Health Nuisance Research Articles

Concentrations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Potability of Borehole Water in Onne, Nigeria

The quality of water used by humans is of great importance owing to its association with health and wholeness. The potability of water in Onne Township, Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria, was assessed using the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and water quality index (WQI).WQI is a global tool employed in water assessment studies. Twenty (20) borehole water samples were collected by stratified random sampling from four (4) clans within the township: Alejor, Ekara, Agbeta, and Ogoloma. The water samples were assessed for physicochemical parameters and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although the concentration of PAHs were below World Health Organization (WHO) standard limits (<0.005), the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) is yet to establish limit values for PAHs for potable water in Nigeria. The water quality index (WQI) scores for Alejor, Ekara, Agbeta, and Ogoloma were 96.21, 70.01, 92.62, and 339, respectively. Based on the WQI findings, the water samples from the first three clans were excellent, whereas water samples from Ogoloma were not potable. However, the common low mean pH values of water in Onne (4.33–5.62) compared to WHO and NSDWQ standards (6.5–8.5) present a public health concern for community residents. In contrast, current findings suggest that PAHs in borehole water samples may not constitute a public health nuisance due to their extremely low concentrations in tested water samples. However, there might be a need to treat borehole water samples in Onne before consumption.

Simplifying Schistosome Surveillance: Using Molecular Cercariometry to Detect and Quantify Cercariae in Water.

Avian schistosomes are considered a public health nuisance due to their ability to cause swimmer’s itch when accidentally encountering humans rather than their intended avian hosts. Researchers have been monitoring their presence and abundance through snail collections and cercariometry. Cercariometry methods have evolved over the last several decades to detect individual schistosome species from a single water sample, simplifying the monitoring of these parasites. This methodological evolution coincides with the development of the field of environmental DNA (eDNA) where genetic material is extracted from environmental samples, rather than individual organisms. While there are some limitations with using molecular cercariometry, notably the cost and its inability to differentiate between life cycle stages, it substantially reduces the labor required to study trematode populations. It also can be used in complement with snail collections to understand the composition of avian schistosomes in an environment.

Predominance of Keratinophilic Fungi and Dermatohytes Species in Dumpsite Locations in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study determined the predominance of keratinophilic fungi and dermatophytes species in dumpsites located within four geopolitical zones of Ogun State, Nigeria using the traditional hair baiting technique. The physiological condition of the soil samples was analyzed to understand the role of ecophysiological parameters on the growth and survival of the inherent organisms of the studied sites while the identification of isolated organisms was carried out based on both micro and macro morphological parameters. A total of ninety four (94) strains of filamentous fungi belonging to thirteen(13) different species namely Lichtheimia corymbifera 6.3 (3.19%), Aspergillus carbonarius 1 (1.06%), Aspergillus flavus 1 (1.06%), Aspergillus fumigatus 21(22.34%), Aspergillus niger 11(11.70%), Aspergillus terreus 9(9.58%), Aspergillus versicolori 1(1.06%), Epidermophyton floccosum 6(6.38%), Microsporum gypseum 15(15.96%), Penicillium chrysogenum 4(4.26%), Trichoderma longibrachiatum1(1.06%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes 16(17.02%) and Trichophyton rubrum 5(5.33%) were identified from the sampled dumpsites. All the isolated organisms grew in pH value ranging between 5.8 and 9.1. The Shannon index of diversity was found to be approximately 1.98 while both specie’s richness and percentage of specie dominance were 13 and 22.3%, respectively. In conclusion, the dumpsites sampled showed evidence of keratinphilic fungi prone environment and should be given appropriate health attention to avoid this public health nuisance being a vehicle for the transmission of infectious diseases.

Constructing legacy: walking audits of the leisure time physical activity potential of Tokyo Olympic venues and their urban milieu

ABSTRACT Hosting the Olympic Games provides opportunities for municipalities to re-imagine urban spaces to promote active leisure. Our research systematically assessed the pre-Olympic conditions for leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in the vicinity of multi-use venues for the Tokyo Games. Researchers conducted walking audits in the surrounds of three venues within two years of the opening ceremony, including the Olympic Stadium, Athlete Village and Musashino Sports Plaza. Audits employed the validated Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) instrument, photographic protocols and GPS mapping. Audit scores for urban features, amenities and incivilities were averaged across researchers, and summative scores provided. Photographs and field notes augmented the evaluation. Six environmental challenges for LTPA legacies were identified, including limited resource accessibility, lack of amenities, health nuisance, vegetation overgrowth, heat effects and disaster risk. These findings indicate that there are important ecological considerations that should be addressed to leverage Olympic hosting in support of LTPA objectives.

NUISANCE PSYCHODA ALTERNATA (DIPTERA: PSYCHODIDAE) DEVELOPING IN POTTED PLANTS AT A COMMERCIAL NURSERY

Moth flies (Psychoda alternata Say) were reported emerging in large numbers from potted plants at a commercial nursery near Fort White, Columbia County, FL and causing an annoyance and potentially a public health nuisance at neighboring residences. The distribution of its fly immature stages in the soil of recently re-potted plants was investigated. Two species of plants from the commercial nursery were selected, soil samples were taken at different depths and positions and each soil sample was extracted using a technique for nematode extraction from soil. Larvae and pupae of P. alternata moth flies were identified in the samples. Psychoda alternata is commonly found breeding in trickling filters and this is the first record of it being an important nuisance pest in newly potted plants.

Risk Factors for Bed Bugs Among Urban Emergency Department Patients.

Bed bugs are a significant and under-studied public health nuisance. We surveyed 706 emergency department patients and found bed bug infestations were more likely (p < 0.05) among subjects having persons 19-64years of age in the house, living in a group home, a previous history with bed bugs, and knowing someone who currently has bed bugs. Sleeping in a hotel, recent homelessness, obtaining used clothing or furniture and using a laundromat were not associated with increased risk (p > 0.05) for infestation. Individuals with less education and income were more likely (p < 0.05) to have bed bugs and express concern about getting bed bugs. Younger persons were more likely to correctly identify a picture of a bed bug compared to those over the age of 60years (p < 0.001).

'The Devil Is in the Details': On the Central Importance of Distinguishing the Truly Public from the Truly Private in Reconciling Equality and Religious Liberty

“The Devil Is in the Details”: On the Central Importance of Distinguishing the Truly Public from the Truly Private in Reconciling Equality and Religious Liberty serves as Chapter 7 in Religious Freedom, LGBT Rights, and the Prospects for Common Ground (Cambridge University Press), which Professors Bill Eskridge and Robin Fretwell Wilson ably edited. The book is comprised of single-chapter contributions by a wide variety of authors – including legal academics, religious leaders, think-tank fellows, civil rights activists, and current and former public officials. It bears noting that this contribution (like the others) reflects the benefit of constructive and wide-ranging discussions that took place at Yale Law School incident to a symposium on “Faith, Sexuality, and Freedom,” on January 13-14, 2017. The Essay posits that the key to reconciling successfully religious liberty with the dignity interests of LGBT persons requires drawing and enforcing a line that effectively and reliably separates the truly public from the truly private. In order to determine when religious entities have a constitutional right to be self-governing, we must carefully disentangle the public sphere from the private sphere. The state creates and maintains the agora, or public marketplace, and has the power to regulate access to it in order to promote the health, safety, welfare, and morals of the community. Just as the state may legislate to prevent and deter health nuisances, such as fire hazards and unsanitary conditions, it may also legislate to eradicate moral nuisances, such as various forms of invidious, status-based discrimination. This power to eradicate moral nuisances, however, cannot sweep so broadly or deeply as to deny self-constituted communities of faith the ability to hold and practice the tenets of their faith outside the public marketplace. The public/private distinction is not perfect, but it is holds more promise than the most obvious alternative approaches. For example, reconciling sincerely held religious convictions with federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws cannot turn on a simplistic dichotomy between belief and conduct. This distinction has the potential effect of zeroing out protections for religious beliefs in any circumstance where a religious adherent attempts to share a religious belief with others via conduct. So too, reliance on third party harm presents serious operational difficulties because mere offense can constitute harm to a third party. Depending on how broadly – or narrowly – one defines “third party harm,” this test could be quite robust or rather anemic in securing either religious liberty or equality values. Open-ended proportionality analysis also does not present an optimal way forward because such balancing exercises do not, and probably cannot, constrain judicial discretion effectively. The public/private distinction, carefully implemented, presents the best way forward. To be sure, drawing the line of demarcation between the truly public and the truly private will not be an easy undertaking. Even so, however, it is an essential undertaking if we are to secure both equality and religious liberty in the contemporary United States.

Identification, Knowledge, and Awareness of People Regarding Public Health Nuisance Insect (Cimex lectularius) in Southwest of Iran

Background: Cimex lectularius belongs to the family of Cimicidae and its infestation to the man is a public health problem. Recently, bed bug infestation increased world-wide. Psychological distress is one of the bed bug infestations. Regarding its biting, awareness and knowledge are the keys to reduce bed bug prevalence in the society. Objectives: The current study aimed at evaluating of this investigation was to evaluate awareness, and knowledge of residents toward the bed bug in southwest Southwest of Iran. Methods: The current descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on Ahvaz residents, from June to July 2016. The questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, identification, knowledge about the bed bug, and awareness related to the prevention and control of the insect completed by 180 participants. Collected data were analyzed with SPSS version 16. Results: A total of 180 participants were divided into three groups that responded to the questions. The findings showed that the percentage of correctly identify the bed bug in a vial, in three groups of respondents in Ahvaz city, people, medical and pharmacy students and health workers were 13%, 25%, and 72%, respectively. The results showed that 55% of participants were male. A few of the respondents were illiterate and most of them were in the age range of 20 - 29 years approximately, 13%, 25%, and 72% of the residents, university students and health staff knew the bed bug, respectively. Totally, 72% of health workers and 33% of students had good knowledge about the prevention of the insect, respectively. The results revealed that 92% of health workers were very concerned about bed bug infestation. The habitat of C. lectularius was recognized by 78% of health staff, while 23% of people did not know the pest. Conclusions: Scarce knowledge of people on nuisance insect, C. lectularius, is one of the critical causes of high infestation in Ahvaz.

Africa’s future: Demarginalizing urban agriculture in the era of climate change

Africans are migrating to cities. With the continent’s cities projected to double in population by 2050, the issue of food insecurity in urban areas is increasingly becoming a major concern. To sustain this urban explosion, the question of how to maintain constant food supply to urban residents remains an urgent priority since these locations do not always get access to adequate food. There has, however, been little work on examining urban agriculture (UA) as an alternative means of reducing hunger in Africa, especially in the face of climate change. Some city authorities have argued that UA must be shifted to rural areas since they constitute a public health nuisance. The paper, however, is based on the hypothesis that food production in locations with high demands mitigates against climate change and addresses Africa’s food insecurities by exploiting new avenues for cultivation. To this end, an extensive literature review was conducted, resulting in the identification of different degrees of opposition from policy-makers and urban authorities, who usually underrate the actual contribution and value of UA to urban food security. It is recommended that considering the increasing recognition of urban farming, planners and policymakers must collectively design interventions to enhance urban food production.

Repellency of Naturally Occurring or Related Compounds, DEET, and Para-Menthane-3,8-Diol to Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae).

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), have become a major health nuisance in the past 20 ysin cities and elsewhere throughout many areas of the world. Few studies have reported on repellent compounds that could reduce their transport in luggage. We evaluated the repellency of six naturally occurring or related compounds used in flavor/fragrance applications or structurally related compounds, para-menthane-3,8-diol, and N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) to bed bugs in a 183 × 183-cm arena . Repellency was assessed using soft-sided polyester lunch bags serving as surrogates of luggage and barrier cloth towels upon which rested untreated lunch bags. We report for the first time repellency of delta dodecalactone, 2-(3, 7-dimethyl-2, 6-nonadien-1-yl)-cyclopentanone (a.k.a. 'methyl apritone'), gamma dodecalactone, and para-menthane-3,8-diol to bed bugs. Propyl dihydrojasmonate, 3-methyl-5-hexyl-2-cyclohexenone, gamma methyl tridecalactone, and DEET are also documented to be repellent to bed bugs. These compounds provided relatively long-term protection. Propyl dihydrojasmonate prevented bed bugs from seeking refuge in treated lunch bags 27 d after treatment, and when applied to cloth towels repelled harborage-seeking bed bugs for 146 d. Methyl apritone blended with 3-methyl-5-hexyl-2-cyclohexenone and delta dodecalactone as an individual compound applied to cloth towels repelled bed bugs for 190 and 276 d, respectively. The above-mentioned compounds, either individually or as blends, may reduce risk of bed bugs seeking harborage in treated suitcases or towels upon which untreated luggage is placed.

Environmental factors associated with textile industry in Democratic Republic of Congo: state of play

IntroductionCe travail vise à faire une évaluation des nuisances dans le milieu de travail du secteur textile en République Démocratique du Congo.MéthodesNous avons effectué une étude transversale et analytique. Sur 257 travailleurs sélectionnés par échantillonnage systématique, 229 travailleurs ont été retenus. 223 postes de travail ont fait l'objet de mesures pour le bruit, l'éclairage, et la chaleur. Les informations recueillies l'ont été à partir de la consultation des documents de l'entreprise, de l'interrogatoire mené par questionnaire dirigé portant essentiellement sur les renseignements socio professionnels et par des mesurages. L'analyse descriptive a été faite pour les données sociodémographiques et professionnelles et l'approche analytique pour les mesurages.RésultatsDans cette entreprise 88% des travailleurs sont des ouvriers. Le département de tissage englobe presque 68% des travailleurs. La plupart travaillent en trois pauses (85%). La population d'étude est majoritairement masculine à 85%, vieillissante avec 52% de plus de 40 ans et instruite (80%). Dans l'entreprise, seuls 12,1 % des postes de travail respectent les normes en matière de bruit et 18 % des postes en matière d'éclairage. 94% des postes ne respectent pas les normes en matière de chaleur pour un travail lourd.ConclusionNotre étude a permis de mettre en évidence les nuisances au sein de l'industrie, montrant un écart important par rapport aux normes prescrites pour les nuisances mesurées. Ces résultats est un plaidoyer pour développer des mesures de prévention appropriées. Ils sont à confronter à ceux d'autres études plus approfondies dans ce milieu.

An assessment of maxillofacial fractures treated in a suburban tertiary health facility: a 2-year study of 167 patients

Background: Maxillofacial trauma has continued to present a public health nuisance with attendant psychosocial, financial and physical challenges to the individuals affected and the society at large. Aim: This paper aims to review the aetiologies, pattern, and types of treatment and outcome of treatment of patients with maxillofacial injuries within the study period. Methods: Departmental records of patients with maxillofacial injuries were reviewed for 201 1 and 2012. Data were collected into a predesigned data entry form. Results: One hundred and sixty-seven correct entries were found. This consist of 118 male and 49 females, giving a male:female ratio of 2.4:1 and the age ranged from 4-63years. The commone st cause of maxillofacial fracture noted was road traffic accident and the least was child abuse, accounting for 75.0% and 1.0% respectively of all the cases seen. The mandible proved to be the commonest fractured facial bone; representing 76.0% of the fra ctures. 84.0% of associated injuries were contusions and lacerations of soft tissues around the head and neck. Closed immobilization was the commonest treatment protocol and 7.0% adjudged unsuccessful. Conclusion: This study concludes that there is a prepo nderance of male casualties in maxillofacial facial, and the mandible is the most fractured facial bone and that closed immobilization remains a viable treatment option in carefully selected cases.

Public Privacy: Restrooms in American Cities, 1869-1932

The article examines an effort in the first quarter of the twentieth century to install public toilets in cities throughout the United States, especially in the prosperous industrial region of the Northeast and Midwest. The campaign illustrates the frustrated ambitions in the Progressive Era for a new relationship between public authority and the private body, a relationship in which the state would protect privacy, encourage personal care, and hence refine the inner character of the citizen. In contrast to nineteenth-century public urinals (which were few in number and intended mainly to prevent public health nuisances) twentieth-century “comfort stations” were typically large, underground structures at major public squares. They were to have replaced the privately-owned alternatives in saloons and other businesses that attracted customers by exploiting their bodily needs. Women’s groups, drawing on a long-established belief that women were the prime guardians of private wellbeing and moral discipline, were prominent in the campaign for comfort stations in Chicago, New York and other cities. Municipal governments even in the largest cities hesitated to build more than a few comfort stations because of the high cost of construction and maintenance. Comfort stations proved unsuccessful in competing with department stores, hotels and other privately owned alternatives. Women in particular opted for the consumer model of privacy, which preserved class privilege by excluding the less affluent. Almost all of the early twentieth century comfort stations have since closed, as American cities have abandoned the public role in promoting bodily privacy.

The Prevalence of Harmful Content on Outdoor Advertising in Los Angeles: Land Use, Community Characteristics, and the Spatial Inequality of a Public Health Nuisance

Our study sought to examine associations between the content of outdoor advertising and neighborhood ethnic/racial and socioeconomic composition to see whether particular communities disproportionately host harmful content. We constructed a spatial database of photographs taken from June 2012 until December 2012 in 7 identically zoned communities in Los Angeles, California, to compare outdoor advertising area and content. We selected communities to contrast by ethnicity/race, income, education, and youth population. At-risk communities and communities of color hosted more outdoor advertising depicting harmful content than other communities. Among included neighborhoods, harmful content and the proportion of outdoor advertising overall were most prevalent in communities of Asian Americans and Latino Americans. In all communities, harmful content represented at least 24% of outdoor advertising space. This study provides evidence of the potential for land-use decisions to result in spatially inequitable health impacts. Although dictating the placement of outdoor advertising through zoning may seem sensible, such a decision might have the unintended consequence of disadvantaging the well-being of local communities. Neighborhood factors require more contextually nuanced public health and land-use policy.

Determination of biogenic amines in wine by thin-layer chromatography/densitometry

Biogenic amines are small-molecular-weight organic bases that can be encountered in all fermented foods, including wine. Ingestion of wine containing biogenic amines, and especially histamine, can result in health nuisances. HPLC is the analytical technique most often employed in the determination of biogenic amines in wine but HPLC-based methods are expensive and time-consuming. A new method, based upon amine dansylation and TLC/densitometry, was developed and validated. This allowed for the determination of histamine, tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine in wine at concentrations between 1 and 20mg/L. Analytical performances adequately complied with the needs of routine wine analysis, moreover the method was high-throughput and inexpensive. A simpler, semi-quantitative version of the method, based on visual evaluation of spot intensity, was also developed.

Whence Feral Vaccinia?

When the World Health Organization declared smallpox eradicated in 1979, smallpox vaccination was discontinued worldwide. Although cessation of smallpox vaccination is well justified, given the risks associated with complications from the vaccine, lack of vaccination nevertheless creates a growing population of persons now susceptible to infection by a few poxviruses previously covered by the smallpox vaccine. These include the orthopoxviruses monkeypox; cowpox; and, ironically, vaccinia, the virus used for smallpox vaccination. Although few persons die from these infections, they are nevertheless a public health nuisance and expense. Thus, understanding the epidemiology of these viruses is in the interest of public health. The most common vaccine-preventable poxvirus infections in humans are cowpox and monkeypox (1). Both are zoonoses; the natural host for each seems to be rodents, and transmission occurs through close contact. Monkeypox virus occurs in western and central Africa, causes a disseminated infection in humans, can be transmitted among humans at a low rate, and is associated with a 1%–10% (depending on the virus strain) case-fatality rate. Cowpox virus is relatively common in Europe and Asia, causes a limited exanthema, and does not often cause death of previously healthy persons. Vaccinia, the virus used in the live smallpox vaccine, was originally isolated in the late 18th century from persons with illness that clinically resembled cowpox. However, modern genomics have shown that the vaccinia virus strains used for smallpox control in the 20th and 21st centuries are genetically distinct from cowpox viruses currently circulating. In fact, with 2 notable exceptions, vaccinia virus is not found in nature. However, vaccinia infection has been documented in India and Brazil (2). In India, some strains of buffalopox, transmitted to humans through buffaloes, appear to be vaccinia. Likewise, in Brazil, reports of a cowpox-like disease, caused by a vaccinia virus and transmitted from cattle to humans, have increased substantially since the first report in 2000. In both outbreaks (India and Brazil), evidence suggests that the original source of the virus was the smallpox vaccine virus that has been introduced into the wild—or feral vaccinia, as it has sometimes been called. The reservoirs for these viruses in the wild are not well understood. In this issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Abrahao et al. (3) describe a serosurvey for orthopoxvirus among 344 wild animals from the Brazilian Amazonia ecosystem. The animals, 296 monkeys and a variety of other mammals, were captured by a fauna-rescue program during the construction of a hydroelectric plant in Tocantins State, Brazil, far removed from other human activity. Of these animals, 84 (24%), predominantly monkeys, were seropositive for orthopoxvirus. Furthermore, 18 serum samples were positive for orthopoxvirus DNA according to PCR. From these 18 positive samples, sequencing of 6 isolates revealed the vaccinia strain commonly associated with vaccinia outbreaks among cattle and humans in Brazil. These finding suggest a remarkably high incidence of vaccinia infection in the Brazilian wilderness and in a host, namely monkeys, not normally considered as an active reservoir for orthopoxviruses. Although Abrahao et al. do not specifically identify monkeys as a primary reservoir for vaccinia virus and do not address the mode of transmission of the virus among these animals, the results suggest a substantial repository of vaccinia virus in the Brazilian wilderness. Especially given the broad host range of vaccinia, these findings warrant a substantial effort to characterize further the circulation of vaccinia virus in this region. If the results described in the article by Abrahao et al. (3) can be confirmed and expanded by other laboratories, they would have major implications for public health.

A ‘Public Health Nuisance’: The Victoria Street Early Morning Squatters Market, 1910–1934

The focus of this paper is the Indian Market, a famous tourist landmark in Durban. While local and foreign tourists have flocked in large numbers to the Market for most of this century, few realise that the Market has historically been an arena of struggle between Indians and whites concerned about public health in Durban, between Indians and the local state, and amongst Indians themselves. This struggle over the Market encapsulated the class and caste differences that existed amongst Indians, as well as the racial and class prejudice of Durban's planners and citizens.

Health effects associated with wastewater treatment, disposal, and reuse

and transfer of fecal indicator organisms (coliforms, enterococci, sulphite-reducing clostridia, and coliphages) downstream of a wastewater treatment plant were investigated at Lake Kallavesi, Finland (R?jala and Heinonen-Tanski, 1998). The observation of indicator organisms up to 18 km from the discharge point and good survival in the summer suggested that direct use of lake water could constitute a health risk. The effect of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on the occur rence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was investigated (Gibson et al., 1998). The results suggested that CSOs significantly contribute to the load of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in ambient waters and source waters for drinking and recreational uses. An outbreak of waterborne giardiasis in Temagami, Ontario, in 1994 was assessed (Wallis et al., 1998). The outbreak was traced to leakage from the municipal wastewater system into the lake and exacerbated by spring snow-melt runoff. The influence of rainwater on the con centration of helminth eggs in wastewater was investigated (Capizzi and Schwartzbrod, 1998). Concentrations of parasite eggs vary according to water flow rates and sedimentation; heavy rain following rainless days yielded higher concentrations in raw wastewater at the treatment plant, whereas continuous moderate rain resulted in low variation of parasite eggs. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms, skin disorders, status of spirometric lung functions, and amino acid profiles among wastewater workers were reported (Bener et al., 1998). Wastewa ter workers had a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than controls, significant for chronic cough (p < 0.02), chronic phlegm (p < 0.03), chronic bronchitis (p < 0.02), asthma (p < 0.02), dyspneoa (p < 0.001), and nasal catarrh (p < 0.001) and acute symptoms of pruritus (p < 0.003), tinea (p < 0.004), dermatitis (p < 0.001), and nose irritation (p < 0.005). Spirometry tests scored lower in wastewater workers, and most of the plasma amino acids concentrations were elevated among wastewater workers. An investigation examining whether inadequate septic system construction may cause contamination of wells with coliform bacteria or nitrates was reported (Tuthill et al., 1998). The authors found that coliform bacteria and nitrate contamination were neg atively correlated with lot size, and coliform bacteria levels were negatively correlated with casing length, which suggested that septic systems may be a source of coliform bacteria and nitrate contamination in wells. CONTAMINATION OF WATER SUPPLIES

MONKEYPOX IN AFRICA: FUTURE HEALTH HAZARD OR PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCE?

MONKEYPOX IN AFRICA: FUTURE HEALTH HAZARD OR PUBLIC HEALTH NUISANCE?

Seasonal and spatial distribution of Tinea fuscipunctella on poultry ranches.

Populations of Tinea fuscipunctella Haworth larvae, breeding on coastal and inland poultry ranches in southern California, characteristically showed annual spring and early-summer peaks followed by two smaller mid- and late-summer surges. Larval distribution in hen manure was relatively uniform, although some larvae tended to concentrate near warmer areas of ranches during the spring. This species probably has increased in importance as a public health nuisance coincident with urbanization. No evidence exists to suggest a significant density rise or distributional extension over the past decade.