NEWS
By Candus Thomson | August 9, 2009
Barry Marseglia of Solomons writes: "I've been catching rockfish in the mid-bay region with red sores and red rashes all over the skin. These sores have an odor. Also, in the Calvert Cliffs area, I've caught rockfish with a yellow tint. ... If there is a problem on the skin of the fish, it seems to me it's also in the cells or the flesh of the fish." Mark Matsche, a fish health biologist at the Cooperative Oxford Lab, replies: "Some striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay have a bacterial disease called Mycobacteriosis.
NEWS
By Timothy B. Wheeler | July 7, 2009
The same pollution afflicting the Chesapeake Bay's fish and shellfish poses human health risks to people in the region, from bacteria and harmful algae in the water to contaminants in fish and drinking water, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says. In a report released today, the Annapolis-based environmental group said the incidents of infection and illness among people who swim and wade in the bay's waters warrant greater government action to protect the public from pollution. "Dirty water doesn't only have an economic impact, it's got a human health impact as well," said William C. Baker, foundation president.
NEWS
February 9, 2009
Harford crash victim identified as N.Y. woman State police have identified the passenger killed Saturday in a single-vehicle accident in Harford County as Lisa C. Francois, 33, of Brooklyn, N.Y. Francois was pronounced dead at the scene after the accident about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in which a 2006 Honda Civic traveling in the left lane of Interstate 95 South near Route 543 crossed two lanes into the right shoulder and overturned several times. The driver, Jocelin Drew, 55, and a front-seat passenger, Amos Headley, 67, both of Roosevelt, N.Y., were taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center with injuries that police said were not life-threatening.
NEWS
By Holly Selby | December 1, 2008
The season of sniffing, coughing and sneezing is upon us, and what more motivation do we need to be diligent about washing our hands? Hand washing is one of the most important things people can do to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses, whether you're at home preparing food or out at the mall, says Jennifer Caudle, director of the family medicine section in the division of General Internal Medicine at Sinai Hospital. "It is the holiday season and people are out and about eating and shopping, and they are touching lots of things, lots of times."
NEWS
By Timothy B. Wheeler | November 27, 2008
Anyone who's ever driven behind a truck hauling chickens knows to expect a powerful odor and even a few feathers in its wake. But poultry carriers also apparently trail an airborne plume of potentially harmful bacteria, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers. The results suggest that motorists and those who live along roads traveled by chicken trucks may be exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the researchers say. They urged further study and possibly changing transport methods in areas of intense poultry production such as the Delmarva Peninsula.
NEWS
By Timothy B. Wheeler | July 30, 2008
Beach closings and warnings about unhealthy water declined last year in Maryland and across the United States but remain a problem, an environmental group reported yesterday. Closures and swimming advisories at the state's 68 Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches were down 23 percent last year, compared with 2006, according to the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Overall, bacteria levels at Maryland beaches failed federal health standards 7 percent of the time in 2007, down from 12 percent in 2006.
NEWS
July 9, 2008
Agency honors green workers The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund today will host "One Year Green," a celebration of MAIF's environmental achievements. MAIF employees who have demonstrated a commitment to making eco-friendly solutions routine in their daily operations will be honored with a "Green Thumb" award, and MAIF's Earth Day pledge tree will be dedicated on the grounds of MAIF's headquarters in Annapolis. "MAIF is committed to working toward a more environmentally friendly business model," said M. Kent Krabbe, executive director for MAIF.
NEWS
June 5, 2008
Higher education level might mean lower BMI When it comes to a healthy body weight, education matters. Highly educated men and women in the U.S. have a lower average body mass index than their less-educated counterparts, according to a new comparison of international data. Conversely, highly educated men and women in poor countries where malnutrition is prevalent tend to have a higher BMI than less-educated people. In short, education appears to confer a healthy buffer against obesity, or malnutrition, depending on the country of origin.
NEWS
By Frank D. Roylance | May 8, 2008
Mother was right. Our shoes are filthy, and we'd be smart to leave them at the door, like they do in Japan. Even microbiologist Charles P. Gerba was surprised to discover what we track into the house on our footwear. "I'm starting to make myself paranoid," he said. "It seems like we step in a lot more poop than I thought." Gerba is a professor in the University of Arizona's Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science. He's spent years studying how humans spread microbes around and "share" them wherever they go. But when he was asked by the Rockport Co. whether he thought throwing shoes in the washer made hygienic sense, he told them, "I don't know.
NEWS
April 20, 2008
Teens as Problem Solvers, the youth leadership project of the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County, will receive a $1,000 award to launch a service-learning project for Global Youth Service Day next weekend. TAPS is one of 100 Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award winners chosen by Youth Service America and funded by the State Farm Companies Foundation. TAPS members and other volunteers will assemble and install three rain barrels at the Chesapeake Children's Museum, 25 Silopanna Road in Annapolis, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.