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: malaria
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.