shackelford adds.

Parents who skip or postpone vaccines for their kids are more concerned about vaccine safety, a new poll finds

 Photo by Mika Baumeister, Unsplash

Parents who skip, avoid or postpone standard vaccinations for their kids often share vaccine safety concerns and other attributes, a new poll from The Washington Post and KFF Health News shows.

The poll found that one in six parents have delayed or skipped some vaccines for their children, with most reporting "concerns about the vaccines themselves," report Lauren Weber, Scott Clement, Emily Guskin, and Lena H. Sun of The Washington Post. "About half of parents overall lack faith in federal health agencies to ensure vaccine safety, mirroring the findings of other surveys."

While the poll revealed that the majority of parents support child vaccinations, it also showed that "skipping or delaying vaccines is more common among parents who homeschool children, are Republicans, are young, or are White and religious," the Post reports.

Some polled parents believe in the effectiveness and necessity of childhood vaccinations -- just not on the schedule set by the federal government, which favors multiple shots in a single visit, rather than a more graduated immunization schedule.

Most interviewed parents did not support claims about vaccines causing autism or chronic disease. The Post reports, "But at least 4 in 10 parents say they don’t know enough to say whether those claims are true or false."

Poll results do seem to indicate some level of distrust in how the government manages vaccines. The Post explains, "Six in 10 Democrats are confident in federal health agencies overseeing vaccine safety, compared with 48% of independents and 41% of Republicans."

"Despite Republican parents being more likely to skip vaccines, 77% still follow vaccine recommendations," the Post reports. "Most of President Donald Trump’s voters believe vaccines save lives."

Measles made its way back into the U.S., but new ways to prevent the disease may be on the horizon.

Illustration of infectious diseases under a microscope
(Adobe Stock)

Once thought to be eliminated in the U.S., measles has returned, leaving its unpleasant symptoms and tell-tale itchy rash in its wake. With more people contracting and spreading the disease, ways to avoid or treat it have revived. "As vaccination rates fall and infections rise, scientists are racing to develop drugs they say could prevent or treat the disease in vulnerable and unvaccinated people," reports Dominique Mosbergen of The Wall Street Journal.

A little over 20 years ago, looking for ways to treat measles wasn't a consideration, but now some biotech companies and universities are working on measles prevention without the typical MMR vaccination. Mosbergen writes, "The drugs are still a ways from becoming available to patients but could offer alternatives to people who are immunocompromised, don’t respond to the measles vaccine or are vaccine skeptics."

Not all medical professionals see new measles treatments as a positive development because they could "further drive the drop in vaccination. Nationally, 92.5% of kindergartners received the measles, mumps and rubella . . . shot in the 2024-25 school year," the Journal reports. "In 2019-20, the vaccination rate was over 95%, which is the rate encouraged by health authorities to prevent community transmission of measles."

Invivyd, one of the companies working on a new measles treatment, uses measles "antibodies that are lab-made versions that can be delivered intravenously or as an injection and boost immunity immediately," Mosbergen explains. "They could benefit newborns and immunocompromised people who can’t be vaccinated, as well as the minority of people who don’t respond to the vaccine or whose immunity has waned."

Scientists haven't studied the measles virus as much as other communicable diseases because the vaccine was so effective, but to develop new treatments, researchers have "been forced to better understand measles," Mosbergen reports. "The body’s immune response to measles, for instance, hadn’t been well understood."

Contaminants may be lurking in beach, lake or 'old swimming hole' water. Local reporting can help readers swim safely.

Read water safety warnings before diving in.
(Photo by Joseph Two, Unsplash)

Want to go for a swim? Sounds appealing, but it's best to see what's in the water before donning your flippers and face mask. 

"A stark 1,930 out of 3,187 beaches sampled across the nation in 2024 experienced at least one day on which indicators of fecal contamination exceeded federal safety levels, a new report has revealed," Sharon Udasin of The Hill reports. "The Gulf Coast had the biggest share of beaches with at least one unsafe day in 2024, reaching 84%, followed by the West Coast, with 79%, and the Great Lakes, with 71%."

The list of diseases swimmers can get from contact with contaminated water includes "cryptosporidium, some forms of filariasis (not elephantiasis), Legionnaires' disease, swimmers' itch, swimmers' ear, typhoid, giardiasis, salmonella, schistosomiasis, campylobacter … and more," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists. Many of the listed diseases are spread when swimmers swallow fecal-contaminated water. Research confirms almost all recreational water activities cause swimmers to ingest at least a small amount of beach, lake or pool water.

Historically, the U.S. strives to maintain "fishable, swimmable waters. That’s the stated goal of the 1972 Clean Water Act," Davis adds. "The nation certainly hasn’t met the goal yet — but it is still trying. . . . Under the CWA, the Environmental Protection Agency sets nationwide 'criteria.' These state how clean water must be for any particular use (like swimming or total body contact recreation)."

Each state has its own water pollution control agency that determines "specific uses (like swimming) for each lake, stream or estuary within its borders, and regulates discharge permits to reach the criteria for those uses," Davis explains. "That’s the theory, anyway."

For community journalists, reporting on local "water hole" quality could be information readers will appreciate. Story ideas by Davis are shared below:

• Where do people in your audience area go to swim in the summer? How far away are they willing to go? Go there and talk to people.
• Are there beach closings in your area? Why? It’s often storm discharges from sewer systems. What are the records of your local sewage and stormwater agencies on storm discharges? Have they ever been cited for permit violations?
• What do your state and local health agencies say about the incidence of waterborne illness from local swimming areas? Are the diseases common or uncommon?
• Talk to managers and patrons of local pools, public and private. Talk to the swim coaches. Have they ever had a swimmer out because of waterborne illness?
• Are there ever algal blooms in your local swimming waters? Are they harmful?
• Talk to people whose water recreation mainly involves things other than swimming: sailors, skiers, parasailers, etc.
• Is there a community health center near your swimming area? Go there and talk to the staff about water contact diseases.

If you get bitten by a tick, save it -- and other tips for dealing with ticks' ever-spreading presence

Illustration of a tick biting. 
(Art by Sebastian Kaulitzki, Adobe Stock)

What's to like about ticks? They are an important food source for wildlife, such as birds, lizards and bats. What's not to like? For humans, the list is long. 

Ticks can carry and spread more than 12 different "disease-causing agents including toxins, allergens, bacteria, parasites and viruses," reports Pien Huang of NPR. Across the U.S., some 31 million people are bitten by ticks every year.

Although not every tick bite ends in disease, many do. "Most reported cases of vector-borne disease (including mosquitoes) come from ticks, which can carry pathogens with terrible consequences," Huang explains. "Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the U.S., estimated to affect more than 470,000 people each year."

When it comes to ticks, working to avoid contact is the first line of defense; however, knowing what to do if you find one attached or have suspicious symptoms such as a rash is just as important.

If you find a tick attached, remove it immediately, but place it in a plastic bag or container it can't escape. Huang writes, "Identifying some key information about the tick can help determine your risks. That includes what kind of tick it is, whether it's in the nymph or adult stage and how long it's been feeding on you." 

The University of Rhode Island's website contains tick identification tools and instructions on how to submit the tick's photo to a tick-tracking expert.

An engorged deer tick. (CDC photo)

The ever-growing list of diseases ticks carry often depends on geography, although warming temperatures have led some tick species to spread into new regions. "In the past 20 years, scientists have discovered at least seven new tick-borne pathogens in the U.S.," Huang reports. "The mid-Atlantic recently saw its first fatal case of Heartland Virus."

For people heading outdoors, Huang provides this tick-avoiding guidance from CDC experts:

• Do careful and frequent tick checks on yourself and your family members and pets.
• If you're hiking, it helps to stay in the middle of a well-maintained trail, since ticks tend to hang out in the shrubs and foliage around the edge.
• Treat outdoor clothing with permethrin, a chemical similar to chrysanthemum extracts that stops ticks from biting.
• Additionally, treat your exposed skin with EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picardin, or other active ingredients that deter ticks. (Use the EPA's search tool to find one that works.)

Quick hits: Bakery sign debate; global cheese demand; Marlboro man's mystique; discover the Stargazer Highway

Local art students created the bakery sign, but a code enforcement 
officer said it had to come down. (Leavitt's Country Bakery reel photo)

Even in closely-knit small towns, not everyone gets along. In Conway, New Hampshire, town officials and Sean Young, a bakery business owner, have been in a legal dust-up since Young installed a front signage mural made by local high school students. "But the town of Conway told Young the painting wasn’t a mural, it was a sign that exceeded the town’s legal size limit and would need to be taken down," reports Kyle Melnick of The Washington Post. "Young left the mural up, and sued the town the following year, claiming its ordinance violates the First Amendment." In May, a judge ruled that Leavitt’s Country Bakery sign, with its giant muffins, donuts and beaming sun, could stay.

The love of cheese products is going global, which is good news for American dairy farmers. "While domestic cheese sales remain soft, global cheese demand is accelerating rapidly," reports Taylor Leach of Daily Herd Management. "Much of that growth is coming from international restaurant menus that are incorporating cheese in new and creative ways. . . . Beyond cheese, other dairy products are gaining traction in international markets as well. Whey proteins and milk proteins, in particular, are seeing increased demand across Asia."

The Marlboro man 'was always adaptable to the times.'
(Philip Morris ad via MEL magazine)

Despite the illness and death cigarette smoking has caused, the Marlboro man remains a strong, stoic, and unequivocally American icon. "The Marlboro man was something of a chameleon, in that he took on multiple meanings and was always adaptable to the times — which, more than anything else, speaks to the durability of the cowboy in American culture," reports Brian VanHooker for MEL magazine. VanHooker shares the storied history of one of the most successful ad campaigns in U.S. history. "Twenty years later, while the Marlboro Man may evoke a sense of nostalgia for some due to its beautiful imagery of the West, for so many who have had a loved one die from smoking-related illnesses, he has a much darker legacy."

Department of Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a listing of new Farm Service Agency and Rural Development state directors tasked with implementing the Trump administration's rural agenda. During her announcement, Rollins told reporters, "Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper." Mariah Squire of Successful Farming provides a by-state listing of new appointees, with a limited look at their professional backgrounds.

The dark night skies of the Black Canyon in Gunnison National Park, Colorado.
(Photo by G. Owens, National Park Traveler)

America's National Parks offer visual experiences rarely found in other places. A group of photographers wanted to understand more about Native American spiritual history, so they set out across the National Park's path known as the "Stargazer Highway," Eric Jay Toll writes for National Park Traveler. "More than a dozen tribes have traditional lands through which the Stargazer Highway passes, and each has sacred tribal legends explaining the stars in the skies and lessons, consequences, and morals on Earth. . . . These stories [are] along the highway, better known as U.S. 191, and many of its side roads. The road runs 1,545 miles from Mexico to Canada through Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, passing 24 national parks, monuments, and tribal parks."

IQOS is marketed as sophisticated and 'safer' than
burned tobacco. (Adobe Stock photo)

Phillip Morris has a slick-looking new tobacco product hitting U.S. markets. "The chicly futuristic branding of IQOS, a heated tobacco product owned by Philip Morris International, is one of several things worrying researchers and anti-tobacco advocates," reports Sarah Todd of STAT. "The company is rolling out pilots of the device. . . peddling IQOS (pronounced “eye-koss”) as the 'next step in tobacco harm reduction.' The company positions the devices as a better alternative for smokers compared to cigarettes." Health advocates don't agree with the company's sales pitch and say that savvy IQOS marketing could convince some people to start an unhealthy, addictive habit. 

Ticks can transmit diseases to humans.
(CDC photo)

The problem with ticks isn't that they look creepy; they spread illnesses with alarming efficiency. Every summer it's good to review the best ways to avoid and if needed, remove hitchhiker ticks. "These vile little creatures transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis, among others, and symptoms can range from swollen joints to meat allergies," report Annemarie Conte and Doug Mahoney of Wirecutter. Click here to read "their favorite picks and the advice to keep in mind as you head outdoors this summer."

Opinion: The ongoing measles outbreak was 'avoidable.' Now what?

Map by Sarah Milotte, The Rural Index via The Daily Yonder

As measles cases in the U.S. top more than 1,000 diagnosed infections, medical experts Richard Hughes and Anna Larson call the ongoing outbreak "an avoidable public health failure," in their opinion for MedPage Today.

Measles was declared "eliminated" in the United States in 2000, but its status is evolving. The most recent eruption of the highly contagious disease began in rural Texas and "continues to unfold with additional deaths in Texas and New Mexico, an exposure at a major U.S. airport following an identified case in Maryland, and expanding to over half of U.S. states," Hughes and Larson write.

The newly appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has added to the confusion about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine by endorsing "unproven treatments for measles and emphasizing vaccination as a personal choice rather than a public good," they write. When "he finally recommended measles vaccination to address the snowballing case count, he then ordered the search for new measles treatments instead of promoting vaccination."

Searching for a new measles "cure" won't stop the continuing spread of the disease, but beefing up MMR vaccine rates could. Instead, the administration "has canceled research related to vaccine hesitancy and misinformation," Hughes and Larson add, "and announced a requirement that all new vaccine products undergo placebo-controlled clinical trials prior to licensure."

What is likely to happen? "We can expect vaccination challenges to compound, immunization rates to decline, and vaccine-preventable diseases to rise," Hughes and Larson write. "A comprehensive U.S. approach to shore up our measles defenses and preserve elimination status is imperative, but unlikely."

What can be done to slow the current measles outbreak down? "Consistent application of proven public health measures -- expanded vaccine access, particularly in underserved populations, and improved disease and vaccine surveillance systems," according to Hughes and Larson. "The need to combat misinformation and instill public trust in vaccines is obvious, but bears repeating. . . . Now is not the time for complacency; it's time for action."

Quick hits: Trucks for farmers; guide for emergency alerts; Native Americans enter elections; PORKtober is here!

AGwagon kits make trucks tough enough for farming.
(Photo by Matthew J. Grassi, Farm Journal)

Farmers who want a truck built for the rigors of farming can now make one with "AGwagon," aftermarket kits, reports Matthew J. Grassi of Farm Journal. "There has never been a pickup truck 100% purposely built for farmers and ranchers. . . . The kits convert off-the-factory-line trucks into rugged and tough, back 40 devouring, farm equipment hauling beasts. . . . The AGwagon kits were built off feedback from a panel of 14 farmers and ranchers."

Signing up for emergency alerts may sound simple, but often it's not. This group made an emergency alert guide that can be a model for other communities, reports Natasha Uzcátegui-Liggett of CalMatters. "If you’re interested in publishing a comprehensive emergency alert guide for your state, you can start with our article on CalMatters (it’s free to republish if you credit us clearly, and the majority of it applies to all states), and then swap out the section titled 'How to sign up for your county’s alerts' with your reporting for your state. . . "

Humans and other animals have more than one 'prong' of defense against germs.
(Knowable graphic)

Immune systems are part of living creatures' defenses against bacteria and viruses, but they aren't the only type of protection. "Some scientists think we should devote more attention to a second prong of defense: one that allows our bodies to more harmlessly live with pathogens until they’re cleared from our systems," reports Liam Drew of Knowable. "There is a substantial body of research showing various ways in which animals can tolerate, and so survive, maladies such as malaria, sepsis and dysentery."

Dr. Stephen Loyd

He was a physician, then an opioid addict, and now he's West Virginia's "drug czar," reports Leah Willingham of The Associated Press. "Dr. Stephen Loyd, who has been treating patients with substance use disorder since he got sober two decades ago, says combating opioid addiction in the state with the highest rate of overdose deaths isn’t just his job. It’s an integral part of his healing. . . . Loyd says he is ready to help advise the state's foundation on how to distribute the nearly $1 billion in settlement money saying the state has a 'moral and ethical responsibility' to spend it wisely."

Amid election year tensions and negativity, there are some bright spots. This November, "a record-breaking number of Native Americans are running for state and local office," reports Daniel C. Volk of Route Fifty. "Advance Native Political Leadership, a group that works to increase Native American representation at those levels of government, says there are 230 Native candidates running across the country this year, up from 100 when it first started counting in 2016. About 80% of this year’s candidates are women."

Deanne Frieders

It's PORKtober, and "This Farm Girl Cooks" web writer Deanne Frieders can help you decide "what's for dinner," even if you're delivering supper to a field of workers, reports Jennifer Shike of Farm Journal. "As a cook, she loves how versatile pork is to cook with as it can take on so many flavor profiles from Italian to Tex-Mex to Asian." To explore Frieders' website full of farmer-friendly meals, click here.

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," can cause devastating health issues for humans, partially because they build up in the body over time. Much of the concern over PFAS has been their "everlasting" presence in U.S. water supplies, but this town has succeeded in removing them, reports Pien Huang of NPR. "Yorba Linda is a small, sunny city southeast of Los Angeles. It’s home to the nation’s largest per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) water treatment plant of its kind." The plant can serve as a model for other communities.

Virologists are worried about a human 'bird flu' pandemic; wastewater testing in Texas signals the disease's spread

Bird flu transmits from wild birds to other animals, including dairy
cows. At least 14 people have been infected. (Adobe Stock photo)

As bird flu continues to spread among U.S. dairy cows, the disease has become more adaptable, with 14 human cases reported since March. "Both are worrying developments, say virologists, who fear that the country’s meager response to the virus is putting the entire world at risk of another pandemic, reports Jessica Hamzelou of MIT Technology Review. "Infections in dairy cattle, first reported back in March, brought us a step closer to human spread. Since then, the situation has only deteriorated." Researchers have even found evidence of bird flu, or H5N1, in wastewater in 10 cities.

Even though H5N1 spreads stably in global bird populations, the disease has also infected their predators. "The list of affected mammals includes bears, foxes, skunks, otters, dolphins, whales, sea lions. . . . Some of these animals appear to be able to pass the virus to other members of their species," Hamzelou explains. "This is bad news — not just for the affected animals, but for people, too. It’s not just a bird flu anymore. And when a virus can spread in other mammals, it’s a step closer to being able to spread in humans."

How dangerous the virus can become depends on how it mutates, which isn't predictable. Scientists do know that the virus is effectively circulating and evolving. Hamzelou reports, "So far, it's clear that the virus has mutated but hasn’t yet acquired any of these more dangerous mutations, says Michael Tisza, a bioinformatics scientist at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. That being said, Tisza and his colleagues have been looking for the virus in wastewater from 10 cities in Texas—and they have found H5N1 in all of them."

For now, Tisza and his colleagues "don’t know where this virus is coming from — whether it’s coming from birds, milk, or infected people, Hamzelou adds. "But the team didn’t find any signal of the virus in wastewater during 2022 or 2023, when there were outbreaks in migratory birds and poultry." Tisza said, “In 2024, it’s been a different story. We’ve seen it a lot. . . . This virus is not causing a human pandemic right now, which is great. But it is a virus of pandemic potential."

Wild pigs are a seemingly unstoppable pestilence, but their threat could become exponentially more dangerous

Feral pigs eat crops and degrade water quality wherever
they invade. (Photo by Adam Dixon, Ambrook Research)

When feral pigs invade the countryside, they go hog wild eating farm crops, tearing up the ground, prolifically reproducing and spreading diseases to other animals and humans. As if that scourge wasn't enough, federal officials are preparing for the possible arrival of African Swine Fever in wild hogs and its possible spread to domestic pigs and maybe even humans. The concern is so viable that officials and stakeholders have completed simulations to prepare for ASF, reports Michael Crowe of Ambrook Research. "For two days, groups discussed the ins and outs of emerging pig diseases like African Swine Fever and the potential for feral hogs to help spread them."

Highly contagious and deadly for all pig breeds, ASF cannot spread to humans yet, but its travels across the globe make it a human health and pork industry concern. "Researchers have warned the animals can serve as a reservoir that can spill over into domesticated herds. This makes feral pigs not just a damage concern, but a food security issue," Crowe writes. "It’s one of the top threats to U.S. pork production, which exported $7.7 billion of product in 2022."

Should ASF be detected in the United States, the protocol is simple: shut all pig operations down. Crowe explains, "A single infected domestic or wild pig could lead the Department of Agriculture to pause all live pig and semen shipments for 72 hours to try and contain it, a massive stoppage considering we have a million hogs on U.S. roads every day. And being shut out of international trade, even temporarily, is a serious concern."

Kevin Morgan from the Office of Health Security, part of the Department of Homeland Security, told Crowe, "We need to get better at shared awareness across borders because these types of emerging pathogens — there’s no line on a map that they respect. . . . We need to be on the same page on surveillance and early warning." Crowe reports, "Beyond building connections, officials are also looking to help producers protect their herds at a local level."

Currently, the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service is "running active ASF surveillance across 12 states — the entire U.S./Mexico border and the Florida Gulf Coast," Crowe reports. But there is no way for officials or scientists to predict how people will react. 

Consumer response to eating beef during the mad cow disease crisis serves as an example. Pig farmer Paul Klingeman Jr. asked Crowe, "How many people are going to think they might get this if they eat pork?"

Bird flu continues to infect cattle, but national testing for humans is stymied; only about 45 people have been tested

So far, H5N1 has not spread from human to human.

Despite studies showing Americans have little to zero immunity to H5N1, the strain of bird flu that has infected more than 100 herds of dairy cows and at least three farm employees, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration are distributing bird flu tests at a snail's pace. "The U.S. has tested only about 45 people across the country," reports Amy Maxmen of KFF Health News. Without more testing, knowing how many dairy workers are infected is impossible. "A lack of testing means the country might not notice if the virus begins to spread between people — the gateway to another pandemic."

The CDC has around 1 million tests available, but the channels for getting the tests aren't the norm. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the CDC, "is concerned because the CDC and public health labs aren't generally where doctors order tests from. That job tends to be done by major clinical laboratories run by companies and universities, which lack authorization for bird flu testing," Maxmen explains. "Researchers cite testing failures as a key reason the U.S. fared so poorly with Covid."

Testing is critical to stemming a pandemic, but the U.S. needs to include clinical laboratories in the testing supply chain. Alex Greninger, assistant director of the University of Washington Medicine Clinical Virology Laboratory, told KFF News, "Clinical labs are part of the nation's public health system. . . . Pull us into the game. We're stuck on the bench."

Meanwhile, H5N1 will continue to evolve, and the virus could begin to spread from person to person vs. cow to person, which is yet another reason "to involve clinical laboratories. . . so the nation can ramp up testing," Maxmen writes. "The fastest way to get clinical labs involved, Greninger said, is to allow them to use a test the FDA has already authorized: the CDC's bird flu test. . . . The CDC opened up that possibility by offering royalty-free licenses for components of its bird flu tests to accredited labs."

While several commercial labs requested those licenses, getting FDA approval has hampered progress. "The CDC has given seven companies licenses for its tests — although none have been cleared to use them by the FDA," Maxmen reports. "Greninger said the delays and confusion are reminiscent of the early months of Covid, when federal agencies prioritized caution over speed. Test accuracy is important, he said, but excessive vetting can cause harm in a fast-moving outbreak like this one."

To learn more about the evolution and transfer of viral zoonotic diseases, click here. 

Drinking raw milk might have a cult following, but it contains harmful pathogens that make people sick

Pasteurized cow's milk is safe and nutritious
to consume. (Photo by Suvrajit, Unsplash)

Advocates may tout raw milk as nutritionally superior to pasteurized milk, but little research supports their claim. The risks involved in raw milk consumption outweigh any possible benefits, write Juan Silva, Joel Komakech and Mandy Conrad for The Conversation, a journalistic platform for academics. "Despite an ongoing outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows, the popularity of raw milk has only risen. . . . Since cattle can shed viral material into their milk, not only can pathogens end up in milk, but at least three farmworkers reportedly contracted H5N1. . . . Farmworkers can get sick by handling infected animals or their byproducts, such as raw milk." 

Below are the authors' slightly edited answers to questions about pasteurized and raw milk. 

What is pasteurization? Does it destroy nutrients?
Pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and parasites. The process "reduces the total number of microorganisms in the product and also inactivates enzymes that could contribute to spoilage. . . . The taste, nutritional value and quality of pasteurized products aren’t significantly affected by the process."

Is raw milk healthier? No. There is little science behind this idea:

• Raw milk does not improve lactose intolerance.
• Raw milk also does not have more vitamins than pasteurized milk.
• Vitamin D is added to pasteurized milk to enhance your body’s ability to absorb the calcium in milk.
• Raw milk is generally lacking in probiotics and has significantly more harmful bacteria.
• Raw milk does not help consumers "gain" H5N1 immunity. No scientific evidence supports that drinking raw milk can improve immunity against disease.

Can consuming raw milk make someone sick? Yes. Unpasteurized milk can contain harmful microorganisms: "Raw milk has been associated with hundreds of foodborne disease outbreaks. . . . A number of outbreaks and recalls related to pathogens in raw milk have already occurred in 2024. In all cases, pathogens in the raw milk that cause human diseases were directly responsible for these illnesses. . . . Some illnesses from the pathogens in raw milk can have serious long-term effects, including paralysis, kidney failure and death."

Is eating products such as cheese or yogurt made with raw milk safe? No. "Only products that undergo a process to inhibit or kill harmful microorganisms may be safe enough to be made from unpasteurized milk. However, the potential for cross-contamination of raw and cooked food as well as the survival of pathogens from inadequate processing is high when products are made with raw milk."

Can pasteurized milk cause illness? "The few reported outbreaks associated with pasteurized milk can be traced to contamination after pasteurization. When handled properly, pasteurized milk is a very safe product."

Final thoughts? Drinking raw milk that contains H5N1 can make a person sick and help the virus evolve into something more dangerous. "People who contract bird flu from raw milk run the risk of transmitting it to other people or animals by giving the virus a chance to adapt and improve its ability to spread between people. This increases the risk of more widespread disease outbreaks."

Early week quick hits: Addressing mental health issues; finding funny stories; using lasers to make birds leave

Colorado Department of Agriculture photo via Successful Farming

Farming and ranching are two livelihoods that are tough on the human body and mind. For men and women in either or both professions, seeking help for mental stress can mean overcoming social stigmas and a lack of access. A new film, Legacy, from the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Colorado Farm Bureau aims to break down social barriers for farmers and ranchers who experience isolation and mental health issues, reports Lisa Foust Prater of Successful Farming. The film takes viewers into the stories of "several farmers and ranchers who share glimpses into their lives, including losing a loved one to suicide or facing their own struggles with mental health. . . .They speak candidly about the struggles faced by those working in agriculture and the difficulties with finding help." Watch the film here.

Cancer used to be a disease people mostly over 50 had to worry about. Now, many younger people are turning up with aggressive cancers, and researchers can't yet explain what has changed. "Adults in the prime of their lives, often otherwise outwardly healthy, are dying of cancers that appear to develop more quickly and be more deadly than in the past, for reasons that scientists cannot adequately explain, reports Dylan Scott of Vox. "Scientific authorities around the world see this as one of the most pressing questions for modern medicine."

Reading a funny book can make life sweeter.
(Adobe Stock photo)

One of The Rural Blog writers insists that the world needs more laughter. With that idea in mind, here are 22 books that could help you giggle, guffaw, chortle and even snort out loud. "The humor these authors embrace traverses the gamut, from sardonic to screwball, mordant to madcap, droll to deranged," report Dwight Garner, Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai of The New York Times. "The critic Albert Murray understood that wit is power, and that knowing where the funny is takes us closer to the nub of things. Best of all, it's available to anyone. As Murray wrote, 'It is always open season on the truth.'"

As many rural hospitals and clinics have closed or limited services, getting medical care or chronic health treatment services has become an uphill battle for residents. The American Heart Association visited Alaska, Kansas, Kentucky, the Dakotas and West Virginia to shed light on rural health challenges and how residents and communities are working to overcome obstacles. Their exploration and discussions are presented in the docuseries, "Health Wanted: Find Care in Rural America." Click here for each state's episode.

Lasers can deter birds.
(Bird Control Group photo via SF)

Some Wisconsin farmers use lasers to keep wild birds away from their animals, reducing their chance of avian flu exposure. "When the human eye examines one of Craig Duhr's lasers at a Wisconsin farm, only a green dot is visible. But to birds, a variety of green beams and shifting patterns appear," reports Jonah Beleckis of Wisconsin Public Radio. Laser beams do not harm birds, but the birds "simply see the lasers as a threat and leave the area. . . . Wisconsin's agriculture department recommends farmers use biosecurity measures, such as lasers, to protect poultry flocks."

Maine Monitor analysis,
from State Fire Marshal data

Maine firefighters have the cool trucks and trademark hats, and some even have a station dog. But fighting fires is not what they spend most of their time doing. Amber Stone of The Maine Monitor reports, "A mere 4.5 percent of the 160,435 calls for service in 2022 were for fires, according to a Monitor analysis of State Fire Marshal data. Seventy percent of those calls were for emergency medical response. More than half of Maine's 338 registered fire departments are also licensed at some level to provide emergency medical services, according to Maine EMS, and more are considering doing so."

Rural residents with diabetes are more likely to suffer from disease complications -- lack of access to care could be why

Diabetes requires continuous care.
(Photo by T. Barbhuiya, Unsplash)

Past studies have shown that rural Americans are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, and they experienced more struggles trying to manage the disease than their more urban counterparts. In a new study, researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine took a closer look at rural residents experiencing diabetes complications such as heart and kidney problems. Their research, which was published in the journal Diabetes Care, showed that these rural populations are at significantly higher risk of suffering from end-stage kidney disease, heart failure and heart attacks, all of which could caused by a lack of access to medical care.

The study's corresponding author, Rozalina McCoy, told UM news: "Those who live in rural areas have a greater risk of experiencing eight out of the eleven complications that we measured compared with those living in cities. . . .They were 15 percent more likely to have dangerously low blood sugar levels, which clearly indicates that their diabetes is not being managed properly."

The study's co-author, Elsa Davis, added, "While our study didn't address why these differences exist, we do know that people living outside of city areas are less likely to receive care from diabetes specialists, to receive diabetes self-management education, and to be monitored for diabetes complications."

While the study encompassed varying degrees of rural populations, it "relied on insurance information to identify diabetes complications," UM reports. "If people could not access medical care, that complication would not be captured. Dr. McCoy noted that this finding further underscored the barriers to care in remote areas: patients are likely having high blood sugar emergencies and heart failure but cannot get to the emergency department or hospital to have them diagnosed and treated." Study authors added that further research should investigate reasons why these disparities exist.

Opinion: Amid hospital closures and soaring costs, medical centers should offer affordable care, not luxuries

Some hospitals look more like 5-star hotels.
(Photo by Jared Rice, Unsplash)

An anticipated "getaway" or "a journey of a lifetime" is often tied to a vacation that offers time away from the stress of daily life. But these traveling words are now being used to rebrand disease treatments. "Spin doctors are marketing getting sick as an adventure," writes Elisabeth Rosenthal in her opinion for KFF Health News. "It's not."

Rosenthal has always enjoyed travel and, for a time, lived in Rome. Her more recent "trips" were nothing like a vacation or living abroad. "I'm told, I've been on a journey. Two journeys, actually: First, a 'traumatic brain injury journey,' experienced at Johns Hopkins Hospital after I banged my head and developed trouble with my balance and gait," she writes. "More recently, I've been a traveling companion on my husband's 'cancer journey' at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City."

While her care was excellent, the profoundly severe element of many illnesses "has been rebranded in American health care as a kind of adventure," Rosenthal adds. "Experts speak of stroke journeys. Hospital systems invite people on kidney transplant journeys. The language has trickled down into advertising: Take a hair loss journey or a weight loss journey (newly popular because of Wegovy and similar drugs). The heart failure journey even comes with a map."

"A map?" Rosenthal asks. You don't visit anywhere exotic during disease treatment, and none of the treatments are glamorous. She writes. "In recent years, tight budgets, staffing shortages, and burnout have hit American hospitals. At the same time, many health centers in the U.S. — including the most prestigious ones, and even some community hospitals — have morphed into seven-star hotels. New hospital buildings, such as recent projects at the University of Michigan hospital system . . . . A hospital might now boast about its views, high-thread-count sheets, or food provided by a Michelin-starred chef."

In a nation where rural hospitals face towering debts and closures, and many Americans opt to delay treatment because of cost, "Is it worth it?" Rosenthal wonders. "Room charges in many hospitals can exceed $1,000 a night. . . . A hospital's function is to diagnose and to heal at a price that sick people can afford. I dream of a no-frills Target- or Ikea-like hospital for care. . . . The best hospitals in Europe are utilitarian structures resembling urban high schools."

Rosenthal suggests: "Instead of providing free coffee and a piano in a soaring, art-filled marble lobby, how about focusing on the very basic things that health systems in the U.S. should do, but — in my experience — in many cases do not, like making it easier for patients to schedule appointments? Shortening the now lengthy wait times to see physicians who take insurance plans? Or paying for adequate staffing on nights and weekends? Or ending those two-day stays in emergency rooms when all inpatient beds are full?"

Covid-19 vaccination rates are 'abysmal' overall in the United States, and even lower in rural areas

In January 2021, four in 10 U.S. adults (41%) polled said that when a Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccine for Covid-19 was available for free, they would get it as soon as possible.

Fast forward to fall 2023, and times have changed. As Katelyn Jetelina writes in her newsletter, Your Local Epidemiologist: "Data is starting to roll in on Covid-19 vaccine inequities this fall. And it's not pretty. . . . Access. Cost. Outreach. Education. All of these changed once the federal emergency ended in May. Vaccines are no longer purchased or distributed by the government, and funding ran out to support vaccine campaigns. This means the U.S., once again, faces the pre-pandemic privatized and fragmented healthcare and public health systems. And one could argue an even worse system, given the loss of trust. Unfortunately, our communities continue to feel it disproportionately."

Even in 2021, Americans did not universally accept Covid-19 vaccines, with some Americans adopting a "wait and see" approach and "rural residents among the most resistant to getting vaccinated," KFF Health News reported. According to Jetelina, rural Covid-19 vaccination rates have not improved. She cites a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis from last week that "found adults in rural areas were less likely to have gotten a Covid-19 vaccine (10%) vs. those in urban (15%) or suburban (14%) areas."

YLY graph, from CDC data

When compared to other countries, U.S. Covid-19 vaccination rates are strikingly poor. Jetelina writes, "U.S. rates of Covid-19 vaccination this fall are, overall, abysmal. This is especially apparent when we compare it to counterparts like the United Kingdom, where 68% of people over 65 years old are vaccinated (compared to 31% in the U.S.).

Jetelina adds that disparities also fall along race and ethnicity lines, "Communities of color continue to have much lower rates of vaccination." Jetelina states that gaps matter and impact national health for two primary reasons.

1. Those who are more likely to lack access to healthcare are even more likely to be infected and get seriously ill once again.
2. The commercialization of vaccines has only amplified gaps in access and uptake. This is cause for concern about our national vaccine system during non-emergency times.

What's the bottom line? "When the nation's health is at stake, we need public health to ensure our resources are fairly distributed and get to those who need it most," Jetelina writes. "The 'marketplace' doesn't do this naturally. In fact, it works against many of our communities. These inequities will continue unless we make big, systemic changes. One would hope that a pandemic would jumpstart these changes, but it seems we are quickly falling back to our pre-pandemic ways."