As of February 2024, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) requires baseline drinking water quality testing for federally owned and leased spaces, with few exceptions. Approximately 1,400 federally owned and 6,000 federally leased spaces require testing in fiscal year 2024. Exclusions include leases with zero square footage (e.g., parking, antennas, kiosks, etc.) as these are assumed to not have drinking water systems. Also excluded are leases that expire in FY 2024. , , Drinking wa.
The first week of May is recognized as Wildfire Preparedness Week in California. It is a time when the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and partner agencies share proactive ways that people, communities and businesses can protect themselves and their property from the threat of wildfires. , , , , During a wildfire, the public is often advised to stay indoors and avoid demanding activities, when there are periods of thick smoke; however, outdoor workers, who can.
Last October, international media outlets ran high-profile stories about Paris officials battling a bed bug infestation that was impacting the famous city set to host the Olympics this summer. Bed bugs were even a topic on Saturday Night Live just last month after reports of the insects being found in the same building that houses the show., , , , Bed bugs are indeed a global problem and have been discovered in everything from five-star hotels and resorts to cruise ships, buses, trains and.
Mucormycosis is a rare but serious type of fungal infection caused by a group of fungi known as mucormycetes. Mucor species and Rhizopus species are some of the most common causes of mucormycosis, however there are also other species. The fungi typically live in soil and decaying organic matter., , , , It is frequently a life-threatening infection warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency also cautions that while most cases of mucormycosis are sporadic, outbre.
ScienceNews published an article last year about the spread of three types of fungi that can cause serious lung diseases. One of these was Histoplasma which causes histoplasmosis, an infection once mainly found in the Midwest, but in more recent times infections have been recorded in at least 47 states., , , , Histoplasma capsulatum lives in the environment, particularly in soil or other materials that contain large amounts of bird droppings or bat guano. The Centers for Disease Control.