These Diseases LOVE a Warmer World But Which Should We Worry About?

Check out our collaboration with PBS Vitals about wildfire and smoke! • How Are Wildfires Maki...
As our world gets warmer and our climate gets more extreme, the weather isn’t the only thing that’s changing and becoming more dangerous. Disease vectors are also spreading and becoming riskier to humans. In this episode of Weathered, we delve into some of the world’s biggest killers, like Malaria and Dengue, but also discuss some smaller, and creepier threats that are becoming more common.
And PBS Vitals co-host, Dr. Alok Patel, helps us understand the measures we can all take to keep ourselves as safe as possible amid this ever-changing landscape of infectious disease.
Weathered is a show hosted by weather expert Maiya May and produced by Balance Media that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare.
This episode of Weathered is licensed exclusively to KZbin.
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[@Acceleronics]

I didn't have a feel for the impact of Lyme disease until a very lean, active, and fit coworker degraded to the point where he had a hard time just walking. He got his tick bite on a hike in Germany. It was heart wrenching to see him hobble around the office. Sure, I had heard of Lyme, but seeing someone you know go through such a debilitating change made it very real.

[@realdreamerschangetheworld7470]

Terrible ❤

[@TarnishedTom]

I understand this all too well. Within 18 months one of my academic peers went from fit and energetic, to a walker and on oxygen...

[@ambulocetusnatans]

I am the owner of an exterminator company, so I have looked into this. Climate Change is a big part, but another reason there are so many ticks is Habitat Fragmentation. Fences, freeways, trains, and strip malls stop predators from getting to their prey, and too many prey species leads to more ticks. Tell your city council to look into creating wildlife corridors to restore balance.

[@henrythegreatamerican8136]

I'd be more worried about the mental disease known as modern conservatism. It's destroying the entire country!

[@SLHJR0390]

There is an explosion of Lyme in the midwest in Wisconsin and moving in to Northern Illinois. There are thousands of people that you could describe the same way located there. Some are wifes or husbands of folks that have active outdoor lifestyles and ticks were brought home as well. Most are hunters and active outdoors folks that just dont heed the warnings and treat and dress for the activties. Its so important to check for Ticks EVERYTIME you leave their environment. That could mean just mowing the lawn next to a neighbor that doesnt mow theres folks.

[@toddhoatson5758]

While living in SE Asia a number of years ago, my wife caught Dengue - most likely during a morning run. The actual illness was bad, but not as bad as many others had experienced. However, it does seem to have had lasting negative effects. Often when we think about disease, we focus on whether it can kill you or not. But there are other important considerations. One friend of ours had severe depression as a result of Dengue; another began to exhibit signs of manic-depressive disorder which put great strain on her marriage; a third had other psychological issues which caused him to leave his job and return to his home country for long-term treatment. I have other friends who have had malaria in the past and now experience relapses when under stress. We need to consider the potential long-term effects of these illnesses.

[@mellissadalby1402]

Checking for ticks is no joke. I got a Deer tick bite on the back of my head in my hair and developed Lyme disease from it. Thankfully, after treatment I recovered and have been asymptomatic ever since (15+ years).

[@huldu]

Ticks are very scary but never had an issue around these parts with ticks, you usually get at least a couple every year during summer. There are some odd scare cases that appear every other year but a couple of cases in a country with over 10 million people, yeah. People really like to exaggerate things when it comes to media, covid comes to mind. I'm not saying there aren't dangerous things out there but when you look at the numbers you probably have a higher chance to get seriously wounded or die in a car accident on the way to work. People still drive to work every day even though it's quite dangerous.

[@renatoantonelli3894]

Treatment for removing ticks : cut off the critters air supply by smothering it completely with plenty antiseptic cream or vaseline and cover with a sticky plaster. Leave overnight and the next day the tick will have fallen off and died . The advantage of this method over pulling it off with tweezers is that the proboscis , which is barbed and buried in your skin while it feeds , can break off and remain buried in your skin if using force .

[@isocarboxazid]

@@renatoantonelli3894 Speaking as a nurse, this is WRONG and totally incorrect. From the CDC: "Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible-not waiting for it to detach." Vaseline can cause the tick to REGURGITATE into the person. Remove the tick ASAP, do not delay.

[@renatoantonelli3894]

@@isocarboxazid a worv

[@renatoantonelli3894]

@@isocarboxazidthank you for that info ... but what about if it regurgitates while you are pulling it out ?

[@azmrl]

In Massachusetts, we have Eastern equine encephalitis from mosquitos + west nile + ticks which carry much more than just Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis and some other more rare ones. And we're just getting started, folks.

[@pjsisseck915]

I had Western Equine Encephalitis sometime before the age of seven, when it was detected in my blood. I cannot help but wonder if that has something to do with the fibromyalgia diagnosed at about age fifty. Looking back, I had symptoms clear back in grade school, and nobody knew what it was.

[@lord6617]

my dad got lymes disease 5 years ago. It would come and go impacting his life. Joints would swell up, *doctors wouldn't believe him* , would schedule an appointment to look at it in a month... and by then the joint swelling would have gone back down or moved to another joint which that specialist conveniently wouldn't look at. Sadly its finally settled into a perpetual effect, he went from a spry splitting his own firewood doing all sorts of outside work... to limping barely getting around over the course of less than a year. And even now, still some of the doctors don't even believe lymes disease exists.

[@nope9628]

Maybe he should use japanese knotweed and other herbals like teasel, google it. It helped me alot also vitamins and minerals

[@HummingbirdCyborg]

That's wild. I never heard of physicians denying Lyme disease

[@ThatBernie]

“and by then the joint swelling would have gone back down or moved to another joint which that specialist conveniently wouldn’t look at.” Why does this sound like what someone with delusional parasitosis would say?

[@lord6617]

@@ThatBernie Why does your response sound like what a stuck up doctor too busy doing research and patting themselves on the back instead of listening to patients would say?

[@ThatBernie]

@@lord6617 Interesting how you use words like "doctor" and "research" like they are bad words. I don't even think you're trying not to look like a crackpot.

[@lord6617]

Its important to realize if you live in an area with Ticks, they happily infest your yard and will hop on you from yard grass. And they will latch on almost anywhere - I've had them just on the skin of my calf, not even hiding behind a joint or crawling for the head. And there are 2 types common in the upper midwest at least - common wood ticks which are larger, easier to spot, and less likely to have lymes disease - and deer ticks, which are much smaller and harder to spot, but much more likely to have lymes disease. Burning or killing them while attached is bad because it can cause them to push fluid into the bite, making any infection more likely. Always pull them off, then kill them. Also if you have outdoor pets, you need frequent checks of them.

[@debbiehenri345]

Yes, my dog would frequently get ticks. The easy ones would attach to the crown of his head, but those things also sneaked into his ears and between the pads of his paws. He had very dense fur, so it was always difficult to do a good check on him, but it was his change in mood that was the quick tip-off that he had a tick. He would go from his usual joyous self to suddenly very unhappy, moping around - and I'm not surprised! Having been bitten a few times by ticks. Evil little things. We got a tick removal kit for our dog as his usual insecticide medicine stopped working (ticks have been building a resistance to it across Britain).

[@jasonreed7522]

Outdoor pets should always have flea/tick collars, regular flea/tick baths, and the owners should always be paying attention to their pets skin/coat looking for things like ticks and other parasites. (With intentional checks after highrisk trips or the discovery of just 1 tick) And of course, you remove ticks with tweezers and similar mechanical tick removal devices, making sure to get the mouthparts. Never by putting something like alcohol on them because that just makes them puke into your blood stream.

[@adacathy3018]

😭😭😭

[@Emmygedden]

I am so happy to see chronic Lyme included in the Lyme summary. There are still doctors today working on decades old information that lyme can not be chronic.

[@damham5689]

Insurance companies refuse to update on lyne disease because they want to keep treatments at 3 months or less. Long term treatment, which is needed, cost insurance companies more money.

[@OGAngie]

So dumb. Any pathogen can be chronic. Even EBV (mono) has been found to trigger Hashimotos and multiple sclerosis.

[@mjlim6610]

Chronic Lyme does not exist in the sense that the pathogen does not continue living in the person after antibiotic treatment had been carried out properly. People may continue to suffer from irreparable damage caused by the bacteria that results in Lyme disease, but the active agent is no longer present.

[@nyves104]

I've had dogs my whole life, so as much as I hate mosquitoes, ticks freak me more. I keep tick removers (they're cheap and in my experience, easier to use than tweezers) all over: one in my first aid kit in my car, one in my service dog bag, one in my shower, and one more in my home first aid kit. (yes I also use flea and tick preventative on my dogs as well and I wish there was a human version I could apply once a month for myself)

[@SLHJR0390]

Bravecta ... every three months. They die when they bite and fall away from the animal. this is the same vaccine/treatment they were developing for humans in the 70's but ended the production because they didnt think it would profitable to sell to humans, to market it ...

[@Anzallos]

Of these, ticks are my biggest concern because it's so much harder to figure out if you've been exposed to the vector. Mosquito bites are itchy (for me and most others at least) and dust is pretty noticeable. Of course that's not a perfect metric, but a tick is just so hard to find if it's in your hair

[@Esther-32013]

Especially when you have dark brown or black hair. UGH

[@jeannelebow5309]

Especially in the nymph stage.

[@Amanda-wh8ww]

This isn’t mentioned but my vet was saying the fleas are starting to spread more and more and he thinks in a few years they may be counted as a health risk as well. So more fun times…

[@Pushing_Pixels]

I read a story recently about a guy who ended up in hospital from living in a place that was infested with fleas. They tried all the standard treatments like flea bombs, but nothing got rid of them. They didn't have pets, the fleas just came with the building apparently. This guy was getting bitten all day and night, and it ended up making him really sick.

[@Amanda-wh8ww]

@@Pushing_Pixels ugh. I just moved to NC and apparently here fleas are really bad. I caught them early on my dog. But many people bring them inside and their indoor cats get them etc. hence why the vet was like I give it 5 years max for fleas to go from annoying to health issue like ticks.

[@DM-ql6ps]

A bit of a correction, ticks are not insects. They are arachnids, like spiders and scorpions.

[@eininw]

Good to point out. Scientifically, spiders are not insects. Colloquially, spiders are insects in many places. A similar case: not all insects are bugs, technically, but they're interchangeable words for many people. For a "middle-brow" production, it's probably fine.

[@craigh5236]

Good thing Peter Parker wasn't bitten by a radioactive tick then.

[@unoriginalname4321]

​@@craigh5236that's how we got The Tick

[@carmencortelyou9463]

Bugs. They’re all bugs.

[@silverjade10]

No worries, I give side eye to the arthropods in general.

[@TheSaltyAdmiral]

I can't believe that indiscriminately dozing everything with a deadly neurotoxin had bad side effects. Who could have seen that one coming!?

[@magesalmanac6424]

I couldn’t finish reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carsen, it was too infuriating!

[@damham5689]

The people who profited from selling DDT did. Thats why it was never sprayed in areas they lived in.

[@kensurratt3045]

As usual the Government is and was wrong, pushing another agenda of power and fear to control the sheep.

[@kdcbattlecreek]

We little kids danced in the street behind the trucks in the late 60s, because they assured everyone it was safe-the chemicals had been changed. Some moms put an end to that, but who knows how many people are sick now.

[@josephvisnovsky1462]

I grew up with DDT and what doesn't kill you only makes you *twitch* what was I saying ?

[@pbsvitals]

Was great collaborating with the Weathered team on this episode! 👌Special thanks to Maiya for chatting with us over on our channel about how the summer's intense wildfires are affecting our health.

[@koiyune]

pbs deez nüts

[@karikling6751]

I live in Pennsylvania, and ticks are very common here. When I was about 8, I got one in my ear just while sitting in the car, but they are most common in long grass. It's a bit of a conundrum because, if you want butterflies and bees to be common in your area, you should allow your lawn or yard, if you have them, to grow naturally rather than mowing them, but the longer grass can provide a habitat for ticks. I participated in Adopt-A-Highway in high school, and we were warned to wear long sleeves and pants since we would be cleaning up in stretches with long grass on the sides of the road. When I came back, I was so glad I had heeded the warning because I was COVERED in ticks. Pennsylvania has the highest rate of Lyme's Disease in the country, so we had to be very careful.

[@goodun2974]

Pennsylvania has untold tons of deer; lots of deer equals lots of deer ticks. I'm in Connecticut which also has lots of deer and is ground zero for Lyme disease

[@DarkPesco]

We are at a point where quickly made and highly effective vaccines will be able to be manufactured. Yet we are at a heightened period of vaccine-phobia when a large number of people are senselessly rejecting what they had previously accepted their entire lives...the safety and benefit of high vaccination rates! Which of these diseases scares me the most? Because so many reject science... *_ALL of them!_*

[@CaelWhiz]

Pharmaceutical companies will not even make vaccines because there's more profit in treatments, not cures. Covid was a rare exception due to the hysteria it caused.

[@MarkWTK]

ignorance is the scariest disease

[@sharonloomis5264]

Sensitivity to manmade medications, animals, plants, and who knows. 2019 went on CDC website and listed everything I could recall. Told no to vaccines. There are a lot of us who are allergic or overly sensitive. So we are super careful. I am sorry for being that way.

[@jennyl6099]

​@@MarkWTKddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddde

[@HaleyMary]

Very true! People not wanting to get a vaccine that would save their life is a serious problem. I'm glad I don't go hiking in the woods anymore like I did with my parents when I was younger. I wouldn't want to deal with the mosquitoes and ticks. I don't even enjoy sitting outside in the backyard with my mom like we used to do in the past. Not even because of mosquitoes, but more so the wildfire smoke.

[@amandamcadam114]

I got Lyme 18 years ago. It took doctors 18 months to figure it out and it turns out I got another tick disease similar to malaria. I went from being very fit, to now having10 discs in my spine badly degraded, vision problems, hearing problems, colon problems, inflmation in my bladder, fevers, anemia, exhaustion. I use to be a scientist but somedays I can hardly add 5 numbers correctly. Im disabled now. AND ALL OF THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF ONLY THE DOCTOR HAD RECOGNIZED THE RASH (NOT ALLRASHES ARE BULLSEYE AND NOT ALL PATIENTS GET OR SEE A RASH)

[@lisajones6107]

Read an article today about the CDC warning of flesh eating fungus in warm salt water. Another reason I will stay where I am in the north!

[@lltpgh2012]

Since there is a group of deer that traverse the back yard often stopping to graze daily, it is ticks.

[@tyderian25]

When my parents were grad students back in the 70's, they were on a dig in the central valley california somewhere and there was a Valley Fever outbreak. Several of the students got it, including Mom, and IIRC from the story someone died of it. Moral of this story is be careful when digging in the dirt.

[@megapiglatin2574]

Totally forgot about Valley Fever! I grew up in central AZ and Valley Fever was definitely a somewhat common occurrence, although I only recall one of my grandma’s dogs catching it (and subsequently dying)…

[@suteners2111]

just dont go in forest in summer, only on trails, avoid taller grass than half knee, wear mesh hat, spray all clothes with anti tick spray. check clothes and body after. thats what i do.

[@hughjaass3787]

Lived my entire life, 55yrs, in Florida. Got great advice for skeeter repellents that work and are safe. Mix 50/50 lemon scented ammonia and lemon scented dish soap in a sprayer. Spray everywhere you want any skeeter AND flying insects away. Backyards, decks, shrubs, grass, trees, especially STANDING WATER sites. Tires, containers collecting rain.

[@ronkirk5099]

I'm up in Maine enjoying the outdoors this year and just heard that mosquitoes carrying Jamestown Canyon Virus were detected in Wells, ME. I hadn't even heard of that one (had to Google it - flu like symptoms, but can become deadly in some cases) and I usually stay abreast of these things because I spend so much time outdoors.

[@reginaerekson9139]

Fish, insects, birds, frogs, turtles and bats enjoy eating mosquitoes. They also make organic fertilizer!

[@huskydadtokoda]

At 1:47 My mind was comoletely blown and I had to rewind to make sure I heard that right. HALF of all the humans that have EVER lived???? 😮😮😮

[@susankovacs8678]

Thanks, I live in Tucson, Az. Valley Fever is an issue, but I am seeing more mosquitoes in my garden now.

[@susangibbons312]

I had a patient who developed meningitis from undiagnosed Lyme. The problem is frequently late diagnosis, bc the most common assays are NOT sensitive, just specific. They miss many cases. Often your blood needs to be sent out to a regional lab, which may not be covered by insurance (usu cost, $200-300.)

[@lvhao5105]

Valley Fever worries me; I am in northern Nevada.

[@Amanda-wh8ww]

I lived in Phoenix for 18 years. Had it at some point but no idea when. Currently it’s usually mild and no symptoms for most people. With the changing climate who knows.

[@MorganHorse]

Ticks have always terrified me as a New Hampshirite. I’ve seen too many people forever changed or brought to the brink of death by tick borne diseases in New England.

[@CritterKeeper01]

Ticks can be active any time it warms to at least 40°F. As a veterinarian in the Great Lakes/Mississippi Valley area, I've removed ticks from dogs in January and February many times! Adult ticks are actually more active in winter; it's the larvae and nymphs that are out the most in warmer months.

[@goodun2974]

I have 3 dogs and live in Southern New England and whenever we get a thaw in January or February that exposes patches of grassy weeds there will always be lots of ticks around. I saw plenty of ticks this Spring and I haven't hardly seen any for the last 2 months because it's been hot and dry with very little rain. Now we're getting heavy rainstorms and the temperatures are dropping slightly so I'll have to be extra careful. I expect a resurgence of ticks any day now.

[@susanfarley1332]

I was in my in-laws back yard when I heard what sounded like rain around me. I felt several things hit me and when I looked down I had ticks of all sizes on my clothes. I ran inside and went to take a shower. I checked very carefully to make sure I didn't overlook any but it left me feeling crawly. I knew they crawled up on tall weeds or bushes and would drop onto their warm blooded victims when they sensed them below. But the only thing they could have dropped from where I was standing was trees.

[@damham5689]

Just a suggestion. Skin tight yoga pants like shown in the video, dont stop mosquitoes. Loose fitting and baggy pants and shirts can help keep mosquitoes from poking you. Thicker materials like denims and canvas cargo shirts and pants work even better. And tight fit around wrist and ankles to discourage ticks. And don't forget a hat. Even with hair the scalp can be a yummy destination.

[@OneOfEightBillion]

Yeah but not so much when it's 90 degrees out with 80%+ humidity. I use clothing treated with permitherin, natural spray repellents, gaiters to reduce ticks below the waist. The most important step to reduce Lyme is to always do a thorough tick check.

[@ichimarutetsu]

Who here has grown up the south. No metter the amount of sprays or layers will deter any bug xD I grew up in a swamp. Mosquitoes will bite through any layer My aunt had a horse ranch in Tennessee. Those seed ticks made their way to EVERY part of my body as a kid. I feel like the southern states are the light version of Australia

[@feyHiker]

After my third tick bite, I quit going into the woods. My little dog didn't really enjoy it, she likes being in town, more interesting smells I guess. I got two of the ticks out on my own but the third was on a shoulder blade and went undiscovered until it was, I'm guessing, roughly 1/8". I scratched what I thought was a mysterious bump then it broke open gushing blood. Ick, I know TMI. I pulled off what I could, but getting back there with tweezers and a mirror was impossible. My body apparently assimilated the remains and all is well.

[@thehomeschoolinglibrarian]

My family lost one of our dogs to Valley Fever years ago. We did get her treatment but she was old so it didn't work.

[@musingwithreba9667]

I am in Southern Ontario Canada. Lyme disease is becoming more and more prevalent, but the one that scares me the most is the Lone Star tick that can cause meat allergy! I already have celiac disease and a few other food intolerances, if I became allergic to meat, I might as well just give up and die! 😮 (nope, can't go vegetarian, I can't eat legumes, which is the most common vegetarian protein source)

[@DeathsGarden-oz9gg]

We should be more worried about how few native trees are left and how little soil and plant life we allow in cities.

[@robertmarmaduke9721]

Toxic bT GMO corn in every chip and kibble, being sprayed with 'hydrolyzed protein' (liquefied brown slaughterhouse waste). Destroys the intestine lining.

[@magesalmanac6424]

Both of these things are bad.

[@AmericaShrugged]

Good topic as always! A glaring omission: chikunguya virus. Also transmitted by the aedes aegypti, it makes Dengue feel like a walk in the park! Fatalities are lower, but according to tge CDC, harder to track, as it tends to exacerbate existing co-morbidities. And it is definitely in the states, specifically during the outbreak of 2014-2017.

[@jayc1139]

From what I've experienced living in Florida with mosquitoes is nothing really. Some things keep them away from you like citrus...mosquitoes don't like the smell of for instance lemons or oranges. Lavender also keeps them at bay, ants too. Since those 3 things smell good to us but not them, I'm sure spraying ourselves in any of those scents would help a good amount.

[@timfriday9106]

I had a friend that died from a tick bite she didn't find until the lyme disease she developed from it was far too progressed. And I lived in AZ where valley fever isn't terribly uncommon and I knew several people that got valley fever and had to take a ton of meds for a really long time.

[@zentierra7803]

Where I live in the US, Valley Fever is definitely a thing. We jokingly tell newcomers that if they've been breathing the air in the Southwest for longer than 6 months, they're screwed. Now, I don't think it's as prevalent as all that, but I'm willing to bet the numbers *are* pretty high. But most of us "desert rats" just add it to the proverbial list...alongside scorpions, rattlesnakes, black widows, brown recluses, Colorado river toads, killer bees, and the occasional extra-grouchy Javelina . 😁😁

[@tarbhnathrac2486]

And gila monster lizards.

[@zentierra7803]

@@tarbhnathrac2486 Yeah, though you kind of have to go out of your way to find one...which is good, since their bite is made to weed out the stupid in a hurry!

[@tarbhnathrac2486]

@zentierra7803 They may be rare, but not unheard of. My stepson moved to a suburb just outside of Mesa. He can walk out from his condo to mountain paths and does a lot of hiking. In the past year, he's passed rattlesnakes many times and almost stepped on one twice - and passed a gila lizard only 2 feet off the trail just 2 months ago.

[@zentierra7803]

@@tarbhnathrac2486 As your son's experience aptly illustrates, they are not found in the city proper, unlike the _other_ bunch of critters I originally mentioned (though, to be fair, scorpions seem to be hit and miss. Some areas have a lot, while in others you almost never see one). For Gilas, you have to be out and about hiking in nature to come across one, hence the wording on that comment.

[@beth8775]

I think the Valley Fever scares me more as a gardener, but it's not currently found where I live. We are are more likely to encounter tick or mosquito born diseases here. Diligence about bug spray and tick checks were drilled into us from childhood though.

[@justmenotyou3151]

As a kid may parents had a deck with lots of plants. I watched where the Mosquitoes were coming from, from the plants. So i took it upon myself to take care of the problem. I sprayed all the plants with insecticide. Well, it took care of the Mosquito problem and killed all the plants. The rest of the summer was nice without all the Mosquitoes. I did feal bad about my moms plants, but sacrifices occasionally must be made.

[@user-zy4wv7yx1z]

Mosquitoes come from water, not plants. So all you did was poison your environment and kill your mom's plants.

[@mktemple476]

The one that scares me the most is the brain eating amoeba that loves warm, fresh water.

[@kaytobe]

We need a vaccine for Lyme! It needs to be accelerated and prioritized. We vaccinate our dogs but not ourselves. Also ticks carry other diseases as well. Nasty things invading New England. Between the air q, flooding and ticks, our climate refuge status is questionable.

[@glossaria2]

Um... just as a note, the crawling tick you keep showing (like at 7:00 and 9:58) is a kangaroo tick. They're from Australia, and they don't carry lyme, because there's no lyme in the southern hemisphere. The ones to watch out for are DEER TICKS a.k.a. black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis. Lyme is not the only tick-borne disease to watch out for (the West Coast has to worry about Rocky Mountain spotted fever), so just... be careful, and don't get bit.

[@goodun2974]

Anaplasmosis, Erlichiosis, and Babesiosios are several more to be aware of. Also, the alpha gal meat allergy spread by the Longhorn tick.

[@SadisticSenpai61]

As long as Y pestis doesn't gain antibiotic resistance...

[@dougsinthailand7176]

Dengue is a nightmare. Not to be taken lightly.

[@RainbowMama143]

Fill coverage clothing doesn’t help with mosquitoes in some areas. When I lived in South Carolina, the mosquitoes bit me right through my jeans!

[@onestarabove7027]

I got bitten by a Lone Star tick in Georgia. Now, I have a red meat allergy which can cause anaphylaxis. The body thinks a tick is biting you when you eat red meat. It then tries to attack the “tick”. A lady in Atlanta got bitten by one. She ate a t bone steak and suffered a heart attack. She was 45 years old and luckily she lived. They say the Lone Star tick isn’t in Georgia but it is.

[@rdallas81]

I believe that.

[@humblecourageous3919]

Everyone has a different reaction to odors. Lemon eucalyptus drives me up a wall. I go crazy from the odor. Some people can't stand neem oil. I find it has a nutty smell. Pure neem oil diluted with water will really make a bug bite not itch. (Bites from no-see-ums and mosquitoes.) It may have some insect repellent ability, too.

[@tinakaminskadickinson3328]

At 4:05 I thought she said the “coolest mosquito”, not Culex. Really did a double take. Lol 😂

[@benjaminhigham3624]

I had Lyme and it sucked. It caused emotional problems with me and my body was more sore than I have ever been. No rash whatsoever, so I was lucky to even know I had it.

[@realBeltalowda]

Not all mosquitoes bite, the ones that don’t emerge into adulthood with fully formed ovaries, eliminating their need for blood meals. The ones that bite need a massive amount of protein from a blood meal to kick start their reproductive processes to stay competitive with non-biting species. If we modify the biting mosquitoes so that their ovaries develop faster like the non-biting species, they will not need blood meals and will stop biting humans altogether solving all of these disease problems that utilize mosquitoes as a transmission vector.

[@AnitaCorbett]

The valley fever caused by a fungus , to me is the most scary Your sinuses are so close to the brain and sinus passages are perfect for spores to multiply Also we do not have a body defence against fungi and mould

[@dianedee7919]

I'm in Nova Scotia, and the biggest concern for me is ticks, especially since I live in a rural area of the province.

[@sonicjihad7]

There’s no reason to promote deet when picaridin is vastly shorter lived in the environment. Deet lasts far too long in the ground and water and kills too much. Use picaridin, especially if you’re going out into sensitive wilderness

[@sagesufferswell]

Honestly, as a degeneratively disabled, mostly bedbound wheelchair user, my biggest concerns are hostile infrastructure, poor construction and, clean air, water and food prices. Isolation is a big one too. The higher the environmental risks and infectious diseases go up, the lower my risk of survival. I'm not afraid to die. Most days I'm afraid to live in this world. I don't get to go outside much because of my physical limitations and this just further confirms that going forward we will be doing a lot of isolating, quarantines, masks for multiple reasons, and likely, public outrage about their freedom to spread disease.

[@farmergiles1065]

Which should we worry about? None of them! Worrying is not just counterproductive, it's unhealthy. Let those who know how look into the risks for each, and the basic factors to look for, and then each just respond in a reasonable way for our own circumstances. Is there really any better way to address a threat?

[@brandillysmom]

When my youngest daughter was a kid, she got an insect bite that became a bull’s-eye pattern on her thigh. I took her to the pediatrician, who looked at it. I could swear that instead of the doctors face I saw a great big”?”…..Nothing was ever done about it till this day I wonder what kind of health affects my daughter has been having since then that should be perhaps thought of as maybe Lyme disease.

[@maophantulaotkasmil44]

Thank much . .

[@tyler___3]

2:27 when ya open the hotbox ☁️☁️☁️

[@bubblegumlipgloss_9614]

🤣🤣

[@p.0-npcg.248]

From my experience I can say that ticks are active even when the ground is frozen and there is still some snow on it, mosquito repellents are ineffective except for the smoldering spirals and if that Valley fungus would make it to the other side of the world through the North Pole I wouldn't be surprised

[@cannabiscraftsman1278]

my uncle has been severely sick for around a month now. He has undergone multiple dozens of tests and scans yet they STILL cant find out what’s wrong with him… could very well be a new dangerous disease..

[@90klh]

I'm most terrified of the valley fever, but Lyme disease is whats more likely in my area (Central Arkansas). I've known people who've had Lyme, and they never left the state

[@DLFfitness1]

So many people don’t have access to healthcare, and other resources. 😢

[@suzannepottsshorts]

Don't forget Lone Star ticks causing meat allergies.

[@Drownedinblood]

East coast best coast. We just gotta deal with being underwater.

[@magesalmanac6424]

Hey 😆 you gotta make it rhyme though lol

[@johnnyearp52]

I guess based on your maps I should be scared of Valley Fever. But I had never heard of it. I was more scared of Lyme disease when I visited the Midwest.

[@christinevigeland5196]

Great episode, but there are many other tick borne illnesses that people need to worry about, many of which are found in a different/larger geographical area than Lyme Disease. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosus to name a few. There is also alpha-gal, which is a tick-borne disease that causes people to develop a severe allergy to a protein present in meat.

[@goodun2974]

Ticks in New England also spread anaplasmosis as well. The longhorn tick that spreads the alpha gal meat allergy has been found in southwest Connecticut.

[@dragoniv]

Ticks. You know what's fantastic about them? In their nymph stage, they very, very tiny and hard to spot, unlike adult ticks. But bite they do, and can transmit disease. It's not as likely that a single nymph bit will infect compared to an adult, but since adult ticks are far more likely to be noticed and removed, nymphs are responsible for most of the disease transfer. I got bit by a nymph in May 2021 on the outside of my right arm (tricep), got the bullseye rash, and got antibiotics inside the first week. Thankfully, I've been symptom-free since.

[@richardvanasse9287]

The sickest I've ever been in my entire life was during a trip to Thailand and on the way home to the US. I thought I might die on the plane over the Atlantic. When I went to the Dr after I got home, they said it was probably dengue. Not fun.

[@TlrPltz]

I live in Sacramento California and the valley fever is the one that worries me the most

[@FreedomDaveX]

Omg, I always thought dengue was pronounced single syllable as denj, similar to mange. The proper two syllable is such a weird surprise for me.

[@josephdantes1605]

It's honestly not all bad. I live in the South where it has been insanely hot and dry this summer. The mosquitoes are basically non-existent. The insane heat is a pain but at least we dont have to deal with any pests this summer. No small flies, no mosquitoes, nada.

[@againstviralmisinformation510]

I am glad that your personal experience is that way however it’s not like that overall and your personal experience can change to become like the common experience any day now. So it is important that we do what we can do to limit climate change

[@josephdantes1605]

@@againstviralmisinformation510 this should at least be examined. Presenting it as 100% gloom and doom (as far as infectious parasitic diseases goes) is just not accurate. Obviously, the insanely hot and dry summer is not a good thing, but it's still worth pointing out.

[@josephdantes1605]

The regions impacted may have shifted north but are the original areas still being impacted as heavily?

[@againstviralmisinformation510]

@@josephdantes1605 one’s personal experience cannot be used to draw such huge conclusions but rather data on the temperature and vector borne diseases in your area. We then compare the data to previous years. If your area has seen a rise in temperatures then yes it would impact your area more although this can vary on an individual bases. Just like me getting Lyme disease tomorrow doesn’t mean there is a Lyme disease pandemic, not feeling like you got any disease or one mosquito bite doesn’t mean the situation hasn’t worsened. To make it simple the only way we can make definitive conclusions is with data.

[@WoJackMan]

n = 1

[@tangaz5819]

Malaria, one disease I have had multiple times and never want to get again. The treatment isn’t fun either!

[@erikadowdy2382]

Great Video🎉 Ticks make me Itch😮

[@Streghamay]

I don't know but fungus dust sure has deterred me from wanting to move to NM..

[@SecretEyeSpot]

all i know is i had an insect bite from Cali that became cellulitis.. still causing strange wounds after treatment

[@sharonloomis5264]

Stagnant water? I have a barrel of rain water. Every two three days I stir it for about 5 minutes. Now if I were lucky enough to have a pool, I'd have a fountain that ran on solar. Actually several.

[@fiberpoet6250]

The best thing you can do if you have a doctor denying your symptoms is immediately find another doctor. Time is of the essence with a lot of diseases. Do not waste precious time with doctors who DGAF. Also use doctor rating sites like healthgrades or yelp to find a quality doctor and read patient reviews. The most defining characteristic a doctor can have is compassion and empathy. Their training is similar but a caring doctor will listen and move mountains for you.. and a narcissistic doctor can cause great harm. Don’t try to convince a doctor who is ignoring your symptoms or gaslighting you. Immediately find someone else. Also when the nurse does intake. Don’t be chatty, tell the nurse exactly what it is you wanna the doctor to do, like tests, referrals, imaging, etc And they will write it down in your chart. That will increase the chance you’ll get that, by a lot cuz the doctor doesn’t wanna it on the record that they didn’t do it. There are good doctors out there, but ya gotta dodge the bad ones

[@morgan0]

would be nice if we could bring back passenger pigeons, because their migratory feeding kept small mammal populations in check and their demise is the cause of ticks being so widespread

[@woodchipgardens9084]

People should study the Correlation between eruptions at Mt. Pinatubo June 1991, Montserrat June 1997, Popocatepeti, Masaya and Santiaguito June 2016 and Hunga Tonga Dec 2021 with California record flood events 1991-1992, 1997-1998, 2016-2017 and 2022-2023. People try to blame El Nino, dual action with man made input doesn't make sense provided other years are drought years. Furthermore Study El Chichónal March-April 1982 the biggest eruption in Mexico History 10 times Greater than Mt. Saint Hellens in Washington and California floods of 1982-1983. The largest Volcanoes seem to explode during Hot weather then the result is Rain and cooling the earth after hence the years 536, 540, 1815 and 1886.

[@je8784]

It's common knowledge to those that are educated, warmer temps, more bugs. Fish die offs, oceans die, flooding, diseases of all kinds pop up.

[@zalphero618]

I hate deseases that are caused by bugs. You never know if you'll get one until it's too late.

[@mannybravo237]

Ticks have 8 legs, they're not insects. Related to spiders and scorpions. Insects have 6 legs🕷🐞 I've been infected w lyme👎🏼

[@jasonreed7522]

Its a problem with colloquial vs scientific names. Insects, bugs, arachnids are too narrow, but arthropods/invertebrates is too general. So many people just call the creepy crawlies that look like insects some varient of insect/bug because its the best word they now for "tiny thing with many legs and an exoskeleton". I'm not even sure if their is a word to properly describe this concept scientifically the same way that "fish" doesn't have a taconomic definition because any that includes all fish will also include all land vertebrates. (Because they are decended from a fish) Tldr: for now its almost necessary to inaccurately call things insects in scientific communication because of a lack of better words. (Although calling them arachnids would have been better since its correct and also a common word)

[@krysatheo]

Hate to be a nitpicker but that clip at 4:08 is obviously not mosquitoes and I don't think it should be in the video.

[@rdallas81]

The ticks they show aren't Lyme ticks also.

[@osteoclast6884]

You don't have TBE in the US? That scares me the most.

[@debbiejonesakagrannypanda3866]

A slight correction: 8 days ago EWTN posted a YT video titled "Recent Study Says N-95 Masks Have 8 Times the Limit of Toxic Compounds"

[@kidmohair8151]

and remember folks, all of this has been brought to you by your friendly multi-national fossil fuel companies. be sure to let them know how you feel about all the good work they are('nt) doing!

[@Indomitablespirit108]

Hey everyone, keep worrying ok! Never Stop

[@thisismissem]

All of those concern me! 😩😬

[@thisismissem]

In Australia, a mosquito virus to watch out for is Ross River Fever, it's similar to glandular fever if I recall correct

[@WoJackMan]

What about scorpions? 🦂 I'm in the NJ where scorpions do not exist, but I've noticed they've been discovered as close as West Virginia. We need to hold the line! 😂

[@HappyFunNorm]

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one concerned with Chagas coming north into the US...

[@sharonloomis5264]

Live by myself. If those ticks are smart, they go where my eyes don't.

[@Alwaysherethere]

You can't even enjoy going outside anymore without worrying anything

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

I don't want to live on Earth anymore.

[@AlyxGlide]

most of my day surmounts to running & hiding in fear of the semi-invisible mosquito death clouds around town I'd give ½ of everything to see mosquitoes gone

[@rdallas81]

Mosquitoes and ticks will outlive humans by a long long ways.

[@oldgandy5355]

What concerns me most is the constant barrage, especially over the last few years, of mis-information and dis-information about, and from, the CDC and the WHO. The Societal health issues have become hostage to politics. Neither side is right, and neither side is willing to give up their favorite conspiracy theories. Do I have a solution for this? No. We might be able to mitigate part of this by taking Money out of Politics, and Politics out of Health Care. Until then, the part PBS Terra plays is critical.

[@tarikmehmedika2754]

Ticks and the Lyme desease are my biggest fera here in SE Europe. I am quite angry at how some piblic spaces are left untamed and the grasses at times over 5 ft tall. Every year the same thing. I pay prpfessionals to vit the grass and toher plsnts which should be kept at low height on the way to my sons preschool. The city should do it and not concerned parents.

[@rdallas81]

Grow up. The "city" should do it? Lol.. Everyone wants Everyone to do everything- That's the problem with this country or any country. It's why things are out of control in many places. If you moved to a desert, you won't have to worry about the tall grass.

[@tarikmehmedika2754]

@@rdallas81 Well in my coubntry we pay taxes fot that and peoples job is to do it. Just their timing is very bad.

[@corneliuscorcoran9900]

The two diseases I most fear as a result of global heating are Starvation and Radiation sickness (from the starvation initiated nuclear war.) Oh! and the disease of being murdered by starving people.