As harmful algal blooms appear more frequently in lakes and rivers, researchers at The Environmental Working Group use satellite imagery and news reports to track the harmful cyanobacteria. (Photo: Flickr Creative Commons/Mapbox)

By Jacob Williamson-Rea

Our weekly round-up compiles stories and news, both from here at Penn and around the world, that highlight the intersection of animal, environmental, and human health.

FEATURED ITEM:
Report: Toxic algae are growing threat to water, human health
MPR News, May 15, 2018
Waterways across the United States are experiencing outbreaks of cyanobacteria, which can produce harmful toxins that impact not only fish and marine life, but also humans and land animals.

See surprising photos of wildlife in one of Hollywood’s favorite settings
Washington Post, May 14, 2018
Bobcats, coyotes, wild fish, and other unexpected species have made themselves at home along and in the Los Angeles River. Researchers are studying these animals to determine how wildlife adapts to urban areas.

Who has the ‘cleaner’ bed: Chimps or humans?
National Geographic, May 15, 2018
Scientists swabbed chimpanzee nests and human beds, and they discovered that the latter contain far more bacteria species than the former. But does that mean chimpanzees are cleaner?

A warming climate may produce more drug-resistant infections
Scientific American, May 21, 2018
A recent study determined that a hotter climate leads to more drug-resistant bacteria, as well as resistance in common pathogens.

How a prairie-dog plague vaccine could protect ferrets (and maybe people, too)
Live Science, May 21, 2018
Scientists have developed a prairie dog plague vaccine to protect the black-footed ferret, the prairie dog’s primary predator. This vaccine has the potential to eliminate the disease in animals that come in contact with humans, too.

How gut microbes are joining the fight against cancer
Nature, May 23, 2018
Our intestinal microbiome might have the ability to improve patients’ response to cancer treatments.