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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 Epidemiology:

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?

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Milk

A unique perspective on Crohn's and infectious disease.

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?

Raw milk demand increases despite the risk

In this "natural" = "better" world, raw milk consumption is increasing. Is it worth the risk?

Mumps in the midwest: a 2006 retrospective

How did mumps make a resurgence in 2006? A new paper examines the factors.

Landscape ecology and infectious disease: macro meets micro

Little organisms + big ideas = novel interdisciplinary work.

Elsewhere...

Busy here; good stuff other places to check out.

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,...

What's Google got to do with emerging diseases?

Google.com + infectious disease research = delicious.

"One medicine, one health"

Working together to improve health for the whole planet.

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.

McCain: "strong evidence" mercury causes autism

More grants out the door today, but check out ABC correspondent Jake Tapper's post on John McCain's views on thimerosal and autism: At a town hall meeting Friday in Texas, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., declared that "there's strong evidence" that...

Behaviors, Human Papilloma Virus and Sex Act Cancers

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

Crohn's disease: exploring the causes

Crohn's affects half a million Americans; what do we know about its potential cause(s)?

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