Is Europe blind to H1N1 (swine) flu?
This blog is about an article I read in the New Scientist entitled ‘Europe may be blind to swine flu cases’. The article deals with a point I raised in my previous blog posted on 1st May on H1N1 flu. Having flown back from a holiday in Canada, I started suffering flu symptoms the week…
Dangerous Squeals
A leaflet produced by the UK Health and Safety Executive warning of the dangers of squealing pigs has caught the attention of the British media. Apparently a large group of pigs in intensive housing can create noise levels of 100 decibels or above, especially just before they are fed. Farmers are advised to either wear…
Wild and Woolly 2009
I recently went llama trekking and thoroughly enjoyed it. Up close, the llama (Lama glama) not only sports rather glamorous long eyelashes but also has the most amazing fibrous coat. This reminded me that 2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF) – a year of all things wild and woolly! FAO have deemed…
The International Day for Biological Diversity
The 22nd May 2009 is 'The International Day for Biological Diversity'. For 2009 the theme is Invasive Alien Species (IAS) – a major threat to biodiversity and food production – and a research and knowledge provision area that we here at CABI are are highly skilled in. The majority of our scientists time is spent…
H1N1 influenza research- free papers!
It is cheering to see that a growing list of publishers including CABI is making influenza related research papers and databases freely available to help the global anti-influenza effort. I'm gathering those I hear about on CABI's free H1N1 'dashboard'. Below is what I have found so far. The list will be growing I'm sure…..
Leonardo Da Vinci’s water theory: the bedrock of hydrology
Water is the driving force of all nature (Leonardo Da Vinci, 1452-1519) Whilst screening a pile of publications, I recently came across a new book entitled Leonardo Da Vinci’s Water Theory: on the origin and fate of water. As Da Vinci himself, the book is fascinating, revealing and inspiring. Leonardo Da Vinci’s water theory opens…
Man Flu Really Exists, New Study Shows
Man flu is considered by large segments of society to be the psychological condition of men with colds. It is often said that when men have a cold they think it is a flu and as a consequence they moan more than women and stay longer in bed until they feel better. Man flu is…
Pandemic influenza: the worst economic scenario
The threat of an influenza pandemic has disappeared from headlines again lately, at least in the UK where a political scandal around MPs expenses has driven everything else off the news. But that doesn't mean that the outbreak has died down yet. In fact, just over 1000 new cases have been confirmed worldwide in the…
Ask our invasive expert a question today
Arne Witt is the coordinator for Invasive Species at CABI Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya. Arne is responsible for coordinating all CABI activities associated with Invasive Alien Species (IAS) on the African continent. He is also the current International Project Coordinator for the UNEP-GEF project, “Removing Barriers to Invasive Plant Management in Africa”. You can…
New ideas in global health biotechnology: the outpouring of creativity!
Can tomatoes be taught to make antiviral drugs for people who eat them? Would zapping your skin with a laser make your vaccination work better? Could malaria-carrying mosquitoes be given a teensy head cold that would prevent them from sniffing out a human snack bar?