Kim’s public health blog

Google.org’s investment of “More than $14Million for genetic and digital detection” is the title of a blog post that I recently came across. Under a program called Predict and Prevent, Google is working with Healthmap.org and Promed-mail.org to tract the outbreak of infectious diseases across the world through digital and genetic approaches. These three organizations work together to use GIS to display geospatial data on global disease alert maps.
See: http://rose.geog.mcgill.ca/wordpress/?p=1126

The FDA has released a warning about Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), and warns against eating the liver (the green substance) of lobsters, and stick to the white meat. Remember that the dose makes the poison. We are not told what the level of PSPs is in the lobster livers, or how much you would have to eat to develop shellfish toxicity. This is one the troubles with trying to protect the public’s health. Recommendations are often based on animal studies, or disease outbreaks. Still, prevention is pretty simple, just stay away from the green stuff in lobsters. I am surprised that there Ia no warning about crab livers. Crabs inhabit the same waters.

Those With A Specific Gene Mutation, and cat exposure at birth, may increase a child’s risk of developing eczema during their first year according to a new study by researchers from University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. Eczema runs in families and evidence suggests it is caused by genetic and environmental factors. The same researchers recently discovered that two common “loss-of-function” variants in the gene encoding filaggrin (FLG) predispose people to eczema. Filaggrin is a protective protein normally found in skin. It acts as a physical barrier to potentially harmful substances in the environment.