Kathleen Z. Rooney
Here in New Haven, we live at the epicenter of two separate disease explosions; Lyme disease and West Nile Fever. These infections are among a class of emerging pathogens that are vector borne and linked to recent changes in our environment and society. The rapid growth of these infections leads to many questions. What is the current state of these diseases in New Haven? What does the current rate of infection predict about future spread of disease in our area? Are these diseases preventable? What are the environmental pressures that are causing these diseases to spike? What can we do as a city and state to reduce exposure of our citizens to these diseases?
My interest in the evolution of these diseases goes back to my own experience. In 2000, I was working as an organic farmer in Bethany, CT. Our fields were only 8 miles from downtown New Haven, yet without being surrounded by 9 foot tall deer fencing, we would have lost most of our crops to the tremendous deer pressure. In late May I developed a 104º fever, stiff neck, and muscle and joint aches. It became apparent that I had Lyme disease. I never had the classic bull's-eye myself; however I saw a few magnificent versions of the bull's-eye rash among fellow farm workers. I have also commiserated with many friends who have not only suffered the illness but the cure. Doxycycline makes the patient extremely sun sensitive. Three weeks of this antibiotic, while wearing hats, longs sleeved pants and shirts in mid summer is almost as memorable as the illness itself.
My farming background put me in frequent touch with The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Not only did I use their soil lab, and plant pathology services regularly, I had many wonderful interactions with the scientists who work there. In considering material for this unit, I decided to return to CAES as a teacher, to seek resources for my students. I visited and interviewed Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III, Vice Director and Chief Scientist at the station in early April. In addition to sharing information and resource material with me, Dr. Stafford also pointed me toward a curriculum development team at the Peabody Museum. I met with Curriculum Specialist Terri Stern in late April. Terri discussed with me the unit they developed around these diseases as part of a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA). I was also fortunate to attend their special event: Backyard Bloodsuckers: Biodiversity Bites Back! There, I spoke to John Shephard of the mosquito collection team from CAES. I also met scientist Maria Diuk-Wasser, who is observing robin roosting patterns. Her research has shown major roosting areas of robins in the city and resultant concentrations of infected mosquitoes. This includes one such "hot spot" along the West River, less than a mile from the high school where I teach.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) has played major roles in the identification of both pathogen and vector in both of the diseases we will study, Scientists at CAES were the first to isolate the West Nile Virus and identify its major vectors in North America. They continue to conduct mosquito surveillance and to test between 100,000 and 200,000 mosquitoes a year for the virus. CAES has also identified the American robin as an important reservoir of WNV. Dr. Louis Magnarelli and John Anderson M.D. from CAES worked on the tick vector for Lyme disease throughout the late 1970's and early 1980's. Yale School of Medicine in New Haven was first to send a team of doctors to study an unusual outbreak of arthritis in Lyme Connecticut in 1975. This investigation led to the classification of Lyme disease in 1977. These groups continued to collaborate and all participated in the First International Symposium on Lyme disease in New Haven in 1983.
Numbers begin to tell their story here. The accumulation of data from these dedicated scientists, doctors and epidemiologists have left us a trail of information to dissect, analyze and draw conclusions regarding the state of these diseases and their future in our communities. With access to the internet, we can follow developing information on each disease from the websites of CAES, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). As members of this community, and stakeholders in our own well being, we cannot help but be interested in these questions. As mathematicians and statisticians, we can look at the data and begin to find some answers.
The goal of this learning unit will be to look at these two emerging diseases, explore their epidemiology and their evolution into diseases of concern to New Haven. I am excited that so much material that we will be able to look at will be primary source. Much of it will be found on the internet, but I hope to include field trips to CAES, the Peabody Museum, and perhaps labs at Yale or the New Haven Health Department. We will be able to collect data as we learn about the epidemiology of these diseases. These data will help us to create a clearer picture of the state of these diseases in Connecticut. Ultimately, as mathematicians, our objective will be to use the tools at our disposal to analyze the data as best as we are able, and use the trends that we see, to predict the future in the way that only mathematicians can.
