This book is the first scientific publication on diseases caused by agents circulating in natural environments independently from humans, covering the whole territory of the Russian Federation. It contains diverse and multifaceted information, both in textual and cartographic form. The book focuses on the historical and current distribution of natural-focal diseases in Russia, epidemiological aspects, natural and socio-economic determinants conducing natural foci. With a series of maps this book depicts population morbidity rates in particular regions and on a national level for the 21st century. With numerous color illustrations this book appeals to a wide audience and is of particular interest to geographers, environmental workers, epidemiologists and other specialists interested in environmental and public health issues.

This edited book gives a general overview on current research, focusing on geoenvironmental issues and challenges in hydrogeosciences in model regions in Asia, Europe, and America, with a focus on the Middle East and Mediterranean region and surrounding areas. This proceedings book is based on the accepted papers for oral/poster presentations at the 2nd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences (CAJG-2), Tunisia 2019. It offers a broad range of recent studies that discuss the latest advances in geoenvironmental and hydrogeosciences from diverse backgrounds including climate change, geoecology, biogeochemistry, water resources management, and environmental monitoring and assessment. It shares insights on how the understanding of ecological, climatological, oceanic and hydrological processes is the key for improving practices in environment management, including the eco-responsibility, scientific integrity, and social and ethical dimensions. It is of interest to scientists, engineers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of environmental sciences including climatology, oceanography, ecology, biogeochemistry, environmental management, hydrology, hydrogeology, and geosciences in general. In particular, this book is of great value to students and environment-related professionals for further investigations on the state of Earth systems.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in collaboration with the InterAcademy Partnership and the European Academies Science Advisory Committee held a workshop in November 2019 to bring together researchers and public health officials from different countries and across several relevant disciplines to explore what is known, and what critical knowledge gaps remain, regarding existing and possible future risks of harmful infectious agents emerging from thawing permafrost and melting ice in the Arctic region. The workshop examined case studies such as the specific case of Arctic region anthrax outbreaks, as a known, observed risk as well as other types of human and animal microbial health risks that have been discovered in snow, ice, or permafrost environments, or that could conceivably exist. The workshop primarily addressed two sources of emerging infectious diseases in the arctic: (1) new diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic as a result of climate change (such as vector-borne diseases) and (2) ancient and endemic diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic specifically as a result of permafrost thaw. Participants also considered key research that could advance knowledge including critical tools for improving observations, and surveillance to advance understanding of these risks, and to facilitate and implement effective early warning systems. Lessons learned from efforts to address emerging or re-emerging microbial threats elsewhere in the world were also discussed. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

This book investigates the multifaceted nature of change in today’s Nordic Arctic and the necessary research and policy development required to address the challenges and opportunities currently faced by this region. It focuses its attention on the recent efforts of the Nordic community to create specialized Centers of Excellence in Arctic Research in order to facilitate this process of scientific inquiry and policy articulation. The volume seeks to describe both the steps that lead to this decision and the manner in which this undertaking as evolved. The work highlights the research efforts of the four Centers and their investigations of a variety of issues including those related to ecosystem and wildlife management, the revitalization resource dependent communities, the emergence of new climate-born diseases and the development of adequate modeling techniques to assist northern communities in their efforts at adaptation and resilience building. Major discoveries and insights arising from these and other efforts are detailed and possible policy implications considered. The book also focuses attention on the challenges of creating and supporting multidisciplinary teams of researchers to investigate such concerns and the methods and means for facilitating their collaboration and the integration of their findings to form new and useful perspectives on the nature of change in the contemporary Arctic. It also provides helpful consideration and examples of how local and indigenous communities can be engaged in the co-production of knowledge regarding the region. The volume discusses how such research findings can be best communicated and shared between scientists, policymakers and northern residents. It considers the challenges of building common concern not just among different research disciplines but also between bureaucracies and the public. Only when this bridge-building effort is undertaken can true pathways to action be established.

The chapters in this topical volume of Advances in Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Public Health present exciting, insightful observations on emerging viral infections like influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome, or mosquito-transmitted diseases, as well as the potential of social media in preventing and fighting infectious diseases. This rapidly developing field of study, which involves interdisciplinary and challenging research conducted in both industrialized and limited-resource countries, can yield vital information for the life and social sciences, for public health, and for healthcare in general. The aim of this volume is to contribute to the development of knowledge on emerging infections in the endless struggle between viruses and man. The chapters selected are not intended as a systematic collection of all emerging infections, but instead highlight recent discoveries and provide insights on today’s hot topics. The book offers a valuable resource for all scientists working in the field of emerging viral infections and possible vaccines, as well as for laboratory and medical staff whose work involves preventing, controlling and combatting infectious diseases.

Rural health is the study of healthcare systems in rural settings. This book presents a comprehensive overview of rural health care and addresses such topics as human resources, maternal mortality in developing countries, safety of healthcare workers, zoonotic and veterinary diseases, and much more. Chapters include case studies and research in the field of rural health.

This book brings together expert opinions from scientists to consider the evidence for climate change and its impacts on ticks and tick-borne infections. It considers what is meant by 'climate change', how effective climate models are in relation to ecosystems, and provides predictions for changes in climate at global, regional and local scales relevant for ticks and tick-borne infections. It examines changes to tick distribution and the evidence that climate change is responsible. The effect of climate on the physiology and behaviour of ticks is stressed, including potentially critical impacts on the tick microbiome. Given that the notoriety of ticks derives from pathogens they transmit, the book considers whether changes in climate affect vector capacity. Ticks transmit a remarkable range of micro- and macro-parasites many of which are pathogens of humans and domesticated animals. The intimacy between a tick-borne agent and a tick vector means that any impacts of climate on a tick vector will impact tick-borne pathogens. Most obviously, such impacts will be apparent as changes in disease incidence and prevalence. The evidence that climate change is affecting diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens is considered, along with the potential to make robust predictions of future events.

Despite various studies carried out by scientific centres for population biology research in the USSR, many findings remain unknown to Western scientists. This collection of reviews on population biology in the USSR, attempts to remedy the situation. The areas covered include surveys of animal population biology studies - population genetics, population ecology and ecophysiology, population ethology, population cytogenetics, and population radioecology. Also explored are the population biology of amphibians and invertebrates, the population biology of the lower taxa - plants, protists, and microorganisms, and some general problems of population biology.