Three Rutgers units are set to begin work this winter on a collaborative science project that will examine the intersection between sea level rise, salt marsh structure, habitat modification and restoration, as well as nuisance mosquito populations that can pose serious health risks to humans, livestock and pets. The project, “Investigating the Interconnectedness of Climate […]
Search Results for: "Scott Crans"
Precision Aerial Mosquito Control Made Possible by Rutgers’ ‘Skeetercopters’
In 1930, Rutgers University made the world’s first aerial application for mosquito control. These early experiments were ridiculed as ‘pie-in-the-sky’, but by 1947, a million acres of mosquito habitat were being treated annually by air. Today we stand at the edge of another technological revolution with transformational promise for mosquito control: unmanned aerial systems (UAS), […]
Fight is on against Zika virus although outbreak unlikely
Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties occupy a combined area of nearly 1,500 square miles, yet officials are on the hunt for predators that could fit inside the palm of one’s hand… “We’re working on getting [an answer]… More than likely, an infected person was set upon by mosquitoes in a tropical area. Those mosquitoes then went about spreading it,” explained Scott Crans, senior program coordinator at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES), who also teaches mosquito biology.
Travel: Virus That Makes People ‘Bend Over in Pain’ Keeps NJ Travelers at Home
Some New Jersey travelers are concerned about chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that means “bent over in pain” in the African Makonde language, a rather fitting name… With symptoms that can persist for years in 5 to 10 percent of cases, chikungunya brings about debilitating joint pain and swelling, muscle pain, rash, headache, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people make a full recovery, but unknown factors can bring the illness to linger, typical of similar diseases… “Unless you’re traveling to Florida right now, New Jerseyans shouldn’t really be concerned about contracting chikungunya from within the United States,” said Scott Crans, senior program coordinator of entomology in the Center For Vector Biology at Rutgers University. “Even if you’re going to Florida now, the chances are pretty low. If you’re in an area that has reported chikungunya, as long as you’re wearing repellant, you’re minimizing your risk.”
