Samantha Whitegeese’s Case Study on 1993 Four Corners Hantavirus Outbreak

Deer mice.

In 1993, the Southwestern region of the Four Corners, where the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah meet, had nearly 30 cases of acute hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and 16 deaths from Sin Nombre Virus (SNV), caused by deer mice. As the region overlaps with the Navajo Nation, the Navajo people faced public shame for the rise in the disease, and were blamed for its consequences. 

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Ameisha O’Connor’s Case Study on Childhood Cancer in New Jersey

Water quality test

In 1995, the New Jersey Department of Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began an investigation into the growing concerns about elevated rates of childhood cancer in the New Jersey region. The investigation was a response to resident concerns about water environmental pollution. The research focused on industrial sites in the area that were ultimately found responsible for significant contamination. 

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Luis Gomez-Escobar’s Case Study on Vector-Borne Disease in Kenya

Spraying bacteria substance to kill mosquito larvae in Kenya

In 2021 and 2022, Kenya faced multiple outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, including Dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to high rates of infectious disease transmission. The emergence and re-emergence of viral infections in Kenya emphasizes the need to build the capacity of the country’s healthcare system.

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Felipe Garcia’s Case Study on Mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Scientists creating mpox vaccine

The World Health Organization declared a mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in the summer of 2024. Over 15,000 cases and 550 deaths were reported in the DRC alone, leading WHO to use the emergency declaration.

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Climate Change Drives Unparalleled Superfloods in Europe

Floods in Europe

In early September, disastrous floods in Europe killed 24 and affected millions, causing economic damage worth $2 to 3 billion. The unparalleled storm, known as Storm Boris, brought five times the monthly average rainfall onto Central European countries, leading to four missing people and the isolation of several villages. The impacts of climate change exacerbated the intensity of the storm, providing a bleak glimpse of its effects on the planet’s fastest-warming continent. 

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