Health

Fecal Microbes Found In Kewaunee County Wells Raise Concerns About Dairy Manure, Septic Waste

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism

Up to 60 percent of sampled wells in a Kewaunee County study contained fecal microbes, many of which are capable of making people and calves sick, two scientists told hundreds of local residents gathered at a public meeting on June 7.

Series: Elizabethkingia In Wisconsin

Exploring How The Common Elizabethkingia Bacteria Can Turn Deadly

Kristian Knutsen

WisContext

An international group of geneticists, epidemiologists and public health researchers based in Australia, France and the U.S. teamed up to study a pathogen after it caused a small but deadly outbreak of illnesses in Wisconsin.

Series: Elizabethkingia In Wisconsin

Genetic Lessons Of Wisconsin's Elizabethkingia Outbreak

Scott Gordon

WisContext

The 2015-16 Elizabethkingia outbreak spanned at least 12 Wisconsin counties, and its hard to find a common thread among all of the victims. But genetic analysis shows that they were all exposed to the same novel strain.

Series: Tick-Borne Diseases In Wisconsin

Preventing The Problems Posed By Tiny Ticks

The number of deer ticks and other species can vary each year, and weather conditions can play an important role in day-to-day exposure risks, but the state remains a hotspot for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

Series: Milwaukee Gun Violence

Cycle Of Loss Comes Full Circle For Milwaukee Family

Scott Gordon

WisContext

As Milwaukee grapples with increasing violence — against a national backdrop in which violent crime has steadily decreased since the early 1990s — there's no avoiding the multi-generational impacts of poverty and racial disparities in the city.

Series: Tick-Borne Diseases In Wisconsin

Deer Ticks In Wisconsin And The Diseases They Carry

Kristian Knutsen

WisContext

One enduring myth about ticks is that these little bloodsucking creatures hang around on tree branches and leaves, waiting to drop down on an unsuspecting feast. Ticks don't dive-bomb their intended meals, but they do engage in behavior called "questing."

Series: Tick-Borne Diseases In Wisconsin

The ABCs Of Tick Season In Wisconsin

PJ Liesch

UW-Extension

While thoughts might be turning to filling the cooler with cold beverages and packing enough charcoal for the grill, there's another aspect to the season that demands attention: tiny ticks.

Series: Tick-Borne Diseases In Wisconsin

Lyme Disease Is Underreported In Wisconsin, But How Much Does It Matter?

Scott Gordon

WisContext

The Lyme disease incidence rate in Wisconsin has been well above the national average since at least 2005, and is rivaled by only a handful of other states. But these numbers don't represent a definitive count.

Series: The Opioid Epidemic In Wisconsin

Occupational Risks To People Encountering Opioids While Working

Kristian Knutsen

WisContext

Law enforcement officers, emergency medical workers and lab technicians are trained to minimize their exposure to dangerous substances. The increasing use of powerful opioids — which are dangerous to inhale or even touch in very small amounts — is adding unpredictability to these risks.

Series: The Opioid Epidemic In Wisconsin

The Toxicology Mysteries Posed By Synthetic Opioids

Toxicology labs like the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene are working to keep up with these unfamiliar opioids so law enforcement and health officials can better understand their impact and prevent their spread.