Human & Animal Health Content

Media Experts on New World Screwworm

Amy M Quinton — June 26, 2026 - 10:44am

The U.S Department of Agriculture has now confirmed cases of New World screwworm in calves, sheep and goats in Texas and in a dog in New Mexico. New World screwworm is a serious parasitic fly that can affect livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. Adult screwworm flies are about the size of a common housefly or slightly larger. Their larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals.

Loneliness Drives Cognitive Impairment, Can Lead to Shorter Life, Study Suggests

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — June 16, 2026 - 11:03am

Some people might not mind spending time alone, but new research with data from 18 countries suggests that older people who struggle with loneliness — rather than strictly being alone — may experience a faster mental and physical decline.

Deer Are First Animals to Cross California’s First Wildlife Overcrossing

Katherine E Kerlin — June 03, 2026 - 11:31am

Three mule deer have become the first wildlife to cross over California’s first wildlife overcrossing over a state highway. The project is nearing completion on S.R. 97 in Siskiyou County, reported the �鶹��ý Road Ecology Center and Caltrans this week.

Warning Labels on Restaurant Menus Steer Diners from Sweets, �鶹��ý Research Suggests

Karen Michele Nikos-Rose — June 03, 2026 - 8:53am

As California lawmakers consider legislation that would require “high sugar” warning labels on restaurant menus, a University of California, Davis, study shows that the labels are effective in dissuading diners from ordering sugary items.

Researchers Find Carcinogenic Chromium-6 in Palisades, Altadena Fire Cleanup Zones

Katherine E Kerlin — June 01, 2026 - 9:52am

A carcinogen with potentially serious impacts on human health was found in neighborhoods in the months after the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and may have spread to communities as far as six to nine miles downwind from the fire zones, according to newly published work by University of California researchers.

Dog Daycare Leptospirosis Outbreak in Los Angeles Reveals Broader Public Health Risks

Amy M Quinton — May 26, 2026 - 9:00am

A Los Angeles leptospirosis outbreak in dogs reveals vaccination gaps and broader public health risks, according to �鶹��ý research.

Alcatraz Coyote Wasn’t a City Boy After All

Katherine E Kerlin — May 05, 2026 - 1:19pm

After months of fieldwork and scientific analysis, National Park Service researchers have determined that the coyote that drew international attention in early 2026 after swimming to Alcatraz Island likely started his epic swim from Angel Island State Park.

The coyote’s whereabouts remain unknown, but new DNA evidence has helped park staff answer one of the biggest questions surrounding the unusual sighting: where he came from.

Climate Change Increases Spillover Risk of Rodent-Borne Arenaviruses

Katherine E Kerlin — May 04, 2026 - 9:00am

Climate change is likely to drive rodent-borne arenaviruses into parts of South America that have never faced these diseases, putting new communities of people at risk, finds a study from the University of California, Davis.

For the study, published in the journal npj Viruses, scientists incorporated climate projections, shifting rodent populations and the risks of human infection into a model to offer an early risk projection for arenaviruses and other diseases in the next 20 to 40 years.

Identifying Genetic Causes of Blindness in People and Macaques

Andy Fell — April 28, 2026 - 3:25pm

An inherited form of blindness directly comparable to a common inherited optic nerve disease in humans has been discovered in rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The work, published April 15 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to a better understanding of autosomal dominant optic atrophy, or ADOA, and potentially to new treatments.

�鶹��ý Receives $75M Historic Gift in Support of Veterinary Medicine

Amy M Quinton — April 23, 2026 - 5:00pm

The �鶹��ý Weill School of Veterinary Medicine has received $75 million from Bay Area residents Kathy Chiao and Kenneth Hao.