Figure 1. Hispanic heritage photo. Source: itoldya420.getarchive.net Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that can survive in the stomach’s acidic environment. Although many people with H. pylori show no symptoms, it is a known cause of chronic gastritis. More importantly, H. pylori infection is a significant risk factor for gastric cancer. Globally, H. pylori…
Colombia continues to be one of the countries most impacted by dengue fever in Latin America. A recent study by Jaramillo-Ramirez et al. published in Scientific Reports, sheds new light on how community knowledge, attitudes, and environmental conditions shape the spread of this mosquito-borne disease. Conducted in Restrepo, Meta (a dengue-endemic municipality) the research reveals…
In 2024, Colombia faced its worst dengue outbreak in history—reporting over 290,000 cases and ranking among the top five globally. Driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, and virus diversity, the surge exposed deep public health challenges. But innovative strategies, like deploying Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Cali, are offering new hope for sustainable dengue control in Latin America.
Artificial intelligence is transforming mosquito control in Brazil by enhancing biological strategies like Wolbachia deployment, predator analysis, and drone-assisted hotspot detection. As shown in research by Beraldo et al., integrating AI with nature-based methods offers a smarter, more sustainable path to dengue prevention, reducing reliance on pesticides while empowering communities.
Figure 1. Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito. Picture taken by Muhammad Mahdi Karim from Wikipedia. Dengue fever remains a persistent global health threat, especially in tropical regions like Latin America. Despite political instability and recent reduced federal funding for infectious disease research dengue virus continues to spread, with mosquito breeding and incidence rates showing…
Dengue is exploding across Latin America, with over 12 million cases and 1,000+ deaths reported in 2024 alone. What’s driving this surge? From invasive mosquito species and fast-evolving viruses to vaccine gaps and climate extremes, the region is facing a perfect storm of risk. In this post, we break down five key factors fueling the spike, and what it means for the future of public health in Latin America.
Helicobacter pylori infection disproportionately affects Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America, increasing the risk of gastritis and stomach cancer.
Here, I talk about a recent scientific paper showing that there is a difference in H. pylori seroprevalence, or frequency of infection, based on Hispanic/Latino cultural background and multiple factors associate with the disease.
AI is creeping into our lives, including medical research and provider care. But, what do Hispanics think of using AI in health and medicine?
What can we learn about the Ivermectin craze for policy and decision making?
Here I provide further details on papers that contributed to the Ivermectin hype, giving false hope to both the scientific community and the public, but were ultimately retracted because of unreliable and unsupported data and interpretations.
What does reliable science tells us about using Ivermectin to combat COVID-19?
