Infectious Thoughts

Zika: a potential new mozzie vector?

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 04, 2016

• Aedes,
• Brazil,
• Culex,
• Culex quinquefasciatus,
• Dr José Derraik,
• Mosquito,
• New Zealand,
• transmission,
• virus,
• zika

Brazilian scientists announce Zika could be spread by a different species of mosquito, one more common in Brazil and present in countries like New Zealand. According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Zika virus is currently known to be transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes, namely A. aegypti and A. albopictus. Media … Read More

Zika in NZ: sexual transmission or intrepid mosquito?

Siouxsie Wiles • Mar 03, 2016

• Ministry of Health,
• Mosquito,
• sexual transmission,
• virus,
• zika

The New Zealand Ministry of Health are investigating a case of Zika in a woman who hasn’t travelled to a Zika-affected country recently. Is it a case of sexual transmission or a rogue mosquito? Update: I talked about this story this morning on RNZ’s Morning Report and TVNZ’s Breakfast on One. Also see my … Read More

Are 300 animals a day really tortured for scientific research in New Zealand? Part II

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 29, 2016

• animal research,
• antibiotic resistance,
• antibiotics,
• bioluminescence,
• Biophotonic imaging,
• Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research,
• Concordat,
• intraosseous,
• knee surgery,
• laboratory animals,
• mice,
• orthopaedic surgery,
• Paul Henry,
• Staph aureus

In the spirit of openness and transparency, I want to share what 42 animals that were involved in my 2014 research efforts experienced. I recently blogged about Paul Henry’s interview with NZ Anti-Vivisection Society (NZAVS) executive director Stephen Mason, in which Paul Henry repeatedly referred to the 300 animals a day tortured to death in the name of … Read More

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Are 300 animals a day really tortured for scientific research in New Zealand? Part 1.

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 23, 2016

• 3Rs,
• animal research,
• animal statistics,
• animal use,
• MPI,
• NZAVS,
• Paul Henry,
• Stephen Mason

“300 animals a day tortured to death.” is pretty much how Paul Henry recently reported the figures on the use of animals for scientific research, teaching and testing in New Zealand. A statement like that calls for some definite debunking! This month the Ministry for Primary Industries released the 2014 figures on the animals used for research, teaching and … Read More

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Are feminists really bullying Richard Dawkins? A response to Ken Perrott

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 18, 2016

• Amy Roth,
• atheism,
• Dear Muslima,
• feminism,
• feminists,
• Ken Perrott,
• men's rights activists,
• MRA,
• NECSS,
• Open Parachute,
• Patreon,
• Rebecca Watson,
• Richard Dawkins,
• sexism,
• Skepticism,
• SurlyAmy

My fellow sciblogger over on Open Parachute Ken Perrott has posted his thoughts on recent events involving prominent atheist Richard Dawkins, who was invited then disinvited to speak at a skeptics conference in the USA later this year.  Basically, Dawkins was invited to speak at the Northeast Conference on Science & Skepticism (NECSS), then very publicly … Read More

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Zika update – sexual transmission & GM mosquitoes

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 04, 2016

• Americas,
• Brazil,
• CDC,
• genetic modification,
• GM mosquitoes,
• mosquitoes,
• oxitec,
• semen,
• virus,
• zika

Earlier this week the WHO declared the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and yesterday the CDC reported that someone in Dallas had become infected with the virus by having sex with someone infected overseas. Meanwhile, the internet is awash with claims that genetically-modified mosquitoes are to blame for the outbreak in Brazil.  In … Read More

Zika virus: an FAQ

Siouxsie Wiles • Jan 26, 2016

• Aedes,
• Brazil,
• microcephaly,
• Mosquito,
• outbreak,
• small head,
• virus,
• zika

A virus spread by mosquitoes and which has been linked to babies being born with smaller heads and brains in Brazil is making the news. Here’s a quick FAQ to bring you up to speed. What is Zika and where has it come from? Zika is an RNA virus that was first identified in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. The … Read More

Busting sexism in science

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 16, 2015

• academics,
• Bridget Williams Books,
• crowdfunding,
• Nicola Gaston,
• pledge me,
• Science,
• sexism,
• sexist,
• universities

Science IS sexist. Fullstop. There is an abundance of evidence that it is more difficult for women working in science to get jobs, funding and published, just because they are women. So the question is, how are we going to fix the problem? Dr Nicola Gaston, Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Victoria … Read More

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A gift for someone special – Part IV

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 12, 2015

• egg donation,
• egg donor,
• IVF

Almost a year ago, I wrote what would become three blog posts about my decision to become an egg donor, and the journey I went on that led to 11 of my ova being used to try to make a baby for someone special to me. So as 2015 draws to a close, I’m excited to announce that we made … Read More

Support science with these last minute Xmas gifts!

Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 11, 2015

• bioluminescence,
• Christmas,
• Christmas presents,
• donate,
• donation,
• fungi,
• gifts,
• glowing art,
• Landcare,
• presents,
• redbubble,
• sci-art,
• Science,
• science-art,
• shop,
• shopping,
• t-shirt,
• University of Auckland

If you are looking for gifts that are a little different, and like the idea of supporting scientific research, then we have just the thing for you! This year I’ve worked with a number of artists and illustrators to make amazing artworks out of naturally glowing bacteria. The artworks may only last a day or two but we took photos of … Read More