Archive for the Diseases Category
Posted on December 17, 2012 with No Comments
West Nile virus, lyme disease, dengue fever, and plague are examples of “vector-borne diseases,” caused by pathogens that naturally infect wildlife and are transmitted to humans by vectors such as mosquitoes or ticks.
According to Marm Kilpatrick, who studies the ecology of infectious diseases at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a broad range of human activities can affect the spread of zoonotic diseases. In an article in the December 1 issue of the British medical journal Lancet, Kilpatrick and coauthor Sarah Randolph of the University of Oxford describe how widespread land-use change, globalization of trade and travel, and social upheaval are driving the emergence of zoonotic vector-borne diseases around the world. The article is part of a special series of papers focused on emerging zoonotic diseases.
Vector Intervention Program
If you enjoy spending time outdoors you need the VIP treatme
nt. This premier service will help protect you from diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. We target these creatures where they breed and harbor. One of our more popular services, as it will protect your family from the many diseases these pests carry including:
- West Nile Virus
- Hantavirus
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Lyme Disease
These pathogens are transmitted to people by insect bites, inhalation or by contact with surfaces that have been exposed to diseases. It is vital every family living in the tri-state area protect themselves. We can help! Please contact us if you are interested in our Vector Intervention Program.
Posted on September 26, 2012 with 1 Comment
A mosquito sample collected three decades ago in Israel’s Negev Desert has yielded an unexpected discovery: a previously unknown virus that’s closely related to some of the world’s most dangerous mosquito-borne pathogens but, curiously, incapable of infecting non-insect hosts.
Researchers believe this attribute could make the Eilat virus a uniquely useful tool for studying other alphaviruses, a genus of largely mosquito-borne pathogens that includes the viruses responsible for chikungunya, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis and eastern equine encephalitis. In addition, the researchers say, Eilat could also aid in the development of new alphavirus vaccines, therapies and diagnostic techniques.
“This virus is unique — it’s related to all of these mosquito-borne viruses that cause disease and cycle between mosquitoes and animals, and yet it is incapable of infecting vertebrate cells,” said University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston graduate student Farooq Nasar, lead author of a paper on the virus now online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “It’s a gift, really, because we can compare it to other alphaviruses and figure out the basis of their ability to infect a variety of animals, including humans.”
Read More @ Science Daily
Posted on September 19, 2012 with 1 Comment
Fall is among us and that means that means that pests and rodents are going to start seeking shelter indoors.
Rodents and pests will seek entry ways into homes during the winter months in search of food, water and shelter. Cracks in foundations, open chimney’s are just two vulnerable entry points for rodents.
There have been recent stories in the news about bubonic plaque, hantavirus and lyme disease. All of which are alarming – but not a cause to panic – amongst pest management professionals.
Protecting and preparing your residence is key to fending off rodents. At JP McHale Pest Management we recommend our Home Pest Prevention Program (HPP). Every home occasionally has unwanted visitors. As seasons change, insects and rodents take shelter in and around your home. Protect yourself with a comprehensive pest control program that not only treats existing problems, but also prevents them from coming back with regularly scheduled visits. We deliver complimentary service calls, at no additional charge, in case you need us between regular scheduled visits
Please contact us today if you are interested in our Home Pest Prevention Program.
Posted on September 7, 2012 with No Comments
Sierra Jane Downing is recovering well from a case of bubonic plague at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, 9News in Denver reports.
A seven-year-old Pagosa Springs, Colo., girl is recovering from an extremely rare disease that harkens back to a deadly epidemic in the Middle Ages.
Sierra Jane Downing is recovering well from a case of bubonic plague at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, 9News in Denver reports.
Doctors believe Downing contracted the disease while on a camping trip near Pagosa Springs. Her parents told the doctors she had been around a dead squirrel. Fleas are common transmitters of the plague.
Source: 9News Denver
Posted on May 30, 2012 with No Comments
Pest Control to help keep your yard tick free this summer
Ticks and lyme disease are on the rise in New York. Here are some more prevention tips to reduce the number of ticks in your yard:
- Keep your yard clean of debris such as leaf litter and grass clippings and keep flowerbeds dry.
- Keep grass mowed and trim bushes and shrubs, especially near paths and walkways.
- Minimize ground cover.
- Separate your lawn from any wooded areas with a barrier.
- Minimize anything that will attract tick infested wildlife, including bird feeders and bird baths.
- White-tailed deer are known to be a carry of ticks. Deer enter suburban yards seeking food sources
- Have a New York Pest Control Company apply a pesticide to your property.
JP McHale can help protect your family and pets from diseases carrying ticks. Ticks are very small insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, mice, deer, and, of course, people. A tick will latch onto the skin, dig in its feeding apparatus, and then bite. When the tick is full, it swells in size. Then it drops off the host, only to repeat the cycle again later.
Posted on May 14, 2012 with No Comments
A relatively new and potentially more deadly tickborne disease, ehrlichiosis, continues to spread in Westchester County. Education, prevention of tick bites and recognition and treatment of early signs and symptoms remain the best weapon against diseases from ticks. Another disease from ticks, babesiosis, is now also found in Westchester County.
Ehrlichia bacteria can be carried by the american dog tick; deer tick — which can also cause lyme disease, and the Lone Star tick and one is more susceptible if they live near an area with a lot of ticks, own a pet that may bring a tick home, walk or play outdoors in high grasses.
Prevention
Ehrlichiosis is spread by tick bites. Some common measures to prevent tick bites include avoiding brush and long grasses when hiking; checking yourself for ticks and removing any that you find after being outside; not standing under trees or bushes; using insect repellent; wearing clothing to cover skin.
Tick Identification
Ticks generally need to be attached to the body for about 24 hours before they can pass along infections such as Lyme disease. Daily tick checks and proper removal is one of ways to prevent infections.
If you think your outdoor environment is susceptible to ticks, contact JP McHale Pest Management Inc., a pest control company with headquarters in Westchester County to protect your family and pets from diseases carrying ticks. Ticks are very small insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including dogs, cats, mice, deer, and, of course, people. A tick will latch onto the skin, dig in its feeding apparatus, and then bite. When the tick is full, it swells in size. Then it drops off the host, only to repeat the cycle again later.
Each of our pest control treatments targets a specific disease that puts your family at risk. Common diseases around your home will include Mosquitoes (West Nile Virus), Ticks (Babesiosis, Lyme Disease), and Rodents (hantavirus). Because any of these diseases may take weeks to develop symptoms, the best treatment for your family is prevention. Contact your Westchester County Pest Control Company today!
Posted on April 27, 2012 with No Comments
A Delta Flight in Chicago was quarantined and all passengers were held on board because of a rash on a passenger. Passengers reportedly were in panic mode, when hearing that the rash on the woman could be monkey-pox.
It turns out that bed bugs may have been the culprit and not monkeypox. The plane was held for 90 minutes on the tarmac white officials dressed in hazmat suits investigated.
The itchy passenger was Lise Sievers of Red Wing, Minn., a 50-year-old woman returning home from Uganda, where she was working to adopt two children. Sievers noticed the rash and told her mother, who got worried and called health officials
“It’s just a case of bed bugs,” Sievers told ABC News affiliate WLS after exiting the plane. “I think I’m going to empty a jar of bed bugs on my mom’s bed tonight!”
Other passengers aboard Flight 3163 feared the worst as officers wearing hazmat suits studied the rash, sending photos to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta.
Delta Airlines headquarters are based in Atlanta, Georgia with United States hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis St. Paul, New York LaGuardia, New York-JFK Airport and Salt Lake City Utah.
View the CBS Video Here
Posted on April 25, 2012 with No Comments
Almost everyone eats more fruit in the spring! But did you know that leaving fruit out on your counter can mean having encounters with fruit flies? Leaving fruit or vegetables out, they have the potential to rot. Fruit flies live for 8-10 days and females can lay around 500 in that time.
- Fruit flies feed on decaying fruits and vegetables.
- Fruit flies are commonly found in homes, restaurants and other facilities where food is processed. They are especially attracted to garbage that is left sitting around.
- Fruit flies are found in unsanitary conditions like garbage dumps and trashcans. When they are around, humans can become ill.
- Keep your home clean; remove kitchen trash every day and keep kitchen counters clean and immediately remove food from your home the moment you suspect it is rotting.
Posted on April 20, 2012 with 1 Comment
A 33-year-old White Plains woman was attacked by a raccoon while getting into her car in the Valhalla train station parking lot Tuesday evening, as reported by The Daily Ossinning.
One of our facebook friends reports that every morning around 4am raccoons are fighting and screaming in her neighborhood. So what do you do if you encounter a raccoon? The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website says that “Raccoon rabies reached New York in 1990 and has become widespread. Rabies is a viral disease with symptoms similar to distemper. Rabid raccoons may behave aggressively, salivate heavily, or have paralyzed hind legs. Rabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected animal. If you suspect a raccoon is rabid, avoid or destroy the animal and contact local health officials.”
Raccoons are highly intelligent and persistent. They are good problem solvers and will learn from repeated attempts to breach your security.
Also according to the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, there are some ways to prevent raccoons from becoming a nuisance:
- Do not leave pet food outside. Feed pets only as much as they will eat at once, and remove all leftovers. If necessary, place pet feeders in an enclosed area such as a porch, garage, or barn.
- Keep garbage bags in an entry-way or garage, and in a metal can. Run a rubber strap, rope or soft wire through the lid and attach to the can handles. To make it hard for raccoons to remove lids, hang the can one foot above the ground, or use a rack and secure the cans upright.
- Surround gardens with an electric fence made up of two wires attached to an insulated post, one wire four inches and the other eight inches above the ground. Install the fence before vegetables ripen.
- Block the openings raccoons are using to get into your attic, porch or other location. Place a temporary cover when the raccoons leave on their nightly search for food, and make a permanent seal later. To check if the raccoons have really left, sprinkle twigs, grass or flour in the opening and watch for tracks. Caution: do not permanently seal entrances without first verifying that all animals are out of the den. Especially in the spring, look and listen for animal noises.
- Nuisance wildlife control persons licensed by New York State can be hired to deal with problem raccoons. Injured and “orphaned” raccoons should be left alone. Animals actually in need of assistance may be cared for by licensed wildlife rehabilitators. The DEC regional office can refer you to these individuals.
Posted on April 18, 2012 with No Comments
In May of 2011, NY Officials Launched An Ash Borer Awareness Program
Thousands of ash trees around the state were marked with ribbons and signs to draw attention to a destructive insect that’s spread by people moving firewood from place to place.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has said the goal is to educate people about how they can help protect trees from infestation that devastates the landscape, habitats, and the forest product industry.
The only way to slow the spread of this pest is by raising awareness so people can spot infestations early, and to encourage people not to transport firewood.
