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July 14, 2022 – A Journey for Justice: How plastic waste creates risks for mosquito-borne diseases – and what we can do about it

Next Event: A Journey for Justice:  How plastic waste creates risks for mosquito-borne diseases – and what we can do about it

About the Webinar:For nearly twenty years our research has uncovered the great burden of mosquito-borne viruses in Kenya. Usually mistaken as malaria, arthropod-borne viral (arboviral) infections cause fever and illness commonly, but are rarely diagnosed. The only means of prevention is to prevent the bite of the mosquito. During our community-based intervention and prevention work, we discovered the hidden culprit behind this great disease burden- PLASTIC TRASH! It turns out that plastic is breeding mosquitoes and making people sick in Kenya and in many other parts of the world. I will discuss our research, the disease links to plastic waste and our new nonprofit that is tackling this plastic pollution crisis, the Health and Environmental Research Institute- Kenya.

Images are licensed under Creative Commons License.

Date

Thu. Jul. 14, 2022 12-1:15pm

Location

Zoom

Speakers

Dr. Desiree Labeaud, MD is a physician-scientist, epidemiologist, and professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. She received her MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin and trained at the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital during her pediatric residency and pediatric infectious disease fellowship program. She earned her master’s degree in Clinical Research and Epidemiology at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. LaBeaud studies the epidemiology and ecology of domestic and international arboviruses and emerging infections, with an interest in the vector, host, and environmental factors that affect transmission dynamics and spectrum of disease. She studies the human health impacts of climate change including research focused on innovative solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis. Her current field sites include Kenya, Grenada, and Brazil. She currently heads a clinical research lab focused on better understanding the risk factors and long-term health consequences of arboviral infections and the most effective means of prevention.