A cluster of “atypical” pneumonia cases in Buenos Aires, Argentina has been reported recently and among the cluster, there have been reports of parrot fever. And today we’ll answer the question, What is parrot fever? Joining me today to talk about psittacosis, or parrot fever is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Netw…

My guest today writes that norovirus is known as the perfect pathogen and we’ll find out why. In addition, she writes that your blood type could be a factor in your susceptibility for the disease. Joining me today to look at norovirus and some other interesting things abis Madeline Barron, Ph.D. Dr Barron is the Science Communications Specialist at…

Pertussis, or whooping cough cases have been on the rise in many places of the world this year, and the Philippines is one of those countries. During the first three months of the year, Philippines health officials have reported well over 1,100 cases, which is a more than 30 fold increase over the same period in 2023. In addition more than 50 death…

A vaccine against the bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, that causes melioidosis was tested in a mouse study and found to be highly protective against the disease, according to UCLA researchers. What is Burkholderia pseudomallei? What is melioidosis? And what about this vaccine study? Joining me today to answer these questions and more is Marcus…

It's not a worm, it's a fungus among us. Today's topic is ringworm. Joining me today is Regents Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University and author of an article published in The Conversation last year, but a topic still worth discussing. Ringworm fungal infections are common in the US and are becoming increasingly resista…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that norovirus infections are sweeping the United States. While all regions have seen an uptick, the Northeast region is being hit particularly hard. So what is norovirus and how can you protect yourself? Joining me today to look at these questions and more is Adriana Glenn, PhD. Dr. Glen…

In this commentary, I address the question, Is God a She?

Glaucoma affects over 3 million people in the United States and is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a great time to emphasize the importance of regular eye check-ups for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases. Joining me toda…

A few weeks ago, Alaska health officials reported the first fatality due to an Alaskapox infection, the first such known case. On today's show, we'll dive into the ABC's of Alaskapox with Bradley Perkins, MD. Dr. Perkins is the Chief Medical Officer at Karius. In addition, he is a former top CDC official who led the anthrax bioterrorism investigati…

In 2024 to date, dozens of measles cases have already been reported from multiple states herein the US, according to the CDC. And cases are increasing worldwide as the World Health Organization announced recently reporting more than 300,000 cases in 2023, a 79% increase from the year prior. My guest today writes about measles and immune amnesia: Th…

In 2016, Robert Toulson-Burke traveled with some friends to southeast Asia for a vacation-an exciting thing for sure-however things went bad over there as the young man died from dengue hemorrhagic fever. Joining me today to tell Bob's story is his mother, Jayne Toulson-Burke. Jayne is also an ambassador for the World Mosquito Programme and is full…

Glaucoma affects over 3 million people in the United States and is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it robs people of vision slowly and without early symptoms. January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, a great time to emphasize the importance of regular eye check-ups for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases. Joining me toda…

The 9th annual Human Freedom Index (HFI) was released last month by authors from the Cato Institute in the US and the Fraser Institute in Canada. The Human Freedom Index is the most comprehensive freedom index so far created for a globally meaningful set of countries and jurisdictions, representing 98.8 percent of the world’s population. Joining me…

My guest today asks the question, "What will the new year bring to our shores, our cities, and our homes? ", concerning emerging pathogens in an article recently published in Today’s Clinical Lab. Well, let’s see what he has to say about this topic today here on the show. Joining me today in Rodney Rohde, PhD. Dr. Rohde is the Chair of the Medical …

Benjamin Rush is considered one of the most important of the Founding Fathers and a man of deep Christian faith. In 1791, Rush penned the essay, “A defense of the Bible as a Schoolbook”. Joining me today to discuss Benjamin Rush, the essay and the influence of the Bible in American schools of the past and the Founders is Stephen A Flick, PhD. Dr Fl…

My guest today focuses her research on why diseases occur and how those diseases influence wildlife populations. One example is chronic wasting disease, or CWD, a fatal condition that is now affecting cervid populations, including deer, elk and moose throughout Michigan and other states. This will be the topic of this podcast. Joining me now is Son…

The Sexually Transmitted Infections,chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are pervasive and increasing rapidly in the U.S. New evidence suggests that the antibiotic doxycycline could help prevent the spread of some bacterial infections if taken as post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Joining me today to look at these proposed guidelines is Christopher Fol…

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan parasitic disease transmitted by a sandfly that most Americans are unfamiliar with; however, my guest today says it is more common in the United States than most people realize- with both locally acquired and imported cases being reported. What is leishmaniasis and what is the situation like in the US? Here to shed ligh…

Bangladesh is battling to control its most devastating dengue fever outbreak recorded since the dengue virus reappeared in the country in 2000, Although dengue is endemic in Bangladesh, this year's outbreak is unusual in terms of case burden, mortality and seasonality. The record season has seen more than 250,000 cases to date, including a global l…

Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal, and treatment is typically supportive. It causes tens of thousands of deaths every year, mainly in Asia and Africa. Currently, there is no validated treatment in humans that prevents death fol…

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea in the 1950s and 60s it was noticed that people (mostly women) of the Fore tribe were dying of what was originally thought to be a genetic disorder since it happened among family members. The disease stole away the affected person’s ability to talk, walk and eat and to eventually die a shivering death. We now kn…

People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications after surgery, according to a study by researchers with UTHealth Houston. The study was published in a recent issue of JAMA Surgery. Joining me to talk about cannabis use disorder and the findings of the study is Paul Potnuru, MD. Dr Potnuru is the assistan…

People who are regular cannabis users are at an increased risk of experiencing complications after surgery, according to a study by researchers with UTHealth Houston. The study was published in a recent issue of JAMA Surgery. Joining me to talk about cannabis use disorder and the findings of the study is Paul Potnuru, MD. Dr Potnuru is the assistan…

7 locally transmitted malaria cases have been reported in the US (Texas and Florida), a first in quite a few years. The species of malaria has been identified as Plasmodium vivax, one of 5 plasmodium species that can infect humans. What is malaria?, what is Plasmodium vivax?, how important is this transmission and how to prevent it? These and other…

Summer vacation is upon us and many Americans will be traveling domestically and internationally. Travel can unfortunately also be linked to infectious diseases. My guest today warns the public of five infectious diseases to keep an eye on during summer travel. Joining me on the show is Luis Ostrosky, MD. Dr. Ostrosky is a professor of medicine and…

Prices, money, the boom-bust cycle, inflation–what do these things and other terms in economics really mean? On today’s show, I want to bring to the audience some economic literacy. Joining me today to do that is Per Bylund, PhD, Dr Bylund is a Senior Fellow of the Mises Institute and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Johnny D. Pope Chair…

The World Health Organization announced last month that The West African country of Benin has eliminated the neglected tropical disease, trachoma as a public health problem. Benin is the fifth country in WHO’s African Region and one of 17 countries in the world to have eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Joining me today to talk about t…

Two countries in Africa, on opposite sides of the continent–Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, have been battling Marburg Virus Disease outbreaks since February and March, respectively. Marburg has had a fatality rate as high as 88%, but with lessons learned from prior outbreaks and epidemics, those rates are dropping. My guest today says “Without que…

Cholera is a major public health concern in many parts of the world. We see large numbers today in Africa and South Asia. We’ve seen massive outbreaks in Haiti and Yemen over the past decade. Joining me today to talk about cholera and the situation we are in now across the globe is Peter Gilligan, Ph.D, Dr Gilligan is the former Director of the Cli…

In a recent paper in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), authors report U.S. babesiosis incidence significantly increased in northeastern states in the past decade or so. What is this tickborne parasite, why is it increasing and what are the public health implications of it? Joining me today to discuss Babesiosis and the new pap…

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) not only causes shortness of breath and palpitations but puts patients at increased risk of stroke. When medication or other treatments fail to relieve symptoms, cardiologists increasingly perform a catheter ablation procedure. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows the procedure …

Last month, New Hampshire health officials released a health alert after identifying two locally acquired Echinococcus granulosus cases, the first such cases of the parasitic infection in the state. Joining me today to discuss the parasite and the situation is Elizabeth Talbot, MD. Dr. Talbot is the New Hampshire Deputy State Epidemiologist, a prof…

Giardia is arguably the most common parasite infection of humans worldwide, and the second most common in the United States after pinworm. Joining me to talk about Giardia is Chandana Bala. Chandy is the President of Global Insight Advisory Network and writes on the intersection of healthcare and technology. She is also a frequent writer for Gideon…

Joining me today to tell his personal story of dealing with a family member with marijuana (cannabis) induced psychosis is author of the book, Gone to Pot: Cannabis--What every parent needs to know, Terry Hammond. In addition to telling his personal story, Terry talks about the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, it's effect on the brain, research…

Gone to Pot is a book about cannabis use and the serious consequences it has on young people developing cannabis induced psychosis. Meticulously researched, the book exposes how cannabis use amongst teenagers is soaring and how thousands of distraught parents are finding out too late that the new strains of cannabis, dominating our communities, are…

Brucellosis is among the leading communicable diseases worldwide and the disease poses a substantial public health burden in the Middle East, resulting in long-term illness in humans and significant economic loss in livestock production. In addition, some Brucella sp are classified as Category B bioterrorism agents by the U.S. Centers for Disease C…

The rat lungworm parasite, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, is typically transmitted to humans via ingestion of snails or slugs. A recent study published in One Health shows more than a dozen kinds of animals in addition to slugs and snails have caused rat lungworm disease in people around the world. Joining me today to look at rat lungworm and the One…

The first country-wide mass drug administration in the world for the treatment of scabies is happening in the Solomon Islands. The World Scabies Program is spearheading the mass drug administration (MDA) program with the Solomon Islands' Ministry of Health, which will deliver ivermectin to the whole population, with few exceptions. Joining me today…

US Term limits has written on their website: Congress was meant to be a citizen legislature. Our representatives were supposed to go to Washington, serve for a short time, then return to live under the laws they made. This vision has been lost. Congress is now a haven for career politicians who put their own power, perks and privileges ahead of pub…

Countries in southeast Asia are seeing an increase in dengue fever this year- Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia to name a few. In the Philippines, 102,619 dengue cases were reported from January 1 to July 30 this year, 131 percent higher than the number in the same period in 2021. Joining me today to discuss dengue fever and the situ…

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of several priority diseases listed by the World Health Organization that pose the greatest public health risk due to their epidemic potential and/or whether there are no or insufficient countermeasures. Today, we are seeing a significant outbreak in Iraq where some 142 cases and approximately 24 deaths…

On today's podcast, we'll be discussing monkeypox. What used to be an obscure, tropical disease is now a household name. Joining me in the Q & A is Dr. Rodney Rohde from Texas State University.

As we inch towards summer vacations, the US National Parks will come into play for families and individuals across the country and visitors from around the world. My guest today wrote a very thorough guide, a reference really, about the National Parks–all 63 of them. Joining me today is the author of Your Guide to the National Parks, Michael Joseph…

Bacteriophages – viruses that kill bacteria–were successfully used for the first time to treat an antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus lung infection to allow a cystic fibrosis patient to receive a life-saving lung transplant. Joining me today to share this amazing story is Jerry Nick, MD, Dr. Nick is director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis P…

In early March, the Israel Ministry of Health reported on a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) case in an unvaccinated child from Jerusalem. Since then, a number of additional cases have been reported and the health ministry said recently that they are in the throes of an outbreak. Joining me today to look at the outbreak in Isr…

Chagas disease is also known as “American Trypanosomiasis.” It’s caused by a blood parasite called Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted by kissing bugs. Chagas disease affects people as well as dogs and other animals. On today’s show, we are going to focus on Chagas in dogs. Joining me today to discuss this topic is Carlos Rodriguez, Carlos is t…

There is a recent reported of a toddler from Pryor, Oklahoma who contracted the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis. Here I look at the news report and discuss the parasite briefly.

There was a report in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) media concerning an anthrax outbreak in South Kivu. Nine people were affected, including two fatalities. The report notes consumption of guinea pigs as the source. In this podcast, I look at the report, eating guinea pigs and a quick look at anthrax.…

My guest today writes, “In many places around the world, malaria is closely linked to illegal gold mining” in a recent article in the BMC blog, BugBitten titled, “A story of two fevers: when malaria is the price of gold”. What is malaria and how is it linked to illegal gold mining? Joining me today to look at this huge public health problem in cert…

Joining me today on Let's Talk! is animal welfare, science and more, writer and researcher, Sandra Sch, MsC. Sandra is the owner and editor of the interesting and eclectic website, sarahmaxresearch.com.