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Aetiology

Discussing causes, origins, evolution, and implications of disease and other phenomena.

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"...a veritable expert on tawdry cosmetic procedures gone horribly awry..."--Kevin Beck

Tara C. Smith is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology. Her research involves a number of pathogens at the animal-human nexus. Additionally, she is the founder of Iowa Citizens for Science and also writes for The Panda's Thumb and WIRED SCIENCE's Correlations. Please note the views expressed on this site are Dr. Smith's alone and may not be representative of the groups mentioned above.

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Infectious Disease Series

General biology:

The controversy surrounding the existence of nanobacteria

This is the sixth of 6 guest posts on infection and chronic disease. By Courtney Cook Kidney stone disease affects approximately 5% of Americans. While several risk factors are well-established, including genetic predisposition, metabolic diseases, lifestyle, and diet, there are...

A Deeper Look into Adenovirus-36 and Obesity

How strong is the link between adenovirus and obesity?

Infectious Disease-Chronic Inflammation-Cancer

This is the third of 6 guest posts on infection and chronic disease. Does chronic IL-6 levels lead to epigenetic changes in DNA methylation that contribute to this pathway? By Matthew Fitzgerald How can infection be a carcinogen? How do...

Big Questions, Little Answers: the debate over autism

Student post #2: what are some of the issues and controversies in autism epidemiology?

Bacteriophages to Fight Bacteria: Is this the Beginning of the End?

Will bacteriophage treatment for "superbugs" save lives, or create even worse pathogens?

On E. coli, super soil bacteria, and Hank Williams Jr.

Early this week, grant application; yesterday and today, IRB and IACUC for another project. But once again, fellow Sbers are keeping me busy reading about stories I'd like to be writing on; see yet again Mike on E. coli O157:H7--everything...

The threat of emerging poxviruses: replacements for smallpox?

1980 marked a milestone in infectious disease epidemiology: the World Health Organization declared the smallpox virus eradicated in the wild. However, while smallpox currently exists only in frozen stocks, poxviruses as a class certainly haven't disappeared. A related virus, monkeypox,...

Objection to vaccination: they cause immunology

In this NY Times article on parents who are opting out of vaccinations, one mom notes her objections: "I refuse to sacrifice my children for the greater good," said Sybil Carlson, whose 6-year-old son goes to school with several of...

The ABCs (and DEGs) of hepatitis viruses

Hepatitis viruses are making news around the world; find a roundup of the various types (and their basic epidemiology) here.

Thar's bacteria in that there snow!

Bacteria...is there anything they *can't* do?

Behaviors, Human Papilloma Virus and Sex Act Cancers

HPV has been linked to more than cervical cancer; oral cancers can result from infection.

The "Skinny Shot" and Media Accountability

Infectious obesity: what's hype, and what's supported by the evidence?

Schizophrenia: is it really just "all in your head?"

Can a parasite cause mental illness?

Could the Cervical Cancer Vaccine Gardasil also Protect against Breast Cancer?

Viruses are increasingly being linked to cancers; could a vaccine against one type of virus protect against multiple cancers?

The microbiology of double-dipping

The science of Seinfeld: does double-dipping a chip really contaminate the chip dip?

Did Yersinia pestis really cause Black Plague? Part 4: Plague in modern times

Though there still may be some lingering doubt about the cause of the Black Death and subsequent outbreaks of plague, the pathogen behind the outbreaks that have taken place in the last 150 years or so is much less ambiguous. What is the current state of plague epidemiology, and what does the future hold?

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