Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Whooping Cough On The Rise

Once almost eradicated in the US, whooping cough is back:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/health/once-almost-eradicated-whooping-cough-surges-back-b99433928z1-290458001.html


And yes, like measles this is (at least in part) because of uncontrolled travel and immigration.


On a deeper level, uncontrolled importation of foreign species is spreading other diseases and destroying many ecosystems in the Americas. Here are some examples:

  • africanized bees
  • giant snails
  • fire ants
  • pythons
  • tiger mosquitos
  • tegu lizards
  • formosan termites
  • feral pigs
  • rock snot
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/22/9-invasive-species-in-the-us_n_720081.html

... and a whole host of others:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasive_species_in_North_America


Introducing such species faster than the ecosystems can adapt to them is a nightmare scenario which can have immense health and economic impacts.


Another "benefit" of globalization.

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