By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — In its brief lifespan, the mosquito that carries the Zika virus is caught in a race: Will it pass the disease to humans before it dies?
Weather might make the difference. Scientists say the hotter it gets, the more likely the insect can spread disease.
By Molly Shen
SEATTLE -- On the heels of the World Health Organization declaring a public health emergency related to the Zika virus, local scientists said they are already working on a cure. And if they're able to treat Zika, it could also mean a cure for viruses ranging from West Nile to Ebola, to the common cold.
Scientists at biotech company Kineta and the University of Washington are developing the compound. Just like antibiotics treat bacterial infections, their antiviral drug would fend off a range of viruses.
By Lydia O'Connor
The factors leading to the current Zika outbreak won't be clear for some time, but environmental health experts say there's a good chance such infectious diseases will become more common as the global climate warms.
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By Cheryl Katz
PUBLISHED Mon Feb 01 05:30:13 EST 2016
Update: The World Health Organization declared Zika a global emergency on Monday. The declaration by the UN agency likely will increase funding and research efforts to control the outbreak.
Every year, millions of kids and teenagers die around the world, often from preventable and treatable conditions. It is a troubling statistic. But if you look beneath the surface numbers, you'll find signs of hope, says Theo Vos, a professor of global health at the University of Washington in Seattle.
By Marilyn Parsons
'Waiting until they are on our doorstep is reckless and shortsighted'
Anna Bazinet is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Washington who is currently on a fellowship through Strengthening Care Opportunities through Partnership in Ethiopia (SCOPE), a program in the Department of Global Health.
Adjunct Research Professor Annette Fitzpatrick has been named the new SPH Assistant Dean for Graduate Education, overseeing the Office of Student Affairs, guiding curriculum changes, and creating partnerships across UW and the community, among other initiatives. Dr. Fitzpatrick is a Research Professor in the Departments Family Medicine, Epidemiology, and Global Health (adjunct) with expertise in aging and chronic disease focusing on hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia in US and global settings. Congrats, Dr. Fitzpatrick!
Over 1.45 billion people, including 845 million children, in the world’s poorest communities are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH), commonly known as intestinal worms. Associate Professor Judd Walson, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum London and the University of Washington, has been awarded funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to test the feasibility of eliminating soil-transmitted helminths using intensified mass drug administration strategies.
By Bobbi Nodell, Health Sciences NewsBeat
UW professor of global health Kristie Ebi has attended United Nations climate-change conferences since 2000. The agreement reached at the Paris conference in December, she said, was nothing short of monumental.
“It showed that world governments agree climate change is a serious problem and they are committed to addressing it,” Ebi said. She’s an expert on the health risks of climate change and how humans adapt to it. She addressed conference attendees on Dec. 5 and 11.