'Ill' wind blowing globally

In the world of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses, the planet is growing ever more interconnected, and possibly ill, say some researchers meeting in Flagstaff. These are some of the types of questions probed by researchers like Jeff Foster and Paul Keim at the Center for Microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University. Researchers gathering in Flagstaff last week described new and changing threats to coral reefs, local birds and even prairie dogs as a result of multiple factors. It was a conference to share research on the Colorado Plateau, and farther. It's likely the overlaps between climate change, global commerce, inbreeding in small populations, introduced species, poor land management and domestic animals mingling with wildlife that all add up, Foster said. These factors together have lead to what's thought to be an upswing in infectious disease affecting animals and ecosystems worldwide, being tracked at NAU's labs, and elsewhere. "There is often no cure for wildlife or ecosystems that become infected," Foster said. The goal is largely to prevent infection from the start. Foster looks at brucellosis, a bacterial disease that can be passed from infected cattle and goats through milk and cheese to humans in unpasteurized milk. He's tracking the evolution of the disease, which pre-dates the domestication of cattle...read more