Search our collection of background (non-event) articles from news media, science journals and other sources.
Clean, fresh air can be part of the draw for tourists to Canada's North — but they won't find it this week in Yellowknife due to wildfire smoke.
A Kodiak woman died in a hit-and-run collision during Saturday’s tsunami warning and evacuation,
For countless US veterans, the Army’s mismanagement and careless disposal of hazardous substances since the early years of the Cold War have been an enduring source of debilitating and fatal consequences. Notorious instances such as the pervasive contamination at Camp Lejeune, where toxins leached into groundwater for over 30 years.
The current outbreaks of avian influenza (also called “bird flu”) have caused devastation in animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, and harmed farmers’ livelihoods and the food trade. Although largely affecting animals, these outbreaks pose ongoing risks to humans.
People spread Covid-19 to wild white-tailed deer more than 100 times in late 2021 and early 2022. The infection circulated widely in the deer population in the United States, and in at least three instances, researchers suspect the virus was passed between deer where it picked up unique genetic changes and then re-infected humans.
This rural part of the island of Oahu is not connected to city sewers — and waste from toilets, sinks and showers is mostly collected in hundreds of pits called cesspools. Rising seas are also pushing groundwater closer to the surface, allowing cesspool effluent to mix with the water table and flow into the ocean.
With recent events between Musk ox, humans, and dogs, Nome looks for solutions to mitigate the problem. As they graze on patches of grass, often within city limits, the potential for dog conflict and even human interactions are becoming common.
Kiwi crews exposed to radiation at Mururoa Atoll hold concerns for subsequent generations.
Those studying ticks in Alaska currently are more concerned about non-native ticks hitching a ride on pets that arrive in the state from Outside, and infecting wildlife here.
The air quality index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency metric for air pollution, exceeded a staggering 400 at times in Syracuse, New York City and Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. A level of 50 or under is considered good; anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” when even healthy people are advised to curtail outdoor physical activity.
A study by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp and the CDC found that COVID vaccination was 92% effective in preventing hospitalizations and extremely effective at preventing symptomatic cases among the mostly Yupik residents of the region, with booster shots restoring protection against symptomatic cases.
Governments should consider vaccinating poultry against bird flu, which has killed hundreds of millions of birds and infected mammals worldwide, to prevent the virus from turning into a new pandemic, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said.
When you see a wild bird such as a duck or seagull, think bird flu. Because it’s actually more likely than not they’re infected with the virus. And many species of wild birds are asymptomatic, meaning that they don’t show any symptoms.
But the data illustrates a circumstance both unseen and commonplace in Alaska’s biggest city: In April, unhoused people were found dead on a sidewalk, in a ditch, in a sleeping bag tucked in the corner of a parking lot, along the state’s busiest highway.
State officials say Unalakleet will see work to improve conditions on its water system in the near future.
State officials say Alaskans who encounter bats should avoid any physical contact. The state's last rabid bat was found last June near Juneau.
Of the 61 red foxes counted in and around Nome between February and March 2023, nearly one quarter were positive.
On the north slope, the whale brings together and sustains life for everyone. "We have a bond with the animals. They fed us, they clothed us, they sheltered us since time immemorial. Without them, we wouldn't survive the Arctic."
This paper analyzes the evolution of the H3 subtype of avian influenza virus in China from 2009 to 2022, including its spatial and temporal distribution and genetic changes. The findings have implications for pandemic preparedness.
The number of dogs testing positive for tick-borne illnesses has nearly doubled this year, says a Nova Scotia veterinarian. Jeff Goodall, the owner and a veterinarian at Sunnyview Animal Care, said the problems go beyond Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis is also a concern. He said dogs have been testing positive for tick-borne illnesses throughout the winter.
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