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Skin disease linked with deforestation
Ann Arbor, Mich. (UPI) Feb 13, 2008 U.S. scientists have determined deforestation and social marginalization increase the risk of acquiring an infectious, tropical skin disease. The University of Michigan researchers examined the incidence of the disease American cutaneous leishmaniasis, or ACL, in Costa Rica. ACL -- characterized by skin lesions caused by an infectious organism carried by sand flies -- most commonly affects workers in forested lowlands, but tourists are increasingly at risk as remote tropical areas become more accessible. A team led by Professor Luis Fernando Chaves examined Costa Rica's ACL case data from 1996 through 2000. "Contrary to what was previously believed, the more forest you have, even in a marginal population, the more protected you are against the disease," said Chaves. "When we looked just at factors such as climate and the physical environment, we found no specific patterns with respect to the disease. But when we looked at the social data, we found clear patterns according to marginality." The scientists found socially marginalized people -- those with lower incomes, literacy and levels of education -- had a higher incidence of the disease. The study appears in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application
No amnesty for Amazon deforestation: Brazil
Brasilia (AFP) Feb 11, 2008Brazil's government on Monday dismissed reports suggesting an amnesty was being considered for landowners who were contributing to the deforestation of the Amazon. |
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