Today: Tick Work, Counterfeit Military Gear, Kick The Bottled Water Habit

Although winter is fast approaching, disease-carrying deer ticks are still active and abundant in southern New England, where a University of Rhode Island researcher has been collecting adult deer ticks at a rate of more than 350 per hour while walking in the woods, along parkland paths, and even on local roadsides in recent weeks.

           

“It’s further evidence that the old rules about when and where ticks are active and how to avoid ticks don’t apply,” said Thomas Mather, URI professor of entomology and director of the Center for Vector-Borne Disease.  “We are definitely seeing a continuing trend of finding more ticks in more places.  That means that people are having more tick encounters than ever before, so more than ever they need to take precautionary measures.”

           

Mather has just been awarded an $875,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control to conduct studies and develop tools that will help residents choose the best tick control strategies for their needs. Part of the funding will be used to establish a series of test plots at the University’s East Farm that can be used to assess the effectiveness of various tick control products in a controlled setting but under natural conditions.

           

“Currently, there is no efficient system for assessing how effective existing or new tick control products are under field conditions,” Mather said.   

“What’s needed is a highly replicated testing ground where we can control for some of the variables but very rapidly collect efficacy data on a number of products all at once.”

           

He said that numerous tick control products are in development for yard use, including natural products; one containing a rosemary oil formulation, another containing a fungus, and others that are used to control lawn and garden pests. All of these products in the tick control pipeline could be easily evaluated in the new test plots, he said.

           

“Our system should greatly accelerate the pipeline of product assessment and provide useful data for homeowners,” Mather added.

           

The CDC grant will also enable Mather to collaborate with tick control customers of The Bartlett Tree Experts and Ocean State Tick Control to compare the effectiveness of standard tick control treatments.  The URI team also hopes to evaluate combinations of strategies to determine whether an integrated tick control plan “provides more bang for the buck.”

           

In addition to product testing, the grant will fund development of what Mather calls a “decision support tool” to help homeowners decide which product is most appropriate for their circumstances. His team is developing a TickEncounter Risk Calculator as a smart-phone application to enable landscapers and homeowners to more easily assess a property’s risk level based on factors like tick habitat, pets, geography, distance from a forest, and human activity.  After calculating one’s risk, the application will provide users with a customized action plan for how best to reduce the risk of encountering deer ticks.

          

“We need to give people options and help them make decisions so they can take action to protect themselves and their families,” Mather said.  “If we can increase the number of yards effectively treated for ticks by even 20 percent, I’m sure we’ll see a reduction in disease incidence in the area.”

           

U.S. Senator Jack Reed agrees.

          

“Lyme disease is a growing threat, and Professor Mather and the URI Center for Vector-Borne Disease have played a leading role in tick-borne disease prevention, research, and education efforts,” said Reed, a co-author of the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education and Research Act of 2011 and a member of the Appropriations Committee, who, in the past has secured over $1.3 million in targeted federal funds to help support the Center for Vector-Borne Disease's efforts.  “I congratulate Professor Mather and his team on this award.  This CDC grant will enable URI researchers to test tick-control products to ensure they are safe and effective."

                

For seasonally relevant information on tick-safe living, Mather recommends visiting www.tickencounter.org on a regular basis.

2. Senate Approves Amendment to Combat Counterfeit Products Sold to the Military

Whitehouse Bill Included in Levin/McCain Amendment to Defense Measure

 The U.S. Senate yesterday unanimously approved an amendment to a key Defense funding bill which includes a measure from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to crack down on criminals who traffic in counterfeit military products.  The bipartisan Combating Military Counterfeits Act, which was cosponsored by Senators Leahy (D-VT), Hatch (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), Kyl (R-AZ), Graham (R-SC), Klobuchar (D-MN), Coons (D-DE), and Blumenthal (D-CT), was included in a larger amendment offered by Senators Levin (D-MI) and McCain.  The measure would bolster efforts to protect troops and the United States military supply chain from dangerous counterfeit products.

“Our troops serving overseas have so much to worry about each day – faulty equipment should not be one of them,” said Senator Whitehouse, who recently spoke on the Senate floor in support of the amendment. “The Combating Military Counterfeits Act will enhance the ability of prosecutors to keep counterfeit goods out of the military supply chain.  I’m pleased that so many of my colleagues supported this important amendment to better protect our servicemen and women from counterfeit goods.”

“Keeping inferior, counterfeit goods from endangering the mission and the well-being of our men and women in uniform should be an important priority for this Congress, and I'm glad our legislation is moving closer to enactment today,” Senator Coons said. “Selling counterfeit goods to the military is dangerous, flagrant, and needs to be stopped.”

Blumenthal said, “This important step will help end an appalling increase in counterfeit goods and defective equipment sent to our troops. This proactive measure assures secure and effective equipment for brave service men and women serving and sacrificing at home and abroad.” 

A January 2010 study by the Commerce Department quoted a Defense Department official estimating that counterfeit aircraft parts were “leading to a 5 to 15 percent annual decrease in weapons systems reliability.” Similarly, the Government Accountability Office has reported that the Defense Department discovered in testing that it had procured body armor that was misrepresented as being “Kevlar,” and that a supplier sold the Defense Department a personal computer circuit that it falsely claimed was a $7,000 circuit that met the specifications of a missile guidance system.

Under the current counterfeit trafficking statute, sentences imposed on traffickers in military counterfeits do not reflect the serious dangers that these products pose to our troops. The Combating Military Counterfeits Act addresses this deficiency by creating a new enhanced offense that specifically targets trafficking in military counterfeits and by increasing penalties for criminals who know that the counterfeit product they sell is intended for use by the military or is identified as meeting military standards.

The Combating Military Counterfeits Act will complement other government efforts to protect our military supply chain. The Senate Armed Services Committee conducted an important investigation into counterfeit electronic parts in the military supply chain.  This investigation led to other provisions in the Levin/McCain amendment that will help keep counterfeits out of the military procurement system. The Administration also is working across agencies to protect the military supply chain from counterfeits, including through its “Operation Chain Reaction” which targets counterfeit military products.

The bill was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee in July.  Action on the larger Defense spending measure, in which it is now included, is expected to be completed soon.

The bill is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Semiconductor Industry Association, DuPont, the International Trademark Association, the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, as well as A2B Tracking and ON Semiconductor in Rhode Island.

3. Individuals who drink bottled water products might want to hear what University of Rhode Island freshman Bill Law and his classmates have to say.

That’s because the students have learned that the bottled water process may sometimes allow companies to inappropriately acquire and market this vital resource worldwide. Their product is then packaged, transported and sold at a profit.

Law, a resident of Charlestown, and his classmates are enrolled in one of URI’s Grand Challenge classes, entitled “Be the Solution for Global Public Health Problems.”

Instituted last year, the 30 interdisciplinary Grand Challenge courses have small enrollments and are taught by full-time faculty members. They focus on major global challenges, such as poverty, diversity, hunger and climate change, and they have intriguing titles like “Media and Race Relations,” “The Weight is Over,” “The Future of Families,” “Heavy Metal,” and “Earth Gone Mad?”

4. Ophthalmologists Offer Toy-buying Tips to Keep Children’s Eyes Safe this Holiday Season 

As the holiday season approaches, parents across the United States are making their lists for Santa in hopes of making a happy occasion for their youngsters. And while the little ones may know what toys are the most popular, they are ill-equipped to determine which ones can potentially be dangerous. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were more than 250,000 toy-related injuries treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2010; nearly three quarters of those injured were children under age 15. A serious eye injury from a toy can ruin a family’s holiday and, more seriously leave a child with permanent vision loss. During this holiday season, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is reminding parents about the dangers that toys may pose to children’s eyes and offers its top five tips on how to choose safe toys for gift giving.
 

1. Avoid purchasing toys with sharp, protruding or projectile parts.
 
2. Make sure children have appropriate supervision when playing with potentially hazardous toys or games that could cause injury.
 
3. If you plan to give sports equipment, provide appropriate protective eyewear with polycarbonate lenses. Check with your local Eye M.D. to learn about protective gear recommended for your child's sport.
 
4. Check labels for age recommendations and be sure to select gifts that are appropriate for a child’s age and maturity.
 
5. Keep toys that are made for older children away from younger children.

“With so many toys being recalled or having the potential to cause injuries, many of my patient’s parents are wondering what toys are safe,” said David Wheeler, MD, pediatric ophthalmologist and clinical correspondent for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “A good rule of thumb that I often share with parents is to choose a toy that is appropriate for their child's age, abilities, and their willingness to supervise their child’s use of the toy. Being aware and thoughtful about what you are putting in your children’s hands is the best preventative medicine.”

5. After a brief, albeit intense bit of rain last night, we should see a return of sun and temperatures in the mid 50’s according to Weatherbug’s Wakefield forecast.  But keep the jacket handy, as temps will return to the 30’s this evening.