Stormy weather ahead

Climate change and infectious disease: stormy weather ahead?

Extreme weather events are becoming more intense, and are likely to become more frequent as the world climate changes.1,2 For epidemiologists, one important aspect of these trends is their impact on infectious disease. In this issue of EPIDEMIOLOGY, Woodruff et al.3 demonstrate a strong association between heavy rainfall and outbreaks of Ross River virus disease. Ross River virus is mosquito bo...

Stormy weather for Labour's NHS reforms.

Blue skies or stormy weather: what lies ahead for malaria research?

During the past ten years, our understanding of many aspects of the biology of malaria parasites has increased dramatically. In particular, the complete genome sequences of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelii, the availability of transcriptome and proteome profiles, and the establishment of transfection techniques for asexual-stage malaria parasites all represent major achievements from...

“Stormy waters ahead”: global emergence of carbapenemases

Carbapenems, once considered the last line of defense against of serious infections with Enterobacteriaceae, are threatened with extinction. The increasing isolation of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens is forcing practitioners to rely on uncertain alternatives. As little as 5 years ago, reports of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, common causes of both community and healt...

Stormy weather: a retrospective analysis of demand for emergency medical services during epidemic thunderstorm asthma

OBJECTIVES To describe the demand for emergency medical assistance during the largest outbreak of thunderstorm asthma reported globally, which occurred on 21 November 2016. DESIGN A time series analysis was conducted of emergency medical service caseload between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. Demand during the thunderstorm asthma event was compared to historical trends for the overall p...