public health

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How to Survive an Infestation of Toxic Caterpillars
2 months ago
- The author describes Berlin's hottest day and an infestation of oak processionary caterpillars (Eichenprozessionsspinner) with toxic hairs that cause severe itching and rashes.
- Caterpillar hairs can become airborne, travel far, survive for years, and penetrate clothing, causing painful stings and potential eye or respiratory issues.
- Climate change, particularly warmer and sunnier springs, has led to mass outbreaks of these caterpillars across Europe, including Germany, Britain, Denmark, Netherlands, and France.
- Efforts to control the caterpillars—such as vacuuming, pesticides, and nematodes—have limited effectiveness, and experts suggest humans must adapt to their presence.
- The caterpillars have a long evolutionary history and are found worldwide, but human carbon emissions may worsen outbreaks, highlighting our own role in the ecological crisis.
Big Food vs. the People
2 months ago
- Big Food companies filed 239 lawsuits between 2010 and 2025 across six countries (Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, US, UK, India) against public health policies like front-of-pack labeling, junk food advertising restrictions, and soda taxes.
- The lawsuits amount to 595 years of litigation, burdening governments and costing billions in legal and healthcare costs, while chilling policymaker action.
- More than one-third of cases with identifiable plaintiffs came from just nine parent groups, led by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Mondelez, who publicly claim to support health but privately use legal tactics to delay or derail laws.
- Mexico had the most lawsuits (193), largely against labeling regulations; Brazil had 17 cases dragging on for decades; Colombia had 18 challenges often brought by industry-linked lawyers; the US saw soda industry lawsuits and lobbying; the UK faced pre-action letters from Kellogg's and Ferrero; India delayed front-of-pack labeling amid industry pressure.
Grocery Shopping in the Age of Explosive Diarrhea
2 months ago
- A major cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US, centered in Michigan, has caused thousands of cases of severe diarrhea.
- The parasite cyclospora contaminates produce via human feces, often from irrigation or flooding, and cannot be cultured in a lab.
- Social media identified Taylor Fresh Foods as a likely source, but the company supplies many retailers under different brand names.
- Federal public health agencies have been severely weakened by DOGE cuts, losing 20-25% of staff and key surveillance teams.
- The Food Traceability Rule, which would have required companies to quickly provide data, was delayed to 2028 due to lobbying.
- Official messaging from HHS Secretary Kennedy was confusing and downplayed the outbreak, while cases continued to rise.
- By late July, Michigan had nearly 7,000 cases, and a new cyclospora outbreak of 72 cases was announced.
Admin officials kill proposed rules for PFAS-contaminated sewage fertilizer
2 months ago
- The Trump administration cancelled proposed regulations for PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge used as fertilizer on farmland, a practice linked to health and environmental harms.
- The EPA discarded its scientific research supporting the regulations, arguing sludge is not a widespread threat because it is mostly used on farms, despite advising the public to research sludge companies for safety.
- PFAS are 'forever chemicals' associated with serious health issues like cancer and birth defects, and sludge, a mix of human and industrial waste, is rich in nutrients but often contaminated with toxins.
- In its final days, the Biden administration issued a draft health risk assessment finding PFAS levels above 1 ppb in sludge increase cancer risks to farmers, which would have limited sludge use if implemented.
- The EPA's new assessment claims sludge is used on only 1% of farmland, but no agency tracks its spread, and most states do not test contaminated lands, despite evidence of migration and pollution.
- The waste management industry opposes regulations and lobbies the EPA, while public health advocates criticize the decision for prioritizing polluters over farming families and rural communities.
CO2 overload in blood suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years
2 months ago
- An analysis of NHANES data from 1999 to 2020 shows an increasing trend in average serum bicarbonate levels in the U.S. population, paralleling rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
- Over the same period, average serum calcium and phosphorus levels have decreased, suggesting physiological compensation for elevated CO2 exposure.
- If trends continue, bicarbonate levels could reach the upper healthy limit around 2076, while calcium and phosphorus could hit lower healthy limits by the end of the century.
- Elevated CO2 exposure is linked to potential adverse health effects, including oxidative stress, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and organ calcification, based on animal and some human studies.
- The study highlights that human physiology, evolved under stable atmospheric CO2 levels, may be increasingly strained by current and projected CO2 increases, urging immediate reductions in emissions.
The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger
2 months ago
- The US faces a major outbreak of cyclosporiasis, with nearly 7,000 potential cases, over 3,300 in Michigan alone, linked to tainted lettuce.
- Actual case numbers are likely higher due to underdiagnosis, as labs don't routinely test for it and mild cases often go unreported, potentially doubling CDC tallies.
- Cyclospora causes severe, prolonged diarrhea and is hard to eliminate; it lodges in raw produce like lettuce and berries, resisting bleach and common sanitizers.
- Cooking kills the parasite, but contaminated foods are often eaten raw, with recent outbreaks including domestic sources, not just imports.
- The parasite spreads via water supplies used for irrigation, threatening larger outbreaks as infected waste contaminates water, and it resists chlorine in treatment systems.
- Experts warn the outbreak could expand rapidly through food distribution networks, potentially affecting all 50 states.
Probe into explosive diarrheal cases points to Taco Bell and bad lettuce
2 months ago
- An explosive outbreak of the diarrheal parasite Cyclospora is surging nationwide, with Michigan reporting an extraordinary spike in cases, reaching 3,309 as of July 14, compared to a typical annual count of around 50.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services indicates that leafy greens, particularly lettuce, are suspected as the source based on interviews with over 1,000 affected individuals, though no definitive product has been identified.
- State and federal officials are investigating Taco Bell restaurants as a potential source of contamination, with local outlets reporting removed items like lettuce and cilantro due to a recalled, though no nationwide recall has been officially announced.
MacKenzie Scott's giving, in quality-adjusted life years
2 months ago
- A model estimates MacKenzie Scott's $26.3B philanthropy buys 70,000 to 200,000 QALYs, depending on evidence stance.
- Key uncertainty is evidence stance, not dollar amount, with skeptical weighting reducing effectiveness estimates.
- The model compares Scott's giving to global health frontier, which is ~1,500x more cost-effective per marginal dollar.
- Most of Scott's giving targets non-health areas like equity and education, so QALY model understates total social impact.
- Model uses Monte Carlo simulation with 13 intervention archetypes, incorporating causal credibility and realization discounts.
Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented (2016)
2 months ago
- Thomas Midgley Jr. discovered tetraethyl lead (TEL) in 1921 as an additive to reduce engine knocking, despite its known toxicity since 1854.
- GM chose TEL over ethanol because ethanol couldn't be patented or controlled, while oil companies saw ethanol as a threat.
- Leaded gasoline first sold in 1923, despite early incidents like lead poisoning in Midgley and worker deaths in 1924 raising safety concerns.
- A 1926 public health report downplayed everyday risks of leaded gasoline, allowing its continued use until the EPA phased it out in the 1970s.
- Lead exposure from gasoline has lasting harmful effects, especially on children, causing lower IQ, behavioral issues, and links to violent crime.
Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce
3 months ago
- FDA withdrew a proposed rule requiring talc product asbestos testing, seemingly without Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s knowledge, benefiting Johnson & Johnson in lawsuits.
- The withdrawal was coordinated by White House lawyers and OMB after Johnson & Johnson executives visited, undermining Kennedy's MAHA agenda and exposing his limited influence.
- Kennedy's leadership at HHS is marked by chaos, weak management, high staff turnover, and distractions, such as discussing UFOs, while preventable diseases like measles surge.
- Kennedy purged and replaced the vaccine advisory committee ACIP with controversial appointees, but internal interference, legal challenges, and resignations hampered its independence and effectiveness.
- The MAHA-MAGA alliance, formed for political expediency, is strained, with the White House undermining MAHA priorities on pesticides and vaping, leading to disillusionment and talk of divorce.

public health

How to Survive an Infestation of Toxic Caterpillars

Big Food vs. the People

Grocery Shopping in the Age of Explosive Diarrhea

Admin officials kill proposed rules for PFAS-contaminated sewage fertilizer

CO2 overload in blood suggests toxic atmosphere within 50 years

The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger

Probe into explosive diarrheal cases points to Taco Bell and bad lettuce

MacKenzie Scott's giving, in quality-adjusted life years

Leaded Gas Was a Known Poison the Day It Was Invented (2016)

Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce