Video Three members of Congress joined forces with a Lyme disease advocacy group to host a forum to discuss the fight against tick-borne diseases. As a panelist, Cary's Rick Ostfeld shared his research and insights.
Man-induced changes to the natural environment may be the perfect storm for the spread of diseases such as histoplasmosis, hantavirus, Lyme and typhus.
Huffington Post follows-up on disease ecologist Rick Ostfeld's warning of increased health risks related to urban rats being displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
When we do things in an ecosystem that erode biodiversity — we chop forests into bits or replace habitat with agricultural fields — we tend to get rid of species that serve a protective role.
For many years, oaks in the Northeast were prolific acorn producers. The 2010 crop was record-breaking—many will recall getting hit with acorn rain or slipping on acorns underfoot. Last fall, however, acorns were scarce.
Millbrook, NY – The Hudson Valley has the unfortunate distinction of being the global epicenter of tick-borne disease. And the situation is getting worse.
The forest, normally filled with the chorus of calling frogs, falls silent. Something drops from the trees. And then another. Dead frogs are falling from the canopy.
We've had a wet stretch of weather. First we were drenched by Irene, then again with Lee. Saturated soils had additional rainy days. And as a result, mosquitoes have been out in droves.
West Nile virus is a human health risk because it can cause sickness and death when mosquitoes transmit the pathogen from an infected bird to a person.
Dengue (pronounced DEN-ghee) fever is caused by a virus spread by mosquitoes. It was formerly called "break-bone fever" because it causes excruciating pain to the muscles and joints of its human victims.
