Articles by tross
Associations Between Relative Viral Load at Diagnosis and Influenza A Symptoms and Recovery
Corresponding Author: Andreas Handel Summary by Kailah Massey Diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are a method to determine the presence of pathogens. PCR tests provide a qualitative positive or negative result only. Such information is beneficial for making decisions about treatment. Currently, the Cobas Liat system provides a similar […]
Land cover affects microclimate and temperature suitability for arbovirus transmission in an urban landscape
Summary by: Kailah Massey Corresponding Authors: Michael C. Wimberly mcwimberly@ou.edu, Courtney C. Murdock ccm256@cornell.edu Arboviruses, viruses that are transmitted through insect vectors such as mosquitoes, present a huge threat to human health. Environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity intensely affect mosquito population […]
Identifying correlates of Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) infection in domestic dog populations
Summary by: Kailah Massey Corresponding Authors: Robert Richards, robert.richards@uga.edu The Guinea worm parasite, Dracunculus medinensis, is on the verge of eradication – an uncommon feat – but recent outbreaks linked to domestic dogs have presented challenges to eradication efforts. D. medinensis causes dracunculiasis, which, while rarely lethal, can be intensely […]
Reconciling model predictions with low reported cases of COVID-19 in Sub-saharan Africa: insights from Madagascar
Corresponding Author: Matthew Bonds Summary provided by Michelle Evans In the early months of the global COVID-19 pandemic, models predicted that countries in Sub-saharan Africa (SSA) would experience some of the highest burdens of COVID-19. It was expected that the same drivers of other infectious diseases (e.g. socio-economic conditions, lack […]
Rainfall as a driver of seasonality in parasitism
Summary by Kailah Massey Corresponding authors: Vanessa Ezenwa, vezenwa@uga.edu Seasonal changes in rainfall, temperature, and the amount of food available, are known to affect parasitism in host populations. Rainfall in particular has been shown to have a strong effect on helminths, parasitic worms that can cause weakness or disease in […]
New model highlights continued COVID-19 risks
A new model posted by the University of Georgia’s Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases shows that the pandemic is not slowing down in the United States. Unlike other COVID-19 mathematical models, the CEID’s model ties together three social distancing scenarios and hard-to-measure interventions like hand washing and wearing a face covering to […]
Herd immunity an impractical strategy, study finds
Results provide insight for public health policymakers fighting COVID-19 Achieving herd immunity to COVID-19 is an impractical public health strategy, according to a new model developed by University of Georgia scientists. The study recently appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Controlling COVID-19 has presented public health policymakers with a […]
Transient indicators of tipping points in infectious diseases
A variety of generic indicators have been proposed to identify gradual changes in a population that can be used to anticipate the onset or conclusion of an epidemic. Many of these indicators rely on critical slowing down, a phenomenon where a system takes a longer time to return to a […]