Illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites have tripled in the last 15 years, but even more alarming is that nine new germs spread by these insects have been discovered in the United States alone (CDC, Illnesses on the Rise, 2018).

Hiking year-round is a favorite hobby of mine. But as the summer approaches and tights are replaced by shorts, caution is highly recommended. We can all still enjoy the beauty of a mountain trail. We just need to be smart. Scientists are debating and trying to reduce the causes for these significant increases in reported cases, but regardless of the reasons, these diseases are here in higher numbers. Knowing how to protect, prevent, test, and treat is now more important than ever before. An article in the New York Times offers some wise tips on protection for the general public.

For the healthcare professional, the HSL collection offers many valuable resources to further one’s research on the spread, control, and treatment of these infectious diseases. Many journal articles, online lectures, books, e-books, and databases are listed below:

 

Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Vector-borne Diseases. Lecture by Professor Jonathan F. Day.

From the Henry Stewart Talks: Biomedical and Life Sciences Collection. Available online.

 

 

Search PubMed for journal articles and scholarly research on Lyme Disease published by Gary P. Wormser, M.D.

Gary P. Wormser, M.D., is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Vice Chairman of the Department of Medicine at New York Medical College. He is Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, and Pharmacology. Dr. Wormser is Director and Founder of the Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center, a well-respected walk-in clinic for the care and study of patients with tick-borne infections, now in its 30th year. At Westchester Medical Center, Dr. Wormser is Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases and Director and Founder of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. 

 

 

 

 

Conquering Lyme Disease: Science Bridges the Great Divide, by Brian A. Fallon and Jennifer Sotsky. Available in print.

This book discusses everything from the early history and epidemiologic surveillance of Lyme disease to diagnostic testing, as well as which antibiotic treatments work and why others don’t. It discusses what other non-infectious diseases have Lyme-like symptoms, and answers important questions such as:  What do the diagnostic tests tell us?  Why would symptoms persist after antibiotic treatment? What are the treatments?  It also covers prevention and transmission as well as suggestions for the patient in search of medical help.

 

 

 

 

Malaria: Biology in the Era of Eradication, edited by Dyann F. Wirth and Pedro Alonso. Available online.

Though virtually eradicated from the United States, there are about 1,700 cases of malaria diagnosed here each year, mostly in travelers and immigrants returning from countries where malaria transmission occurs (CDC, About Malaria, 2018). Globally, this disease imposes a significant health burden, claiming the lives of several thousand children and pregnant women each day. Increasing antimalarial drug resistance and the complexity of the Plasmodium life cycle, among other factors, have made eradication difficult.

 

 

 

Dynamic Models of Infectious Diseases, Volume 1, edited by V. Sree Hari Rao and Ravi Durvasula. Available in print.

Diseases that are transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes, sand flies, fleas, and ticks affect hundreds of millions of people and account for nearly three million deaths all over the world, annually. In the past there was very little hope of controlling the epidemics caused by these diseases, but modern advancements in science and technology are providing a variety of ways in which these diseases can be handled.