— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Humans, not climate, driving increased dengue risk in Australia
'Drought-proofing' Australia's urban regions by installing large domestic water tanks may enable the dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti to regain its foothold across the country and expand its range of possible infections, according to a new study published 5 May in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Dr Nigel Beebe and colleagues from the University of Queensland, CSIRO Entomology, the Australian Army Malaria Institute, and the Communicable Diseases Branch of Queensland Health, Brisbane, challenge the common assumption that climate change will drive the spread of this mosquito, suggesting instead that the real driver is human behaviour.
The study combines current and forecasted climate change conditions with historical epidemics to reveal the risk of dengue infections in all capital cities around Australia by 2050. Beebe and colleagues developed and critically assessed their models to project the distribution of the mosquito in 2030 and 2050. Currently, dengue fever occurs in Queensland only. However, the implementation of new water tanks, combined with already warm summer temperatures, could enable the mosquito to re-emerge and further its current reach.
'Dengue risks will not be driven directly by warmer temperatures or changes in rainfall patterns,' Beebe said. 'Our summers already provide ideal conditions for dengue transmission around the country, but the introduction of government-subsidised water storage devices now adds the ideal breeding ground for the dengue mosquito to re-emerge.'
'While research is properly focused on the impact of anthropogenic climate change, this study highlights the need to look also at our responses to those changes and the outcomes they generate,' he said.
The current dengue fever epidemic in far north Queensland is approaching 1,000 reported cases over the summer of 2008-2009.
Beebe and colleagues are continuing this research under the auspices of the CSIRO Climate Change Adaption National Research Flagship.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Cancer: The cost of being smarter than chimps?
Study gives clues to how adrenal cancer forms
New centre aims to improve recovery of soldiers with severe injuries
Products may revolutionise how men monitor their reproductive status