“Short Wave,” is a an easy-to-follow short story podcast about the science of new discoveries and everyday wonders in 15 minutes of less.
Hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber do an amazing job in making the science in their topics easily understandable and bring at atmosphere that is fun and exciting!
One episode titled, “How an Apache tribe drove down cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever,” is about how an Apache reservation in the Rocky Mountains got to the source of a lethal illness that affected their community and reduced the rate of infection to zero through community initiatives.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a bacterial infection caused by exposure to the Rickettsia pathogen. How do you contract it? Ticks!
Here is a snapshot on the multiple approaches that were taken:
- Increasing public awareness
- Early diagnosis protocols
- Contract tracing with animals and people
- Preventive tick treatments for dogs and homes
This podcast caught my attention because I love to hear about anything public health related because it inspires me to practice examining situations from unexpected angles. I love anything science-related and this article was able to scratch that itch for me. On another note, it was very heartwarming to see how a community of indigenous people found health and success for themselves.
Take a listen and I am sure you will enjoy yourself!
