Health. Care. | An Educational Blog

New England has been put on high alert thanks to an outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a rare virus that can lead to the deaths of 30% of those infected, and leave many survivors with neurological problems. Despite the name, (the second E, equine, means "horse") this virus is spread by mosquitos, an example of what is known in the medical field as a disease vector. In today's post, we'll look at what a vector is, and how they play a role in the spread of healthcare-associated infections.

Every summer, headlines around the world war of dangerous "red tide," a harmful algal bloom that threatens marine life and humans alike. Usually forming in August, these sudden explosions of opportunistic algae peak later in the fall, causing ecological, economic, and health impacts. In today's post, we'll explore how the coastal contaminant shares many characteristics of a healthcare associated infection. 

Will they or won't they? This was the question at the Olympics in Paris, France this past week as swimmers and fans waited to hear whether the famously polluted Seine River would be clean enough to hold races safely. The verdict? A hard... maybe? The Olympics served as a goal post for France, which pledged to clean up the Seine upon being selected to host the Games back in 2015. $1.5 Billion later, the Seine has seen great improvement, but bacterial contamination continues to plague the busy waterway 7 out of 10 days, on average. In today's post, we'll learn how this waterway became so contaminated, and why bacterial contamination can be so difficult to eradicate in urban riverways.

It seems like it's not officially summer without at least once newspaper headline warning us about "flesh-eating bacteria" cases connected to popular beaches. This disturbing trend - there are more and more cases each year - has been connected to climate change as well as agricultural run-off. Whatever the cause, these infections can lead to severe injury and even death. But as it turns out, this health risk can also teach us a few things about a far more fatal crisis: healthcare-acquired infections, or HAIs.