In the article “New Roads in the Amazon May Deliver Disease” by Joanne Silberner posted on the disease section, biostatistician Bill Pan discusses how pools of water form alongside roads and act as nesting grounds for mosquitoes that are potentially infected with malaria. I found this piece of information interesting as when generally thinking about how disease spreads, I had only considered the migration of people from one location to another as the sole cause. In addition, it is known that there are many cons associated with building a road, but I feel that this is an issue that is often overlooked.
Tag Archives: disease
Increased occurrence of tree diseases
Generally when we think of disease we only think of humans. The Natural Resources Defense Council suggests that humans are not the only ones made more susceptible to the spread of disease due to roads and logging. The previous link provides a summary of several studies suggesting that trees and roots are also suffering the consequences.
Deforestation is only the beginning
While roads may bring short-term (and in some cases long-term as well) economic boosts, the end result may negatively affect human health. Unfortunately, numerous newly-constructed roads in the Amazon illustrate this, as can be shown in studies performed by John Hopkins researchers. This article examines the relationship between roads, deforestation, and malaria.
AIDS Highway: Spreading an Epidemic through Africa
Journeyman Pictures takes viewers on a tour of Botswana’s Highway #1, nicknamed ‘AIDS Highway,’ and explores the lives of families, doctors, pastors, and communities dealing with the AIDS epidemic along the route. Human movement along the highway, along with high levels of prostitution at truck stops, spreads the disease through the African continent. With limited resources and political interest, it is difficult to educate and provide healthcare for the large number of people affected by AIDS, and the disease continues to spread.