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Iowa water pollution threatens health and summer recreation

Illustration accompanying article: Iowa water pollution threatens health and summer recreation
  • The Associated Press reported that water pollution from agricultural runoff is a health threat in Iowa that also disrupts summer recreational activities.
  • Hannah Ray J Childs, a whitewater kayaker on the Maquoketa River in Manchester, said she has gotten sick from the water and now wears nose and ear plugs to minimize risk.
  • Childs said people often react with disgust when they learn she spends time upside down in the river, reflecting public awareness of the water quality issue.
  • The AP report highlighted how farming-related pollution contributes to algae blooms and bacteria that contaminate waterways used for swimming, boating and fishing.
 3 MIN READ

New World screwworm detected in Texas calf, first US livestock case since 1966

Illustration accompanying article: New World screwworm detected in Texas calf, first US livestock case since 1966
  • The USDA confirmed on June 4 that New World screwworm larvae were found in a 3-week-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, the first U.S. livestock detection since 1966.
  • The flesh-eating parasite, spread by flies laying eggs in open wounds, can be deadly to animals but poses no common risk to humans and is not a food safety concern, according to the USDA.
  • The detection adds pressure on U.S. ranchers as the national cattle herd sits at its smallest since the 1950s, with beef prices at record highs.
  • The USDA will establish a 12.4-mile infested zone, step up surveillance, and expedite releases of sterilized flies to curb the parasite's spread.
 3 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Fringe rancher group now advising Trump's agriculture team