Researchers Are Now Tracking Monkey pox in Wastewater.

 

Researchers Are Now Tracking Monkey pox in Wastewater.The past two years have taught us anything, it’s that testing for viral diseases is complicated. Sometimes, the tests are difficult to get, like in the early days of COVID-19. And even if people have access to testing, they might not feel they need it. 

 People with COVID-19 often don’t have symptoms and may not always know to get tested. And now, with the availability of at-home self-tests, most people test themselves and don’t report the results. With other diseases—such as monkey pox—stigma surrounding the disease and the group most affected can deter access to testing. These limitations hinder health authorities’ ability to learn more about infectious diseases and control their spread. If you can’t detect a problem, you can’t direct resources to help fix it. Wastewater analysis can help skirt some of these issues. 

Scientists have tracked COVID-19 through wastewater since early in the pandemic, and now they’re doing the same for monkey pox. A new program led by researchers at Stanford University, Emory University, and Verily, an Alphabet Inc. company, is monitoring monkey pox cases by analyzing sewage from 41 communities in 10 states.

 So far, they have detected the monkey pox virus in 22 of those sites. As monkey pox case numbers around the country continue to climb, such information is proving valuable as doctors and patients wrestle with testing challenges. “We have now detected monkey pox DNA in sewersheds before any cases were reported in those counties,” says Bradley White, senior staff scientist at Verily. The group is planning to publish their first findings from their monkey pox work in a preprint soon.

COVID-19: Research shows children are silent spreaders of SARS-CoV-2.

In the most comprehensive study of COVID-19 pediatric patients to date, researchers provide critical data showing that children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought.

 In a study of 192 children ages 0-22, 49 children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and an additional 18 children had late-onset, COVID-19-related illness.

 The infected children were shown to have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in ICUs for COVID-19 treatment, according to Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC).

 The study, “Pediatric SARS-CoV-2: Clinical Presentation, Infectivity, and Immune Reponses,” was published in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Findings from nose and throat swabs and blood samples from the MGHfC Pediatric COVID-19 Biorepository carry implications for the reopening of schools, daycare centers and other locations with a high density of children and close interaction with teachers and staff members.

 The researchers note that although children with COVID-19 are not as likely to become as seriously ill as adults, as asymptomatic carriers or carriers with few symptoms attending school, they can spread infection and bring the virus into their homes.

AGRIBUSINESS: Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits is achievable.

AGRIBUSINESS: Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 within planetary limits is achievable. A study published in the journal Nature, is the first to quantify how food production and consumption affects the planetary boundaries that describe a safe operating space for humanity beyond which Earth's vital systems could become unstable. 

 A global shift towards healthy and more plant-based diets, halving food loss and waste, and improving farming practices and technologies are required to feed 10 billion people sustainably by 2050 Adopting these options reduces the risk of crossing global environmental limits related to climate change, the use of agricultural land, the extraction of freshwater resources, and the pollution of ecosystems through overapplication of fertilizers, according to the researchers. "No single solution is enough to avoid crossing planetary boundaries. 

But when the solutions are implemented together, our research indicates that it may be possible to feed the growing population sustainably," says Dr Marco Springmann of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, who led the study. "Without concerted action, we found that the environmental impacts of the food system could increase by 50-90% by 2050 as a result of population growth and the rise of diets high in fats, sugars and meat. In that case, all planetary boundaries related to food production would be surpassed, some of them by more than twofold."

AGRIBUSINESS: : How to recycle old mobile phones to extract gold and save gorilla population.

AGRIBUSINESS: : How to recycle old mobile phones to extract gold and save gorilla population. "For every 30-40 mobile phones that are recycled, on average, one gram of gold can be recovered," Dr Litchfield says. "Just as mobile phone sales are soaring, and gold content is increasing in some smartphones, natural sources of gold are expected to run out by 2030." UniSA Conservation Psychologist and Great Ape expert Dr Carla Litchfield, the paper's lead author, says if 'conflict' elements -- including gold and coltan -- can be recovered from old mobile phones, there is less incentive to mine gorilla habitats for the same minerals. In Germany, by 2035 it is predicted that more than 8000 tonnes of precious metals will lie in unrecycled mobile and smartphones, and in China, by 2025 an estimated nine tonnes of gold, 15 tonnes of silver and 3100 tonnes of copper will also be out of the supply loop in 0.35 billion unrecycled phones. AGRIBUSINESS: : How to recycle old mobile phones to extract gold and save gorilla population. The link between hoarding disused mobile phones and the decimation of Grauer gorilla habitats is explored in a paper published today in PLOS ONE, authored by University of South Australia researchers and Zoos Victoria. Zoo visitors and the broader Victorian community were educated about the value of recycling discarded phones to extract special metals used in their construction as the same metals which are being mined in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), not only destroying gorilla habitats but also funding wars and human rights abuses. The authors point out the barriers to recycling used phones, including lack of e-waste recycling points in many countries, secrecy around the phones' mineral composition, privacy concerns around accessing old data, and just plain hoarding. Hoarding is a problem since precious metals are not extracted and returned to the circular economy, creating the need to mine these metals in wilderness areas and when people do discard their old phones, most dispose of them in their household waste, ending up in landfill, where they leach toxic metals.

RESEARCH: 26 Amazing Benefits Of Cassava For Skin, Hair, And Health.

RESEARCH: 26 Amazing Benefits Of Cassava For Skin, Hair, And Health. Cassava is a tropical root that can be used along with potatoes, carrots, radishes and other tubers. Cassava is also used in flour, which is a kind of starch required in kitchens around the globe. Dry cassava flour can also be bought from grocery stores. The leaves of cassava can be used to prepare food as well as the leaves have higher protein content when compared to the nutrients found in the roots of cassava. RESEARCH: 26 Amazing Benefits Of Cassava For Skin, Hair, And Health. Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. CASSAVA VALUE CHAIN AND FOOD SECURITY. Cassava can be processed into various products such as garri,tapioca, cake,bread and flakes. Cassava processed into garri otherwise called cassava flakes is one of the most common products and this delicacy enjoyed by all classes of people and all age groups. RESEARCH: 26 Amazing Benefits Of Cassava For Skin, Hair, And Health. The Benefits Of Cassava for the skin are as follows; 1)Smoothens And Brightens Your Complexion The peel of cassava plants can be used as a skin exfoliator. You can split the peels, make a fresh paste out of it and use it as a scrub. Brush the face well for a few minutes and wash it off with cold water. Do this thrice a week to get good results. 2) Great Face Mask Cassava plants also act as great face masks. Before you prepare your face mask, make sure you have washed your face with warm water. This will help in opening up the pores. The cassava mask will easily get absorbed and improve the texture and condition of your skin. Once you have washed your face, wait for it to dry completely. You may now rinse with cold water so that the pores close. Use your fingers to dry them. Doing this thrice a week will prevent and eliminate scars and impart a healthy glow in return. 3) Hydrates The Skin Cassava can also hydrate your skin tone and make it smooth and soft. You will have to prepare a mask for this one at home. Take cassava plant roots with some honey or olive oil. You can combine it with a fruit too. A few drops of will also do.continue

Breeding Resistant Chickens for Improved Food Safety.

Breeding Resistant Chickens for Improved Food Safety. A recent test developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in College Station, Texas, could make it easier to breed pathogen-resistant chickens. The test identifies roosters whose blood contains naturally high levels of two key chemicals, cytokines and chemokines. These chemicals mobilize the birds' innate immune response, according to ARS microbiologist Christi Swaggerty, in ARS's Food and Feed Safety Research Unit. Using the new test, commercial poultry breeders can single out roosters that have a strong immune response and use them to selectively breed a more robust flock. Such resistance, especially during the birds' first week of life, may lower costs related to animal well-being and food safety. Protecting chickens from pathogens involves sanitation, vaccination, biosecurity and use of antibiotics and other medications. But some chickens have an especially robust and efficient immune response and can resist pathogens, notes Swaggerty.

First brain training exercise positively linked to dementia prevention.

First brain training exercise positively linked to dementia prevention.Aging research specialists have identified, for the first time, a form of mental exercise that can reduce the risk of dementia. The cognitive training, called speed of processing, showed benefits up to 10 years after study participants underwent the mental exercise program, said Frederick W. Unverzagt, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine. The proportion of participants who underwent the training and later developed dementia was significantly smaller than among those who received no cognitive training, the researchers said.

AGRIBUSINESS: New app diagnoses crop diseases.

AGRIBUSINESS: New app diagnoses crop diseases. A New app diagnoses crop diseases and notifies farmers. A team of scientists has developed a mobile phone application which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately identify crop diseases in the field. The app also delivers the latest advice to manage all major diseases and pests that affect root, tuber and banana crops, and helps African farmers identify the nearest agricultural extension support for the farmers. AGRIBUSINESS: New app diagnoses crop diseases.The project which is being implemented by a global network of scientists is part of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research’s (CGIAR) research programme on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB). “As smartphones become more common in rural Africa, they also become handy in agricultural productivity.” AGRIBUSINESS: New app diagnoses crop diseases. “Smallholder farmers or extension officials having basic smartphones with a camera can download the application free of charge, run it up and point the camera at a leaf that has disease indications. They will then get an immediate diagnosis of the disease affecting the plant.” said Dr James Legg, a researcher at the IITA, in Tanzania, who heads the project alongside Dr David Hughes of Penn State University. New app diagnoses crop diseases and notifies farmers.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to turn cassava peels to poultry feed.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to turn cassava peels to poultry feed. Cassava peels can be processed into animal feed to feed cattle, sheep, goat,pigs,fish ans poultry. The processing of the peels for poultry feed is different as it has to be fine particles for easy digestibility. AGRIBUSINESS: How to turn cassava peels to poultry feed. The cassava peels are processed as follows 1) fresh and clean peels are used. 2)peels are sorted and only small to medium size peels are selected. 3) pour into a grater,grate 3 times. 4) pour in sacs, sack on one another in an hydraulic press to dewater. 5) 24 hours later pour cassava peel cake in flash dryer/ sun dry. 6) grate the dried cake again until fine or grate and leave coarse particle if other animals will be fed from this batch. AGRIBUSINESS: How to turn cassava peels to poultry feed. Cassava root meal(CRM) as a substitute for maize has been explored and the result was an increase in productivity.The effect of replacing maize with graded levels of cassava root meal (CRM) as energy source in the diet of laying hens was evaluated during the eight weeks of feeding experiment on performance and cost benefits on layers.The fresh cassava roots were peeled, washed and grated. The grated cassava mash was poured into a sack and pressed using a hydraulic pressing machine to remove excess water. The dewatered cassava mash was broken into fine granules and was sun dried on black polyethylene sheets, after which it was milled in a hammer mill and packed in bags as cassava root meal (CRM). Forty-five Nera black laying hens of 24 weeks of age were allocated to five dietary treatments, with nine birds per treatment in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted for 8 weeks and result showed that replacement of maize by CRM up to 50:50 ratios did not significantly affect the hen-day egg production.more

Study shows early neutering poses health risks for German shepherds.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), has found that spaying or neutering German shepherds before the age of 1 triples the risk of one or more joint disorders, particularly for cranial cruciate ligament tears, according to a university release. "Debilitating joint disorders of hip dysplasia, CCL and elbow dysplasia can shorten a dog's useful working life and impact its role as a family member," says lead investigator Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, a distinguished professor emeritus in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, in the release. "Simply delaying the spay/neuter until the dog is a year old can markedly reduce the chance of a joint disorder." In the UC Davis study, researchers looked at veterinary hospital records for a 14.5-year period for 1,170 intact and neutered (including spayed) German shepherds for joint disorders and cancers previously associated with neutering. The diseases were followed through 8 years of age, with the exception of mammary cancer in females, which was followed through 11 years of age. Dogs were classified as intact, neutered before 6 months, neutered between 6 and 11 months, or neutered between 12 and 23 months. Joint disorders and cancers were of particular interest to the researchers because neutering removes male and female sex hormones that play key roles in processes such as closure of bone growth plates, the release states. The findings show that 7% of intact males were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, as contrasted with 21% of males that were neutered prior to 1 year of age. Five percent of intact females were diagnosed with one or more joint disorders, while in females neutered before the age of 1 the percentage diagnosed rose to 16%. Mammary cancer was diagnosed in 4% of intact females, as compared to less than 1% of females neutered before 1 year. In intact females, urinary incontinence was not diagnosed at all; however, in females neutered before 1 year of age, it was diagnosed in 7% of cases. contributed by dvm360.

IMPROVED METHODS TO CONTROL PORCINE EPIDEMIC DIARRHEA VIRUS.

A university of Nebraska–Lincoln research by Amy Millmier Schmidt, assistant professor and livestock bioenvironmental engineer in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering., is giving swine producers and veterinarians potential methods to manage and prevent the spread of PEDv. PEDv is spread among pigs through the fecal to oral route. It causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration, typically less than one day following exposure. While older pigs will experience performance losses once infected with PEDv, the virus carries a nearly 100 percent mortality rate in pre-weaned piglets. The virus is highly virulent, which makes controlling its spread within and among swine operations particularly challenging. The PEDv has a similar effect on older pigs as the stomach flu does on humans; the signs include decrease feed intake, loss of weight and are non productivity. The loss of productivity results in an economic loss for the industry because it takes longer for the animals to reach market weight. The control methods are as follows: 1)Carcass removal One area the group has been investigating is composting carcasses testing positive for PEDv. Burial is common practice with PEDv mortalities, which may be problematic because the virus thrives in cool, moist conditions. To ascertain whether composting could eliminate the infectious virus, the researchers constructed three compost bins in which PEDv-positive pigs were composted in biosecure rooms on UNL’s East Campus. Sensors were placed inside the compost piles to monitor temperature and organic matter, and water was added to the bins, as needed, throughout two composting cycles. Testing of the compost material at the conclusion of the cycles found no evidence of PEDv. Properly handling and disposing of mortalities is a crucial step in reducing the risk of virus transmission. The team believe that composting is an effective method to dispose of on-farm mortalities and this will help limit the spread of PEDv when the piles are constructed and managed properly to achieve internal pile temperatures of 120 to 130 degrees F. 2) Changing pH levels in manure Schmidt and her colleagues also looked at adding lime to manure containing the PED virus to determine if a significant pH change in the manure would eliminate the infectious virus. Results revealed that treating manure with lime to raise the manure pH to 10 for at least one hour will eliminate infectious virus in the manure, though Schmidt suspects that a lower pH may be equally effective. Testing during the past several months has revealed that this virus is extremely sensitive to pH, and researchers suspect that it may not be necessary to raise the manure pH all the way to 10 to inactivate the virus. However, they won’t be able to confirm this until additional experiments are completed. 3) Farm bio security The team's current focus is on demonstrating and promoting disease control and prevention measures on-farm and working with pork producers to create a culture of vigilant preparedness and prevention to minimize impacts of future disease outbreaks. All business decisions come down to economics so the team wants to demonstrate that the cost of investing in on-farm bio security practices is far less than the costs associated with lost productivity, decontamination, and remediation of a farm following a disease outbreak. source wattagnet.

CLAW LESIONS AND POOR REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN SOW.

A research institute at the Leipzig University, Germany captures all pig movement on camera to follow and analyse every step ,It is interesting to understand how pig claws interact with hard surfaces technically unknown to them. Sows in modern intensive housing environments face substantial threats from claw lesions. The risk of the claw developing a painful and ultimately devastating lesion is based on its interaction with the flooring surface, overcrowded conditions and aggressive social behavior. The majority of claw lesions have a strong bio-mechanical component in their development . The Mechanical impact is either the direct /primary cause of lesions or promotes the progression of a lesion caused primarily by other factors such as metabolic disorders, mineral deficiencies/imbalances or local inflammation. The most critical factors contributing to the development of claw lesions in swine operations today are hard flooring systems. The pig's foot is anatomically designed for a soft, variable, uneven surface where weight bearing by the two main claws is significantly supported by weight bearing of the two dew claws. When the pig is placed on concrete, the mechanics of the foot and how it interacts with the flooring surface is changed totally. The result is increased production of horn of inferior quality, disruption of normal horn formation or mechanical damage to the tissue and subsequent inflammation. Once a sow experiences lameness and pain due to a claw lesion, her performance including her reproductive potential is severely compromised and she may be removed from the herd. Research studies show that genetic improvement and management techniques, swine producers have the opportunity to reduce, and even prevent, the painful claw lesions that decrease not only productivity of sows but also their well-being. Materials from;Christoph Mülling Professor of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Germany.

BANANAS : A TREATMENT PROTOCOL TO CURE SKIN CANCER.

When bananas ripen, their skin is covered in small, round black spots caused by an enzyme known as tyrosinase. This same enzyme is present in human skin, and in greater quantities in people suffering from melanoma — a potentially deadly form of skin cancer. The black spots on old banana peels may unlock a faster, easier diagnosis of human skin cancer and boosting survival chances.A team of scientists used this observed commonality to build a cancer scanner, which they then refined and tested at length on banana peels before moving on to human tissue. First, researchers at the Laboratory of Physical and Analytical Electro chemistry in Switzerland concluded that the enzyme is a reliable marker of melanoma growth. They observed that In the earliest stage 1 of cancer, the enzyme is not very apparent, becoming widespread and evenly distributed in stage 2, and unevenly distributed in stage 3 — at which time the cancer has started spreading to other parts of the body. When cancer is detected early , there is a greater chance of survival. According to the American Cancer Society, people have a 10-year survival rate of 95 percent if the melanoma is detected in stage 1 — falling to 43 percent by mid-stage 3.The team developed a scanner and tested it on banana peel spots — which are roughly the same size as melanoma spots on human skin.By working with fruit, they were able to develop and test a diagnostic method before trying it on human biopsies. The scanner has eight flexible microelectrodes, spaced like comb teeth, that pass over the skin to measure the quantity and distribution of tyrosinase. This system could obviate the need for invasive tests like biopsies,thus reducing costs and stress related to diagnosis. The study shows the scanner could be used one day to destroy tumors and hopefully rendering biopsies and chemotherapy unnecessary. Excerpts from research published in the German science journal Angewandte Chemie.

AUTISTIC MONKEYS CREATED IN CHINESE LAB.

Scientists in China have genetically modified monkeys to give them autism in an experiment they hope will allow them to find better treatment for human sufferers of the condition. The Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences has generated more than twelve macaque monkeys with the genetic error that causes autistic features in humans, it reported, including repetitive speech and restricted interests. Autism in humans, which is normally present from childhood, is characterized by difficulties communicating with other people, as well as struggling with language, speech and abstract concepts. According to the National Autistic Society, around 1 in 100 people have autism in the UK. The macaques, who have extra copies of the MECP2 gene, display many of these characteristics -- pacing, moving in circles and low levels of interaction with other monkeys. They are also more anxious when researchers entered the cage, and showed signs of violence, anxiety and fear when challenged or looked in the eye. This, researchers say, "echoes the problems human children with the gene defect" have. "The monkeys show very similar behaviour to human autism patients," said lead researcher Zilong Qiu. “We think it provides a very unique model."Although no one mutation causes autism, researchers believe that common circuits in the brain are affected. By watching the monkeys' behaviour, and by imaging their brains, the team hope to identify some of these circuits. They'll also be testing different forms of treatment -- deep-brain stimulation, to alleviate symptoms, and CRISPR genome editing in an attempt to reverse the genetic error. Story adapted from Wired. CO.UK

RESEARCH : VITAMIN D LINKED TO INCREASE FERTILITY IN ANIMALS.

RESEARCH : VITAMIN D LINKED TO INCREASE FERTILITY IN ANIMALS. High levels of vitamin D are linked to improved fertility and reproductive success. Science Daily reports that the study, carried out on a remote Hebridean island, adds to growing evidence that vitamin D - known as the sunshine vitamin - is associated with reproductive health. Experts hope that further studies will help to determine the relevance of the results for other mammals, including people. RESEARCH : VITAMIN D LINKED TO INCREASE FERTILITY IN ANIMALS. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh found that Soay sheep with higher levels of vitamin D in their blood at the end of the summer went on to have more lambs in the following spring. The study offers the first evidence that an animal's vitamin D status is associated with an evolutionary advantage. RESEARCH : VITAMIN D LINKED TO INCREASE FERTILITY IN ANIMALS. Dr Richard Mellanby, Head of Small Animal Medicine at the University's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, who led the research, said: "Our study is the first to link vitamin D status and reproductive success in a wild animal population.

BILL GATES AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

Mr. Gates told Mr. Hollande that energy innovation needed to be a top agenda item at the climate change conference now taking place in this airport suburb outside Paris. For years, Mr. Gates had prodded governments to increase spending on research and development of clean technologies. He had sunk $1 billion of his own fortune into start-ups working on new kinds of batteries and nuclear reactors. The June tête-à-tête helped accelerate a sequence of events that led to one of the biggest public-private partnerships to tackle climate change, unveiled at the conference. Mr. Gates, who made billions from Microsoft before remaking himself as a philanthropist, was a linchpin of the effort, acting as an envoy between the worlds of business and policy. His role in sealing the deal offers a peek into how the inner circles of governments and industry intersect. It also underscores how a handful of the world’s wealthiest people can stand with heads of state to spotlight a social, economic and policy issue on the global stage. For Mr. Gates, the world’s richest person and co-chairman of the biggest private foundation, it is another sign of how his vast foreign aid operation and status as a technology icon have turned him into a uniquely influential global diplomat. The seeds for a partnership were planted in January when President Obama visited Mr. Modi in New Delhi. Mr. Obama’s goal was to forge a close relationship with Mr. Modi, in hopes of finding common ground on climate change. During those conversations, Mr. Modi pointed out his challenge: He needed new electricity to help raise India out of poverty, but coal was the cheapest power source. He said India would use clean energy if there were tech breakthroughs that provided that energy inexpensively. Mr. Modi’s message prompted Mr. Obama to consider how to achieve more clean-energy innovation. One idea was a multigovernment coalition to increase spending on clean technology. Read more here;http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/business/energy-environment/bill-gates-takes-on-climate-change-with-nudges-and-a-powerful-rolodex.html?_r=0

CATERPILLAR-INDUCED ABORTIONS IN MARES.

New research is underway in the Hunter Valley to try to reduce the number of abortions in horses caused by a species of caterpillar.University of Queensland researcher Julianne Farrell is carrying out field studies at several Upper Hunter studs, focussing on the hairs from the processionary caterpillar. Studs have addressed the problem by keeping mares away from the caterpillar and its nest.Ms Farrell said the racing industry is hoping the three-year study sheds light on the issue."That's why the racing industry has funded this project," she said. When service to a highly prized stallion is so expensive, you don't want to lose a foal halfway through the pregnancy."So it's in everyone's best interests that we sort out how we can possibly keep the mares and the caterpillars apart."Ms Farrell said controlling the caterpillar is proving challenging."What we'd like to provide is someway of keeping these caterpillars and the pregnant mares apart," she said."To keep the breeders and the stud owners in the Hunter Valley, and elsewhere where there are lots of thoroughbreds studs, happy. But it's not just the thoroughbreds affected - it's all sporting and performance horses that can also be affected."Scone vet Cameron Collins said the caterpillar has wreaked havoc during breeding seasons."We believe that processionary caterpillar related abortions may be responsible for up to 20 to 25 per cent of the abortions we see," he said. "What we find is the caterpillars live in nests in the trees," he said."The nest grows as the caterpillars grow, and shed their skin, full of caterpillar excretions."If that nest is disturbed, all of that exoskeleton material is distributed across the paddock, then the horses can be exposed to the contents of those nests, and that's when we think the problem occurs."It's a matter of identifying those nests and then disposing of them safely. Story courtesy; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-29/research-at-hunter-horse-studs-to-prevent-caterpillar-induced-a/6505708