Best Heather Forrest Fruscalzo Podcasts (2024)

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Agoraphobia 5 19:55

3y ago19:55

19:55

Happy Halloween everyone!! And welcome to the Tiny Vampires Agoraphobia special. Every year I put together a story written from an insect’s perspective. This year is a horror story from the deadliest war in history and even though it is obviously a work of fiction, the facts are true. So even though we’re just having a little festive fun, you’ll st…

1
Episode 45: Our shared history with leeches 18:57

3y ago18:57

18:57

For thousands of years Egypt, India, China, the Middle East, Europe, and the US, one after another all saw leeches as the answer to their problems. They were exercisers of demons, relievers of pain, bringers of balance, and a source of income. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 44: Poison of the Past 25:24

3y ago25:24

25:24

Anyone growing up in the United States during the 1950s or 60s has memories of chasing trucks down the road as they doused the neighborhood in a mosquito-killing fog. The story of that fog is part of the broader epic of the insecticide DDT. With a cast ranging from Dr. Suess, the entire population of Naples, peregrine falcons, to a trendy shade of …

1
Episode 43: Unexpected Vampires 23:01

3+ y ago23:01

23:01

Blood is vital, transporting hormones, nutrients, and oxygen, and removing waste products but for all its complexity some animals see it simply as food. While we grow up learning to protect our precious fluid from blood-suckers like vampire bats, leeches, and bed bugs they don’t have a monopoly on their gory craving. Unexpected animals from snails …

1
Invitation: Intelligent Speech Conference -online- 1:07

3+ y ago1:07

1:07

Join me and more than 40 of your other favorite independent podcasters at the Intelligent Speech Conference. Get 10% off your ticket price when you use the offer code Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 42: Malaria Islands 35:01

4y ago35:01

35:01

When we call mosquitoes “the deadliest animals on earth” we aren’t just talking about human deaths. Mosquitoes have played a major role in Hawaii’s infamous designation as the endangered species capital of the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Halloween Special: Gutted 21:53

4y ago21:53

21:53

We all believe that we have the capacity to completely change ourselves, but at what cost? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Halloween Special: Yersinia pestis 23:36

4y ago23:36

23:36

An entirely new perspective on the infamous black death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Halloween Special: The Passenger 16:56

4y ago16:56

16:56

We’ll kick-off this Halloween special with “The Passenger” a tale of control, desire, and the monster within. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 41: So Much Worse The Second Time Around 21:13

4y ago21:13

21:13

Most of the time when we get sick we expect to suffer through it and end up rewarded with immunity to disease, or at least the knowledge that it won’t hit so hard if you get it a second time. A bout with the Dengue virus, also known as break-bone fever, is very different. It can actually increase the chance that a second encounter with the virus wi…

1
Episode 40: The emergence of a new kind of childhood paralysis 19:53

4y ago19:53

19:53

The African continent was declared polio-free just a couple of days ago, which means that we are, once again, coming close to eradicating it from the globe. Yet, in 2014 children started to go limp, losing control over their arms and legs over the course of weeks, this polio-like condition is called Acute Flaccid Myelitis. Since then, there has bee…

1
Episode 39: The world of obscure mosquito-borne viruses 14:30

4+ y ago14:30

14:30

The CDC has a catalog of 537 viruses that are transmitted by insects or their relatives around the world. This number can be overwhelming and scary but the more we learn about the world of obscure viruses the better we’re equipped to fight them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 38: Guinea Worms and Human Nature 17:34

4+ y ago17:34

17:34

The symbol for medicine, a serpent wrapped around a staff, is displayed on everything from the World Health Organization logo to your doctor’s name tag, depicts the treatment of a single disease, the removal of a Guinea Worm from the patient by slowly wrapping it around a stick over the course of days. This disease is famous for another reason, it …

1
Episode 37: What are those fog trucks spraying? 21:45

4+ y ago21:45

21:45

A truck slowly drives by your house at night with a cloud of fog coming out from behind it. It might seem creepy but that fog is effectively synthetic chrysanthemums water that is engineered to target mosquitoes based on their flight patterns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 36: How could one tiny tick paralyze a person? 24:01

5y ago24:01

24:01

Bloodsuckers can be hijacked by viruses and parasites, but some ticks are lethal all on their own. The Australian Paralysis tick paralyzes 10 thousand dogs and cats a year. We didn’t know how their venom worked until some researchers squirted some mouthwash on some ticks and made a discovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat…

1
Episode 35: Busting Myths about Flies 45:31

5y ago45:31

45:31

Author and fly researcher Dr. Erica McAlister helps bust myths about mosquitoes and other flies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 34: How do mosquito control devices work? Wait, do they work?! 16:14

5y ago16:14

16:14

Who needs bug spray when you have phone apps, bug zappers, barbecue grill sized rigs to keep the mosquitoes away? Mosquito control devices might hurt your bank account but their worth it...right? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 33: Blood-Sucking Insects You Have Never Heard of 23:17

5y ago23:17

23:17

You may have heard of mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice but there are other blood suckers out there, like tsetse flies, floor maggots, toe fleas, and kissing bugs. The race of the victims may have everything to do with the reason you have never heard of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 32: Chagas disease in the United States 16:12

5y ago16:12

16:12

After a little girl was bit by a new, exotic, and dangerous insect in Delaware the media began to speculate, but after a closer look we find there is a much mundane story, that has a lot to do with insect feces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 31: Connecting Deforestation and Disease 17:40

5+ y ago17:40

17:40

The lives of organisms in an ecosystem are intimately intertwined. When an entire tropical forest is chopped down the ripple from that destruction can end with new diseases being introduced into humanity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 30: How are bacteria that live inside of mosquito’s cells, killing viruses?” 13:22

5+ y ago13:22

13:22

Deep inside the cells of an Australian mosquito are bacteria that kill deadly viruses by starving them to death. The death of these viruses could mean life for anyone bitten by them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 29: Could eating parasitic worms ever be a good idea? 17:00

5+ y ago17:00

17:00

You may have joked with your friends about using a tapeworm to lose weight thinking it was a diet of the past but today people are purposely infecting themselves with worms for reasons ranging from weight loss to asthma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 28: Are pregnant people more attractive? 15:20

5+ y ago15:20

15:20

The rumors are true, certain types of mosquitoes are more enticed to bite pregnant people than people who aren’t. It's not just a weird fact, it has dire consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 27: Does removing fallen wood from a forest impact Lyme disease risk? 15:49

6y ago15:49

15:49

Salvage logging is a way to get a silver lining out of a natural disaster like a wildfire or a hurricane, but how does it change our chances of getting Lyme disease. Learn about the connection between ticks, mice, and fallen logs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 26: How do tick bites cause red meat allergies? 19:59

6y ago19:59

19:59

For an unlucky few in the American South, Northern Europe, and Australia one bite from a tick can change everything from the food they eat to the types of cancer medications they can be prescribed. These areas, known for their love of all things meat, are also the home of ticks that can cause a meat allergy so bad it can kill. Hosted on Acast. See …

1
Episode 25: Why are some people eaten alive by mosquitoes, while others come away bite-free? 15:34

6y ago15:34

15:34

We all know that person who never gets a single mosquito bite, while the rest of us get eaten alive. What is there secret? Or secrets? You’ll find it has a lot to do with their particular brand of body odor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 24: Do mosquitoes bite each other? 17:09

6y ago17:09

17:09

There are giant mosquitoes that wantonly kill their prey even if they aren’t hungry, and they are going to be your new favorite insects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 23: What is this new mosquito control technique called Wolbachia? 23:03

6y ago23:03

23:03

A bacteria that infects insects held some secrets until a team of researchers started looking closer at its amazing powers. Wolbachia might just be capable of saving thousands of human lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 22: How can stomach bot flies live in such an inhospitable place? How do they breathe? 23:03

6y ago23:03

23:03

Stomach bot flies live most of their lives inside the stomachs of horses. They have adapted to this harsh environment by breathing is a very strange way. Guest co-host Erin Updyke from "This Podcast Will Kill You" comes on to talk fly infestations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 21: Why is there a Lyme disease vaccine for dogs but not for humans? 20:36

6+ y ago20:36

20:36

There is a vaccine for the number one vector-borne disease in the US and Europe, but only for dogs. We explore why there is no Lyme disease vaccine available for humans and how the vaccine certification process is different when you are a dog. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 20: Why is it taking so long to make a malaria vaccine and what is happening with the vaccine ‘RTS,S’? 23:21

6+ y ago23:21

23:21

We have been hearing about the development of the malaria vaccine for years but there still isn’t one publicly available. Discover the history of, and current plans for, the RTS,S vaccine, currently our best hope for saving children and babies all over the African continent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 19: Risks and benefits of oral and spot-on flea and tick treatments for cats 19:19

6+ y ago19:19

19:19

We hate fleas and love our cats but are flea and tick medications safe? Learn about the history of permethrin based medications, how they work on a cellular level, and how to keep your kitty from a potentially fatal overdose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 18: The use of viruses to control pest insects like carpenter ants 23:58

6+ y ago23:58

23:58

Carpenter ants are highly destructive costing millions of dollars in damage every year. Learn how we figured out how to control viruses to stop their destruction. Biological control to the rescue! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Bonus: March for Science South Bend, IN 14:24

6+ y ago14:24

14:24

On the spot interviews with the marchers at the South Bend Indiana March for Science Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 17: What can be done by urban planners to disrupt infection of people with Lyme disease? 18:28

6+ y ago18:28

18:28

Urban planners use the history of Lyme disease and the ecology of the ticks that carry it to impact the infection rates. What they learned might change how you look at your own backyard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Bonus Episode Tiny Westphalias 43:12

6+ y ago43:12

43:12

This is part 2 of a very special crossover with Benjamin Jacobs from Wittenberg to Westphalia Podcast. In this final part we discuss how tiny insects and bad water killed more medieval soldiers than fighting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Bonus Episode: Wittenberg to Vampires 53:06

6+ y ago53:06

53:06

This is part 1 of a very special crossover with Benjamin Jacobs from Wittenberg to Westphalia Podcast. In this first part we discuss how the horrible diet of medieval soldiers resulted in serious health concerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 16: How do public health authorities use urban planning to control populations of biting insects? 15:33

6+ y ago15:33

15:33

Urban planning is more than just deciding where to put new roads. This is the first in a two part series on how urban planners work with public health workers to reduce or even prevent disease outbreaks. In this episode we investigate the surprising connection between snails and dams, eye worms and irrigation, and malaria and canals. Hosted on Acas…

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Episode 15: How did we figure out that Zika can be sexually transmitted? 16:52

7y ago16:52

16:52

Unlike most diseases transmitted by blood feeders, the Zika virus can also be transmitted sexually. Find out how this surprising fact was discovered, what it has to do with the 1975 Nobel prize, and how it shapes public health recommendations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
Episode 14: The Repellent DEET and Ticks 20:06

7y ago20:06

20:06

Insects have studied for many years, but it wasn’t until this year that we began to understand why DEET repels ticks. In the process we find that ticks have a different system of smelling than both humans and insects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 13: How does the repellent DEET work? 16:34

7y ago16:34

16:34

DEET has been the gold standard of insect repellents for more than 50 years. Her is what we know about its history, how it works, and why we need something to replace it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 12: Kids show - Why do mosquitoes need blood for their babies? 11:10

7y ago11:10

11:10

Why mosquitoes require blood is a fundamental question, but the answer may surprise you. Meet your new favorite mosquito and find out what makes your blood so great. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 11: Can West Nile be transmitted from human to mosquito? 15:40

7y ago15:40

15:40

With West Nile infections popping up from Michigan to Mumbai how many people are interested in how West Nile is transmitted. It goes from mosquito to human, but can it go back again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1
Episode 10: Do mosquitoes transmit plant diseases? 17:34

7y ago17:34

17:34

Interactions between mosquitoes and plants lead to interesting questions about what mosquitoes are doing when they aren’t biting people. Could it be that animals aren’t the only victims of these vectors of disease? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 9: Are there parasites in my Sushi? 12:03

7+ y ago12:03

12:03

Does the news about parasites in sushi have you avoiding your favorite restaurants? Learn all about the worms and how to avoid them. Announcements: Tiny Vampires has joined the Agora Podcast Network! I am very excited to have joined such a supportive team and really look forward to learning from them. My goal is always to bring more of the science …

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Episode 8: How Kite mosquito patches work 11:00

7+ y ago11:00

11:00

Videos about the Kite mosquito repellent stickers have been making their way around social media and news outlets. In this episode the host explains how the chemicals in these patches physically interact with the mosquito to change their behavior. The advertisement that the listener posted with questions about if these patches work and how. More de…

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Episode 7: Is the movie ‘Outbreak’ an accurate portrayal of vaccine development? 17:01

7+ y ago17:01

17:01

A special companion episode to the “Outbreak” episode of the Beyond the Big Screen Podcast. The story of the development of the Ebola vaccine and the trails to determine if it really works. Details on different types of vaccines, the many ways they are tested, and ethical issues during an outbreak. The paper we discussed in this episode was Efficac…

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Episode 6: The Risks in Traveling to the Amazon Rainforest 13:58

7+ y ago13:58

13:58

The risks in traveling to the Amazon rainforest: How travelers can find out if the trip is worth risk, including resources for anyone thinking about traveling anywhere in the world and an introduction to the connection between leishmaniasis and tourism. CDC's quick visual guide to help travelers pack Zika-smart for a trip to South America. This Epi…

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Episode 5: What are Gene Drives and How Do They Work? 18:55

7+ y ago18:55

18:55

Gene drives and Mosquitoes: A new technology could save us from the deadliest parasite in the world today, but we aren't using it. Here's why. The episode thumbnail image this month is a microscope image of human blood cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum the parasite that kills millions. Its transmission could possibly be stopped by a gene driv…

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Episode 4: How mosquitoes choose their mates 16:33

7+ y ago16:33

16:33

Mosquitoes and Sound: Love is in the air and there is more to that buzz than you might expect, but can you really use your phone as a mosquito repellent? This male mosquito is glued to a pin in the same manor as in the cantor study. This video is part of the art installation "Truce: Strategies for Post-Apocalyptic Comptation" by Robin Meier and Ali…

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