UF research team finds a way to control pests in wheat
UF researchers found they can treat insect problems like preventing the flu.
A UF research team discovered a way to prevent insects and fungi from traveling with grain in the U.S. by closing and bridging off railways at specific locations, said Karen Garrett, a UF plant pathology professor and senior author on the study.
"Sort of like if someone has the flu, we want to isolate that person and give them a flu shot to help them from spreading the sickness to other students," Garrett said.
The main problem with managing and storing grain and wheat in the U.S. is that insects and fungi can travel with those products and into storage units, which produces mycotoxins. These toxins can pose a health risk for people or livestock who eat the grains, she said.
This has been an ongoing problem for decades, but Garrett said the researchers wanted to focus on the railway system and find strategies to keep pesticides from ending up in food systems.
Florida’s mild climate increases the susceptibility of pest problems in grain, she said.
Garrett said she plans to use this discovery and apply her research to track seed distribution in the U.S. using the rail system.
"The U.S. is pretty good at preventing problems from getting to us (Florida)," Garrett said. "The issue is if we can catch the problems sooner rather than later so it doesn’t result in mass amounts of wasted food."
- Kendaline Watt
UF professor finds link between seasonal climate changes and mosquito infection
Mosquitos are more than annoying — they can be deadly.
UF biology professor and researcher Derek Cummings and an international team of researchers found a link between high temperatures brought by El Niño, a series of climate changes that peak in the fall, and epidemics of dengue disease in Southeast Asian countries. Dengue disease causes flu-like symptoms that can be deadly and is spread by mosquitos.
The findings came after about four years of analyzing and collecting data from eight countries between 1997 and 1998. The study involved an international team of experts with Cummings representing UF.
With the findings, hospitals and doctors in areas most affected can better prepare for a coming dengue epidemic because the waves of infections can be anticipated, Cummings said.
"Hospitals can start thinking of their staffing and start thinking about converting wards that they might be using for something else to be able to accommodate dengue cases," Cummings said.
Right now, there is no vaccination for dengue disease, Cummings said.
"The best thing that health systems can do is to prepare to treat large numbers of cases of dengue," Cummings said.
- Oriana Bravo
